Mishlei {Proverbs} - Chapter 3 - Relevant Wisdom

[muman613]

I hope that the holy words of King Solomon have some relevance to those who read them.

1. My son, forget not My instruction, and may your heart keep My commandments;
2. for they shall add length of days and years of life and peace to you.
3. Kindness and truth shall not leave you; bind them upon your neck, inscribe them upon the tablet of your heart;
4. and find favor and good understanding in the sight of G-d and man.
5. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not rely upon your understanding.
6. Know Him in all your ways, and He will direct your paths.
7. Do not be wise in your own sight; fear the Lord and turn away from evil
8. it shall be healing for your navel and marrow for your bones.
9. Honor the Lord from your substance and from the first of all your grain,
10. and your barns shall be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.
11. My son, despise not the discipline of the Lord, and do not abhor His chastening,
12. for the Lord chastens the one He loves, as a father placates a son.
13. Fortunate is the man who has found wisdom and a man who gives forth discernment,
14. for its commerce is better than the commerce of silver, and its gain [is better] than fine gold;
15. it is more precious than pearls, and all your desirable things cannot be compared to it.
16. Length of days is in its right hand; in its left hand are riches and honor.
17. Its ways are ways of pleasantness, and all its paths are peace.
18. It is a tree of life for those who grasp it, and those who draw near it are fortunate.
19. The Lord founded the earth with wisdom, established the heavens with discernment.
20. With His knowledge the depths were split, and the heavens drip dew.
21. My son, let them not depart from your eyes; guard sound wisdom and thought,
22. and they shall be life for your soul, and grace for your neck.
23. Then you shall go securely on your way, and your foot shall not stumble.
24. If you lie down, you shall not fear, and when you lie down, your sleep shall be sweet.
25. Be not afraid of sudden terror, or of the darkness of the wicked when it will come.
26. For the Lord shall be your trust, and He shall keep your root from being caught.
27. Do not withhold good from the one who needs it when you have power in your hand to do it.
28. Do not say to your fellow, "Go and return, and tomorrow I will give," though you have it with you.
29. Devise no harm against your fellow, when he dwells securely with you.
30. Do not quarrel with anyone without cause, if he did you no harm.
31. Do not envy a man of violence and do not choose any of his ways;
32. for the perverse is an abomination to the Lord, but His counsel is with the upright.
33. The curse of the Lord is in the wicked man's house, but He shall bless the dwelling of the righteous.
34. If [one goes] to the scoffers, he will scoff; but [if he goes] to the humble, he evokes grace.
35. The wise shall inherit honor, but the fools take disgrace as their portion.

[AsheDina]

I hope that the holy words of King Solomon have some relevance to those who read them.

1. My son, forget not My instruction, and may your heart keep My commandments;
2. for they shall add length of days and years of life and peace to you.
3. Kindness and truth shall not leave you; bind them upon your neck, inscribe them upon the tablet of your heart;
4. and find favor and good understanding in the sight of G-d and man.
5. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not rely upon your understanding.
6. Know Him in all your ways, and He will direct your paths.
7. Do not be wise in your own sight; fear the Lord and turn away from evil
8. it shall be healing for your navel and marrow for your bones.
9. Honor the Lord from your substance and from the first of all your grain,
10. and your barns shall be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.
11. My son, despise not the discipline of the Lord, and do not abhor His chastening,
12. for the Lord chastens the one He loves, as a father placates a son.
13. Fortunate is the man who has found wisdom and a man who gives forth discernment,
14. for its commerce is better than the commerce of silver, and its gain [is better] than fine gold;
15. it is more precious than pearls, and all your desirable things cannot be compared to it.
16. Length of days is in its right hand; in its left hand are riches and honor.
17. Its ways are ways of pleasantness, and all its paths are peace.
18. It is a tree of life for those who grasp it, and those who draw near it are fortunate.
19. The Lord founded the earth with wisdom, established the heavens with discernment.
20. With His knowledge the depths were split, and the heavens drip dew.
21. My son, let them not depart from your eyes; guard sound wisdom and thought,
22. and they shall be life for your soul, and grace for your neck.
23. Then you shall go securely on your way, and your foot shall not stumble.
24. If you lie down, you shall not fear, and when you lie down, your sleep shall be sweet.
25. Be not afraid of sudden terror, or of the darkness of the wicked when it will come.
26. For the Lord shall be your trust, and He shall keep your root from being caught.
27. Do not withhold good from the one who needs it when you have power in your hand to do it.
28. Do not say to your fellow, "Go and return, and tomorrow I will give," though you have it with you.
29. Devise no harm against your fellow, when he dwells securely with you.
30. Do not quarrel with anyone without cause, if he did you no harm.
31. Do not envy a man of violence and do not choose any of his ways;
32. for the perverse is an abomination to the Lord, but His counsel is with the upright.
33. The curse of the Lord is in the wicked man's house, but He shall bless the dwelling of the righteous.
34. If [one goes] to the scoffers, he will scoff; but [if he goes] to the humble, he evokes grace.
35. The wise shall inherit honor, but the fools take disgrace as their portion.

  Muman- I just LOVE you. You are such a LIGHT. Truly, the day Gd made you, he WAS SMILING.

[muman613]

Thank you Paulette,

I was just reading an interesting article on Chabads website. We are currently in the Hebrew month of Tamuz which is a month of transformation.

http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/703099/jewish/Tammuz-Time-for-Transformation.htm

Excerpt from Chabad site:

The names of all the months in the Hebrew calendar are originally from Babylon. The Jewish people adopted these Babylonian names during the 70 year exile in Babylon. Yet, of all the Babylonian names adopted, Tamuz stands out as peculiar: it is the name of an actual Babylonian deity and idol. Why would our sages allow the adoption of the name of idolatry into the holiness of Judaism?
.
.
.
Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, one of Rebbe Levi Yitzhcak's great contemporaries, found this idea in the verse: "A bit more and the wicked will be no more; for you will gaze at his place, and he will be gone." Rebbe Nachman explained that by these words, King David meant that by ignoring the wickedness in a person and by searching for the good in him or her, one's gaze has the power to annul evil.
.
.
.
Without a doubt, we the Jewish people have experienced tremendous hardship and pain throughout our history—more so perhaps than other nations. But Jewish history is anything but tragic. It is the history of hope and faith and of moral uprightness in the face of primitively immoral despots and religions, most of which have disappeared from the world. Jewish history is the ultimate anti‐tragedy. It is the story of mankind's search for the possibility of sanctifying our corporeal existence here on earth.

muman613

[AsheDina]

Thank you Paulette,

I was just reading an interesting article on Chabads website. We are currently in the Hebrew month of Tamuz which is a month of transformation.

http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/703099/jewish/Tammuz-Time-for-Transformation.htm

Excerpt from Chabad site:

The names of all the months in the Hebrew calendar are originally from Babylon. The Jewish people adopted these Babylonian names during the 70 year exile in Babylon. Yet, of all the Babylonian names adopted, Tamuz stands out as peculiar: it is the name of an actual Babylonian deity and idol. Why would our sages allow the adoption of the name of idolatry into the holiness of Judaism?
.
.
.
Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, one of Rebbe Levi Yitzhcak's great contemporaries, found this idea in the verse: "A bit more and the wicked will be no more; for you will gaze at his place, and he will be gone." Rebbe Nachman explained that by these words, King David meant that by ignoring the wickedness in a person and by searching for the good in him or her, one's gaze has the power to annul evil.
.
.
.
Without a doubt, we the Jewish people have experienced tremendous hardship and pain throughout our history—more so perhaps than other nations. But Jewish history is anything but tragic. It is the history of hope and faith and of moral uprightness in the face of primitively immoral despots and religions, most of which have disappeared from the world. Jewish history is the ultimate anti‐tragedy. It is the story of mankind's search for the possibility of sanctifying our corporeal existence here on earth.

muman613

  THIS is REALLY good:
 
  Recognizing that depression and loss of faith in life are forms of idolatry help bring home the Biblical statement that to follow God means to "Choose life!"3 But to choose life, one needs to be able to see the goodness in life. This second step involves our outlook on ourselves and on others.

  Definately the TRUTH, entertaining depression, for sure, is idolatry, especially when ones eyes are only focused on the problem and depression, and NOTon G-d.
 Thanks.