| 1. Proverbs of Solomon: A wise son makes his father happy, but a foolish son is the grief of his mother. |
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א. |
| Proverbs of Solomon: A wise son makes his father happy: This is the Holy One, blessed be He (Midrash); another explanation: his actual father. |
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| but a foolish son is the grief of his mother: He is always with his mother at home, and she sees his foolishness and is troubled. And according to the allegory, a foolish son, like Jeroboam the son of Nebat, is the grief of his mother, the grief of his nation. |
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| 2. Treasures of wickedness will not avail, but charity will save from death. |
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| Treasures of wickedness will not avail: For he was boasting with his riches, as it is stated (Hosea 12:9): “And Ephraim said: Surely I have become rich, etc.” |
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| but charity will save from death: And if you ask, “A righteous man who squanders his property for charity-from where will he sustain himself?” |
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| 3. The Lord will not starve the soul of the righteous, but the destruction [wrought by] the wicked will cast [them] down. |
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ג. |
| The Lord will not starve the soul of the righteous: [This is the answer to the previous question.] |
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| but the destruction [wrought by] the wicked will cast [them] down: It will thrust them down and cause them to fall. |
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| 4. A poor man makes a deceitful scale, and the hand of those who make true decisions will make [them] rich. |
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| A poor man makes a deceitful scale: Whoever is impoverished in [his knowledge of] Torah promulgates false decisions. |
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| deceitful scales: Scales of deceit. According to its simple meaning, it refers to merchants. |
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| and the hand of those who make true decisions: The upright, who decide a matter truly and justly without injustice. |
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| 5. An intelligent son gathers in the summer, whereas an embarrassing son sleeps soundly during the harvest. |
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| 6. Blessings [shall come] upon the head of a righteous man, but violence shall cover the mouth of the wicked. |
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| but violence shall cover the mouth of the wicked: The violence shall cover their mouths and kill them. |
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| 7. The mention of a righteous man is for a blessing, but the name of the wicked shall rot. |
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ז. |
| The mention of a righteous man is for a blessing: Whoever mentions a righteous man blesses him. |
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| but the name of the wicked shall rot: Decay develops in their name, for no one wishes to mention his [the wicked man’s] name, and it is automatically forgotten. |
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| 8. The wise-hearted takes commandments, but he who talks foolishly will weary. |
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ח. |
| The wise-hearted takes commandments: This alludes to our teacher, Moses, for all Israel were busy with the plunder of Egypt, and he was busy with the commandments, as is it said (Exod. 13: 19): “And Moses took Joseph’s bones, etc.” |
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| but he who talks foolishly will weary: Heb. ילבט, an expression of weariness. It appears in Sifre, in the section commencing (Num. 11:1): “And the people were as complainers.” They said, “How much have we wearied (נתלבטנו) on the way!” |
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| 9. He who walks in innocence walks securely, but he who perverts his ways will be broken. |
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ט. |
| will be broken: Heb. יודע, will be broken and chastised, as in (Jud. 8:16): “And with them he broke (ויודע) the men of Succoth.” |
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| 10. He who winks his eye causes grief, and he who talks foolishly will weary. |
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י. |
| He who winks his eye causes grief: That is the one who entices a person to evil with his winks. |
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| 11. The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. |
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יא. |
| The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked, etc.: Their mouth conceals the violence that is in their heart, for they talk smoothly with their lips, but hatred is hidden in their heart. Now the interpretation of this verse is not the same as the above verse (8); the context is indicative of their meaning. |
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| 12. Hatred arouses quarrels, but love covers all transgressions. |
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יב. |
| Hatred arouses quarrels: Even a sin that was forgotten is remembered though additional iniquities. The final hatred comes and arouses them, for Ezekiel reproved Israel for the transgressions of Egypt (Ezek. 20:7), “And I said to them, ‘Every man shall cast away the abominations of his eyes, etc.’” How many (years was) this hatred hidden, that the Holy One, blessed be He, did not mention it to them until now, when they added transgressions to their sins. |
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| but love covers all transgressions: When Israel improves their deeds, the Holy One, blessed be He, conceals their transgressions. |
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| 13. Wisdom is found in the lips of the understanding, but a rod is for the body of one devoid of sense. |
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יג. |
| Wisdom is found in the lips of the understanding: When a person reproves an understanding individual, he replies to him, “I have sinned,” e.g. David, who said to Nathan, “I have sinned” (11 Sam. 12:13). |
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| but a rod is for the body of one devoid of sense: But one who is devoid of sense does not listen until he is smitten, like Pharaoh. |
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| 14. Wise men store up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool [causes] destruction to come near. |
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יד. |
| Wise men store up knowledge: They guard it in their heart so that they do not forget it. |
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| 15. The wealth of the rich is the city of his strength; the destruction of the poor is their poverty. |
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טו. |
| The wealth of the rich: in Torah. |
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| is the city of his strength: to him. |
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| the destruction of the poor is their poverty: The poverty that they did not engage in the Torah is their destruction. |
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| 16. The act of the righteous is for life; what the wicked bring in is for sin. |
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טז. |
| The act of the righteous is for life: [This is to be understood] according to its apparent meaning, but the Midrash Aggadah states: Solomon performed the construction of the Temple for the life of Israel, for their atonement. |
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| what the wicked bring in: What Manasseh brought in, for he brought in the image-that was for sin. |
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| 17. The way to life is if one keeps discipline, but he who forsakes reproof misleads. |
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יז. |
| The way to life: He who keeps discipline-that is the way to life. |
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| but he who forsakes reproof misleads: himself and others. |
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| 18. He who covers up hatred has false lips, and he who spreads slander is a fool. |
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יח. |
| He who covers up hatred has false lips: The flatterer has false lips, and he hides hatred in his heart. |
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| and he who spreads slander is a fool: Heb. דבה, a rumor about his friend, about which people will converse (דובבין). |
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| 19. In a multitude of words, transgression will not be avoided, and he who holds back his lips is wise. |
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יט. |
| In a multitude of words, transgression will not be avoided: He who talks too much brings on sin. |
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| and he who holds back his lips: he is wise. |
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| 20. The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; the heart of the wicked is worth little. |
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כ. |
| The tongue of the righteous is choice silver: for he knows how to reprove. |
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| the heart of the wicked is worth little: for he does not heed the reproof of the righteous man. Midrash Rabbi Tanhuma (Ki Thissa 6) states: This was stated concerning Iddo the prophet, who called [in prophecy] about the altar in Beth-El, and Jeroboam, although his hand had become stiff, did not heed the reproof, as it is said (I Kings 13: 6): “Entreat now the Lord your God, etc.” ; but not “my God, etc” ; (ad loc.): “and the king’s hand was drawn back to him, and it was as before.” Just as before, he was standing and burning sacrifices to idols, so was it at the end. |
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| 21. The lips of the righteous will feed many, but the fools will die for lack of sense. |
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כא. |
| The lips of the righteous will feed many, etc.: Many eat in his merit and because of his prayer. |
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| 22. The blessing of the Lord will bring riches, and toil will add nothing to it. |
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כב. |
| The blessing of the Lord will bring riches, etc.: One need not toil to gain wealth, for it is enough with the blessing that He blesses him. |
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| 23. As it is sport for a fool to carry out a sinful plot, [so is] wisdom for a man of understanding. |
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כג. |
| As it is sport for a fool to carry out a sinful plot: Heb. זמה, a plot of sins. |
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| [so is] wisdom: like sport to a man of understanding; i. e., in his eyes, it is easy to do. |
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| 24. The dread of a wicked man-that will befall him, but the desire of the righteous He will grant. |
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כד. |
| The dread of a wicked man that will befall him: What he fears will befall him. The generation of the Dispersion said, “Lest we scatter” (Gen. 11:4), and their end was that it is written (ibid. 8), “And the Lord scattered them from there.” |
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| but the desire of the righteous He will grant: He Who has the power to grant it. |
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| 25. When the whirlwind passes, the wicked man is no more, but the righteous is the foundation of the world. |
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כה. |
| When the whirlwind passes, the wicked man is no more: Suddenly the fury of a whirlwind comes, and the wicked man is cut off from his place. |
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| 26. Like vinegar to the teeth and like smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to those who send him. |
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כו. |
| 27. Fear of the Lord will add days, but the years of the wicked will be shortened. |
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כז. |
| 28. The expectation of the righteous [will result in] joy, but the hope of the wicked shall be lost. |
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כח. |
| The expectation of the righteous [will result in] joy: Eventually, it will be realized, and they will rejoice. |
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| but the hope of the wicked shall be lost: for it will not come. |
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| 29. The way of the Lord is a stronghold for the innocent, but ruin for those who work iniquity. |
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כט. |
| The way of the Lord is a stronghold for the innocent, but ruin for those who work iniquity: For they do not follow it, and it exacts retribution from them. |
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| 30. The righteous will not collapse forever, but the wicked shall not dwell in the land. |
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ל. |
| The righteous will not collapse forever: When he collapses, his collapse is not a permanent collapse, but he will fall and rise. |
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| 31. The mouth of a righteous man speaks wisdom, but a perverse tongue shall be cut off. |
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לא. |
| The mouth of the righteous man speaks wisdom: Heb. ינוב, speaks, an expression of (Isa. 57:9): “the speech (ניב) of the lips.” |
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| 32. The lips of a righteous man know how to please, but the mouth of the wicked [knows] how to distort. |
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לב. |
| the lips of a righteous man know how to please: They know how to please and placate his Creator, and they know how to please the people and how to make peace among them. |