Kohelet 7:4

4 The lev of chachamim is in the bais evel (house of mourning); but the lev of kesilim is in the bais simchah.

Kohelet 7:4 Meaning and Commentary

Ecclesiastes 7:4

The heart of the wise [is] in the house of mourning
When his body is not; when it does not suit him to go thither in person, his mind is there, and his thoughts are employed on the useful subjects of the frailty and mortality of human nature, of death, a future judgment, and a world to come; which shows him to be a wise man, and concerned for the best things, even for his eternal happiness in another state; but the heart of fools [is] in the house of mirth;
where jovial company is, merry songs are sung, and the cup or glass passes briskly round, and all is gay and brilliant: here the fool desires to be oftener than he is, and when he cannot; which shows the folly of his mind, what a vain taste he has, and how thoughtless he is of a future state, and of his eternal welfare.

Kohelet 7:4 In-Context

2 It is better to go to the bais evel (house of mourning), than to go to the bais mishteh (house of feasting); for that is the sof (end, conclusion; see 12:13) of kol haAdam; and the living will take it to heart.
3 Ka’as (sorrow) is better than laughter; for sadness of the countenance is good for the lev.
4 The lev of chachamim is in the bais evel (house of mourning); but the lev of kesilim is in the bais simchah.
5 It is better to hear the rebuke of the chacham, than for an ish to hear the shir kesilim.
6 For as is the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the kesil; this also is hevel.
The Orthodox Jewish Bible fourth edition, OJB. Copyright 2002,2003,2008,2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International. All rights reserved.