Questions tagged [mishlei]
the book of Mishlei (Proverbs)
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The difference between Reisheet and T'chilat
I am trying to understand the difference between the initial words in the following p'sukim:
Mishlei 9:10
תְּחִלַּ֣ת חׇ֭כְמָה יִרְאַ֣ת יְהֹוָ֑ה וְדַ֖עַת קְדֹשִׁ֣ים בִּינָֽה
and
Tehillim 111:10
...
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Does the scope of "נערה/Naarah" used in Mishle/Proverbs 31 include wives and/or concubines?
In Mishlei/Proverbs 31:15 it states:
She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth food to her
household, and a portion to her maidens.
וַתָּקָם, בְּעוֹד לַיְלָה--וַתִּתֵּן טֶרֶף לְבֵיתָהּ; ...
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Based on Mishlei 11:30 - Was the עֵ֤ץ הַֽחַיִּים֙ Ets HaChayim in Bereishit 2:9 a Tsadiq?
In Proverbs 11:30, we read an interesting statement regarding a Tsadiq's fruit being the Tree of Life.
Proverbs | Mishlei 11:30 states :
פְּֽרִי־צַ֖דִּיק עֵ֣ץ חַיִּ֑ים The fruit of a righteous man is ...
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Is Mishlei 16:4 saying that Man does not have free-will / freedom of choice?
Shalom.
My JPS English Tanakh translates Mishlei 16:4 as 'The LORD made everything for a purpose, even the wicked for an evil day'. This rendering implies (to me) that the wicked were made wicked, ...
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Where can I get Malbim on Mishley in English?
I am trying to find "Malbim on Mishley: The Commentary of Rabbi Meir Leibush Malbim on the Book of Proverbs".
The book seems to be out of stock. I cannot even find a used version. Any ideas ...
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Why is sleep spelled with an aleph in Tehillim 127?
In Tehillim 127:2, the author spells the word for sleep as שנא:
Source: Wikisource
I found this unusual, as the word is usually spelled שנה in Tanach (Tehillim 90:5, Mishlei 6:4, and Mishlei 20:13). ...
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Where is the first time that Tehillim, Mishlei, Iyov are referred to as ספרי אמ"ת?
The books of Tehillim, Mishlei, Iyov are often referred as ספרי אמ"ת. Where is the first source making this reference?
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No atonement for adultery without punishment?
If I understand correctly, proper teshuva for sins between man and G-d removes punishment (Hilchot Teshuvah 2:9):
Neither repentance nor the Day of Atonement atone for any save for
sins committed ...
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Grammatical difficulty in root אשר (happy)
The root אשר seems to act weirdly in relation to number.
On the one hand, it takes on plural morphology in situations that are clearly singular, here in the form of a plural (const.) noun (...
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Eshet Chayil in the Tunisian service
I was in a Tunisian-custom synagogue recently. As many synagogues do, it had signs hanging on the walls containing texts that people will often need to say while not holding a prayer book (a generic ...
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What is the meaning of "וְדַעַת קְדֹשִׁים בִּינָה"?
The book of Mishlei contains deep wisdom with many layers of meaning which is often hard to grasp. Fortunately, such great commentators as Rashi provide clear explanations of the true meaning. However,...
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Change of the heart
In some places (like Mishlei 3:3 and 7:3) our hearts are compared to luchot (tablets) on which one should inscribe the words of HaShem.
In another places our hearts should be circumcised: Devarim 10:...
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Is there a way to lein Taamei Emes that includes mesharsim?
I learned to lein Taamei Emes a few years ago using this link, which I found in a comment here on MY.
However, the tradition recorded there only takes the mafsikim into account, and all the mesharsim,...
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Comparing the Heart and Luchot
I was reading in Mishlei (3:3, 7:3) the other day and noticed that our hearts are sometimes compared to tablets, and that on it the Words of HaShem should be inscribed. This reminded me of Yirmiyahu ...
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Small Dalet in Mishlei (Proverbs) 28:17
In Mishlei (Proverbs) 28:17, the letter dalet is small in the word "adam". Why is this?
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Does Mishlei not see the good in being a Guarantor for a Gemach loan?
Mishlei 22 (26, 27) says
אַל־תְּהִ֥י בְתֹֽקְעֵי־כָ֑ף בַּ֝עֹרְבִ֗ים מַשָּׁאֽוֹת׃
אִם־אֵֽין־לְךָ֥ לְשַׁלֵּ֑ם לָ֥מָּה יִקַּ֥ח מִ֝שְׁכָּבְךָ֗
מִתַּחְתֶּֽיךָ׃
Do not be one of those who ...
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Difference between Mishlei 11:13 and 20:19
Mishlei (proverbs) 11:13:
הוֹלֵ֣ךְ רָ֭כִיל מְגַלֶּה־סּ֑וֹד וְנֶאֱמַן־ר֝֗וּחַ מְכַסֶּ֥ה דָבָֽר׃
A base fellow gives away secrets, But a trustworthy soul keeps a confidence.
Mishlei (proverbs) 20:19:
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Two roots applied to the same verses
I was looking up the word להורות on the pealim.com website, from the root ירה. And it gave all kinds of conjugations. But it also gave some related words one of those was: הוראה. Both seem to have to ...
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Mishlei Proverbs 16:4
I found some different translations of Mishlei 16:4. On the chabad.org website it is translated as:
'The Lord made everything for His praise - even the wicked man for the
day of evil'
While the ...
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(Why) Does Mishlei 25:23 say that "the north wind begets rain"?
A relative of mine who works in the aviation and meteorology industry is grappling with the pasuk in Mishlei 25:23, which reads:
"As the north wind begets rain, so a backbiting tongue [begets] an ...
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Proverbs 8:22-31. Woman Wisdom personified or actual being?
In Proverbs 8:22-31, a figure known as "Woman Wisdom" is described as being present when G-d was creating the world. Obviously, "Woman Wisdom" serves as a great personification to teach about the ...
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What's special about grasshoppers?
Why do the spies compare themselves to grasshoppers Bamidbor 13 (33)
we saw the Nephilim there—the Anakites are part of the Nephilim—and we
looked like grasshoppers to ourselves, and so we must ...
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As in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man. pedagogic Talmud Torah
The Gemara in Yebamot 117 tries to explain the reciprocity of sentiment between a mother-in-law (X) and her daughter-in-law (Y). As an illustration of this phenomenon, the Gemara quotes a verse in ...
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For a righteous man can fall seven times and rise - why seven?
Shelomo HaMelekh (King Solomon) famously wrote in Mishle'i 24:16 (Proverbs):
כִּי שֶׁבַע יִפּוֹל צַדִּיק וָקָם וּרְשָׁעִים יִכָּשְׁלוּ בְרָעָה
For a righteous man can fall seven times and rise, but ...
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"'Uf" is Torah?
Mishlei (Proverbs) 23:5 states:
הֲתָעִיף עֵינֶיךָ בּוֹ וְאֵינֶנּוּ כִּי עָשֹה יַעֲשֶׂה לּוֹ כְנָפַיִם כְּנֶשֶׁר וָעיּף יָעוּף הַשָּׁמָיִם
Should you blink your eyes at it, it is not here; for it will ...
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Order of כִּי נֵר מִצְוָה וְתוֹרָה אוֹר
Mishlei 6:23 says כִּי נֵר מִצְוָה וְתוֹרָה אוֹר. By the Mitzva it first says Ner and then Mitzva, however by the Torah it first says Torah and then Or. Why is there a change in the order, why not ...
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strength to women
It says in Mishlei 31:3, "Do not give your strength to women."
What does this mean?
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Source for "אין שמחה כשמחת התרת הספקות"
Some people in my synagogue this morning were discussing the aphorism
אין שמחה כשמחת התרת הספקות
there's no joy like the joy of the resolution of doubts
or words to that effect. Specifically, ...
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Difference Natzar and Shamar?
What is the difference between נצר natzar (keep, gaurd, watch, preserve) and שמר shamar?
Their meaning looks so similar that I would like to know what makes the difference between these two.
(For ...
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Reference to Moshiach in Proverbs Chapter 8? [closed]
I've been reading about Moshiach for about a year. Then the other day, I read the above 9 lines (Proverbs 8:22-31). It seems like Wisdom is saying what people are pouring over Isaiah, etc, looking ...
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1st century Hellenistic Jewish interpretation of Proverbs 8:22( LXX)?
Proverbs 8:22 says that Wisdom is created by God. If so, is God without wisdom before he created wisdom?
Other Jewish texts ( though uninspired),also talks about God's wisdom as created by God.
I ...
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How should one answer a fool asking about Torah matters?
My question comes from Shabbat 30b (Koren Talmud Bavli). Two contradictory proverbs are mentioned:
Proverbs 26:4
Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him.
Proverbs 26:...
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Why reverse Mishle verses' order?
When putting the Torah scroll back in its cabinet, we — at least most Ashk'nazim — say (among other things) "עֵץ חַיִּים הִיא לַמַּחֲזִיקִים בָּהּ וְתֹמְכֶיהָ מְאֻשָּׁר. דְּרָכֶיהָ דַרְכֵי ...
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What's her husband doing at the gates in the middle of her song?
Eishes Chayil is a song sung traditionally on Friday nights. It's the last 22 verses of Mishlei/Proverbs. It speaks about a "Woman of Valor", and literally does nothing but sing her praises. ...
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Do we care or do we not care about beauty?
Rashi Breishis 23:1 says that when Sarah was 20 she was beautiful as when she was 7. Mishlei 31:30 says שקר החן והבל היפי אשה יראת ה' היא תתהלל. Why is Rashi saying that Sarah was beautiful if it is ...
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Difference between Yegiah and Hipus
The Gemara in Megila 6b says that if someone tells you that they understood a piece of Torah and they didn't work hard for it you shouldn't believe them.
The Ramha"l says in the Hakdama to his magnum ...
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Please clarify Mishlei 24:21 regarding mingling with dualists
Mishlei 24:21 "My son, fear the Lord and the king; do not mingle with dualists" source
(1) please define "dualist" from the perspective of Judaism. If it is "someone who believes/practices dualism" ...
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Why do Sifrei Emes use different taamim?
I know that the Sifrei Emes (Tehillim, Mishlei, Iyov) use a different system of taamim. Why is this?
What is it about these books that makes it that they cannot — or should not — use the ...
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Aishes Chayil double talk
Why do we say "He Tishalell":She Shall Be Praised if we can just say "Isha Yiras Hashem Tishallel": Woman who fears is Praise worthy what does the extra specification of "HE"(she) add?
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Aishes Chayil talking about the Torah?
Rashi in Mishlay (31,31), the source for the song, says that the song is talking about the Torah. Where in the text of the song itself are the proofs for this theory and explanation of how the text ...
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Why do we say Eishes Chayil on Friday nights?
Eishes Chayil is indeed a beautiful song. But why do we say it specifically Friday nights (before Kiddush)?
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Why do the Sifrei Eme"s (i.e. Job, Proverbs, Psalms) have cantillation marks?
Why do the Sifrei Eme"s (i.e. Job, Proverbs, Psalms) have cantillation marks?
Are they read to a tune or is it just punctuation for personal usage?
Have they ever been read publicly with the tune?
(...
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