Proverbs 11
RASHI'S COMMENTARY Included:Everyone read Chapter 11 if it is the 11th day of the month today. Come back and give us your thoughts....Tishri1
I cant help think of todays taxes...hmmmm wonder why1Deceitful scales are an abomination of the Lord, but a perfect weight is His will. אמֹאזְנֵי מִרְמָה תּוֹעֲבַת יְהוָה וְאֶבֶן שְׁלֵמָה רְצוֹנוֹ:
2When willful wickedness comes, then comes disgrace, but with the modest is wisdom. בבָּא זָדוֹן וַיָּבֹא קָלוֹן וְאֶת צְנוּעִים חָכְמָה:
When willful wickedness comes, etc. but with the modest is wisdom:comes wisdom.
3The innocence of the upright leads them, but the distortion of the treacherous robs them. גתֻּמַּת יְשָׁרִים תַּנְחֵם וְסֶלֶף בּוֹגְדִים וְשָׁדֵּם יְשָׁדֵּם:
The innocence of the upright leads them: Heb. תנחם, will guide them.
but the distortion of the treacherous robs them: Heb. ישדם, like ישדדם
Definitely sounds like when the end times comes we should be in this camp that helps his neighbor4Riches will not avail on the day of wrath, but charity will save from death. דלֹא יוֹעִיל הוֹן בְּיוֹם עֶבְרָה וּצְדָקָה תַּצִּיל מִמָּוֶת:
5The righteousness of the innocent will straighten his way, but the wicked will fall in his wickedness. הצִדְקַת תָּמִים תְּיַשֵּׁר דַּרְכּוֹ וּבְרִשְׁעָתוֹ יִפֹּל רָשָׁע:
6The righteousness of the upright will save them, but in the destruction, the treacherous will be caught. וצִדְקַת יְשָׁרִים תַּצִּילֵם וּבְהַוַּת בֹּגְדִים יִלָּכֵדוּ:
but in the destruction: In the destruction that they perpetrate, they are caught; the verse is transposed. [It means] “and the treacherous in the destruction will be caught.”
Sounds like the children of the wicked no mater what their father's life was like will be visited with wrath7When a wicked man dies, hope is lost, and the expectation of his children is lost. זבְּמוֹת אָדָם רָשָׁע תֹּאבַד תִּקְוָה וְתוֹחֶלֶת אוֹנִים אָבָדָה:
When a wicked man dies, hope is lost: The hope of all who trust in him.
and the expectation of his children is lost: Heb. אונים. The expectation of his children, who are the products of his strength, is lost, for no good will come to them in his merit. But when the righteous die, their children have trust in their righteousness.
8A righteous man is extricated from trouble, and a wicked man comes in his stead. חצַדִּיק מִצָּרָה נֶחֱלָץ וַיָּבֹא רָשָׁע תַּחְתָּיו:
A righteous man is extricated from trouble: when the wicked man dies, and this is connected to the preceding verse.
Sounds like we need to be upright and set a good example as Christians for those watching on the sidelines9With his mouth, the flatterer destroys his neighbor; but with knowledge, righteous men are extricated. טבְּפֶה חָנֵף יַשְׁחִת רֵעֵהוּ וּבְדַעַת צַדִּיקִים יֵחָלֵצוּ:
With his mouth, the flatterer: The flatterer who entices his friend on an evil way, destroys him with his mouth.
but with knowledge, righteous men are extricated: But the righteous man is extricated from [the flatterer] with the knowledge of the Torah, which warned concerning him (Deut. 13:9): “You shall not consent to him, etc.”
10When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices, and when the wicked perish, there is song. יבְּטוּב צַדִּיקִים תַּעֲלֹץ קִרְיָה וּבַאֲבֹד רְשָׁעִים רִנָּה:
11With the blessing of the upright, the ceiling is raised, but with the mouth of the wicked it is demolished. יאבְּבִרְכַּת יְשָׁרִים תָּרוּם קָרֶת וּבְפִי רְשָׁעִים תֵּהָרֵס:
the ceiling is raised: The ceiling of the Temple will be preserved at its height from falling. As long as the kings of Judah were upright, their prayer preserved the Temple.
take care and love your neighbor12He who despises his neighbor is devoid of sense, but a man of understanding is silent. יבבָּז לְרֵעֵהוּ חֲסַר לֵב וְאִישׁ תְּבוּנוֹת יַחֲרִישׁ:
but a man of understanding is silent: when the one devoid of sense despises him, like Saul, as it is written (I Sam. 10:27): “And they despised him and brought him no gift; and he was as one who kept his peace.”
13He who reveals secrets is a talebearer, but one who is of faithful spirit conceals a matter. יגהוֹלֵךְ רָכִיל מְגַלֶּה סּוֹד וְנֶאֱמַן רוּחַ מְכַסֶּה דָבָר:
Good Counsel is needed today14Without strategy the people falls, but with many counselors there is victory. ידבְּאֵין תַּחְבֻּלוֹת יִפָּל עָם וּתְשׁוּעָה בְּרֹב יוֹעֵץ:
Without strategy: When trouble befalls Israel, and they do not put their heart to understand, to fast and to repent, the people will fall.
15He who gives surety for a stranger will be broken by it, but he who hates hand-claspers [for surety] is secure. טורַע יֵרוֹעַ כִּי עָרַב זָר וְשׂנֵא תֹקְעִים בּוֹטֵחַ:
will be broken by it: The wicked man who gave his heart as surety to idolatry.
but he who hates hand- claspers: Those who clasp hands with the enticers to follow their counsel. But our Rabbis expounded this in regard to surety in monetary matters.
Honor is worth more than riches16A charming woman draws near to honor, but strong men draw near to riches. טזאֵשֶׁת חֵן תִּתְמֹךְ כָּבוֹד וְעָרִיצִים יִתְמְכוּ עשֶׁר:
draws near to honor: Heb. תתמך. The people of Israel constantly draw near to the honor of the Holy One, blessed be He, and His Torah. (
but strong men draw near to riches: that it should not be lost to them.)
Key to me and my life(I alkways go for these verses17A kind man does himself good, but a cruel one troubles his own flesh. יזגֹּמֵל נַפְשׁוֹ אִישׁ חָסֶד וְעֹכֵר שְׁאֵרוֹ אַכְזָרִי:
does himself good: He does good to his kin.
A kind man: lit. a man of kindness, a man who is kind.
but a cruel one troubles his own flesh: But the cruel one troubles his kin.
18A wicked man earns illusory wages, but he who sows charity [receives] a true reward. יחרָשָׁע עֹשֶֹה פְעֻלַּת שָׁקֶר וְזֹרֵעַ צְדָקָה שֶֹכֶר אֱמֶת:
A wicked man earns illusory wages: The wage of a wicked man lies to him. He thinks that his prosperity will remain, but all is lost.
but he who sows charity [receives] a true reward: But he who sows charity, it is a wage of truth, for he is surely confident that he will receive his wage at the end. שכר cornial in Old French. [This appears to mean a weir in several dialects; i.e., a fence placed in the water to catch fish.] Manuscripts of Rashi yield: eclusse or esklusa, which is e’cluse [in modern French]; in German wasserschleuse, a lock or a sluice gate). Like a man who locks a canal in order to gather fish, and he is confident that he will find many fish there. A similar instance is (Isa. 19:10): “all who make dams (שכר) for still ponds.”
19The truth of charity is for life, but one who pursues evil [leads] to his death. יטכֵּן צְדָקָה לְחַיִּים וּמְרַדֵּף רָעָה לְמוֹתוֹ:
The truth of charity: Heb. כן, the truth of charity is that its end is for life, as in (Num. 27:7): “The daughters of Zelofchad speak right (כן).”
20Those who are perverse in heart are an abomination of the Lord, but He desires those who are sincere in their way. כתּוֹעֲבַת יְהוָה עִקְּשֵׁי לֵב וּרְצוֹנוֹ תְּמִימֵי דָרֶךְ:
21From hand to hand the evil will not be cleansed, but the seed of the righteous escapes. כאיָד לְיָד לֹא יִנָּקֶה רָע וְזֶרַע צַדִּיקִים נִמְלָט:
From hand to hand: From the hand of the Holy One, blessed be He, to his hand shall come to him his wage, and he will not be cleansed of the evil that he committed.
22[As] a gold ring in a swine's snout, is a beautiful woman from whom sense has departed. כבנֶזֶם זָהָב בְּאַף חֲזִיר אִשָּׁה יָפָה וְסָרַת טָעַם:
[As] a gold ring in a swine’s snout: that bemires it in the dungheap, so is a Torah scholar who turns away from the good way.
from whom sense has departed: Who has departed from the Torah.
23The desire of the righteous is only good; the hope of the wicked is wrath. כגתַּאֲוַת צַדִּיקִים אַךְ טוֹב תִּקְוַת רְשָׁעִים עֶבְרָה:
the hope of the wicked is wrath: They are assured and hope for Gehinnom.
24There is one who scatters and yet is given more, and one who withholds from [giving] what is proper, only for a loss. כדיֵשׁ מְפַזֵּר וְנוֹסָף עוֹד וְחוֹשֵֹךְ מִיּשֶׁר אַךְ לְמַחְסוֹר:
There is one who scatters: his money for such things as charity, and he is given more.
and one who withholds: himself from [giving] what is proper.
only for a loss: it will be to him.
25A generous person will become rich, and he who sates [others] shall himself become sated as well. כהנֶפֶשׁ בְּרָכָה תְדֻשָּׁן וּמַרְוֶה גַּם הוּא יוֹרֶא:
A generous person: [lit. a soul of blessing,] who is generous with his money, and every expression of blessing is fuison in Old French, excess.
and he who sates: who sates the poor.
shall himself become sated as well: He shall be sated with good.
26He who keeps back grain-the nation will curse him, but a blessing will be bestowed on the head of him who sells grain. כומֹנֵעַ בָּר יִקְּבֻהוּ לְאוֹם וּבְרָכָה לְרֹאשׁ מַשְׁבִּיר:
He who keeps back grain: [who refrains] from teaching Torah.
27He who desires good seeks acceptance, but he who seeks evil, it will befall him. כזשֹׁחֵר טוֹב יְבַקֵּשׁ רָצוֹן וְדֹרֵשׁ רָעָה תְבוֹאֶנּוּ:
He who desires good: Who wishes to lead the people in the good way and reproves and chastises them.
seeks acceptance: He desires that the Holy One, blessed be He, accept them and and be reconciled with them. Appaisement in Old French, besanftigen in German.
28He who relies on his wealth will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a leaf. כחבּוֹטֵחַ בְּעָשְׁרוֹ הוּא יִפֹּל וְכֶעָלֶה צַדִּיקִים יִפְרָחוּ:
29He who inherits the wind will trouble his household; the fool is a slave to the wisehearted. כטעוֹכֵר בֵּיתוֹ יִנְחַל רוּחַ וְעֶבֶד אֱוִיל לַחֲכַם לֵב:
He who inherits the wind will trouble his household: A lazy man, who always inherits the wind and does not toil in Torah or in work, will ultimately trouble the members of his household, for they will have nothing to eat.
30The fruit of a righteous man is the tree of life, and the wise man acquires souls. לפְּרִי צַדִּיק עֵץ חַיִּים וְלֹקֵחַ נְפָשׁוֹת חָכָם:
The fruit of a righteous man: The reward of the fruit of the righteous man’s deeds is a tree of life for the world.
and the wise man acquires souls: Whoever is wise acquires souls for himself. he teaches them the good way, and they are his as though he had acquired them, as the matter is stated (Gen. 12:5): “And the souls that they acquired in Haran.”
Breaking it up to make it easier to comment on....31Behold! The righteous man will be requited on earth; surely a wicked man and a sinner. לאהֵן צַדִּיק בָּאָרֶץ יְשֻׁלָּם אַף כִּי רָשָׁע וְחוֹטֵא:
Behold ! The righteous man will be requited on earth: Why should the wicked man feel confident when he prospers? Does he not see that the righteous man is requited the payment of the sins he has committed while he is still on earth, during his lifetime?
surely a wicked man and a sinner: Surely the wicked will ultimately be requited, either during his lifetime or after his death.
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