Mishlei, known as Proverbs in English, is the collected wisdom of King Shlomo (Solomon), written as terse and powerful aphorisms. In this short series, Rabbi Aaron gives us a taste of the first chapter of this rich thirty-one chapter book.
Mishlei 1 – Introduction
Rabbi Aaron explains the purpose and approach of the book of Mishlei and what exactly King Shlomo is trying to communicate and why. The first seven verses are illuminated with the help of the commentary of the Malbim.
Mishlei 2 – Tradition, Creativity, Study
After a quick review of concepts from the previous class, Rabbi Aaron continues with verse 8, “Hear my son, the moral instruction…”, which is the central theme of this class. This time, the verse is explained through Rabbi Kook’s article “The Soul’s Illumination”.
Mishlei 3 – Bad Company and Being Receptive to Wisdom
Rabbi Aaron again does a quick review of the previous class then focuses on verses 20-33. King Shlomo teaches the benefits of wisdom, and the grave mistake of ignoring and denigrating wisdom. Wisdom is receptive to a person who is receptive to its advice.