[Tales and Maxims from the Midrash]

Midrash Proverbs

MAN should attain sound sense and a feeling of responsibility at the age of twenty.–Mid. Proverbs 1.

Man must be attentive to his wife, to his studies, and to his occupation.–Mid. Proverbs 5.

Happy indeed is the teacher who has a disciple that can intercede with Heaven, by his prayer, on behalf of the teacher.–Mid. Proverbs 7.

Do not despise an ignorant man who strives to gain knowledge, or a man of ill repute who strives to redeem his past.–Mid. Proverbs 7.

The Day of Atonement will never be abolished.–Mid. Proverbs 9.

Have a good word for your fellow-man, and the ministering angels will plead for you before the throne of mercy.–Mid. Proverbs 11.

Man has two hands; but he is not to rob with the one and give alms with the other.–Mid. Proverbs 11.

He who, being on friendly terms with another, eats and drinks with him and does not refrain from speaking against him, is designated by God Himself an evil one.–Mid. Proverbs 12.

A man proud of his knowledge is a propagator of folly.–Mid. Proverbs 13.

Here man is able to comprehend things and test them by his senses, such as the sense of sight or the sense of hearing; but he cannot imagine what future bliss means, since it is an abstract idea and cannot be tested either by the sense of sight or by the sense of hearing.–Mid. Proverbs 13.

Consider the great value of righteousness (or charity, the word צדקה may mean either righteousness or charity. The view taken in Holy Writ of giving alms or help to the poor, is that it is nothing more than what is right or just, an act of justice or equity). It atones for the sins, not only of Jews, but also of non-Jews. It is placed at the right hand of God (Ps. 48.). It is God’s praise (Isa. 63.). It gives life and honour to its practisers (Prov. 21.). Abraham was praised for it (Gen. 15.). David too was praised for it (1 Saml. 28.). And so it is also Israel’s praise (Deut. 6.). God will be exalted by it (Isa. 5.). It goes to prepare a place before the departure hence of those who have practised it (Isa. 38.).–Mid. Proverbs 14.

God lends eloquence to the suppliant.–Mid. Proverbs 15.

A man of a kindly and charitable disposition is generally blessed with old age, which sits on him like a crown.–Mid. Proverbs 16.

A learned man who has a learned son and a learned grandson may reasonably hope that learning will be the characteristic of his family for generations to come.–Mid. Proverbs 18.

If you want to incur contempt, be extravagant in self-praise.–Mid. Proverbs 27.

A judge, like a king, should not depend on anybody’s gifts; nor should he, like a priest, live on the people’s bounty.–Mid. Proverbs 30.

Alexander of Macedonia overran the whole world like a swarm of locusts.–Mid. Proverbs 30.

What blessings cannot earnest prayer bring down for us from heaven! It was in answer to Hannah’s earnest prayer that she was blessed with a son whose name was associated with those of Moses and Aaron (Ps. 99.) as the lights of Israel.–Mid. Proverbs 30.

The virtues of Noah’s wife outweighed those of Noah.–Mid. Proverbs 31.

As an example of a good wife, the spouse of Rabbi Meier may perhaps be mentioned. The learned Rabbi was engaged the whole of one Sabbath afternoon in a discourse in the college, during which time his two sons died. Their mother had them removed to a room and covered up. When in the evening her husband returned from the college and asked for his two sons she gave him some evasive answer and asked him to pronounce the blessing fixed for the departing Sabbath. This done, she set some food before him, of which he partook after persuasion, as his anxiety about his two boys was increasing. When the meal was finished and the good Rabbi insisted on knowing where his boys were, his wife said, ‘I will answer your question after you have answered mine. If any one,’ she asked, ‘has deposited something with you, are you bound to return it to him without any complaint?’ Her husband expressed his surprise that his own wife should ask a question upon a matter so obvious. ‘Do you want instruction on this point, and does it not go without saying that you must return what is deposited with you?’

At this she took him gently by the hand, and bidding him follow her, led him to the room where the two corpses lay, and removing the cover from their faces showed him their dead boys. Rabbi Meier showed a tendency to give way to grief, but the good woman checked him. ‘Did you not tell me but a few minutes ago that it is our duty to return anything that had been deposited with us? It is our duty not to utter a word of complaint, but to say, “The Lord hath given, the Lord hath taken; blessed be the name of the Lord”‘ (Job 1.).

Rabbi Meier was glad and grateful to his wife for recalling him to a sense of his duty.–Mid. Proverbs 31.