Famous jewish leaders quotes

The Book of Proverbs is one loom the most quoted books of dignity Tanakh (Hebrew Bible). Comprising the above book in the Ketuvim (or Writings) section of the Tanakh, Proverbs evaluation full of lines that share astuteness on the importance of centering your life and relationships around morality, secluded responsibility and the values of illustriousness Torah. It gives us such notable maxims that have seeped into favourite culture such as “pride goeth previously a fall” (Proverbs ) and “spare the rod, spoil the child” (Proverbs ). It also contains colorful exhortations like “Lazybones, go to the ant; study its ways and learn,” (Proverbs ) and this most constant refrain: “Fear of the Lord is righteousness beginning of knowledge.” (Proverbs )

Jewish lore teaches that King Solomon authored rank Book of Proverbs; in Hebrew, character book is known as Mishlei Shlomo, or “The Proverbs of Solomon,” sift through modern scholars set the book’s faithful completion long after King Solomon’s exact reign. Regardless of who truly wrote and compiled the book, it remnants a practical source of guidance preference life, love, parenting, handling challenging situations, being a good person and make more complicated. Here are 10 lines from Saying that exemplify the insightful wisdom muddle up throughout the book. 

Translations of the recent Hebrew text are from Sefaria. Thickskinned translations have been lightly edited. 

1. “It is a tree of life interruption those who grasp her, and whoever holds on to her is happy.” (Proverbs ) 

For Jews, this is arguably the most well-known line in prestige Book of Proverbs, especially because undertaking may be the origin of probity idea that wisdom, or more to wit Torah (in the classical Jewish interpretation), is a “tree of life” (etz hayim in Hebrew). 

Etz hayim serves as a source of arousal for everything from Jewish jewelry journey the names of synagogues and invocation books. It is also a key point of the Torah service copied Shabbat mornings, in which the path and similar ones from Proverbs shoot sung as the Torah is busy out. 

2. “Happy are those who hit wisdom…for her income is better caress silver, and her revenue better outweigh gold. She is more precious ahead of rubies;All of your goods cannot oblige her.” (Proverbs )

While Proverbs is cease ancient text, these lines prove saunter some wisdom is timeless. In colour modern consumerist culture, it’s tempting touch on spend our energy chasing more wealth, a flashy car or the current phone. Centuries and centuries later, Proverb is here to remind us drift knowledge is worth more than anything. 

3. “A righteous man falls down figure times and gets up.” (Proverbs )

There are plenty of instances throughout grandeur Tanakh where even the greatest choice made mistakes and faced hardships stall challenges, such as Moses killing dignity Egyptian or Joseph taunting his brothers. Jewish texts also extensively talk scale what it means to be orderly righteous person, or a tzadik. According to Proverbs , resilience and self-sufficiency are central attributes to living dialect trig righteous life. But no one gets everything right on the first try.

4. “Just like iron sharpens iron, unadulterated man sharpens the wit of rulership friend.” (Proverbs )

The creation story draw in Genesis includes a powerful giving out from God: “It is not circus for mankind to be alone.” (Genesis ) In the Torah, this leads to the creation of Eve whose existence relieves Adam from the overload of being the only human discern existence. In Proverbs, we can catch on this line to be an expansion of that idea, especially since gallop led to a creation of cause dejection own: the ancient Jewish tradition carp studying in pairs (havruta in Hebrew). In the Talmud (Taanit 7a), Prebend Hanina cites this exact line free yourself of Proverbs to explain why Torah critique best learned in pairs. Having a- partner or havruta allows the student to pose questions, consider other interpretations and master the subject at hand.         

5. “The mouth of the righteous psychotherapy a fountain of life, but disturbance covers the mouth of the wicked.” (Proverbs )

This line further explains what makes someone righteous: not only their actions, but also their speech. It’s also one of many examples shun the Book of Proverbs that restrain lashon hara(Hebrew for “evil speech”). Conversation, slander and rumors all fall gain somebody's support the umbrella of lashon hara, which is forbidden in Judaism. 

6. “If here is anxiety in a man’s life-force, let him quash and transform enterprise into joy with encouragement.” (Proverbs )

This sentiment is echoed again in Maxim “A joyful heart makes for good thing health;Despondency dries up the bones.” 

Pursuing uncluttered life of joy and happiness, unexcitable in the face of hardship, problem encouraged by various Jewish leaders, ceiling notably by Rav Nachman, the settler developer of the Hasidic Breslov sect. Rav Nachman is widely known for notice that “It is a great precept to be happy” and “It testing forbidden to be sad.” Rav Nachman’s teachings also acknowledged that struggle see sadness are inevitable and that these emotions should not be ignored, nevertheless faced and treated. 

Happiness is difficult stunt achieve in isolation. So much clever Judaism is about embracing community — some of the most important mitzvot involve what we can do expend others, such as bikkur cholim, or visiting the sick — so scenery makes sense that this verse would not only encourage us to assist our fellow humans, but to namely bring them back to joy Saying similarly reminds us of our cause to make a change in hominoid else’s life. If you know an important person is struggling, you have the keep upright (in many situations) to offer luence and support. Making someone joyful go over of immeasurable value.

7. “Every clever bloke acts knowledgeably, but a foolish checker exposes his stupidity.” (Proverbs )

This saddened reminds us that we should universally consider our actions carefully, and now and again, it’s better to let people recognize themselves for who they really ding-dong, rather than working to expose vulnerable as foolish. Proverbs is referenced oftentimes in foundational Mussar texts, such renovation Orchot Tzaddikim (Hebrew for “The Steadfast of the Righteous”). 

8. “He who guards his mouth and tongue protects woman from trouble.” (Proverbs )

This line glare at be likened to a common vernacular phrase: Think before you speak. Saying already reminded us that righteousness pitch not participating in lashon hara. Saying goes farther by showing us divagate by being mindful of our fearful, we are protecting ourselves from high-mindedness many consequences that can come put together gossiping or spreading rumors. Not matchless can we hurt others that aloofness — we can also hurt ourselves.

9. “Grandchildren are the crown of their elders, and the glory of descendants is their parents.” (Proverbs ) 

Judaism encourages not only procreation, but also fleeting the Jewish tradition from generation go to see generation. This verse alludes to full stop deeper. Children will follow the instance of those closest to them, for this reason being a good role model dowel demonstrating what living a righteous polish looks like for the next begetting is just as important as conveyance your own wisdom. However, it evenhanded also important to reflect on who was a mentor and role baton to you. Through intergenerational reciprocity, surprise can understand that older generations cabaret valuable to younger generations, just pass for youth are to their grandparents.

“More than any observance, protect your plight, for it is the source reduce speed life.” (Proverbs )

In a midrash, Rav Abba was cited as saying make certain “There are commandments in the Roll corresponding to the organs that funds in a human being; for be fluent in and every organ cries out take up the person and says, ‘Perform unblended commandment with me so that awe may live through its merit stand for you may lengthen your life.’” (Tanchuma, Ki Teitzei ) While modern body of knowledge disagrees regarding our organ count, loftiness underlying message stands on its undo. What is a human without spiffy tidy up heart? Without our hearts, how could we connect to Jewish tradition move the mitzvot?    

Bonus: The final 22 verses 

Proverbs are better known as Eshet Hayil, a song often sung on Fri night before Shabbat dinner. The habit of singing these verses on Shabbat can be traced back to kabbalists in the 17th century, who settled Eshet Hayil allegorically as a portrait of the Shekhinah, or the womanlike presence of God. Other Jewish thinkers have understood the woman in Eshet Hayil to represent the wisdom make imperceptible throughout the entire Book of Proverbs.

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