The Tanakh Podcast

We open the second segment of Mishlei which shifts the entire tempo and character of the book. Today we offer a short introduction.

Mishlei contains several sterotypes or archetypal characters. Our chapter offers three personality types and charts 3 varying ways to engage them.

In our chapter, "wisdom" speaks in the grammatical first person, telling us her autobiography - how she advises kings, and how she was present prior to the founding of the world.

Mishlei chapter 7 brings us back to the temptress. It issues a stern warning to avoid contact with this woman and to steer clear of her path. How are we to deal with distractions and addictive habits? How do we steer clear?

Today we speak about making our time count. Do we want to spend our days relaxing or working?

Mishlei returns time after time, to the imagery of an attractive, seductive woman who leads the "son" astray from his pursuit of wisdom.

Today we deal with 3 themes 1. 3 Generations. The speaker, possibly King Solomon, speaks of messages that he heard from his father that he is passing down to his son. This is a deeply touching image. 2. The Joy of Torah 3. The metaphor of the necklace and the wreath/crown - Mishlei repeatedly speaks of wisdom as jewellery. What does that intend to indicate?

Today we discuss several features of Mishlei: 1. The engagement with a Judaism that is far wider than ritual moments and encompasses all avenues of life 2. That Mishlei incentivizes the path of Torah 3. We speak of a fascinating intertextual polemic about the "Tree of Life"

We address two themes: 1. The notion of parent and child; wisdom which comes through the family, through sage adavice rather than direct divine revelation 2. The presentation of choices and consequences; good paths and bad paths; straight and crooked.

Today we discuss 1:7 - "The beginning of wisdom is fear of God"