(Expanded version. Feedback was that I was too cryptic.)
תנו רבנן שתי שנים ומחצה נחלקו בית שמאי ובית הלל הללו אומרים נוח לו לאדם שלא נברא יותר משנברא והללו אומרים נוח לו לאדם שנברא יותר משלא נברא נמנו וגמרו נוח לו לאדם שלא נברא יותר משנברא עכשיו שנברא יפשפש במעשיו ואמרי לה ימשמש במעשיוOur rabbis repeated: Beis Shammai and Beis Hillel debated this for two and a half years: this side said, “It is better for a person to have not been created than to have been created,” and the other side said, “It is better for a person to have been created than to not have been created.” They took a vote and resolved, “It is better for a person to have not been created than to have been created; now that he has been created, he should analyze his actions; others say, he should evaluate his actions.”
- Eiruvin 13b
Usually we learn this gemara as saying that Batei Hillel and Shammai sat down to a vote and they concluded that it was better not to have been created. But nebich we were created, so at this point better to examine and analyze our actions.
I would suggest a different punctuation. The resolution continues through to include the advice. So that they’re concluding that unfortunately most people do not examine and analyze their actions, and so by default it would be better not to have been created. However, if one were to examine their actions, existence is a boon. Or, as is often quoted from another tradition:
The unexamined life is not worth living.
- Socrates, Apology 38a
