כִּי־בִ֭י יִרְבּ֣וּ יָמֶ֑יךָ וְיוֹסִ֥יפוּ לְּ֝ךָ֗ שְׁנ֣וֹת חַיִּֽים׃
Sebab oleh karena aku, hari-harimu akan bertambah banyak, dan tahun-tahun hidupmu akan ditambahkan kepadamu.
Rabbeinu Bahya
In these verses Solomon draws a comparison between our faith and that of the idolaters. He compares our faith to a wise woman, whereas he compares the idolaters to a foolish woman (verse 4 and onward). The words חכמות בנתה ביתה, are a reference to the wisdom contained in the Torah. The reason that the word appears in the plural is to remind us that all manner of wisdom extant are contained in the Torah. This is why he describes the house built by such a woman (faith) as based on seven different pillars. The number seven is a simile for "many pillars.” Any structure built on numerous pillars, foundations, is bound to endure.
The number “seven” is not to be considered as literally seven, just as in Proverbs 24,16 the word “seven” in the line: “for the righteous will rise even if he falls seven times,” is not to be taken literally. The wise woman endeavours to prepare the food herself, mix the wine herself, and set the table herself instead of relying on others to do all this for her. This is implied in the words אף ערכה, i.e. she also does this herself. The wise woman, i.e. the Torah, also calls out to the women of her age, the foolish ones, trying to convince them that our faith is the only one which has substance. [This is the meaning of “she sends out her maids” Ed.] The paragraph is a parable describing the perfection of Torah in all its aspects, the Torah of which it is written לא תחסר כל בו, “it does not lack anything at all” (Deut. 8,9).Torah is a guide for the individual leading him to His Creator. Anyone who immerses himself in Torah thoroughly will find answers to all its detractors, i.e. to people who believe in the Trinity (the Catholics) or those who believe in other power-sharing by G’d and other deities. When he has studied Torah thoroughly he will feel that the table is set for him and all the food and drink has been served ready to eat. Torah can fill the needs of the mind of the foolish just as food and drink can serve the needs of our stomachs. This is what David had in mind when he wrote in Psalms 19,8 “The teaching of the Lord is perfect, renewing life; the decrees of the Lord are enduring, making the simple wise.”
Solomon warns all people to preoccupy themselves with Torah and to abandon their previous foolish pursuits. This is the meaning of Proverbs 9,4: ”Who is a fool let him enter here; to the person who is devoid of sense she says.” What does Torah (the wise woman) have to say to such people devoid of sense? “Come and eat my bread, drink the wine which I have mixed, Forsake foolishness and live!, Walk in the way of understanding.” As a result (verse 11) “your days will be multiplied; you will experience added years of life.”
Solomon compares the belief in idolatry to a foolish woman who offers the kind of advice which makes the multitude stumble and fall; she strengthens those who indulge in a sinful life style; she praises the foolish practices perpetrated by the sinners, the wicked deeds performed by them. This is the meaning of Proverbs 9,13-14: “a foolish woman makes a lot of noise, she is full of foolishness, knows nothing. For she sits at the entrance of her house or on a chair in the highest place in town.” The meaning of this verse is that the woman described here is the reverse of the one described in verses 3-4 of the same chapter.
The meaning of the verse is that the woman mentioned made herself the foremost, the highest in rank. Normally, the highest ranking position is accorded to wisdom; in this instance the woman occupying pride of place is a foolish woman. The truly foremost woman, the one mentioned in verses 3-4 built her house with wisdom, while preparing everything in her household she kept silent. The foolish woman, who is unable to do what the wise woman has done, substitutes for her failure with noise. This is the meaning of the words: “she does not know anything.” To the degree that the woman in verses 3-4 is accomplished with all degrees of perfections, the one mentioned in verses 13-14 is without any of these accomplishments. All she knows how to do is “sit in the entrance of her house.” This expression is a simile for the way such a woman, i.e. philosophy, is unproductive and a waste of time. The “woman” sitting perennially at the entrance to her house indicates by her conduct that there is nothing worthwhile inside her house. The idolaters are in a similar position. Although totally devoid of accomplishments they can point to, they are unwilling to enter the shadow of G’d’s House, or the protection of his wings, preferring to remain on the “outside.”
Rabbi Joshua ben Chananyah answered the Roman Emperor in a similar vein when he said to him that whereas he and his colleagues were at liberty to worship any philosophy they desired, they would forever remain outside the fold, (Judaism) even if they wanted to. Our verse points out the audacity of idolaters who, though not able to boast of any true accomplishments, boast of the efficacy of their faith, extolling their evil deeds. This is what Solomon meant here with the words על כסא מרומי קרת, as opposed to על גפי מרומי קרת in verse 3. The difference is that the maids of the wise woman call to people warning them not to enter the house of the foolish woman, the foolish woman by way of contrast praises “the sweetness of stolen waters, and the tastiness of bread eaten in secret” (verse 17 there). This is an example of how the foolish woman (philosophy) entices her followers to become enmeshed in further sin. The former woman gives advice which results in added years of life, whereas the foolish woman’s advice hastens the onset of decay and death. (compare verse 18 at the end of that chapter).
The number “seven” is not to be considered as literally seven, just as in Proverbs 24,16 the word “seven” in the line: “for the righteous will rise even if he falls seven times,” is not to be taken literally. The wise woman endeavours to prepare the food herself, mix the wine herself, and set the table herself instead of relying on others to do all this for her. This is implied in the words אף ערכה, i.e. she also does this herself. The wise woman, i.e. the Torah, also calls out to the women of her age, the foolish ones, trying to convince them that our faith is the only one which has substance. [This is the meaning of “she sends out her maids” Ed.] The paragraph is a parable describing the perfection of Torah in all its aspects, the Torah of which it is written לא תחסר כל בו, “it does not lack anything at all” (Deut. 8,9).Torah is a guide for the individual leading him to His Creator. Anyone who immerses himself in Torah thoroughly will find answers to all its detractors, i.e. to people who believe in the Trinity (the Catholics) or those who believe in other power-sharing by G’d and other deities. When he has studied Torah thoroughly he will feel that the table is set for him and all the food and drink has been served ready to eat. Torah can fill the needs of the mind of the foolish just as food and drink can serve the needs of our stomachs. This is what David had in mind when he wrote in Psalms 19,8 “The teaching of the Lord is perfect, renewing life; the decrees of the Lord are enduring, making the simple wise.”
Solomon warns all people to preoccupy themselves with Torah and to abandon their previous foolish pursuits. This is the meaning of Proverbs 9,4: ”Who is a fool let him enter here; to the person who is devoid of sense she says.” What does Torah (the wise woman) have to say to such people devoid of sense? “Come and eat my bread, drink the wine which I have mixed, Forsake foolishness and live!, Walk in the way of understanding.” As a result (verse 11) “your days will be multiplied; you will experience added years of life.”
Solomon compares the belief in idolatry to a foolish woman who offers the kind of advice which makes the multitude stumble and fall; she strengthens those who indulge in a sinful life style; she praises the foolish practices perpetrated by the sinners, the wicked deeds performed by them. This is the meaning of Proverbs 9,13-14: “a foolish woman makes a lot of noise, she is full of foolishness, knows nothing. For she sits at the entrance of her house or on a chair in the highest place in town.” The meaning of this verse is that the woman described here is the reverse of the one described in verses 3-4 of the same chapter.
The meaning of the verse is that the woman mentioned made herself the foremost, the highest in rank. Normally, the highest ranking position is accorded to wisdom; in this instance the woman occupying pride of place is a foolish woman. The truly foremost woman, the one mentioned in verses 3-4 built her house with wisdom, while preparing everything in her household she kept silent. The foolish woman, who is unable to do what the wise woman has done, substitutes for her failure with noise. This is the meaning of the words: “she does not know anything.” To the degree that the woman in verses 3-4 is accomplished with all degrees of perfections, the one mentioned in verses 13-14 is without any of these accomplishments. All she knows how to do is “sit in the entrance of her house.” This expression is a simile for the way such a woman, i.e. philosophy, is unproductive and a waste of time. The “woman” sitting perennially at the entrance to her house indicates by her conduct that there is nothing worthwhile inside her house. The idolaters are in a similar position. Although totally devoid of accomplishments they can point to, they are unwilling to enter the shadow of G’d’s House, or the protection of his wings, preferring to remain on the “outside.”
Rabbi Joshua ben Chananyah answered the Roman Emperor in a similar vein when he said to him that whereas he and his colleagues were at liberty to worship any philosophy they desired, they would forever remain outside the fold, (Judaism) even if they wanted to. Our verse points out the audacity of idolaters who, though not able to boast of any true accomplishments, boast of the efficacy of their faith, extolling their evil deeds. This is what Solomon meant here with the words על כסא מרומי קרת, as opposed to על גפי מרומי קרת in verse 3. The difference is that the maids of the wise woman call to people warning them not to enter the house of the foolish woman, the foolish woman by way of contrast praises “the sweetness of stolen waters, and the tastiness of bread eaten in secret” (verse 17 there). This is an example of how the foolish woman (philosophy) entices her followers to become enmeshed in further sin. The former woman gives advice which results in added years of life, whereas the foolish woman’s advice hastens the onset of decay and death. (compare verse 18 at the end of that chapter).
Yismach Yisrael
Something Even for the Wise: Even if we were all wise, all knowledgeable…it would be incumbent upon us to tell the story of the Exodus from Egypt.” (Page 53a) Why would we assume that wise and knowledgeable people might think that they were exempt from the positive commandment of recalling the story of the Exodus from Egypt? One answer to this question can be found in Rabbi Bunem’s interpretation of the following statement in the Midrash (Deuteronomy Rabbah 8:2): “For by me shall your days be multiplied and the years of your life shall increase. ” (Proverbs 9:11) (God says to Israel): “And if you were to think,” God said: “Maybe I gave you the Torah for your detriment,” I want you to know that I only gave it to you for your own good! Even the angels desired the Torah…” What exactly is the meaning of this statement? Why would we think that God gave Israel the Torah for anything but our own good? After all, Israel accepted the Torah and said, “We will follow and obey it” Rabbi Bunem, the Holy Jew, understands lira’atchem, “Your detriment” and litovatchem, “your own good” as describing the ultimate purpose in following the laws of the Torah: Remove from evil (sur mayrah) and to teach us to do good (asay tov). Some of the commandments are meant to remove us from the impurity of evil while others are meant to help us become worthy of the presence of the Divine Sovereign in our lives. Thus, the statement in the Midrash should be read as follows: “I didn’t just give you the commandments to remove evil from you lira’atchem, (“For your evil”); I also gave it to you litovatchem, “for your goodness.” That is why the angels desired the Torah – to ascend to an even higher spiritual level. Similarly, there are two reasons that God took Israel out of Egypt (and we recall this story): to remove the people from the filth and impurity of Egypt and to bring them to the light of the Torah at Mount Sinai. Once we are removed from evil, we might think we no longer had any reason to recall the simple story of the Exodus. But even the wise and knowledgeable must recall the Exodus since it brings people to a higher spiritual level as well. Just as our ancestors became worthy of revealing the divine presence so do we gain both the first and the second aspect of the Exodus through our retelling!