Commentaire sur Les Proverbes 23:37

If you sit down to dine Heb. ללחום, to eat.

you should understand well Give thought to know who he is, whether he is stingy or generous.

and you shall put a knife into your jaw Heb. בלועך, into your jaw. If you see that he is stingy, do not eat of his [food].

if you are a man with a hearty appetite If you are a glutton and long to eat, it is better that you thrust a knife between your teeth. Our Sages expounded this as referring to a disciple sitting before his teacher. If he knows that his teacher will give him an answer for everything he asks, let him investigate the subtle points and ask concerning his tradition, but if not, let him keep his peace.

Do not desire his delicacies but leave him and go [to study] before a competent teacher, and do not embarrass him with questions, since he does not know what to answer.

Do not weary yourself to grow rich To make your learning into bundles because you will ultimately forget it.

Should you blink your eyes at it The moment you blink your eyes to close them, that study will no longer be found with you.

התעיף, like “and you shall fold” (Ex. 26:9), which Onkelos renders: ותעיף.

for it is as though it poured gall שער. This שער is vowelized half with a “patach” and half with a “kamatz,” and the accent is at the end of the word; therefore, it is a verb and not a noun; for were it a noun, it would be [vowelized completely with] a “pattah” and the accent would be at the beginning of the word, like every שער in Scriptures. Its meaning is that it as though this food poured gall into the soul of this stingy man, so it is. gall Heb. שער, from the expression of (Jer. 29:17): “the loathsome (השערים) figs,” the bitter ones.

your morsel that you ate in his house, you will ultimately vomit because of embarrassment.

and you will lose your sweet words The gratitude that you extended and spoke to him tender words—you lost everything.

and...the fields of the orphans The gleanings, the forgotten sheaves, and the corner that is due them.

when your lips speak right things since your heart has grown wise.

Let your heart not envy the sinners their success, to be wicked like them.

for because of this, there is a future Heb. כי אם. This [word] אם is used as an expression of “that”; i.e., for because of this there is a future and hope for you.

Hear you, my son, and grow wise, and walk in the way of your heart Since you will grow wise, you will be able to walk in the ways of your heart, for the heart of a wise man will not entice you to sin.

for the guzzler and the glutton will become impoverished Heb. יורש, will become impoverished.

and slumber will clothe [you] with tatters Laziness and slumber will clothe you with tattered clothing.

Buy truth If you do not find to learn for nothing, learn for pay [pay to learn], but do not say, “Just as I learned for pay, so will I teach it for pay.”

a narrow well (etroitte in French, in German, eng, schmal.)

suddenly Heb. כחתף, suddenly.

and she will increase the faithless among men She increases in Israel those who are faithless to God. He is referring to apostasy.

Who cries, “Woe!” Who, “Alas!” An expression of crying and yelling.

He who has quarrels. He who talks too much To him who has quarrels with the people and talks too much, woe and alas, for transgression does not stop with much speech.

Who has bloodshot eyes? From drinking much wine, the eyes become red, and that is embarrassing.

for mixed wine [as translated,] for mixed wine; this word is a noun, like ממכר, merchandise.

to search for mixed wine Who search and hunt where good wine is sold.

Do not look at wine when it is red Do not put your eye on it.

when he puts his eye on the cup, it goes smoothly Whoever is habitually drunk—all transgressions appear to him to be straight; all ways appear straight.

on the cup Heb. בכוס. The masoretic text reads: בכיס, on the pocket; i.e., the drinker puts his eye on the cup, and the storekeeper puts his eye on this one’s pocket.

and sting Heb. יפרש, an expression of stinging (pointe in French, in German stechend). (Jud. 3: 31): “With an ox-goad” is translated into Aramaic as בפרש תורי, and in the Gemara (Baba Mezia 80a): “The one who holds the colter (פרשא),” aiguillon in Old French, in German stachel, Gewohneisen, and so in Jud. 3:31, II Sam. 8:1, and Jer. 31:18. Others interpret the word to mean that it separates him from life.

Your eyes will see strange women When you will become drunk, they will burn in you and entice you to ogle harlots.

And you shall be mad like one lying in the midst of the sea.

and like one lying at the top of a mast The mast of a ship sways to fall from it.

“They struck me but I did not become ill, etc.” When he sobers himself up from his wine, he does not feel any of the evils that passed over him, and he drinks again.