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Sirach

Ben Sira, Ecclesiasticus

About this book
Chapter 14

1 Blessed is the man who has not slipped with his mouth, and doesn’t suffer from sorrow for sins.⁠ 2 Blessed is he whose soul does not condemn him, and who has not given up hope.

The Use of Wealth

3 Riches are not appropriate for a stingy person. What would a miser do with money? 4 He who gathers by denying himself gathers for others. Others will revel in his goods. 5 If one is mean to himself, to whom will he be good?⁠ He won’t enjoy his possessions. 6 There is none more evil than he who is grudging to himself. This is a punishment for his wickedness. 7 Even if he does good, he does it in forgetfulness. In the end, he reveals his wickedness. 8 A miser is evil. He turns away and disregards souls.⁠ 9 A covetous man’s eye is not satisfied with his portion. Wicked injustice dries up his soul. 10 A miser begrudges bread, and it is lacking at his table. 11 My son, according to what you have, treat yourself well, and bring worthy offerings to the Lord.⁠ 12 Remember that death will not wait, and that the covenant of Hades hasn’t been shown to you. 13 Do good to your friends before you die. According to your ability, reach out and give to them. 14 Don’t deprive yourself of a good day. Don’t let your share of a desired good pass you by. 15 Won’t you leave your labors to another, and your toils be divided by lot? 16 Give, take, and treat yourself well, because there is no seeking of luxury in Hades.⁠ 17 All flesh grows old like a garment, for the covenant from the beginning is, “You must die!”⁠ 18 Like the leaves flourishing on a thick tree, some it sheds, and some grow, so also are the generations of flesh and blood: one comes to an end and another is born.⁠ 19 Every work rots and falls away, and its builder will depart with it.

The Search for Wisdom and Its Blessings

20 Blessed is the man who meditates on wisdom, and who reasons by his understanding. 21 He who considers her ways in his heart will also have knowledge of her secrets. 22 Go after her like a hunter, and lie in wait in her paths. 23 He who peers in at her windows will also listen at her doors. 24 He who lodges close to her house will also fasten a nail in her walls. 25 He will pitch his tent near at hand to her, and will lodge in a lodging where good things are. 26 He will set his children under her shelter, and will rest under her branches. 27 By her he will be covered from heat, and will lodge in her glory.

Texts in conversation

Compare Sirach 14:11 and Eruvin 54a

Deuterocanon · Rabbinic

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Summary

Rabbinic tradition uses language similar to Sirach, encouraging enjoying good things and sharing them with others. Both emphasize thankfulness and generosity, based on the idea that life is short, suggesting early Rabbis used Sirach in their teaching.

Passages

Sirach 14:11

Deuterocanon · Ben Sira, Ecclesiasticus
11 My son, according to what you have, treat yourself well, and bring worthy offerings to the Lord. 12 Remember that death will not wait, and that the covenant of Hades hasn’t been shown to you. 13 Do good to your friends before you die. According to your ability, reach out and give to them. 14 Don’t deprive yourself of a good day. Don’t let your share of a desired good pass you by. 15 Won’t you leave your labors to another, and your toils be divided by lot? 16 Give, take, and treat yourself well, because there is no seeking of luxury in Hades. 17 All flesh grows old like a garment, for the covenant from the beginning is, “You must die!”
195–180 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Sirach

Eruvin 54a

Rabbinic · Babylonian Talmud
The Gemara cites additional instructions issued by Shmuel: Shmuel said to Rav Yehuda, his beloved student: Keen scholar, grab and eat, grab and drink, as the world from which we are departing is like a wedding feast, whose joy is only temporary, and one who does not take pleasure in it now will not be able to do so in the future. Similarly, Rav said to Rav Hamnuna: My son, if you have money, do well for yourself. There is no point waiting, as there is no pleasure in the netherworld, and death does not tarry. And if you say: I will save up in order to leave for my children, who told you the law of the netherworld, i.e., how do you know which of you will die first (Arukh)? People are similar to grass of the field, in that these blossom, i.e., grow, and their actions are blessed, and these wither and die.
450–550 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in Eruvin

References

"... I have given these quotations just as they are in the works from which they are taken, without putting them in verses or even providing them with stops. Such an arrangement would have implied some metrical division, which I strongly desired to avoid ... That my collection will contribute much towards solving the great Sirach difficulties, I in no way flatter myself. The quotations are too few in proportion to the bulk of the book to throw much light on the problem. I must also distinctly state that the quotations do not always exactly correspond with references given to Ecclesiasticus. Sometimes only one of many sentences of the quotation is contained in Sirach, sometimes none at all. And thus they can only be used after the closest examination. But still I venture to think that the bringing together of all the passages with their variae lectiones will be of some service to the student, as revealing the fact that the version of Ecclesiasticus known to the Rabbis was mostly written in pure Hebrew. And when the Rabbis who did not quote literally made some alteration, it was for such terms as are to be found in the Mishnah or the Baraitot, e.g., the Aboth de Rabbi Nathan ..."
Solomon Schechter, “The Quotations from Ecclesiasticus in Rabbinic Literature,” JQR 3.4 (1891): 682–706.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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Sirach 14:11 and Eruvin 54a

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