Jewish Wisdom: A dictionary of some 4,000 proverbs 9781463211134

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Jewish Wisdom

Jewish Wisdom A DICTIONARY OF 4,400 JEWISH PROVERBS

Gerd de Ley & David Potter

EUPHRATES 2006

First Gorgias Press Edition, 2006. Copyright © 2006 by Gorgias Press LLC. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. Published in the United States of America by Gorgias Press LLC, New Jersey.

ISBN 1-59333-323-4

EUPHRATES 46 Orris Ave., Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA www.gorgiaspress.com

Printed in the United States of America

Dedicated to Martine Boogaerts

INTRODUCTION Over a very long period of time—for all intents and purposes, a lifetime—we have devoted a great deal of time and effort to a pursuit that has not only brought us much pleasure, but has also given us privileged access and insight into the wisdom and philosophy of many nations, civilizations, and cultures—both ancient and modern. Our mission has been to gather a complete (or as complete as possible) international collection of proverbs and translate them into the English language in the form of one authoritative collection or dictionary. There were times when the process of translation destroyed some of the shades of humor and meaning, and consequently such examples have not been incorporated into our collection. As we harvested the philosophical gems from every corner of the earth, we became especially fascinated by the very special nature of Jewish proverbs—from ancient times right up to the present day. They are in evidence in many different languages and in many different countries of the world. So beguiling were both their content and the way in which they have been communicated through the ages that we decided that they merit particular attention and were more than worthy of making up their own, exclusively Jewish, collection. Part of its fascination is that, on the one hand, it is unified by the same profound philosophy cherished by Jewish people all over the world; and on the other hand, many elements of the style and, in some cases, humor vary greatly, depending on the source of the individual proverbs. Some come from the United States of America, others are from Israel, and many more come from Jewish communities in Europe and beyond. Our anthology benefits greatly from this variety. It is, of course, true that, in general terms, proverbs speak a universal language—in the sense that their messages are applicable to absolutely anyone. However, the way in which their substance is expressed can vary considerably according to the nationality, history, and culture of their source. Different nationalities will have vii

different ways in which they express their humor, their joy, and their passion for the lessons they strive to convey. All these emotions and more will be evident to the reader who peruses this collection. Our search targeted Jewish proverbs from anywhere in the world but, naturally, much of our effort concentrated on material from Israel (Yiddish and Hebrew) as well as Hasidic and Aramaic proverbs and others from the Talmud. We have ultimately produced this comprehensive Dictionary of Jewish Proverbs and we offer it to our readers—not as a scientific work, but rather as an allembracing reference book of Jewish philosophy. The erudition and wisdom in the pages that follow are not ours, but we invite you to share them as we have done, and feel the same enlightenment and joy as we did in putting the collection together. Gerd de Ley & David Potter Antwerp & York, Spring 2006

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ABOUT PROVERBS He who knows Judaism only through translations is rather like someone who kisses his mother through a handkerchief. Chaim Nachman Bialik

The philosophy of a nation is to be found in its proverbs at times. Chaim Nachman Bialik

Proverbs often contradict one another, as any reader soon discovers. The sagacity that advises us to look before we leap promptly warns us that if we hesitate we are lost; that absence makes the heart grow fonder, but out of sight, out of mind. Leo Rosten

A collection of wise sayings is worth more than a lot of treasures.

Jewish proverb

Proverbs are the portable wisdom of a people.

Leo Rosten, Carnival of Wit (New York: Plume, 1996)

A person can understand things deeply through proverbs.

Hebrew proverb

A pointed proverb is like a diamond: it emits light, and it also cuts.

Hebrew proverb

No proverb is untrue.

Hebrew proverb

ix

A accuser An accuser may not act as a defender. acorn In one acorn lies the possibility of a thousand forests. act Act first and only afterward call upon the help of higher powers. A man can choose from three ways to learn to act sensibly: thinking is the noblest way; imitation is the easiest way; from experience—that is the bitterest way. action If there are two courses of action, you should take the third. If thou didst commence a good action, leave it not incomplete. Adam Adam’s last words were: “Watch out for Eve!” That is as expensive as Adam’s figleaf, the first human being. Adam would never have taken a woman if God hadn’t put him to sleep first. Adam was the happiest man ever, because he had no mother-in-law. add The more you add, the worse it gets. admonish People hate to admonish others much more than they hate telling tales. adorn Adorn thyself before thou undertakest to adorn others. 1

adultery

adultery Adultery brings on early old age. There is no worse adultery than that of the woman who, while making love to her husband, thinks of another man. adversity Sometimes a little adversity can have its uses. Don't give in to adversity—on the contrary, meet ill fortune with all the more audacity. Adversity is an opportunity to develop inner strength. Undisturbed happiness cannot withstand a single blow. On the other hand: adversity can also form friendships. advice Ask advice from everyone, but act with your own mind. Ask others for advice, and keep your knowledge to yourself. Give me good advice, but don't advise against it. It’s easier to advise others than oneself. He who follows women’s advice, ends up in hell. Beware of him who gives thee advice according to his own interests. Advice and empty words will not satisfy an empty stomach. A wise man listens to advice. He who gives advice must be short. afraid The man afraid of leaves should not enter a forest. age (see also old age, seven) Age Five: the age to begin studying Bible. Age Ten: the age to begin studying the Mishna. [An integral part of the Talmud] Age Thirteen: the age to begin performing religious commandments. Age Eighteen: the age to get married. Age Twenty: the age to seek a livelihood. If you’re a child at twenty, you're a jackass at twenty-one. 2

alms

Age Thirty: the age when one feels one’s full strength. Age Forty: the age of understanding. Up to the age of forty it is better to eat than to drink. Afterward it is vice versa. A man is young when a girl can make him happy or unhappy; he enters middle age when a woman can make him happy but not unhappy; he becomes old when a woman can make him neither happy nor unhappy. Age Fifty: the age for wise advice. Age Sixty: on the road to old age. At sixty years of age, we achieve wisdom. Age Seventy: one’s head now turns silver. The years of our life are seventy years, and sometimes by dint of strength eighty. Age Eighty: with luck, one secures special strength. Age Ninety: one bends beneath the weight of years. Age One Hundred: it is as though one already left the world. Whoever masters his troubles in one hundred years, will live long. As men age, their opinions change. At different ages, a person feels differently. agony A person should not be held responsible for what he said in agony. ailment An imaginary ailment is worse than a disease. alive A man should stay alive if only out of curiosity. all All, or nothing at all. alms If you have abundance, give alms accordingly to match; if you have but a little, fear not to give accordingly. 3

alone

alone It is not good to be alone, even in Paradise. Don't pity me if I am poor, but only if I am alone. Only a stone should be alone. alternative If you have only two alternatives, then choose the third. ambition Ambition destroys its possessor. If you don’t aspire to great things, you won’t attain small things. ancestor If a man doesn’t do good himself, he should not rely on his ancestors’ deeds. angel In days gone by angels floated on the earth; nowadays there aren’t even any more in heaven. Not even an angel can fulfill two missions at once. anger Anger is like a thorn in the heart. Anger in a home is like rottenness in a fruit. Anger in a house is like a worm in a plant. With anger you don’t get too far. Better a night full of anger than a night full of regret. Never try to pacify a man at the height of his anger. Never anger a heathen, a snake, or a pupil. A person slow to anger has great understanding; one with a quick temper exalts foolishness. Wait! … That's the best cure for anger. angry He who is angry, is wrong. When you are angry, think of the consequences. He who becomes angry for no reason becomes friendly again for no reason. 4

anxiety

As a man gets angry, he falls into error. To be angry is not just wrong, but beyond that, it amplifies a bad habit. Don't try to placate a person when he is angry. Anger and fury—angels of destruction. An angry person is like an idol worshiper. An angry man is no better than a worshiper of idols. Don't be quick to get angry; rage is found in the bosom of fools. animal An animal has a long tongue, yet it cannot recite a blessing. An animal’s end is slaughter. A thief’s end is hanging. No man may buy a beast, an animal, or a bird until he provides it with food. There are no bad beasts except man. A man is not allowed to eat before he feeds his animal. We must always hold the reins of the animal within us. The haughtiest animal? Woman. answer (see also question) Answer the first point first and the last point last. A soft answer turns away wrath. Half an answer also says something. An answer is most satisfying when it begs new questions. To every answer you can find a new question. When I give him an answer—he slaps me in the face. If one has nothing to answer, it is best to shut up. Answer the first point first and the last point last. anti-Semite An anti-Semite is someone who hates Jews more than is absolutely necessary. anxiety Anxiety breaks a man’s backbone. Anxiety in the heart weighs one down. 5

apple

Anxiety kills even the most heroic of heroes. From anxiety a man grows prematurely old. apple In a good apple you sometimes find a worm. One rotten apple spoils the other. The rottenest apple will drift to the top. The ripest apples always fall in front of the pigs. The reddest apple has a worm in it. The most beautiful apple is always on the highest branch. All shiny red apples don’t taste good. Apples don’t fall from a pear tree. arbitrate To arbitrate is to temper justice with charity. argument Whoever argues for the sake of argument is a boor. arrogant How great those men would be if they were not so arrogant. artisan No artisan without tools, nor any scholar without books. ashamed Being ashamed of oneself is not like being ashamed of others. ask The less you ask, the healthier. ass One ass calls the other a pack animal. If you are born an ass, you will die one. When an ass climbs a ladder, we may find wisdom in women. If one person tells thee, thou hast ass’s ears, take no notice: should two tell thee so, procure a saddle for thyself. atheist When God wants to punish an atheist, He gives them a devout wife. 6

avarice

He who honors an atheist is like someone who practices idolatry. attic Will a man build the attic and then the house? attractions Three great attractions—a house for its inhabitants; a woman for her husband; and a bargain for the buyer. auction Don’t go to auctions if you have no money. aunt An aunt is no substitute for a mother. avarice There is no religion that favors avarice.

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B baby Every baby comes on time, but not every marriage. A baby is born with clenched fists and a man dies with his hands open. Boys should be given bread, old men oil, babies honey. bachelor When a bachelor dies, girls take their revenge. Life as a bachelor is a boring one but the hands of a married man are tied. A dog cannot be a butcher and a bachelor cannot be a matchmaker. bad He that can’t endure the bad, will not live to see the good. So many people live badly because there are so many bad people. Nothing is so bad but that good may come of it. bagel If you eat your bagel, you'll have nothing left but the hole. balls When the balls are full, the brain is empty. bankruptcy Not everyone is allowed to avoid bankruptcy before he dies. banquet Can there be a banquet without preparations? barber It is good to learn to barber on someone else’s beard. A barber cannot cut his own hair. 8

beauty

bargain A bargain has charm for the customer. Don't bargain when you are out of cash. bastard A bastard with learning is better than a high priest with ignorance. bath At the baths all are equal. If you sit in a hot bath you think the whole town is warm. bear With time even a bear can learn to dance. Give the bear a wife and he'll stop dancing. Sometimes a wild bear can be held back by a small dog. Don't sell the skin of the bear that’s still in the forest. bear It is heavy to bear, but you cannot throw it away. beautiful What is beautiful isn’t always good, but what is good is always beautiful. Admire the beautiful, but side with the intelligent. beauty Beauty is a fading flower. Beauty costs more than ugliness. It is good to behold beauty and to live with wisdom. Beauty without elegance is a violet without perfume. Modesty and beauty don't go together well. There is no such thing as flawless beauty. Beauty and chastity always fight to the death. Beauty doesn’t make the soup. Beauty wanes, but a good name endures. Ten measures of beauty descended on the world; nine went to Jerusalem, and one to the rest of the world. 9

bed

Beauty unadorned, adorns the most. There is no greater beauty than that of logic. It’s good to look upon a beautiful person, but it’s better to live with a smart one. bed The way you prepare the bed, so shall you sleep. If a bed were to give up all its secrets there would be many people with red faces. The warmest bed is mother’s. beggar The door that is not opened for a beggar will open for a doctor. The beggar does more for the giver than the giver for the beggar. beginning All beginnings are hard. Even a ball of string has a beginning. believe Believe—and you will be disappointed. Don’t be quick to believe, and don’t be surprised. To believe everybody is as wrong as to believe nobody. believer The believer asks no questions, while no answer can satisfy the unbeliever. belly The belly carries the legs. A belly can more easily keep a secret than a heart. benevolence Benevolence is kindlier than charity. Parsimony enriches not, nor does benevolence impoverish. Benevolence is better than sacrifice. 10

bitter

best Better the best of the worst than the worst of the best. better It is always better somewhere else—is it perhaps because we aren’t there? If it isn’t getting any better, you can be sure that it will get worse by itself. Bible Our Bible in which it is clearly printed “Thou shalt not steal!” has just been stolen. The study of the Bible together with worldly pursuits is commended. A Bible verse can never lose its literal sense, interpret it as you will. There are seventy ways of interpreting the Bible. big Do not make yourself so big, you are not so small. billy-goat No billy-goat is made a gardener. bird You can cage a bird but you can’t make it sing. Better one bird tied up than a hundred flying. A bad bird will lay bad eggs. He who rents one garden will eat birds; who rents gardens, the birds will eat him. The king of birds is the eagle. Even the bird in the air knows the niggard. The woods would be very silent if no birds sang except the best. bite If you can’t bite, better not show your teeth. bitter He who hasn’t tasted the bitter doesn’t understand the sweet. 11

black and white

Don’t be too sweet lest you be eaten up; don’t be too bitter lest you be spewed out. black and white The milk of black goats and white goats is all the same. blind God gives the blind man eyes on his fingertips. If you enter the city of the blind, cover your eyes. Do not place an obstacle before a blind person. Who is blind? He who refuses to see the light. The longer the blind live, the more they see. No physician can cure the blind in mind. Better blind of eye than blind of heart. For whom does the blind man’s wife paint herself? boast(er) Don't boast of your money, because you can easily lose it. The fruit of boasting or pride is—hatred. Don’t boast of tomorrow, for you know not what a day will bring. A boaster makes an easy target. Both a boaster and a fool miss the fitting time for silence. body The body is a sponge, the soul an abyss. The body is the scabbard of the soul. The body is a small city by itself. Cleanliness of the body will lead to cleanliness of the soul. You can wash your body but not your soul. boil A boil is fine as long as it’s under someone else’s arm. boldness Boldness is royal power without a crown.

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borrow(er)

bones Bones without meat are possible; meat without bones is not possible. book A book gives knowledge, but it is life that gives understanding. A book without an index is like a house that is bolted and barred. A book without a preface is like a body without a soul. Make friends of your books. Books are meant not to be shelved, but to be studied. Books are pouches of wisdom embroidered with pearly words. Books were written not for fools but for the wise. The book and the sword descended from heaven together. Books provide knowledge, life furnishes understanding. The more books, the more wisdom. Having many books is less important than having good books. One should not leap through a book from its end to its beginning. A good book is like a beautiful garden which you can carry in your hand. No book is more closed than a woman’s heart. boor A boor should not ride the king’s horse. bore When a bore leaves the room, you feel as if someone fascinating just came in. born There is a time to be born, and a time to die. borrow(er) Borrow causes sorrow. If thou borrowest money, thou dost purchase thee an enemy. 13

borscht

A borrower may not lend the thing he borrowed. A borrower becomes enslaved to the lender. He who wishes to borrow—can come tomorrow. Borrowing, like scratching, is only good for a while. borscht Borscht and bread make your cheeks red. boss (see also master) I can see the good in my boss, but he is at loggerheads with me. bottle (see also drink) Over the bottle many a friend is found. Examine the contents, not the bottle. bowl You cannot have more in the bowl than you have in the pot. bowling It’s easy to bowl downhill. boy A boy, a blessing; a girl, a burden. Better a poor boy than a rich old man. brain Borrowed brains are worthless. When brains are needed, brawn won't help. bread Give me, O Lord, my daily bread, I will get my own brandy. Everything revolves around bread and death. A person does not live by bread alone. A man will sin for a piece of bread. Cast your bread upon the waters; after many days, you will find it. He who has bread will always find a knife. If you are hungry enough, you can eat dry bread. If you have bread and butter, you have good luck. 14

bride

Buttered bread always falls dry side up. It is also possible that the slice of bread falls on the buttered side because it was buttered on the wrong side. It is hard to eat bread at a stranger's table. When God gives bread, people give butter. For a poor man a crust of bread is already a huge temptation. You can’t compare the man who has bread with the man who has not. You can’t bake good bread from bad flour. He who can digest barley-bread must not eat wheat-bread. Whoever eats bread without first washing his hands is as though he had sinned with a harlot. Where there is no bread, there is no education; if there is no education, there is no bread. breasts Breasts adorn a woman and uglify a man. brevity Brevity is the soul of widowhood. brick When the weight of bricks is doubled, then comes Moses. bribe When a bribe enters through the front door, honesty departs through the window. A bribe blinds the clever, and how much more so the fool! bride Three need to be guarded: A patient, a groom, and a bride. When the bride is expecting, the wedding guests look away. A bride and a groom have glass eyes. For three days she is a queen, thereafter nothing but a betrothed slave. You cannot take the dowry without the bride. A bride with seven veils must have something to hide. 15

bride

The bride is perfect—a little deaf, blind, and with a speech impediment. If the bride can’t dance, she finds fault with the musicians. If the bride has beautiful eyes, do not study the rest of her body. If everybody wants a beautiful bride, what do we do then with the ugly girls? There are no ugly brides on the wedding day. All brides are beautiful—and all corpses look pious. Our bride is flawless, except for her blindness, her pimples, and fits. Alas! The bride is too beautiful! The bride pinches her cheeks to make then pink when she stands under the canopy. Why does a bride who looks forward happily to her wedding begin to weep as she walks to the canopy? When the destined groom arrives, the bride quickly decides. Although the bride is bashful and coy, she likes her fun. There is no unattractive bride, and no cantor who sings badly at weddings. The bride always wants her new family to be like her own family. Under the veil all brides are beautiful. The divine presence shines His blessing upon all brides. Two things must be protected: a bride and a groom. The mother says to the hurt child, “By the time you are a bride (or groom), it will be healed.” When the bride and groom are kissing, the matchmakers can go home. If the groom doesn’t please the bride, his gifts don’t please her either. If a slice of bread falls buttered-side down, it means that the bride is hungry. Do not praise the bride after the first night, and do not praise the shepherd after his first year. 16

business

Can there be a wedding without a bride? bridegroom A bridegroom is like a king. Better a bridegroom without money than money without a bridegroom. broom You cannot clean a broom and remain clean. brother A brother for an enemy is an enemy for life. Your older brother should be honored as your father. Better a neighbor nearby than a distant brother. Don’t shut your hand from your needy brother. How good and pleasant it is when brothers are together. All men are brothers—just like a thief and his companion. brother-in-law If your brother-in-law is a collector of taxes and you meet him in the street, walk on the other side. bullock (see also ox) What more can you expect from a bullock than a beef sausage? burden The heaviest burden is an empty pocket. The well-carried burden becomes light. The burden is equal to the horse’s strength. Two kinds of burden: Moses carries water and God bears the world. I ask not for a lighter burden, but for broader shoulders. burn (see also fire) He who burns himself on hot things, blows on the cold things. business (see also trade) If you can’t stand a few slaps in the face, then don’t be in business. 17

butter

The worst kind of business is to sell “no.” While the sand is yet on your feet, sell. Never do business with your relations. A man who does not want to buy should not say to a vendor: “How much does this thing cost?” butter He who has butter on his head should not go into the sun. bygones What was, was; what is, is.

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C cabbage Together with the shrub the cabbage is beaten. cake Look for cake, and lose your bread. If you eat someone’s cake, you must also eat his lentils. calendar No calendar is needed for dying. camel The camel went to seek horns, and the ears which it possessed were cut off. As the camel, so the load. can If you have, hold on to it; if you know, be silent; if you can, do! candle One person’s candle furnishes light for many. cantor The cantor does not sing without a fee. All cantors are fools, but not all fools are cantors. When you want to fire the cantor, he asks for a raise. Seven cantors can’t make a double quartet, but eight shoemakers can. He who has something against the cantor, doesn't even agree with his “Amen.” capitalist (see also rich) There are also thin capitalists and fat paupers. 19

captain

captain Too many captains will sink a ship. care All the care in the world will not help you or save you from death. caress One gets a caress for a pinch and the other gets a slap for a caress! carnival At carnival time everybody may play the fool, and afterward we know who is really crazy. carpenter Every carpenter without his tools—is no carpenter. cash Always keep some cash in hand! With a little cash in hand you have the upper hand. cat A meowing cat cannot catch mice. The cat knows whose meat she ate! The cat likes fish but she doesn’t want to wet her paws. When the cat is asleep, the mice dance around. An old cat will never learn to dance. One should not send a cat to deliver cream. Even a cat can make a well-thought-out plan fail. The cat and the mouse have a party with the milk of the unlucky one. A cat with gloves on will never catch mice. Cats love careless housewives and open doors. You can trip a cat up too. caution Caution at first is better than tears at last. Caution brings speed in the end. 20

character

A basic rule of caution: Don’t be overly cautious. The cautious person will reach his goal. cemetery The road to the cemetery is paved with suffering. Cemeteries must not be treated disrespectfully. Cattle may not feed there, nor a watercourse be turned, nor grass plucked. censure Start with censure, and wind up with praise. certainty There’s no certainty that doesn’t include some doubt. chain If a link is broken, the whole chain breaks. Some people are chained—to gold and silver. chance Small chances often represent the beginning of great enterprises. Time and chance happen to everyone. change Let it be worse, as long as it is a change. “He who changes places, changes his fate”—it can get better, but it can also get worse. When you change an agreement, you are the loser. When you change your place, you change your luck. Every change is uncertain. Every change is for the better. Don’t worry about what you can change, because once you change it, you don't have to worry about it. And don’t worry about what you can’t change, because worrying won’t change it. character Character is just an on-going habit. 21

charitable

Character without knowledge can often bring more success than knowledge without character. A man’s character is revealed in three things: in his cup, in his purse, and in his anger. charitable A person who is charitable and just fills the world with kindness. charity (see also benevolence) If you show yourself no charity, you cannot be charitable to others. The house which is not opened for charity will be opened to the physician. What you give to charity in health is gold; in sickness, is silver; and after death, is copper. Who gives charity with a smile is truly a right-minded man. Charity that has limits, is no charity. He who does charitable deeds anonymously, is greater than Moses. If charity cost no money and benevolence caused no heartache, the world would be full of philanthropists. Charity will save you from death. Giving charity outweighs all the religious commandments. Giving charity enlarges a person’s days and years. Kindliness is more important than giving charity. A favor granted is greater than charity. A genuinely generous person always gives charity, a little or much, before he is asked. Good will toward others is the best charity. Charity cures heartaches. charm A little charm and you are not ordinary. Charm is more than beauty. Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain. 22

child

Three possess charm: A place to its residents, a woman to her husband, a bargain to a customer. chastity You can’t set a watch upon chastity. cheap Cheapest is dearest. cheat To be cheated once is understandable; to be cheated thrice is inexcusable. For a Jew to cheat a Gentile is worse than cheating a Jew. chicken The chicken listens to the cock’s sermon, and then gets quietly on with pecking her own little grains of corn. The chicken likes to lay her eggs in a nest where there are some already. Even a blind chicken will occasionally find a little corn. For a chicken it is good to be eaten, for me it is good to eat a chicken. I like to eat chicken with just the two of us—the chicken and me. The cock crows, but the hen lays the eggs. child Until a child is one year old it is incapable of sin. Every child tends to exaggerate its own importance. Each child carries his own blessing into the world. Having an only child is like having one eye. Children and money make a nice world. Children bring good fortune, children bring misfortune. It’s better not to live than to be dependent on children. Do not confine your children to your own learning, for they were born in another time. Never promise a child something and then not give it, because that makes the child tell lies. 23

child

Childhood and youth—are vanity. The children are growing up, and the parents are getting older. Small children, a headache; big children, heartache. Little children don’t let you sleep; big children won’t let you live. My children are God’s miracles. Small children—small joys; big children—big sorrows. When God has given you children, you must live at peace with the world. Most children look like their mother’s brother. Don't restrict your children’s lessons to what you learned yourself, because they are born for other times. Only the children of the childless are always cute. All children are bright, but alas they usually don’t get any brighter in later life. He who stays a child until his twentieth birthday, will be a cow at his twenty-first. Pray that you may not be a burden to your children. If you must beat a child, use a string. If you give food to a small child, you must tell its mother. A child’s wisdom is also wisdom. With a child in the house, all corners are full. Don’t threaten a child; either punish of forgive him. He who has children will never die of starvation. The world itself rests upon the breath of the children in our schools. I can chew for you, my child, but you must swallow by yourself. Better a crying child than a sighing mother. A child without a mother is like a door without a handle. The most beautiful children are born from a bad marriage. Don’t make the porridge before the child is born. 24

close

childhood A thing learnt in childhood is proven in old age. choice No choice is also a choice. Don’t be scared when you have no other choice. If there is only one possibility, you can make your choice without fear. When you have no choice, mobilize the spirit of courage. If someone chooses too much, he shouldn’t get angry at his final lot. circumcision Circumcision, confirmation, wedding, burial fee—all too soon to be paid! circus Let’s go to the circus tomorrow, if—God willing—we’re alive; and if not, let’s go Tuesday. clean If everyone cleaned his own doorstep, all the streets would be clean. climb Don’t climb too high and you won’t have to fall. Uphill one climbs slowly; downhill one rolls fast. cloak The cloak is precious to its wearer. Another’s cloak doesn't keep you warm. clock The costliest clock can show only sixty minutes in every hour. A clock that stands still is better than one that goes wrong; at least it is right twice a day. close It is better to have a little close by than a lot far away.

25

clothing

clothing (see also dress) In your community, your reputation matters. In a strange place, your clothing counts. Clothes determine the greeting, the intellect the farewell. A man’s clothes hint at his inner character. Don’t judge a person by his clothes, but by his characteristics. Applicants for clothes are investigated, not applicants for food. cloud Not every cloud brings rain. clown Whoever wants to appear taller by a high paper hat or walking on stilts is nothing but a clown. coal Can anyone walk on glowing coals without burning his feet? coat My coat is old, but the holes are new. cobbler If the cobbler sticks to his last, his pot is full. All cobblers go barefoot. cold Cold strengthens you more than hunger. comb Why did you have to comb the bald man's head? commandments (see also precept) Whoever keeps a commandment, preserves his life. Live by the commandments; do not die by them. common sense With another’s common sense one cannot live. community The community is Israel’s rampart. Don’t detach yourself from the community. 26

confession

Join the community; the wolf snatches only the stray sheep that wanders off from the flock. Even if the least worthy of men is named head of the community, he soars and becomes the mightiest of men. No community is wholly rich or wholly poor. We must not appoint a leader over the community without first consulting the people. company Good company will save you from bad deeds. If one member of the company dies, let the whole company take care! Give me companionship, or give me death! compass No compass will avail him that has no conscience. compassion For compassion and for cowardice there is no remedy. When a man has compassion for others, God has compassion for him. compete Don’t compete in order to do evil. complain If nobody listened, nobody would complain. comrade Comrades are needed both for joy and for sorrow. conceit Conceit and an empty purse are no companions. The conceited man is not a sinner, but a fool. conclusion To jump to a conclusion is to bypass the process of proof. confession Confession by the defendant is as good as a hundred witnesses. 27

confidence

Any time of the day is good for confession. confidence Confidence is half the victory. The man who has confidence in himself gains the confidence of others. conscience A bad conscience is a snake in one’s heart. A clear conscience can sometimes mean no conscience. You can wash your hands, but not your conscience. A little prick to your conscience is worth more than many lashes of the whip. Be the master of your will, and the slave of your conscience. A person with a clear conscience can sleep even in the desert. content Be content with a little or a lot. contract A contract is valid only for honest men. contrite Where the contrite stand, not even the most righteous may. control If you cannot control yourself, you are not a free man. conversation A person is recognized by his conversation. cook A cook doesn’t upset his own stomach. It is a bad cook that doesn’t lick his own fingers. To cook is difficult, to eat is easy. coop When the coop is secure, the geese will grow fatter. cooper When you're looking for a cooper, you will find a window-washer. 28

cow

corn Corn can grow on manure. You cannot grow corn on the ceiling. Even one ear of corn is not exactly like another. cost It costs nothing to look. It costs nothing to promise and to love. counsel The more counsel, the more understanding. He often gives counsel who has none himself. counselor The nighttime counselor wins over the daytime counselor. count “Seven and seven is eleven”—and the head is of iron. country When you have left one country, you have left them all. couple Not every couple is a pair. courage Courage is a kingdom without a crown. When there is no money, half is gone; when there is no courage, all is gone. Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage. Nothing is difficult for a courageous man. court A warning to courts: not to hear one litigant before the other comes. cow What’s the use of a good cow that gives a lot of milk and then kicks the bucket? Cows that moo the loudest yield the least milk. All is not cream that comes from the cow. 29

crabgrass

One holds the cow by her horns, and the other one milks her. crabgrass Crabgrass grows overnight. craft A craft is a kingdom! craftsman If you're a craftsman, your wallet is full. crawl He who can crawl well, crawls upward. creditors No man is impatient with his creditors. crime The crime itself is the punishment for crime. critic It is easier to be a critic than to be an author. It is easier to be critical than to be correct. A man with a worthy objective isn't afraid of criticism. crow The crow flies high but settles on a hog. crowd A big crowd, but not a human being in sight! cry When you laugh, everyone sees. When you cry, nobody sees. cure He who wants to be cured is half way there. curiosity Curiosity is a sign of an alert mind. current you If swim against the current, you cannot stop: you can go either forward or back. 30

custom

curse A curse is not a telegram; it doesn’t arrive so fast. Better to hear curses than to be pitied. It is better to be the accursed than curser. Even in the Bible there are more curses than blessings. Neither with curses nor with laughter can you change the world. A curse without reason will in the end return to the curser. curses He should give it all away to doctors. He should have a large store, and whatever people ask for he shouldn’t have, and what he does have shouldn’t be requested. Leeches should drink him dry. Let onions grow in his navel! May he need a prescription! May his buttocks drop off! May his stomach churn like a music box. May your teeth get angry and chew off your head. custom Customs are stronger than laws. Custom cancels out the law. Everything follows the custom of the country.

31

D dance Everyone dances his own dance, and all come to the same dance. danger Never expose yourself unnecessarily to danger; a miracle may not save you … and if it does, it will be deducted from your share of luck or merit. darkness Darkness covers everything except a bad wife. date In two measures of dates there is one measure of stones and more. daughter (see also marry) A daughter is to her father a treasure of sleeplessness. When your daughter matures, marry her off! When you marry off a daughter, a hump is off your back. When a daughter marries, her father’s jurisdiction over her ends. Whoever wants to chastise his daughter, rebukes his daughter-in-law. A married daughter is like bread sliced from the loaf; she can’t be reattached to her parents. Blessed the house where the daughter arrives before the son. Marrying off a daughter is like loading cargo on a ship. If your daughter is getting on in years, free your slave and let them get married. The rabbi’s daughter is forbidden what the bathhousekeeper’s daughter is allowed. 32

daughter-in-law

If you must, sell everything and marry your daughter to a scholar. If you want the daughter, then be very friendly with the mother. When a daughter is born, the walls weep. A man who fathers two daughters and a son, can be drunk for a week. It's so nice to have a daughter; if you have two—then, cheers! Three—that's a headache. Four daughters and a wife—what misery that will bring to your old age … Daughters have wings. What is good for the landlord’s daughter, is not suitable for the daughter of a rabbi. Three daughters and a mother—four thorns in the father’s side. The landlord will give the drunk everything he wants— except his daughter. You cannot keep daughters and dead fish. If you don’t want to lose your daughter, raise the price. The sons of my daughter are my sons, those of my son—God only knows … A woman without a daughter should bury herself alive. Like mother, like daughter. A daughter only tells her secrets to her mother. Look mother, I'll show you my father’s house! You are as calm as if you had just given birth to a daughter. daughter-in-law A daughter-in-law is like a snake that enters the house accompanied by music. You reproach your daughter, but you mean your daughter-inlaw. In the daughter-in-law there’s a piece of the mother-in-law. If a daughter-in-law would have loved her mother-in-law, all women would have gone to heaven. 33

day

When will there be peace between daughter-in-law and mother-in-law? When a donkey climbs a ladder. The daughter-in-law will love her mother-in-law until coal turns white. A daughter-in-law is always a bit of a mother-in-law. A daughter-in-law can no more live under the same roof with her mother-in-law than a goat can live in the same barn with a tiger. day Every day brings forth its own sorrows. The talk of the day is the dream of the night. They scream during the day, and they yawn at night. A good day makes us forget a bad one, and the other way round. No day is without its curse. dead Weep for the mourners, not for the dead; they have gone to their rest, and we are left to lament. The only truly dead are those who have been forgotten. deaf The deaf imagine what they cannot hear. No one is as deaf as the man who will not listen. A deaf man heard how a mute said that a blind man saw a cripple walk. deal Whoever has a great deal, wants more. A hard-done deal, but honestly paid for. death Death doesn’t knock on the door. There is no death without sin. Death is better than loneliness. He who thinks about death, is not sure of his life. One is certain only of death. 34

delicacy

When death calls a person to appear before his Maker, money—which people love—cannot go along. The angel of Death has many eyes. After death one becomes important. Nobody mocks on his deathbed. Death is preferable to dishonor. An easy death is better than a hard life. The angel of death always finds an excuse. Better a noble death than a wretched life. Before a man attains one-half of his desire, death comes. debt You can’t pay a debt with a noble pedigree. You can’t pay a debt with a sigh. There is nothing more worrisome than a debt. Pay me what you owe me. As for my debt to you, let’s talk. I would rather the worst debtor were indebted to me than I to the best of creditors. Spend less than you can earn and you’ll never be in debt. He who pays his debt adds to his capital. Go to sleep without dinner, and wake up without debt. deceit It is forbidden to deceive anyone, Jew or Gentile. decorous Be ever decorous when you enter and when you leave. deed Deeds—not talk—count. Deeds are male, words are female. delay All delay is to the good. delicacy Room can always be found for a delicacy. 35

depend

depend Do not depend upon others—do it yourself. He who depends on someone, will try to be kind even to his dog. dependent Rather than become dependent, do work even if it is beneath you. depression Depression is only one millimeter from bitterness. desire A person’s desires grow day by day. despair (see also hope) Despair is the last resort of a fool. despondent To be despondent is no sin, but no sin hardens the heart like despondency. devil (see also Satan) He who lives with a devil, becomes a devil. The devil comes to us in our hour of darkness, but we do not have to let him in. And we do not have to listen, either. Never open the devil’s mouth. All kinds of hellish devils rule an angry person. devout A devout man who realizes he is devout, isn’t. A stupidly devout man, the slyly evil, and the sanctimonious woman—these will destroy the world. die (see also death) Better to die upright than to live on your knees. It’s astonishing how important a man becomes when he dies. It’s never too late to die or get married. Every man knows that he must die, but no one believes it. No man dies before his time. 36

dispute

He who dies young, will therefore profit a lot in his old age. Ever since dying came into fashion, life hasn’t been safe. When a person leaves this world, he is accompanied not by silver, gold, or jewels, but by Torah and good deeds. A person can die even without a doctor. Dying while young is a boon in old age. It is a sacred command to fulfill the wishes of a dying person. difficulty It is good to talk about the difficulties you have overcome. diplomacy No better diplomacy than silence. dipping Dipping is not drinking. direction If all pulled in one direction, the world would keel over. You cannot ride in all directions at one time. He who asks for directions doesn’t get lost. discourse Open your discourse with a jest, and let your hearts laugh a little; then become serious. discreditable If anything discreditable be in you, be the first to tell it. discussion Sometimes the most important is what is not mentioned in a discussion. disease Another man’s disease isn’t hard to endure. Every disease, but not disease of the bowels. dish All dishes need salt, but not all need spices. dispute He who is unyielding in a dispute is a sinner. 37

dissension

dissension (see also quarrel) Dissension in a house will lead to its destruction. distinction Distinction runs away from those who chase it, and seeks out those who run away from it. distress When distress doesn’t show on the face, it lies on the heart. Maybe the distress is not yet great enough to be allowed to expect salvation. In the hour of distress, a vow; in the hour of release, forgetfulness. ditch From one deep ditch comes more water than from ten shallow ones. dive Thou hast dived deep and brought up a potsherd. dividend Dividends from children are more precious than from money. divorce By day they’re ready to divorce, by night they’re ready for bed. A man should not marry and plan to divorce his wife. When a divorced man marries a divorced woman, there are four people in that marital bed. Divorces are made in heaven. Tears fall on God’s altar for whoever divorces his first wife. After they were divorced the man married a bad woman and she made him bad; the woman married a bad man and she made him good. do Better to do nothing than to make something into nothing. The things you have to learn to do are learned by doing them. To do two things at the same time is to do neither of them. 38

dog

As long as you think you can’t do it, you can’t. It isn’t done as easily as it’s said. If you cannot do as you wish, do as you can. If I can not do as I will, I would rather sit still. Be modest in what you say and unrivaled in what you do. If you have too much to do, you go to sleep. Whatever you are doing, do it well. What is done cannot be undone. As you do, so will be done to you. If you want something done immediately, ask the busiest person you know. doctor Doctors and gravediggers are partners. Don’t live in a town where there are no doctors. The doctor has a remedy for everything but poverty. A great doctor is accompanied by a great angel. From a doctor and from a bathhouse attendant there are no secrets. Don’t ask the doctor; ask the patient. A doctor’s mistake is covered up by the earth. Never live in a place where the doctor suffers from gout. The best of doctors will go to hell. If your time has not come, even the doctor will not succeed in killing you. dog A dog is wiser than a woman, he doesn't bark at his master. A dog away from its accustomed place doesn’t bark for seven years. Even dog without teeth attacks a bone. The worst dog gets the best bone. A dog without teeth is just not a dog. He who is a dog, is therefore not a pig. Better a dog in peacetime than a soldier in war. 39

donkey

Breed not a savage dog, nor permit a loose stairway. He who breeds an unruly dog in his house keeps kindness away. Dogs fight over a bone and mourners over an inheritance. Don’t respond to a barking dog. Barking dogs don't bite—but there are dogs who don’t know that. If you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas. Not everyone the dogs bark at is a thief. Often a dog is more faithful than a child. Show a dog a finger and he wants the whole hand. The dog in his hunger swallows dung. When you want to beat a dog, be sure to find a stick. You don’t show a stick to a beaten dog. He who eats in the market place is like a dog. When the dog barks you can go in; when the bitch barks, you had better stay out. A dog never runs away from a house where there's a wedding. When one dog begins to bark, the others also bark. For no reason at all. Nothing so poor as a dog. And so rich as a swine. The barking of a dog doesn’t rise to heaven. One hundred people can sit together peacefully, but two dogs in the same place will pick a fight. We may not expect a good whelp from a bad dog. A living dog is better than a dead lion. Two dogs can kill a lion. You should not train a dog unless it is fastened by a chain. donkey A donkey that travels abroad will not return a horse. One donkey can make more noise than a thousand nightingales. The pace of a donkey matches the oats it eats. 40

dream

Every donkey likes to hear himself bray. Everybody is amazed when a donkey talks like a man, but nobody takes any notice when a man talks like a donkey. You can recognize a donkey by his long ears, a fool by his long tongue. The donkeys went out looking for horns and came back without ears. If the donkey had been given horns and the ox had realized its own strength, the field would have been left fallow. An old nag can often learn a lot from a young donkey. door When you open a door, don't forget to close it, and treat your mouth the same way. A door once shut will not easily open again. doubt If there’s room for doubt there is something fishy about it. Doubts have made people wise. As knowledge grows, so do the doubts. Give every man the benefit of the doubt. dowry A dowry and an inheritance do not portend a blessing. dream The dream is a fool and sleep is the master. Dreams lift up fools. You can make your dream bigger than the night. In his dream, a person sees only wishful thinking. A good dream is a good gift. A man’s every act begins with a dream and ends with one. Dreams do not add to or subtract from understanding. A dream not interpreted is like a letter not read. If you want your dreams to come true, don’t sleep. Dumplings in a dream are not dumplings, but dreams. Only in dreams are the carrots as big as bears. 41

dress

The sin is not in the sleep, but in the dream. An unexplained dream is like a letter unread. Men see in their dreams only that which is suggested by their own thoughts. A dream is half a prophecy. A good dream is a good gift. A man’s every act begins with a dream and ends with one. A man should ask for three things: a good wife, a good year, and a good dream. The whole world is a dream—but a good dream is better than a bad one. He who sees well in his dream will see peace. Every dream has a particle of prophecy in it. Depend not on dreams. dress (see also clothing) There is no more shining dress for a woman than silence. Eat and drink according to thy means; dress above thy means. drink (see also drunk) The strongest drink is water. A lamb with the first glass, a lion with the second, and with the third—a pig. A man comes from the dust and in the dust he will end—and in the meantime it is good to drink a sip of vodka. Whoever drinks his glass in one gulp is seen as greedy. A worker prone to drinking will never grow rich. dripping Constant dripping eats away a stone. drive If you drive slowly, you'll arrive more quickly. drunk(enness) (see also drink) When one man tells you you’re drunk, hesitate; when two tell you, think it over; when three tell you—lie down. “Drunk, but not from wine!”—Oh, to be young … 42

dwarf

He who can steal his brandy gets drunk twice. Drunk the entire year and sober on Purim. Drunkenness exiles a man from his family. drunkard The drunkard smells of whiskey—but so does the bartender. Drunkards sober up, but fools remain fools. Let the drunkard alone, and he will fall of himself. A drunkard at prayer is regarded as an idol-worshiper. To the drunk there is no bad brandy, to the salesman no dirty money, and to the lecher no ugly women. dumb (see also deaf) Only the dumb have a lot to say. dunghill Even in front of your door there can be a dunghill some day. duty Performing the commonest of duties can be an heroic deed. There is only one moral duty that moralists underrate almost criminally—the duty to enjoy God’s world. dwarf Surrounding yourself with dwarfs does not make you a giant.

43

E ear The ears do not hear what the mouth utters. Let your ears hear what your mouth says. Send your ears into the street. We all have one mouth and two ears so that we shouldn’t have to repeat all we hear. A man’s ear belongs to himself; his tongue belongs to others. early riser He who is known to be an early riser, can stay in bed till noon. earth If you do not know what there is on earth, do you expect to know what there is in heaven? eat (see also meal) Do not eat before you have fed your animal. Eat what you want, but dress in fashion. More people die from overeating than from undernourishment. He that eats till he is sick must fast till he is well. Men can forget anything—except when to eat. Too much eating and drinking leads to poverty. He who comes late must eat what is left. From overeating one suffers more than from not eating enough. He who can eat at other people's expense, always has a huge appetite. If you go to bed without eating, you will wake up hungry and tired. If my child and I have eaten, you can clear the table. 44

emperor

Eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. Eat so that you may live. You can only have enough to eat at your own table. We would all live in luxury, if we didn't have to eat. If you don't walk after eating, your food remains undigested. education Education is an adornment in times of prosperity and asylum in times of adversity. All education starts with forbidding. effort The last efforts make you forget the first. egg A peeled egg doesn't leap into the mouth by itself. If one steals a lot of eggs, one can also become rich. Eggs may well be smarter than hens, but they do start to stink after a while. elephant The elephant is frightened of the gnat. embarrass It is better jump into a flaming furnace than to embarrass somebody. It is better to be embarrassed than heartbroken. embrace He who too much embraces, holds little. emergency An emergency alters the situation. You don’t take examples from a situation of emergency. emotion What the emotions can do, brains cannot. emperor Where there is nothing, the emperor loses his power. 45

employee

employee Hire employees, but do the job yourself. endure Pray that you will never have to bear all that you can endure. Spare us what we can learn to endure. enemy Beware of still water, a still dog, and a still enemy. You buy yourself an enemy when you lend a man money. Who is mighty? One who makes an enemy into a friend. Rejoice not at thine enemy’s fall—but don’t rush to pick him up, either. Better that my enemy should see good in me than I should see evil in him. It is easy to acquire an enemy; hard to acquire a friend. If two men claim your help, and one is your enemy, help him first. Help an enemy before you help a friend, so that no hate can develop. Friends don't come cheap, enemies you get for free. It is a good thing to learn from your enemies too. Ten enemies can’t hurt a man as much as he hurts himself. The kisses of an enemy are deceitful. Better a good enemy than a bad friend. Your enemy’s enemy is your friend. Your own life must be considered before your friend’s. engagement Better to break off an engagement than a marriage. A hurried engagement is halfway to divorce. enjoy Whoever enjoys his life is doing the Creator’s will. ensure Under no circumstances can a person ensure himself of anything. 46

evil

enthusiastic Inability to be enthusiastic is a sign of mediocrity. entrance Entrances are wide; exits are narrow. envy Envy breeds hate. equal All men are equal when they are underground. Everyone is equal in the bathhouse. Make sure to be in with your equals if you’re going to fall out with your superiors. If I try to be like him, who will be like me? Everyone is kneaded out of the same dough but not baked in the same oven. Equality of man is an empty phrase so long as it does not exist among the world's peoples. err Better to err than wittingly to sin. Eve When Eve came into this world, Satan came too. evening The evening is created only for study. everything Everything in one is nowhere found. evidence Evidence that is partially refuted is totally refuted. evil Evil is sweet in the beginning but bitter in the end. There is no evil without a little good. If you hear an evil thing, bury it seven cubits deep. A person’s years are shortened by evil desire. The door to evildoing is wide, but the return gate is narrow. 47

example

At first the evil inclination is sweet; at the end it’s bitter. Evil inclination is at first slender as a spider’s thread, and then strong as a rope. The evil urge lures men in this world, and then testifies against them in the next world. Keep three things in mind and you will escape the results of evil: Know where you came from, where you are going, and before Whom you will have to give a full account. example There are many who are considered an example only because many others imitate them without even thinking about it. Setting a good example has more effect than threats. “For example” is not proof. excess Anything in excess is unhealthy. Excessive sitting aggravates hemorrhoids; excessive standing strains the heart; too much walking injures the eyes. Divide your time among the three. excuse Without an excuse there’s no respect. Ten excuses are less persuasive than one. Every man has his own little excuses. execution Choose an easy death for one who must be executed. Though a sharp sword be laid to thy throat, still pray to God for mercy. expect What we expect seldom happens. What we least expect happens most of the time. expectations When you pitch your expectations too high, it will lead to despair. Stuff yourself with expectations and then expect to go crazy. 48

eye

expensive What is beautiful is not expensive, but what is expensive is beautiful. experience Experience is the name people give their mistakes. Experience is the teacher of the fool. Experience costs blood. Experience teaches us that experience does not. There is no one better than an experienced person. Don't ask a doctor and don't ask a prophet, ask someone who has experience. God forbid that we should experience all that we are able to bear. expert One is an expert on scholarly discourse, another on bristles, but all are experts on cantors. eye The eye is small but devours all. If the eyes didn't see, the hands wouldn't take. What you don't see with your eyes, don't witness with your mouth. What you don't see with your eyes, don't invent with your mouth. What the eye does not see, the heart does not feel. When the heart is blind, the eyes are worthless. The eye sees, the heart desires, and the body sins. The eye with which you look at someone, determines his face. Man is endowed by nature with two eyes; one to see his neighbor's virtues, the other to see his own faults. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear with hearing. The eye and the heart are the two courtiers of sin. The eye is big but the stomach is small! 49

F face A pretty face costs money. A pretty face doesn't make for a good wife. A pretty face is half a dowry. A beautiful face needs no powder. When you have an ugly face, don't blame the mirror. The face tells the secret. We are not all content with our face, but we are with our brain. A man's intelligence is reflected in his face. As all faces of people are unlike, so too their opinions. fair If you are fair, your fairness will destroy your hate. fairy tale With a fairy tale and with a lie you can lull only children to sleep. Don't ask questions of fairy tales. faith Faith is not a whole series of axioms but a whole way of life. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. True faith needs neither evidence nor research. Faith is over and above knowledge and understanding. Faith is the foundation and root of all sanctity. Through faith man experiences the meaning of the world; through action he is to give it meaning. He who has no faith would be better off unborn. 50

farmer

faithful If you are faithful to your wife you will have a healthy body. faithless A faithless husband makes a wife faithless. fall You don't fall because you are weak but because you think you are strong. Most people help their fellow man after he has fallen rather than before he falls. You can fall down on your own, but to get back on your feet, you need help. If you never want to fall, then stay lying down. He that lies on the ground cannot fall. Whoever falls and gets up gains a step. falsehood Falsehood is common, truth uncommon. family Whoever is ashamed of his family will have no luck. Without family life, no nation can be built. Whoever discredits himself, discredits his family too. Look for the good, not the evil, in the conduct of members of the family. A man’s joy is greatest when his family is with him. Discipline your family to the simple needs of life. famine The famine lasted for years, but it did not enter the houses of the working men. farmer If a farmer becomes a king, he will still carry a basket on his back. The leader of a huge army can meet with defeat, but the firm mind of a farmer cannot be beaten. 51

fasting

Two farmers each claimed to own a certain cow. While one pulled on its head and the other pulled on its tail, the cow was milked by a lawyer. fasting Fasting is more effective than charity, for the latter is done with money, but the former can be done only by one's own person. fat By the time the fat man gets thin, the thin man is long dead. fate Your fate is decided by what you think of yourself. A wise man who is unable to accept his fate is not really wise. What people call fate is usually nothing more than their own foolishness. If you’re fated to drown, you may die in a teaspoon of water. He who is born to be hanged will never drown. If your hour hasn’t come yet, even the most skilful physician can’t kill you. father A father loves his children, but they love their children. When a father gives to his son, they both laugh. When a son gives to his father, they both weep. One father can support ten children; but it is difficult for ten children to support one father. My fathers planted for me, and I planted for my children. The only time a son should disobey his father is when the father orders him to commit a sin. Like father, like son. Blessed is the son who studies with his father, and blessed is the father who teaches his son. A father suffers for the troubles of his son. A man’s father is his king. Fathers are sour grapes, and their sons’ teeth were set on edge. 52

fault

A father’s good deeds are a good example for his sons. A father suffers for the troubles of his son. A man’s father is his king. Sons, heed a father’s teaching. Listen and learn discernment. For I give you good instruction, do not forsake my teaching. One of the great mysteries in family life is the fact that a good-for-nothing of a future son-in-law can change into the father of the most intelligent grandchild in the world. At home a ruthless tyrant; on his tombstone an exemplary father. If your father marries your aunt, he becomes your uncle. If your father is an onion and your mother is a clove of garlic, how on earth could any sweet scent come from them? When a father dies there are seven days of mourning; after the death of a Father of the People there are seven days of feast. It is better that the son mourns the death of his father than that the father mourns the death of his son. No father should give his son the name of a wicked man. father-in-law Those who marry their fathers-in-law, will repent it in bed. See his house and ask for the hand of his daughter. If it’s the father-in-law you wed, a grizzly bear will share your bed. fault We are blind to our own faults. It is easier to find faults in others than virtues in oneself. He is great whose faults can be numbered. If you find virtues in another, don’t forget to honor him. If you find faults in another, then examine your own heart. You would do well to keep in mind your own faults rather than reminding others of theirs. A fault-finder complains even that the bride is too pretty. A faultless man is possible only in a faultless world. 53

favor

favor For the smallest favor you become a debtor. If you do a person a favor, you’ll be his superior; if he does one for you, his inferior; and if neither, you'll be his friend. fear Fear the man who fears you. Fear only two: God, and the man who has no fear of God. Fear of God is the gateway of faith. Look fear in the eye and it begins to blink. Courage leads to the stars—fear leads to death. Do not be afraid of sudden fear. If you’re fearful of the leaves, don’t enter the forest. Just as courage imperils life, fear protects it. feeling When you give vent to your feelings, your anger leaves you. fellow The good fellow to everyone is a good friend to no one. fellow man If one man knew what his fellow man thought about him, both would kill each other. A man can encounter nothing more objectionable than a fellow man. fence If you cross over the fence, you acquire other ideas. fever If you invest in a fever, you will realize a disease. fight When we fight with trust, we are doubly armed. The first fight is the best fight. When a couple fights, it cools their anger. finger All fingers are different. 54

flesh

Why are the fingers tapered like pegs? So that when one hears improper language he may insert them in his ears. fire A little fire burns up a great deal of corn. It is good to poke the fire with somebody else’s hands. When you flee from fire, you run into water. While your fire is burning, go cut up your pumpkin and cook. As long as the fire is burning you can roast your meat. A fire that produces fire, that's a woman. first time Some things are clever only the first time. fish The big fish eats the small one. Don't rub your belly when the little fish is still in the pond. Tasty is the fish from someone else’s table. fist What can a fist do against someone whom God gave strength? flatter All flatter a king. Nobody gets punished for flattering someone. He who flatters with laughter wants to see you cry. flatterer A flatterer must not lose his temper. The flatterer must not be nervous. There is no antidote for the bite of a flatterer. The day flattery won, the law was perverted and customs degenerated. Flattery makes friends and truth makes enemies. flea He avenged himself on fleas, and burned up his bed. flesh The more flesh, the more worms. 55

floor

floor If there’s no flour, there’s no study of the Bible. fly All flies flock together on a mangy horse. Flies are never attracted to a boiling pot. The fly does not kill, but it does spoil. folly He who is aware of his folly is wise. Folly is a joy only to a person lacking in understanding. A small drop of folly outweighs much wisdom and honor. food (see also eat) It is better to take food into the mouth than to take worries into the heart. The food is cooked in a pot and the plate gets the honor. If you don’t walk four cubits after a meal, you won’t digest your food. fool (see also wise man) A fool is one who trusts another fool. The fools own the world. If a fool holds the cow by the horns, a clever man can milk her. Half a fool is worse than a complete fool. May the Lord guard us from a half-fool and a half-physician. One fool is an expert on the other. One fool is an adviser for the other. Only fools rely on miracles. A fool raises his voice in laughter; a wise man smiles quietly. A fool is incurable. A fool does not age and cold water does not spoil. A fool has luck. A fool doesn't need information. A fool goes twice to places where a wise man dare not venture. 56

fool

A fool lives in seventh heaven. A fool never feels embarrassed. A fool considers himself to be very important. A single fool may ask questions which even a thousand Sages cannot answer. If God wants to punish a fool He teaches him a few words of Hebrew. You can ask nothing of a fool and you can’t tell him anything either. If a fool would only keep quiet, he would be taken seriously. Tell a fool to shut the shutters and he shuts them in the entire city. Grind a fool finely in a mortar and he’ll tell you that it was meant for the pepper, not for him. The fools who sing all summer weep all winter. The fool always jumps in front. Fools do not know what a prison they live in. It can sometimes be pleasurable to act the fool. He is a fool who looks for a notch in a saw. It is better to be a footstool to a king than a king of fools. You can educate a fool but you can't make him think. In life, each of us must sometime play the fool. The head of a fool is like a broken dish: it will not hold knowledge. The complete fool is half prophet. What a fool can spoil, ten wise men cannot repair. A fool who can keep silent is counted among the wise. A fool is his own informer. Send a fool to close the shutters and he’ll close them all over town. Teaching a fool is like gluing a broken pot. A fool grows without rain. The world is in the hands of fools. A fool who wants to hang himself grabs a knife. 57

fool

A fool measures water with a sieve. A fool gives and the clever one takes. A fool loses and a clever man finds. Sometimes a fool can say something clever. When a fool goes shopping, the storekeepers rejoice. When a fool keeps quiet, you can’t tell whether he is foolish or smart. When a luckless fool kills a rooster, it still hops; when he winds a clock, it stops! With a fool you have no right to do business. You must not take offense at anything a fool does. You should not ask a fool a question nor give him an explanation. A fool needs a lot of shoes. A half fool is a very wise man. Better a complete fool than half wise. From a fool you have trouble. He who keeps quiet is half a fool; he who talks is a complete fool. A strange fool is a laughingstock; your own—a shame. Why is it that fools have pretty wives? God watches over fools. Better a fool that has traveled than a wise man who never left his village. The hearts of fools are in their mouths, but the mouths of the wise are in their hearts. That fools are fond of sweets is a discovery of the wise. For the fools a long life seems like winter; for a wise man old age is an autumn to harvest. Fools hate knowledge. Sometimes it’s worthwhile for a wise man to play the role of a fool. It’s better to lose to a fool than to win from a smart guy. You don’t show a fool a job half done. 58

fortune

Don’t approach a goat from the front, a horse from the back, or a fool from any side. One mourns for the dead seven days, but for a fool a whole lifetime. If all men were fools, there would be no one left to realize it. foolishness If we were not so extraordinary foolish, they would not be so extraordinary wise. As long as you understand your foolishness, you are smart! When foolishness sometimes succeeds, it is still foolishness. When one talks too much, one talks foolishness. If he were as wise as he is foolish, he would be among the great Sages of the time. foot Better a crooked foot than a crooked mind. forbid Don’t forbid others what you allow yourself. forget Better to forget than to deny and contradict. forgive The most beautiful thing a man can do is forgive. To forgive is the sweetest revenge. Those who want to be forgiven must learn to forgive. If you take revenge, you will regret it; if you forgive, you will rejoice. fork The best kind of fork is a mother’s hand. fortune When fortune calls, offer her a chair. Fortune is a wheel which revolves with speed. Fortune makes you smart, because fortune makes you rich. Dame Fortune doesn’t give tuppence for wisdom or a discerning mind. 59

fox

Fortune provides shelter. From fortune to misfortune is a small step; but from misfortune to fortune is a long way. Don’t abstain from your time of prosperity, and don’t let the good fortune escape you. Bad fortune follows the poor man. There’s plenty of time to bemoan bad fortune once it arrives. You need ten times more good sense to hold on to a great fortune than you do to make it. Mourn for the man who does not know his good fortune. fox Nobody ever saw a fox die from the dust in its lair. fraud Verbal fraud is worse than monetary fraud. freedom Freedom is the world of joy. The willingness to sacrifice is the prelude to freedom. friend(ship) Who practiseth friendship entertaineth God Himself. A friend in the market is better than gold in the chest. A friend will prove himself in time of trouble. A friendless man is like a right hand without the left. A man without friends is like a left hand without a right. A faithful friend is a powerful defense. A faithful friend is the medicine of life. A good friend is a tower of strength; to find one is to find a treasure. A man that calls his friend wicked is as his persecutor. A real friend feels no need to excuse himself for some failing. Beware of friends, not enemies. A friend you get for nothing; an enemy must be bought. Better one friend with a dish of food than a hundred with a sigh. 60

friend(ship)

If you do not pity your friend, nobody will pity you. In choosing a friend, go up a step. A man without a friend is like a left hand without a right. One who looks for a friend without faults will have none. Whoever depends on eating at his friend’s house will go hungry. Never weary of making friends. A real friend feels no need to excuse himself for some failing. A friend in the market is better than gold in the chest. A friend will prove himself in time of trouble. Make new friends, but don't forget the old ones. A friend remains a friend up to his pocket. One old friend is better than two new ones. Whoever visits a sick friend lessens his pain a little. The constant friend is never welcome. Don't condemn your friend until you’re in his place. If you ask for forgiveness from a friend, you shouldn't ask it more than three times. A man with friends must show he is friendly. A loyal friend is a strong defense; such a friend is a treasure. Do not abandon an old friend, for a new one does not compare. A new friend is like new wine—you will drink it with pleasure. Don't throw out an old friend for a new one. A good friend is often better than a brother. A friend you have to buy; enemies you get for nothing. One enemy is too many; and a hundred friends are not enough. When your friend becomes your enemy, he will be your enemy for the rest of your life. Keep an eye on your friends as much as you do on your enemies. We all remain better friends—at a slight distance. 61

friend(ship)

Befriend everybody, be a friend of nobody. He who can ask for mercy for his friend, and does not, is a sinner. A big blow from a stranger hurts less than a small blow from a friend. A slap from your friend is better than your enemy’s kiss. Your friend has a friend—so tell him no secrets. False friends are like migratory birds: they fly away in cold weather. If you give your friend a gift, you should tell him. Whoever welcomes his friend with a smile, it’s as though he gave his friend the finest gifts in the world. If you see your friend’s ox or sheep straying, don’t look the other way; return them to your friend. My friend tells me of my virtue. My enemy notes my fault. Everybody calls himself a friend; only fools count on it. Nothing is more profitable than to give to a friend in need. If you have no money to help a friend with, give him at least a heartfelt sigh. Don't tell your friend what your enemy must not know. When two friends say goodbye, they ought to lock up each other’s secrets and throw away the key. Your friend has a friend, and your friend’s friend has a friend too: so you must know when to keep quiet. He who finds a faithful friend, finds a treasure. Friendship is stronger than kinship. Friendship is love without wings. Either friendship or death. You cannot patch up a torn friendship. For the sake of beloved friendship we are even allowed to lie (but the beloved friends must tell the truth). So with friends like these, who needs enemies? Friendship is worth immeasurably more than friendliness. To our friendship; may we live long and laugh often. 62

future

As friends, let's live and let live. friendliness Wherever there are human beings, there is a chance for friendliness. frugality Frugality is a great source of income. fruit No fruit falls from withered trees. future (see also present) The future belongs to those who have the best memory. The cure for anxiety about the future is not nostalgia for the past. A person worries about the past, is upset about the present, and fears the future. Don't worry about the future.

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G gallows Don’t show the gallows to a man sentenced to hang. gambler The gambler breaks all of the Ten Commandments. Gamblers do not contribute to the public welfare. game When two play a game, there must be a winner and a loser. The best game of dice is the one not played at all. When luck joins in the game, cleverness scores double. garden Let the owner of the garden remove his own thistles. As is the gardener, so is the garden. Garden of Eden Even one hour in the Garden of Eden is enjoyable. garlic If you don't eat garlic, you won't smell bad. A nickel will get you on the subway, but garlic will get you a seat. garment One sews the garment, the other wears it. gate A gate once widened stays wide. generation A generation comes and a generation goes, and the earth abides forever. Generations come and go, but controversy lasts forever. 64

girl

Every generation has its advocates, and every generation has its sages. As the generation, so the leader; as the leader, so the generation. A generation is only redeemed by grace of the righteous women in it. Happy is the generation where the big listen to the little! A generation in which human ideals do not improve must perish. Gentile As the Gentiles carry on, so do the Jews follow suit. The Gentile can’t get used to the misery of the Jews. A Gentile preoccupied with the study of the Torah is equal to a High Priest. giant A giant feels the sting of a bee. A giant in your eyes may be a dwarf in ours. gift Gifts are debts. The gift is not as precious as the thought. A person who hates gifts will live. To receive a gift means you have to return a gift. Like clouds and winds without rain is a man who boasts of gifts he does not give. girl A girl is parwe. [A girl adapts to her groom.] With nets you catch birds, and with presents girls. The hair on a girl’s head pulls more than ten oxen can. All girls lap up sweet words. Sweet talks makes the girls melt. A homely girl hates mirrors. It’s easier to guard a sack full of fleas than a girl in love. 65

girl

If a girl has no other virtues, even a freckle can be considered one. The girl who can’t dance says the band can’t play. Girls are May as long as they are girls; when they grow up, the sky clouds over. A girl who laughs is half taken. A girl should not have many conversations nor greet too many people. Eventually girls as well as castles must surrender. A pretty girl stirs a boy’s desire. Little girls break toys; big girls break your heart. Girls and eggs don't keep. Before you choose a girlfriend, look closely at her brothers. A young girl is better than an old prayer book. Before she is married, a girl has seven arms and one mouth. Once married she has seven mouths and only one arm. A girl is like velvet to the touch. Girls catch men with lies. If you don’t have a beautiful girl to kiss, choose an ugly one and tell her how beautiful she is. Even an angel cannot resist a beautiful girl. It is not wise to borrow from a poor man or to kiss an ugly girl. The destiny of the ugly one is what the beautiful one longs for. The longer a girl waits for the right man, the worse will be her disenchantment. When the girl is refined, the wife is a little dove. Homely girls let themselves be seduced. Another town, another girl. Never choose girls or diamonds by candlelight. The more shortcomings a girl has, the dowry must be accordingly larger. No rain without thunder, no childbirth without pain, no girl without lover. 66

God

A betrothed girl in Jerusalem does not need to adorn herself with the scent of incense. give Give with a warm hand, not a cold one. The man who gives little with a smile gives more than the man who gives much with a frown. Remember that when it comes to giving, some people stop at nothing. What you give for the cause of charity in health is gold; what you give in sickness is silver; what you give after death is lead. He that gives should not remember, he that receives should never forget. glass When a stone hits glass, the glass breaks. When glass hits a stone, the glass breaks. glory Those who pursue glory, glory escapes them. Often glory falls on those who did not seek it. Too much glory is half disgrace. glutton Every glutton and drunkard will be impoverished. God God is one; what he does, sees none. One God and so many enemies. God created a world full of little worlds. What God does is best—probably. When God wishes to succor, men cannot destroy. If God willed it, even a broom could shoot. God decides what shall befall a person, but not whether he will be righteous or evil. Respect for God demands that the face, the hands’ and the feet be washed once a day. Dear God: If you really loved the Jews, why did you make them your “chosen people”? 67

God

Dear God: You made the Jews your chosen people, what did we do wrong? Dear God: Help me get up; I can fall down by myself. Dear God: You do such wonderful things for complete strangers; why not for me? Dear God, I know you will provide, but why don’t you provide until you provide? O Lord, glance down from heaven and take a real look at Your world! O Lord, give me a good excuse! God created man in His own image. Behave before man as you would before God. I know the Lord will help us—but help us, Lord, until you help us. The Lord creates two desires, one for good and one for evil. God gives burdens; also shoulders. God tests the righteous. God prefers your deeds to your ancestors’ virtues. With one hand God punishes and with the other he blesses. God looks at a man’s heart before He looks at a man’s brains. God himself has no money to give away, he only takes it from one and gives it to the other. God told nobody to be a fool. God gave the fool hands and feet, and let him walk. God sits on high upon his throne and lets the people below get married. God protects you from the silent man who suddenly begins to talk. When God takes somebody’s money, he also steals his intellect. The more you ask of yourself, the more readily God will help you. The seal of God is truth. May God preserve us from that shame: to have only one child and only one chimney. 68

God

God preserve us from a young salesman and an old prostitute. God shows his compliance with everything except extravagance. God does not deal tyrannically with His creatures. Fear God, but beware of men. God takes with one hand, and gives with the other. He has God to thank for his life and the people for his bread. If God does not give, one cannot take. Not only is God not a man: He doesn't even behave like a Man. God requires no synagogue—except in the heart. All sentences that start with “God forbid” describe what is possible. Sometimes you really don’t know what you have to thank God for. The best minister is the human heart; the best teacher is time; the best book is the world; the best friend is God. The favorite place of God is in the heart of man. Just as the soul feeds the body, so God gives food to the world. God is closest with broken hearts. God is the best physician. God always pays His debts—but seldom on time. God always provides what we need, but we must be ready to open our eyes and see it. God is not rich; all He does is take from one and give to the other. It is fitting for a great God to forgive great sinners. Whom God favors, He tries with affliction. If you believe that God gave this affliction to you, believe He can take it away. God always answers our prayers, it's just that sometimes the answer is no. People worry, and God smiles. 69

God

If God were living on earth, people would break His windows. If God wants people to suffer, he sends them too much understanding. He who is beaten by God will get more alms than he who was taught by God. When God wants to break a man’s heart, he gives him a lot of sense. God helps the poor man: He protects him from expensive sins. God knows that the best synagogue is the human heart. God loves the poor and helps the rich. God waits long, but pays with interest. God strikes with one hand and heals with the other. Whom God would regale, man can not quail. God gives naught for nothing. Better to receive from God by the spoonful than from man by the bushel. Whom the Lord loves, He crushes with pain. God punishes but man takes revenge. God pays late, but then with interest. Whomever God loves, He punishes. Why did God create only one man? So that virtue and vice will not be called hereditary. Sometimes God sends the remedy before the disease. God sits on high and makes matches below. If we were to thank God in detail for all the good things, we wouldn’t have time left to complain about all the bad things. He may thank God for his soul and the butcher for his piece of meat. What God decrees, man cannot prevent. God made man because He loves stories. Don’t bargain with God. Let not the fear of bad offspring deter you. You do your duty, and the Holy One will do what pleases Him. 70

good

Whosoever walks toward God one cubit, God runs toward him twain. We never know all we should be grateful to God for. If triangles had a God, He’d have three sides. gods When you slap the gods, the priests get scared. gold Gold glitters even in the mud. Gold is tested with fire, a woman with gold. Gold buys silver, but silver does not purchase gold. Gold's father is dirt, but it considers itself noble. If you drop gold and books, pick up the books first, then the gold. A golden nail drops from a golden cart. good Everything is good, but all in its time. If everything is so good, why then is everything so bad? If it has to be better all the time, it will never be good enough. Things can be good anywhere, but they’re even better at home. Better good and a little rather than bad and a lot of it. He who is no good to himself is no good to another. Too good is bad for you. He who isn’t good for himself, is good for nobody. The good ones pay, the bad ones demand. You soon get used to good things. There are eight things of which a little is good, and too much is bad: travel, mating, wealth, work, wine, sleep, spiced drinks, and medicine. Follow the way of the good; keep to the paths of the righteous. Don't withhold the good where it is due, if it’s in your power to do it. 71

good deed

There is no good without something bad in it. One has to think what is true, to feel what is beautiful, and to want what is good. good deed Perform good deeds; you will not regret them. Good deeds are done by good people. Good deeds are better than credos. Good deeds are better than wise sayings. One good deed has many claimants. Good deeds bring a man immortality. Better a bad deed of a good person than a good deed of a bad one. He who encourages good deeds is greater than the one who performs them. If you did a good deed, don’t ask for an immediate reward. The whole worth of a good deed lies in the love that inspires it. Nobody is willing to take away your troubles; nobody can take away your good deeds. He who carries out one good deed acquires one advocate in his own behalf, and he who commits one transgression acquires one accuser against himself. A door not open to good deeds is open to the doctor. good man He is a good man—according to his epitaph. He is a good man, but his bad dog won’t let you speak to him. What a good man! He never bites—when he is asleep. A good man cannot be corrupted by the tavern, nor a bad one reformed by the synagogue. The address of a good man is the good earth. He is a good man until you reach for his money. A good man can be helped with a good word—a bad man not even with a stick. 72

go over

A good man who speaks evil is like a palace next to a tannery: one defect destroys all the grandeur. A good man does his fellow a favor for no reason save that he is a good man. Good men need no monuments. Their deeds remain their shrines. A moral man is not yet a good man but one who is seeking the good. good name (see also name) A good name is more valuable than a velvet garment. A good name is better than oil. There are three crowns: Bible, priesthood, royalty. But the crown of a good name surpasses them all. A good name is the proudest of pedigrees. Life is for one generation; a good name is forever. good news Good news always comes from far away. Like cold water to a tired soul, so is good news from a distant land. good person A good person doesn’t need a letter of recommendation; for a bad one, it would do no good. Good people learn a lot more from bad people than bad people can learn from the good. goods From peddling small goods on the streets you don’t make big fortunes. good thing It doesn’t take long to get used to good things. go over When you can’t go up, you must go down. If you can’t go over, you must go under.

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gossip

gossip (see also slander) The most common habit is gossip—and it causes the most trouble. Gossip is more horrible than a capital crime. Gossiping is the worst habit and the biggest calumny. Whoever gossips about his relatives has no luck and no blessing. He who gossips and he who listens to it deserve to be thrown to the dogs. Fire dies for lack of wood; if there’s no whispering, gossip stops. Of all the gossip that “nobody will believe,” everyone believes at least half of it. govern He who governs himself can govern the world. government A government can fall because of one injustice. Pray for the welfare of the government, since but for the fear of it, men would swallow one another alive. grace (prayer) Dirty hands are unfit for reciting grace. grace (virtue) A place of grace to those who reside there. Grace is worth more than beauty. A man without grace is as a tale out of season. A graceful spot lends grace to those that dwell in it. grain The best grain grows on black soil. grandchild He who has one grandchild has three little children. grandfather Every time I think of the fact that my grandfather died childless, it brings tears to my eyes. 74

greet

grandmother If my grandmother had a beard, it would be my grandfather. grandson Grandsons are like sons. grape Grapes that are picked too soon don’t even make good vinegar. grasp If you grasp too much, you cannot hold it; when you take a little, you can. grass Every blade of grass has its angel that bends over it and whispers, “Grow, grow.” grave The grave is already dug and man still continues to hope. gravity Beware of two persons: a serious man behind whose gravity there is no lightness of mind, and a woman of light mind with no gravity in it. great(ness) Some people are only great as long as they can stand on other people’s shoulders. Greatness flees from him who seeks it, and follows him who flees from it. greed Nobody is more contemptible than a greedy man; he would even sell his soul. Greek You want to study Greek wisdom? Then find time for it that belong neither to the day nor to the night. greet Be first in greeting every person. 75

grief

grief Grief paralyses the tongue. All things grow with time—except grief. groom When the groom is desired, the bride does not need words. grow What grows never grows old. guess Guesses are self-deception. guest (see also visit) A guest is like rain: when he lingers on, he becomes a nuisance. The first day indeed a guest; the second, a nuisance; the third, a pest. The frequent guest becomes a burden. A guest for a day is welcome for years. A guest who comes empty-handed does not deserve a warm welcome. A good guest proclaims: Blessed is the host. When one guest brings an uninvited guest, that is improper. Men like the guests more than women do. Always pray for good guests. He is a real guest who is invited by the wife. When a guest at your table coughs, it doesn't mean he has a cold, it means he has no spoon. A rich guest is a burden—he demands so much! A woman recognizes the character of a guest sooner than her husband does. With a good guest, you are happy when he arrives; with a bad one, when he leaves. guilty The guilty man who denies his guilt doubles it. 76

guilty

One has to consider oneself always half guilty and half innocent. A guilty man is always self-conscious.

77

H habit Great is the power of habit. Habit becomes second nature. Better bad aim than bad habits. When a habit begins to cost money, it’s called a hobby. It is impossible for a person to give up everything he has become habituated to. Virtues result from good habits. hand He who has no hand cannot make a fist. Your hand should not be wide open to take, and clenched shut when you return. Raising your hand against a friend, even if you don’t hit him, is evil. Many hands can shatter stout walls. “Blessed are the hands that help themselves.” The thief nods. Let your left hand turn away what your right hand attracts. handwriting One’s handwriting delineates his intelligence. hang He who is destined to hang won’t drown. If one in a family has hanged himself, say not to them, “Hang up the fish,” for this might be deemed an allusion. happen What did not happen in one thousand years could happen the next moment. happiness While we pursue happiness, we flee from contentment. 78

hate

One day’s happiness and you forget the bad; one bad day and you forget the good. Happiness favors the brave. Your happiness depends upon the quality of your thoughts. Happiness is found in a happy heart. Better an ounce of happiness than a pound of gold. Happiness has two legs. It comes on one and goes on the other. Who is rich? He who knows how to enjoy his happiness. Not everyone who is happy today will be happy tomorrow. A person who is not happy in his lot is called a wretch. The best way to find happiness is not to search for it. He himself is asleep but his happiness stays awake. When the hour of happiness strikes, the smart ones get the first chance. Keep on trying and you will be happy. haste Haste costs you money and your trousers. The result of haste is—remorse. hat You cannot make a fur hat out of a pig’s tail. hate Hate inspires people more than love. People hate what they don’t understand. If you will remember the end of all things, you will cease hating. Causeless hate is equal to three sins: idolatry, incest, and bloodshed. Baseless hate is a serious disease. A man who hates men is hated by them. Woe to him who is hated by all, or to him who is loved by all. The Holy Temple was destroyed because of baseless hatred. 79

haughtiness

haughtiness Haughtiness can do harm, but you cannot die from loving pleasure. With every other sin a person must do something. With haughtiness, one lies on his bed, yawns, and says to oneself: I’m great. have What one has, one doesn’t want; and what one wants, one cannot have. head A smart head doesn’t last long. What’s the use of a clear head when the legs can’t carry it anymore? Don’t lie down with a healthy head in a sick bed. When the head is a fool, the whole body can go to hell. health(y) Your health comes first—you can always hang yourself later. Health comes before making a livelihood. There is no wealth like health. Health? Very nice! But where will we get potatoes? Three things spoil a man’s health: worry, travel, and sin. He who is healthy thinks it is normal. The healthy ones have a thousand worries; the sick have only one. Fit and healthy, and completely mad! hear He can hear a flea cough. heart A man’s heart is like a sausage; nobody knows exactly what’s in it. If you haven’t got it in your heart, you have it in your legs. One heart feels another’s affections. A man speaks only what he ponders in his heart. 80

heart

A man’s heart changes his countenance for good or evil. A cheerful heart is an unending banquet. One heart is mirror to another. Only the heart understands. As he thinks in his heart, so he is. A heart is a lock, but a lock can be opened with a duplicate key. The heart is half a prophet. The heart doesn’t mean everything the tongue utters. Man’s heart is bad from his youth. Even in laughter, the heart hurts. A merry heart makes for a cheerful countenance. Everyone should carefully observe Which way his heart draws him And then choose that way with all his strength. The heart sees better than the eye. The heart and the eye are the two agents of sin. The heart is something of a prophet. The heart of a man and the bottom of the sea are unfathomable. A man’s heart tells him of his opportunities better than seven watchmen on the lookout tower. Not every heart that laughs is really cheerful. A heavy heart speaks lightly. A cheerful heart is an unending banquet. Rather any ache than heartache. A man’s heart changes his countenance for good or evil. If you are bitter at heart, sugar in the mouth will not help you. An embittered heart talks a lot. Every heart has secrets. When you pour out your heart, it feels lighter. When the heart is full, it is the eyes that overflow. The heart is small and embraces the whole wide world. 81

heaven

No wound festers so quickly as a stab in the heart. It’s not the pretty face, but the good heart that’s important. Three things soften a person’s heart: A pleasant melody, a pleasant scene, and a fragrant odor. heaven Heaven is wonderful, but getting there is most of the fun. He laughs who sits on Heaven’s throne—whyever should he weep? You don’t even know everything that is on earth, and you want to know what there is in heaven? Better an hour of happiness in heaven than a life of pleasure on earth. No man on earth even hurts his finger without it being decided in heaven. Even in heaven it is not good to be alone. hell Hell: to be able to buy an ox for one cent, and not having one. Heaven and hell can both be had in this world. Hell is not so bad as the way to it. The best doctor is in hell. Hell can lie between the lashes of a beautiful woman’s eye. One path leads to paradise, but a thousand to hell. Paradise is sometimes open, hell at all times! In hell an ox is worth a groschen, but no man has that groschen. help Whoever does not help himself cannot help others. He who seeks help for his friend while he needs help himself, will be listened to first. Either it doesn’t help or it isn’t needed. hen The hen listens to the rooster’s sermon and goes to look for a grain of corn. Better a hen in the hand than an eagle in the sky. 82

home

hero A hero is someone who masters his passions. A hero is someone who keeps quiet when he is right. Even a hero is destroyed by grief. Who is a hero? He that can swallow a sparkling witticism. Who is a hero? He who turns his enemy into his friend. Who is a hero? He who masters his impulses. One cannot always be a hero, but one can always be a human being. herring Where there are few people a herring is also a fish. hesitation These things are good in little measure and evil in large: yeast, salt, and hesitation. hint A hint hits harder than the truth. Hitler Many Hitlers and one 1945. hole Don't try to fill a sack that’s full of holes. A small hole can sink a big ship. home If you stay at home you won’t wear out your shoes. A man who never leaves his home is like a man who spends his life in prison. A man must go out into the world to know how lovely is his own home. His home is—his wife. Any home not built for hot days or for rains is not a home. A man is happy when he lives beneath his own roof and tree. Pity the home where everyone is the head. A pleasant home, a pleasant wife, and pleasant furnishings enlarge a man’s mind. 83

honest(y)

Eat less than you can afford; dress less fittingly, but have a fine dwelling. honest(y) Don't call a man honest just because he never had a chance to steal. No wisdom so great as honesty. honey Honey on the tongue, gall in the heart. With honey you can catch more flies than with vinegar. Where there is honey, there flies gather. Honor A man’s honor is his garment. Honor is much dearer than money. One cannot live from honors. Honor is measured by him who gives it, not by him who receives it. Honor is like a shadow; the harder you chase them, the further they run from you. What good is honor when you’re starving? Not everyone who sits in the seat of honor is master. Honors will come to you by themselves if you don’t run after them. Honor is greater than wealth; wealth is only an instrument to attain honor. Excessive honor is half ignominy. The highest honor goes to him who stays at home. A man who pursues honor, from him glory runs away. Run away from dishonor, but don’t run after honors. Who is honored? He who honors his fellow men. Before honor comes humility. A man’s honor is his garment. Don’t look for more honor than your life merits. Honor will come at the end. 84

hospitality

hope Man lives in hope. It’s good to hope but bad to depend on it. It’s good to hope, it’s the waiting that spoils it. Hope gives man power, but not common sense. Hope deferred makes the heart sick. So long as a person is alive, he has hope; when he’s dead, his hope is gone. The man who stopped hoping, stopped living. Stuff yourself with hope and you can go crazy. As long as a man breathes he should not lose hope. Hoping and waiting makes fools out of clever people. He who has no hope in his heart is doomed to death. Where there is life, there is hope—of dying. horse Once a horse is born, someone will be found to ride it. If the horse you fall off is a good one, then it’s worthwhile. If a horse had anything to say, he would speak up. If a horse knew how small a man is compared to it, it would trample him. The best horse is just a carcass when it dies. A blind horse will trot straight into the hole. Don’t whip your horse, give him oats. After the horse has been stolen, the stable door is locked. The best horse needs a whip, the wisest man advice, and the most chaste woman a man. The wagon rests in winter, the sleigh in summer, the horse never. Tomorrow your horse may be lame. Not all horses enjoy the same thing. hospitality Hospitality is one form of worship. 85

house

Being hospitable is more important than attending synagogue service early in the morning. house A house where one lives against one’s will is no house. A house divided against itself—its future is to be destroyed. You don’t build a house on strange land. A man first builds a house and afterward brings in the furniture. The house is on fire, but the clock keeps ticking. When you sweep the house, you find everything. If you want to know exactly what happens in your own house, ask your neighbors. If a house could be built by a loud voice, then a donkey would build two houses in one day. A house with a library is a house with a soul. A house without a wife is like a ship without a rudder. A house without a wife is like a business with no accountant. It is a sorry house where the hen crows louder than the cockerel. Woe is the house where everybody tries to be the master. housewife If the housewife is stout, the loaves she bakes are large. When the housewife is a slattern, the cat is a glutton. human being (see also man) It is easier to get to know ten countries than one single human being. You will never be a complete human unless you have suffered the inhumanity of man. humble Be humble, so that you will not be humbled. Be very humble, for man’s destiny is the worm. Too humble is half proud. The humble will inherit the earth. 86

husband

A cedar’s size is measured by its shade, and a man by his humility. humiliation Humiliation is worse than physical pain. humor Humor is an important asset: it means understanding and selfcriticism. Where humor is absent, you’ll find smallmindedness. Begin a lesson with a humorous illustration. hunchback All hunchbacks have a crooked back, but the hump of a king is always straight. The hunchback cannot see his own hump. When a hunchback meets someone with a bigger hump in the morning, his whole day is a good one. hunger (see also starvation) When hunger comes through the door, love flees through the window. When you’re hungry, sing; when you’re hurt, laugh. Rather than die of hunger I eat a great big steak. He that is sated believes not the hungry. hunter If the hunter can’t shoot, even his dog is left without a bite. hurry No good comes out of hurrying. husband The husband is master of the home if the wife is out-of-doors. A husband who is at home is like a toothache to his wife. A henpecked husband gets no relief in court. Husband and wife are like one flesh. Between husband and wife only God is a judge. When the husband is a coachman, he is not afraid of his wife’s curses. 87

hymn

The husband has no need to see and the wife must be blind. A woman is better off having one useless husband than ten rich children. When the husband is a rabbi, the wife is a rebbitsen. When he is a bath attendant, she is a bath attendant's wife. Only after her death does a husband respect his wife. A husband doesn’t have to be tall to be great. Making a living depends on the husband’s luck, and rearing children depends on the wife’s. Husband and wife are of one body, but they have separate pockets for their cash. There are things that a wife must not show even to her husband. Rather hell with a quarrelsome husband than paradise in my father’s house. hymn So many hymns—and so few noodles.

88

I I If I am not for me, you will not be either. If I am not for myself, who is for me? idea Ideas are exempt from duty payments. Ingenious ideas are like firemen: they generally come much too late. A noble and central idea lends flavor and purpose and a breath of life to every enterprise and act. When you’ve managed to get over the stumbling block once, then you will get other ideas yourself. ideal The loftier and more distant the ideal, the greater its power to lift up the soul. A generation in which human ideals do not improve must perish. idleness Idleness leads to boredom. The hardest work is to go idle. idler It’s best to send an idler to the Angel of Death. A miser pays more and an idler does more. idol A person cannot create even a tiny worm, but he fashions thousands of idols. ignorance Ignorance and conceit go hand in hand. Swiftly, ignorance is contagious. 89

ignorant

The greatest poverty is ignorance. ignorant No pity for the ignorant. For the ignorant, old age is winter; for the learned, it is the harvest. ill Better ten times ill than one time dead. To be ill is not so bad, as long as you are healthy. You ask a sick man, you give to a healthy one. An imaginary illness is worse than a real one. illusion Illusions are comforting; just don’t act upon them. immorality Immorality at home is like having a worm in the vegetables. immortality Immortality is surely a pleasant feeling, especially when the individual is still alive. impatience (see also patience) One moment of impatience can destroy an entire life. An impatient man cannot be a teacher. important people Hold tight to important people, and people will bow before you. impossible Never think it is impossible before it has been proved to be so. When you have a belief like a mustard seed … nothing will be impossible for you. If man had perseverance, nothing would be impossible for him. The most difficult things are never impossible. 90

innkeeper

Despise no man and consider nothing impossible, for there is no man who does not have his hour and there is no thing that does not have its place. It’s impossible to fashion bricks without straw. improve Improve yourself first, and then someone else. income Don’t rely on unexpected income. independence It’s harder to live a life of independence; it must be earned. indifference There is no stronger weapon than indifference; you won’t beat it. individual No individual can stand up to the whole community. indulgence Small indulgences lead to great sorrows. inferior The attitude you display toward your inferiors is the touchstone of your humility. influence Unobtrusive influence has the most value. ingratitude Give a person peanuts, and he’ll throw the shells in your face. inheritance Come for your inheritance and you may have to pay for the funeral. injustice To do an injustice is a greater disgrace than to suffer from it. innkeeper The innkeeper loves the drunkard, but not for a son-in-law. 91

insult

insult He who puts up with insult invites injury. Run away from an insult but don’t chase after honor. Hurray for the man who says nothing when he has been insulted. A great person does not easily become insulted. intellect Too much intellect is a bird of lead. Intellect is invisible to the man who doesn’t have any. When God wants to break someone’s heart, He gives them great intellect. intelligence Intelligence means a person who can see implications and arrive at conclusions. You don’t need intelligence to have luck, but you do need luck to have intelligence. Thanks to his intelligence, the intelligent understands why the idiot succeeds. An intelligent person is one who understands one thing extracted from another. An intelligent man is like a robust oak, he rides over his misfortune. A man’s intelligence is located in the tip of the pen. intention The intention is the foundation of the deed. To act wrongly with the best of intentions is better than to act legally with the wrong intentions. A little together with intention is better than a lot without. A person must be judged by what he intended to do, not by what he did. A good intention is accounted as a good deed. If a man intends to perform a good deed but is prevented from doing so, he is to be treated as though he has done it. 92

Israel

interest Interest on debts grows without rain. Whoever lends money with interest is not God-fearing. It’s not enough that the poor man is poor, but you take interest from him, too? intoxicated Don't become intoxicated and you won’t sin. iron Iron protects, but it can also kill. Israel The air of the Land of Israel makes one wise. The proof that God loves Israel is that He gave it the Sabbath. As the world cannot survive without wind, the world cannot exist without Israel. The nations of the world wish to irritate the Lord, but they can’t. What do they do? They vex Israel instead. As an olive tree does not lose its foliage in summer or winter, so Israel will never be lost, here or hereafter. Israel is compared to the stars of heaven and to the dust of earth: if it rises, it rises to the stars, and if it falls, it falls even to the dust. He who walks four cubits in the Land of Israel is certain of the next world.

93

J jar Don't look at the jar; study its contents. jealousy Jealousy is hatred that none can heal. Jealousy rots the bones. Jealousy and anger will shorten one’s days. Jealousy is far, far worse than death. Jealousy has teeth made of iron. The man who loves without jealousy does not truly love. It’s better to be the object of jealousy than of pity. You’re jealous? Go out and ask for donations. Love is blind and jealousy sees what isn’t there. Love without jealousy is no love. Jerusalem Jerusalem was destroyed because the children did not attend school. Jerusalem was destroyed because it had desecrated the Sabbath. Jerusalem was destroyed for not respecting scholars. Jerusalem is meant to give a roof to all people and kingdoms. The Temple of Jerusalem was destroyed because of the hate the Jews had towards each other. Ten measures of beauty descended on the world; nine went to Jerusalem, and one to the rest of the world. A snake or scorpion never bit anyone in Jerusalem, and a person never said to his fellow, There is not enough room for me to sleep in Jerusalem. 94

Jew

jester It is good to laugh with other people’s jester—you can cry with your own. Don't try to be funnier than a jester. Jew Jews have no nunneries. Jews are just like everyone else—only more so. All Jews are brothers. All Jews are responsible each for the other. The Jews give both to build the Temple and to make the golden calf. The true Jew is distinguished for three qualities: sympathy, modesty, and benevolence. If the Jew be right, he is beaten all the more. The master thinks of his horse and dog, the Jew of his wife and child. If only two Jews remained in the world, one would summon to the synagogue and the other would go there. If a Jew breaks a leg he thanks God he did not break both legs; if he breaks both legs, he thanks God he did not break his neck. When a Jew has money, he only loses it. When he has time, he gets sick. Any Jew can be a cantor, except that at this moment he happens to be hoarse. Every Jew has his own brand of madness. The joy of Jews is never free of anxiety. Nations that persecute Jews never last long. These three are the marks of a Jew—a tender heart, self-respect, and charity. When a Jew can’t become a shoemaker, he dreams of a professorship. When Jews want a divorce, even the altar sheds tears. Better a Jew without a beard than a beard without a Jew. 95

jewel(ry)

When do Jews and Gentiles rejoice together? When it rains. When does a Jew sing? When he’s hungry. The joy of a Jew is always tinged with anguish. When a Jew finally strikes out, he shouts for help right away! If a Jew is right, then he will be given a really good thrashing. A good Jew doesn’t need a wreath, and for a bad Jew a wreath doesn’t help anymore. A converted Jew is neither a Jew nor a Gentile. When a Jew is smart, he is very smart, but when he is crazy, he is very crazy. A Jewish soul is difficult to probe. When a Jew is hungry he sings, when a farmer is hungry he beats his wife. Three Jews, four communities … One Jew sins and all of them are punished. Every Jew has his own highest law (and his own interpretation of it). When a Jew becomes rich, his wife seems ugly to him and his house too small. Even Moses couldn’t get along with the Jews. Fear the rich Jew, the miserly Greek, and the poor Turk. A Jew without a wife will not find peace in this life. A Jewish wife will forgive and forget, but she'll never forget what she forgave. More than the Jewish people preserved the Sabbath, the Sabbath preserved them. Jews always exaggerate, Arabs always lie. It's hard to be a Jew. jewel(ry) A beautiful jewel sparkles best when worn by a woman. If the wearer is elegant, so is the jewelry. Water wears away stones—and jewelry the heart of a woman. 96

judge

job A job would be much more fun if it didn’t take up so much of your valuable time. It is not the job that belittles the man, but the man that belittles the job. joke A joke is a half-truth. journey Follow everybody on their journeys and you will take the strangest turns. joy There can be no joy without food and drink. If you want to multiply joy, you’ll have to divide it. It is better to live in joy than to die of sorrow. One is not kept alive by joy, nor does sorrow alone causes death. The joy is greater when the crowd is smaller. Judaism There is no hint of pessimism in Judaism; negation of life is totally alien to its spirit. judge Do not judge your fellow man until you have stood in his place. He who is his own judge will never find a reason to sentence himself. Judge a man not by the words of his mother, but by the comments of his neighbors. Judge others with gentleness, and you will not only make friends but keep them. No judge should sentence a person he likes or one he dislikes. Woe is the generation of which the judges must be judged. Get yourself a teacher, acquire a friend, and judge everyone charitably. 97

judgment

These are not qualified to testify or to judge: the dice player, and he who loans money at interest. judgment Judgment delayed is judgment voided. A person will be called to account on Judgment Day for every permissible thing he might have enjoyed but did not. just The just needs no memorial, for his deeds are his monument. justice Justice and only justice shall you pursue.

98

K kettle When the kettle boils over, it overflows its own sides. key (see also lock) There is a key to every door just as there is a key to every woman. kill If someone comes to kill you, rise up early and kill him first. killer After all, there are more killers than victims. kindness Kindness is better than piety. Kindness costs the most. Kindness is remembered, meanness is felt. If you do someone a kindness, don't see it as a debt he must repay. The highest wisdom is kindness. The world rests on three things: the Bible, religious worship, and deeds of lovingkindness. The world exists for the sake of kindness. May kindness and truth not forsake you. king Who serves two kings deceives one of them. Never pray for a new king. Woe is the country of which the king is a child. When the farmer becomes king, he sees no way of putting down the bag he carries round his neck. When you want to crown a king at any cost, then a cork is also a king. 99

kiss

When a man is made king, he seems to grow tall. Can two kings wear one crown? kiss When you kiss a new pair of lips, you forget all the others. A kiss without a moustache is like bread without salt. Don’t kiss a homely maid, she’ll brag about it. There is no shame in kissing your relatives. knave When a knave kisses you, count your teeth. know He who seeks to know everything grows old quickly. He who knows enough, knows that he knows not nearly enough. People know a lot more than they understand. Not to know and still to speak is unwise; to know and not to speak is dishonest. He who says he doesn’t know anything, knows a lot more than the one who says he knows it all. It is better to know nothing than to learn nothing. My chief merit is that I know that I don’t know. knowledge Knowledge that is paid for will be longer remembered. Knowledge is like the sun—it dispels the darkness. The first step on the road to knowledge is to realize that it is a long road. Man’s primary knowledge is self-knowledge. He who doesn’t make progress in knowledge, goes backward. Lack of knowledge is a night without a moon or stars. In seeking knowledge, the first step is silence, the second listening, the third remembering, the fourth practicing, and the fifth—teaching others. Fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and morality. 100

knowledge

The more knowledge, the more sorrow. You cannot bequeath knowledge. A bastard with learning is better than a high priest with ignorance. If thou hast acquired knowledge, what dost thou lack? If thou lackest knowledge, what hast thou acquired? With knowledge you are nowhere lost. Not all that you know may you say.

101

L labor (see also work) No labor, however humble, dishonors the man. If you eat the fruit of the labor of your hands, you’ll prosper. Sometimes labor will change your luck. A person can eat alone but he cannot labor alone. ladder When you climb a ladder, count the rungs. lady When an old lady wants to feel happy, she recalls her dowry. lamb Between careless shepherd and wolf, the lamb is lost. land Every man who does not own land, is not a man. Buying land must be done quickly, but take your time when choosing a woman. language Language is the key to the nation. Every nation's language is like a miracle violin. lantern If you carry your own lantern, you will endure the dark. laugh(ter) Weep before God; before people, laugh. Among those who stand, do not sit; among those who sit, do not stand. Among those who laugh, do not weep; among those who weep, do not laugh. Beware too much laughter, for it deadens the mind and produces oblivion. Much laughter, little intellect. 102

lazy

Laughter can be heard farther than weeping. Hearty laughter brings sunshine into the house. How lovely is the sun after rain, and how lovely is laughter after sorrow. Even in laughter, the heart aches. law The law of the state is the law. Let the law cut through the mountain! Fish die when they are out of water, and people die without law and order. Knowledge of the law is no guarantee against violation of the law. The beginning and the end of the law is kindness. Without Law, civilization dies. He who is law-abiding, will never lose his way. lawsuit He who has a lawsuit should go to a judge. If the lawsuit has been adjourned overnight, the case is at an end. lawyer A man’s best lawyers are repentance and good deeds. lazy A lazy person acquires no food. Be sure to send a lazy man for the angel of death. Some people are lazy by nature, and quick to give advice. When you send a lazy man on an errand, eventually you will have to go yourself. Go to the ant, sluggard; study its ways and become smart. Laziness is the mother of famine. Laziness brings on boredom. Laziness likes to justify itself for not doing anything because it cannot do everything. Laziness is the mother of all vices. The daughter is poverty. 103

leader

Laziness of the spirit is greater even than laziness of the flesh. Laziness likes to justify itself for not doing anything because it cannot do everything. Lazy by nature but quick to advise. leader A leader is not necessarily one who knows the way but one who thinks he knows the way. Like leader, like disciple. It is a friendly leader who is best obeyed. We must not appoint a leader over the community without first consulting the people. God weeps for the leader who tyrannizes the community. Woe to the community whose leader is an ignoramus. A generation’s true leader must himself be saintly. When a man is able to take abuse with a smile, he is worthy to become a leader. Leadership shortens life. lean You can only lean against that which resists feet. learn (see also study) First learn, then form opinions. Learning is achieved only in company. Learning can’t be inherited. Learning is more important than action—when it leads to action. Learning is better than sacrifice. Learning is better than priesthood or kingship. Learning promotes peace in the world. A man should not say, “I will love the learned and hate the unlearned”; he should say, “I will love them all.” He who adds not to his learning diminishes it. To learn without thinking is wasted energy. A thing learned in childhood is proven in old age. 104

letter

Much have I learned from my teachers, more from my colleagues, but most from my students. No person is too old to learn. A shy person does not learn. If you understand the why and wherefore of what you learn, you do not forget it quickly. A man may learn for seventy years and at the end die a fool. leave We know very well when we will leave, but we don’t know when we’ll be back. lecherous A lecherous old man is disgusting. legend Legends are like rosy lips. A people’s legends reveal its character more clearly than its acts and events. Legends, like wine, captivate people’s hearts. leisure Say not, when I have leisure I will study; you may not have leisure. lend Lend money and acquire an enemy. If you lend someone money and he avoids you, you’ve gotten off cheap. If lending were a good idea, then the husband would lend out his wife. Lending should be done with witnesses; giving, without witnesses. He who lends money to the poor without interest is greater than he who gives charity. Whoever does not lend money on interest, either to a Jew or Gentile, walks with honor. letter Let him who dictates the letter be the carrier. 105

liar

liar A liar never believes anyone else. A liar tells his story so often that he comes to believe it himself. The most cunning liar never supports another man’s lie. This is the punishment of a liar: he is not believed, even when he speaks the truth. Be a pauper, rather than a liar. Sometimes even the liar will speak the truth. libel The worst libel is the truth. licentious The licentious age early. lie Distance yourself from a lie. One lie begets another. All men tell lies. Truth shows in the eyes; lies stay behind the eyes. A lie one must not say; and some truths you should not tell. One lie is a lie, two are lies, but three is politics! A lie has no feet. You can also lie by keeping your mouth shut. With lies you will go far, but not back again. A person who gets used to telling lies will always be enticed to falsehood. Whoever cannot lie cannot be a matchmaker. You must not tell lies, but that doesn’t mean you have to tell the truth. All lies are forbidden, but you may lie for the sake of peace. life Choose life! Life is an on-going migraine in an over-busy and very noisy street. 106

light

Life is just like a dream—but don’t wake me. Life is like a story; it’s not the length that counts, but the quality. Life is like a bonnet: some put it on, some leave it somewhere. Life is like an onion. Why is life like an onion? Because you peel away layer after layer and when you come to the end you have nothing. Life is like a child’s undershirt—short and soiled. Your life is what your thoughts make of it. Oh, if only life could be as it never can be! All of life is a struggle. When a life is at stake, don’t follow the majority. The ugliest life is better than the nicest death. Life is the biggest bargain—we get it for nothing. When life isn’t the way you like, like it the way it is. In this world, life is known only once—not twice. There are three things one should do in the course of one’s life: have a child, plant a tree, and write a book. Whoever destroys a single life is as guilty as though he had destroyed the entire world. Life. It’s full of such sadness and sorrow, sometimes I think it’s better not to be born at all! … But how many people do you meet in a lifetime who were that lucky? Length of life, children, sustenance—they depend not on merit, but on luck. It's too bad about my life—and one hundred times worse if I had never lived. For everyone, there is one entrance into life—and one exit. So live that people may speak well of thee at thy grave. light If not for the light, there would be no shadow. Light is not recognized except through darkness. When the light is crooked, the shadow is crooked. 107

limb

When the lights go out, the mice begin to dance. A light for one is a light for a hundred. We should bolster the light rather than fight the darkness. No great light, no small idiot. Three rebel against light: the thief, the adulterer, and the bat. limb As long as one limb stirs, one does not think of the grave. lion A lion doesn’t growl in a den full of straw but in a den full of meat. A handful does not satisfy the lion. The lion dreads the gnat. You don’t attack a dead lion. Let sleeping lions lie! When the lion gets old, even the dogs mock him. It’s better to follow a lion than a woman. Be the tail of lions rather than the head of foxes. lips (see also tongue) A wicked person will be trapped by his own lips. Our lips must hear what’s coming out of your mouth. liquor (see also drink) Liquor’s tongue reveals what is on the mind. listen The art of listening is much more difficult than the art of speaking. Be quick to listen, and patiently respond wisely. literature A people’s only national literature is the one written in its national language. Litvak A Litvak is so clever that he repents before he sins. 108

log

live As we live, so we learn. Only he who lives for others is worth living. Start to live right now and consider every day as a separate life. One could really live it up, but they don’t let you. A person doesn’t live from happy occasions, and he doesn’t die from troubles. Some want to live well and cannot, while others can live well and will not. When the time comes for you to live, there aren’t enough years. To want to live is healthier than to have to live. He who lives without a bill, dies without a shroud. He who lives long enough, lives to see it all. As long as we live we have to hold our tongue, and once we are dead we can say nothing more. Flay a carcass in the market to earn thy living, and say not, “I am a great man and it is beneath my station.” A man should live if only to satisfy his curiosity. You should live and be well. Live well. It is the greatest revenge. If you live long enough, you live to see the good things. livelihood A good livelihood is a cure for all ills. liver Chopped liver is better than miserable troubles. lock A lock is meant only for honest men. All locks can be opened with a golden key. log A single log doesn’t warm the fireplace. 109

loneliness

loneliness Loneliness breaks the spirit. My loneliness is like that of my dog: I call him “uncle.” Between bad company and loneliness, the latter is preferable. No person is lonelier than the one who loves himself. A person is lonely until he finds himself. look down Look down if you would know how high you stand. look like In the end you get to look like the people you spend time with. look up When you look up high in the sky, hold on to your hat. looks Many complain of their looks, but none of their brains. lose If you have nothing to lose, you can try everything. You don’t lose what you haven’t given away. You never lose a fake nickel. love Love is sweet, but tastes best with bread. Love is like butter, it goes well with bread. Love is as strong as death. Love forgets dignity. Love him who tells you your faults in private. You can’t force anyone to love you or to lend you money. Love me little, but love me long. Love is a sweet dream, and marriage is the alarm clock. To love makes the eyes blind and the ears deaf. Anyone who doesn’t love must never think that he is loved. If you can’t love, learn how to flatter. Obeying from love is better than to obey from fear. 110

love

Love and hunger don’t dwell together. Love and hate always exaggerate. To be mad without love is possible, to love without madness isn’t. Love hides all misdemeanors. Love covers up all sins. Love, like coughing, is impossible to conceal. Perfect love does not exist. Love blinds the eyes to faults, and hatred blinds the eyes to virtues. It is the eyes that wound lovers. Man was born for love. If he hates, he was born in vain. A man in love is a happy man. Many waters cannot quench love, nor can rivers drown it. Rather a meal of cabbage when you love each other than a fatted calf when you hate each other. Only love gives us the taste of eternity. The greatest and rarest talent is to love everything good. Easy love, heavy damage. Where there is love and affection it is never too crowded or lonely. Not what is beautiful is loved, but what is loved is beautiful. There is no cure for love. No herb will cure love. A life without love is like a year without a summer. The eye of a needle is not too small for two people in love. Love knows all the hidden paths. Love cannot be forced. In love and war everything goes. Love conquers everything. New love chases old away. Love is a tree that bears the fruit of marriage. He who marries out of love, will live in sorrow. 111

lover

A man only marries the woman he deserves. Love and sorrow were born twins. God! I beseech you, grant that we never fall in love, not even with a cat. Love and learning live not together well. Love leaves through the gate that lets in mistrust. Love tastes sweet, but bread tastes sweeter. Without bread and wine, love will wither away. Love lives in huts as well as palaces. Old and true love never rusts. They are very much in love—he with himself and she with herself. There is hardly anything a man wouldn't do out of love—for himself. Greater than the man who acts out of fear is the man who acts out of love. I love you so much that I have forgotten your name. To love mankind is easy; to love man is hard. Everyone who shows love for God’s creatures is himself shown love. No man can see the guilt of someone he loves or the good qualities in someone he hates. In all love affairs there comes a moment when desire demands possession. She a princess and he a prince—but who will lead the donkeys? lover Lovers do not need much space. Lovers and thieves always look for darkness. My beloved is mine and I am his. low Don’t make yourself low. People will tread on your head. loyalty Loyalty will gain you entry to the sultan’s house. 112

lust

luck Luck is better than wisdom. Luck makes you wise, luck makes you wealthy. When luck fails, the ducat loses worth. Dowries and inheritances bring no luck. With luck, everything is possible. Without luck, nothing will succeed. Even to have luck you have to be lucky. A little bit of luck is better than a ton of gold. Throw a lucky person into the sea, and he will emerge with a pearl in his hand. If you have luck, even your ox will calve. God is a father; luck is a stepfather. When luck enters, give him a seat! Even the unlucky need luck. If luck plays along, cleverness succeeds. He with whom luck plays the game hits the mark without his aim. Luck without sense is a perforated sack. One’s good luck is another’s fortune. Sometimes a piece of ill luck comes in handy. He who always expects bad luck will soon have bad luck. Luck and charm can’t be purchased in a store. In this life, luck won’t help unless you cooperate. Whenever you can, hang around the lucky. Luck doesn’t stay around, so use it without delay. When you change your job, you change your luck for the better. It’s better never to have been born. But how many are so lucky? lust Lust only longs for things forbidden. A man’s enemy is his lust. 113

luxury

Lust leads to love. A woman’s voice arouses lust in a man. luxury The correct path is to give up all luxuries. The demand for luxuries propels a person away from studies.

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M maiden A maiden with many wooers often chooses the worst. The most to be pitied is a poor maiden in childbirth. majority Don’t follow the majority in the wrong path, because the majority are not always wise. When there are two dry sticks, and one damp one, the dry will burn the damp. man (see also people) Man comes into the world with an oy! and leaves with a gevalt! Man is stronger than iron and weaker than a fly. Man is who he is and not who he was. A man is handsome if he is only better looking than the devil. A man should always be pliable like a reed, not rigid like a cedar. All of man’s work is to feed a mouth. A man is known for three things: his inebriety, his purse, and his wickedness. Man is born to die. A man should stay alive if only out of curiosity. A man who is full of himself has no room for God. A man must first build his home, then buy a vineyard, and after that he can take a wife. A man is after all only a man—and sometimes not even that. Man thinks and God laughs. Which is a man’s most desirable occupation? The one for which he is most fit. Man is like a breath, his days like a passing shadow. 115

man

Man has succeeded in overcoming tremendous spaces, but not the distance between one man and another. God made man upright, but man reached out many crooked devices. One man differs from another in three things: his voice, his appearance, and his mind. A man cannot live with a snake in his midst. Man is what he is, but not what he used to be. The man has a small penis; he who lets it go hungry will be satisfied, he who satisfies is, will starve. Man learns till seventy but still dies an ignoramus. Man rides, but God holds the reins. All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes. In fact, it would be better for every man not to be like he is. He who never has unmanly thoughts, is not entirely a man. With a man you never know where the angel stops and the devil begins. One man can bear more than ten oxen can drag away. Every man carries his worth in his basket. Every man has a madness of his own. Every man has one fault. Every man is blind to his own faults. Every man knows he will die but no one wants to believe it. No man dares to be rude to his creditor. No man tells lies at death’s door. Man has nothing good under the sun except to eat, drink, and enjoy. Once a man repents, stop reminding him of what he did. One man likes sour cream and the other prayer. Out of stubbornness many a man goes from heaven to hell. Man is like a bird: a bird can fly higher and higher, but only if its wings continue to move without stopping. Three things please a man: a lovely home, a lovely wife, and lovely possessions. 116

man

Four things make a man age prematurely: fear, anger, children, and a bad-tempered wife. A man too good for the world is no good for his wife. Men are how their mothers made them. If a clever man is angry, his wisdom quits him. If a man is generally charitable, he will be unkind toward his wife. The kind man feeds his cat before sitting down to dinner. He is the kind of man who first prepares the bandage, then inflicts the wound. A man should endeavor to be as pliant as a reed, yet as hard as cedarwood. What a man thinks up for himself, his worst enemy couldn’t wish for him. The greater the man, the greater his evil inclination. The intelligent man is the one that knows how to put two and two together. A moral man is not yet a good man but one who is seeking the good. Every man has his own bird of paradise. Men fear the gallows more than God himself. He is a great man who doesn’t lose his childish heart. Man looks for a mate and finds his own rib. The fault of a great man is the fool’s comfort. A place becomes known far and wide because it is the home of a great man. The ideal man has a man’s strength and the compassion of a woman. Why was man created on the last day? So that he can be told, when pride possesses him: God created the gnat before thee. A man speaks only what he ponders in his heart. A man that cleanses himself after touching a corpse, and then touches it again, of what avail will his cleaning be? So with a man who fasts for his sins and then repeats them. 117

man and woman

A man who does not own a piece of land is not a complete man. A man who marries a decent woman is as though he fulfilled all the Torah's behests. A man will soon forget his sin if he does not make it public. A man with no sense deserves no pity. man and woman Men are born with bread in their hands; women are born empty handed. A deaf man and a blind woman will always make a happy couple. By day they fight, but they bed at night. A woman asks with the heart, a man with the mouth. Women are nine times more talkative than men. The intelligence of a woman is in her ornaments; the intelligence of a man in his intelligence. A third person may not interfere between two who sleep on the same pillow. Men only marry the women they deserve. A woman without a man is like a house without a roof; but a man without a woman is like a roof without a house. A woman asks with her heart, a man with his mouth. A man’s brains are his jewels; a woman’s jewels are her brains. When an old man takes a young wife, it puts a smile on the face of Death. When an old man takes a young wife, he lives in an oasis and she lives in a desert. Better a man’s wickedness than a woman’s virtue. A man with two wives is twice as miserable. It is easier to placate a man than a woman: the first man came from soft dust, but the first woman was created from hard bone. He’s in charge when she is not at home. 118

marriage

That is man’s curse—he lusts after a woman and yet despises her. A woman without a man is a bucket without a rope. Man and wife: a unification of body and soul. When the wife is away, the husband is master of the house. If a man and his wife are deserving, God’s presence is with them; if they are not deserving, fire consumes them. Man and wife are of the same flesh, but they have two purses. A man without a woman is not a human being. A man without a woman is a homeless drifter. A man without a wife is not complete. A man without a wife cannot resist temptation. A man can bear more than ten oxen can draw. Partnership is good only with your wife—and there are those who say this too is not certain. Better four that are happy than two that sigh all the time. To know a man you must ride in the same cart with him. manners Good manners supersede learning. marriage Marriages are made in heaven. Marriage with the first wife is made in Heaven; with the second it’s arranged by people. No marriage contract is made without a quarrel. Marriage is easy but housekeeping is hard. It is as hard to arrange a good marriage as it was to divide the Red Sea. Marriage is pain and sorrow, but life as a bachelor is a life without joy. Marriage is like a cage. The birds outside long to come in and the ones already inside can’t wait to fly out. A person’s marriage partner comes from heaven. Keep your eyes wide open before the wedding and half-closed afterward. 119

marry

Three things have a flavor of the world to come: Sabbath, the sun, and married love. A marriage for money is made by the Devil. Whoso remaineth unmarried deserveth not the name of man, for it is written: “Man and woman created he them, and he called their name man.” A man who marries a second time remembers all his first wife did. A woman cries before the wedding, the man afterward. marry Marry or don’t marry, whichever you do, you will repent it. He who never marries, lives like a king and dies like a dog. Don't say, “I will not get married”—get married! Go down the ladder when you marry, go up when you choose a friend. Getting up early and getting married young never harmed anyone. Honorable men marry early, wise men don’t marry at all. If you marry a beautiful girl, you marry trouble. A man should sell all he owns and marry a scholar’s daughter—and marry off his daughter to a scholar. A tall man should not marry a tall woman lest they produce a giant. The first time you get married it is from a sense of duty, the second time it is foolish, the third time is pure madness. When a young man marries, he divorces his mother. A young woman married to an old man is a lady by day and a widow by night. When an old man marries a young wife he becomes young, and she old. Whoever marries off his daughter to a boor, it’s as if he chained her and threw her before a lion. More than a man wishes to wed, a woman wishes to get married. 120

meal

It barely takes an hour to get married, but the problems go on for a lifetime. Don’t be in a hurry to get married. That way you will have time to get to know the person you will eventually divorce. The man who marries for money earns it. When a man marries, his sins decrease. Married in a hurry and stuck for good! Better to be alone in a clean bed than married to a louse-ridden old man. Whoever marries for money will have unworthy children. Whether you get married or not, you will always have regrets. Marrying and dying are two things for which one is never late. Marry in secret, divorce in public. Better to be married to an old man than remain a virgin. Make haste when you are purchasing a field, but when you marry a wife be slow. Everyone should marry his equal. Marry above your match and you get a good master. Married life is a battlefield and not a bed of roses. Unmarried girls do not risk widowhood. mass The masses aren't asses. master (see also boss, slave) The master is kind but his hand holds the cane. If the master is generous, the slave will not be stingy. match Bad matches beget good children. meal (see also eat) A meal without salt is no meal. If you have a fine meal, enjoy it in a good light. 121

measure

He who has two meals may accept nothing from a charity kitchen. measure Measure the corn of others with your own bushel. Thou shalt be measured with the same measure with which thou measurest. Three things are good in small measure, but not in large: leaven, salt, and a refusal in accepting attentions. meat There is no such thing as boneless meat. With a meat stew as with an engaged couple, one does not look too closely. medicine Good medicine always tastes bitter. There is no such thing as tasty medicine. meekness Meekness is the greatest of virtues. memory Not everyone with a good memory is intelligent. The memory of a righteous person is a blessing. Memory cannot recall more than what was forgotten. mending First mend yourself, and then mend others. merchandise The best merchandise is still cash money. merchant The merchant’s way is first to show you junk, and then the good stuff. mercy (see also truth) He who asks mercy for another, while he himself is in need, will be answered first. Even when a sharp sword rests on your neck, don't give up on mercy. 122

miracle

The world exists for the sake of mercy. messenger A lazy messenger is never short of excuses. Messiah The Messiah will not come until pride disappears from the world. middle A person should walk down the middle of the path, and not veer to one side or the other. midwife Too many midwives kill the baby. When the midwives squabble, the newborn baby dies. milk Whoever needs milk, bows to the animal. miller When the miller fights with the chimney sweep, the miller becomes black and the chimney sweep white. mind The mind of each person is as individual as his face. When a man is at ease, so is his mind. An intelligent mind will search for knowledge. Only broad minds dare to have a simple style. What’s on his mind is on his tongue. The biggest thief is he who steals people’s minds. minute In one minute things can take place that won’t happen again in a hundred years. miracle Miracles don’t happen every day. Miracles do occur, but they rarely provide food. He who doesn’t believe in miracles, is not a realist. 123

mirror

Just as the world cannot exist without livelihoods, so it cannot exist without miracles and wonders. A miracle cannot prove that which is impossible; it is useful only as a confirmation of what is possible. A miracle to one is often a misfortune to another. Hope for a miracle, but don’t rely on it. mirror A mirror can be the biggest deceiver. The mirror reveals the truth. In the mirror everybody sees his best friend. Your mirror tells you what no friend will. Ugly women avoid mirrors. The mirror fools none but the ugly. The best mirror is a trusted, old friend. miser A rich miser is the biggest bum. Misers are idol worshippers; they are a greater plague than thieves. The richer a miser grows, the more his avarice expands. Miserliness does not enrich a person; benevolence does not impoverish anyone. Don’t eat a miser’s bread; eat, drink, he says, but his heart is not in it. Even the bird in the air knows the niggard. A miser is a faithful watchdog, guarding the wealth of his heirs. To be miserly is worse than to steal. He who denies himself amasses for others; a stranger will enjoy his wealth. The miser pays double in the end. misery It's not your own misery, but other people’s happiness that is such a heavy burden. 124

modest(y)

misfortune (see also fortune) One misfortune leads to another. Misfortune binds together. The bitterest misfortune can be covered up with a smile. If you always fear misfortune, you’ll miss out on happiness. An intelligent person is like a strong oak: he rides over his misfortune. When you suffer from misfortune, tell everyone, so that many people can ask God for his blessing. No misfortune avoids a Jew. Three kinds of men cause their own misfortunes: those who lend money without witnesses; those who are ruled by their wives; and those who go into slavery by their own will. And who are these? Those who give their whole property to their children while they themselves are still in the flesh. mistake The danger of small mistakes is that they don't stay small. Mistakes make men. Some people admit their mistakes, to mask their crimes. Anyone can make a mistake but only a fool will persist in doing so. Occasionally one mistake is more instructive than seven advisers. It is an honor for a person to admit his mistake. Where a mistake has crept in, it stays. Mister Right Mister Right turns up at the first date. mix If you mix around, you learn quite a bit. moderation Moderation prolongs life. The greatest virtue is moderation in all things. modest(y) (see also virtue) Modesty is the greatest virtue in the world. 125

molehill

Even if you are perfect in all virtues, if you are not modest, you are wanting. Modesty is wisdom’s majesty. Modesty is a fence around wisdom. A person shouldn’t derive pleasure from his modesty. Too much modesty is half conceit. Wantonness leads to hell, modesty to paradise. molehill Don't make a mountain out of a molehill. money (see also borrow, lend, penny) He who has the money has the whole world! He who has the money has the authority. Money is the nerve of love. Money buys everything but good sense. Money can do everything. Money purifies everything. Money makes its owner frantic. Money goes to money. Money attracts money. Money rules the world. Money is round; it rolls away from you. Money is the best soap—it removes the biggest stain. Money is a hard taskmaster; it is also a good, diligent servant. Money makes even a bastard legal. The more money, the happier; the more wit, the happier. Nobody throws away his money for no reason. If you have the money, your opinion is accepted. It is easier to earn money than to keep it. It is not so good with money as it is without it. A nickel every day is better than an occasional dollar. You can buy everything with money, except intellect. There is nothing as costly as wasted money. 126

moon

Guard your money, and don’t suspect your neighbor. Sooner ask a man for his life, than for his money. Let every man divide his money into three parts, and invest a third in land, a third in business, and a third let him keep by him in reserve. Where there is money, there is wisdom. Whoever loves money will never be satisfied with how much he has. To have money is a good thing; to have a say over the money is even better. A purse without money is just a piece of leather. It’s not as good with money as it is bad without it. Because of money, the world became ugly. Being without money is always a mistake. With money in your pocket, you are wise and you are handsome and you sing well, too. He is well off who has no money to lend to friends; he doesn’t create enemies. Money really adds no more to the wise than clothes can to the beautiful. Even bastards are purified by money. If you can’t help out with a little money, at least give a sympathetic groan. When you sow money, you reap fools. Without money, it is no world. He has as much money as a Jew has pigs. We should easily make both ends meet, if we only could. Though money has a dirty father, it is regarded as noble. He who has no money in his pocket needs some on his tongue. Money paves a path through the sea. moon One must bless the new moon when she is visible in the sky. You cannot outrun the moon. 127

morality

morality Morality is more important than learning. We have plenty of morality books, but so few moral people. Morality and beauty are essentially the same. mortgage You cannot get a mortgage on “I would” and “I should.” mother Every mother thinks her child is beautiful. The little monkey is a gazelle in its mother’s eyes. A mother has glass eyes, she cannot see her children’s faults. Both a mother and an apron cover many a gap. Mothers have big aprons—to cover the faults of their children. God could not be everywhere, so therefore he made mothers. A mother understands what a child does not say. A mother is always attached to her daughter, but not so a daughter to her mother. One mother can achieve more than a hundred teachers. When a mother calls her child “bastard,” you can take her word for it. A child without a father is half orphan, without a mother a complete orphan. The mother is a garden of bliss, the father just a rock garden. If your mother is a flute and your father a trumpet, then you will be a drummer. A mother has far less grief with a coward for a son. A mother’s fist will break no bones. There is no bad mother and no good death. Usually a man is bound to his mother, and only after she has died does he bind himself to his wife. Too much mothering can be harmful. One can only truly value the love of a mother once the stepmother has arrived. 128

mouth

Hearing the approaching step of his mother, Rabbi Joseph would say, “I must stand up, for the Shekhina enters.” [Shekhina is the “Divine Presence.”] Do not despise your mother when she is old. Whoever has lost his mother has lost his life. When my father died I hardly noticed, when my mother died I broke down the house. When the mother dies, the neighbors ascertain how many children she had. mother-in-law Mothers-in-law are only good when they are deaf and blind. The mother-in-law forgets that she was once a daughter-in-law. Mother-in-law and daughter-in-law in one house are like two cats in one bag. The mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law shouldn’t ride in the same cart. Not even if she were made of clay would a mother-in-law be welcome. The tongue of a bad mother-in-law brings divorce. Always sweep where your mother-in-law looks. Rather a good mother-in-law than an inheritance with a well. mountain A mountain can’t be moved with a splinter. The mountain gave birth to a mouse. mourning In the time of rejoicing, rejoicing; in the time of mourning, mourning. We all visit the mourner, but we weep for our own misfortune. mouse Not the mouse is the thief, but the hole in the wall. mouth The mouth that forbids is the mouth that allows. 129

much

The mouth is a door and should be kept shut. Your own mouth condemns you, not I. Your lips speak against you. When you open your mouth you often regret it, but never when you keep it shut. Keep shut the doors of thy mouth even from the wife of thy bosom. The one who guards his mouth, preserves his life. Close your mouth more and your eyes less. much Where there’s too much, something is missing. He who wants too much achieves nothing. mud Cast no mud in the well from which you have drunk. You don’t see spots in the mud. mule driver A mule driver doesn’t smell the stink of his animals. musician The musician that doesn’t play well thinks the revelers cannot dance. must When one must, one can. myrtle A myrtle is called a myrtle, and is a myrtle, even when growing among ferns.

130

N naked What do you need, you that are naked? —A walking stick, sir! Do not stand naked before the candlelight. The wise man’s nakedness is between his loins, and that of the fool between his cheeks. name (see also good name) His name is the very soul of a man. A change of name or place may sometimes save a person. He who advertises his name, loses it. nation A nation’s treasure is its scholars. It’s not possible for a person to be a genuine individual as long as the people of his nation act like a wild beast. nature There is no chasm in nature. The nature of the world doesn’t change. nearby Not everything nearby is near, and not everything far off is far. necessity Necessity can break iron. Necessity is not to be praised nor shamed. What is necessary can’t be avoided, but it can be overcome. neck If your neck is white, you don't need a necklace. need The people’s needs are great.

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needle

The greater your need, the closer is God. Need makes people better; luck makes them worse. Every time you need something, it doesn’t help; but if you don’t need it badly, it helps. needle The needle, small and thin, can support a man and his family. What value is a needle without an eye? neighbor A close neighbor is better than a distant brother. Never enter your neighbor’s house suddenly. You can’t hide anything from God—or from a neighbor. Love your neighbor as yourself. Love thy neighbor, even when he plays the trombone. He who rejoices in his neighbor’s good fortune will prosper. What is hateful to thyself do not unto thy neighbor. Your neighbor’s apples are the sweetest. Your neighbor’s egg has two yolks. A neighbor’s wife always seems to have more charm. Ask about the neighbors, then buy the house. God detests a man who rushes to accuse a neighbor. He who prays for his neighbors will be heard for himself. Keep far away from an evil neighbor, do not associate with the wicked, and do not shrug off all thought of calamity. If your neighbor owes you money and you know he cannot pay, you don’t not have to hang around his neighborhood all day. Whoever watches his house will discover that his neighbor is not a thief. When you go to your neighbors, you find out what is happening at home. It is not as thy mother says, but as thy neighbors say. Do not cook in your neighbor’s saucepan. He who publicly shames his neighbor is as though he shed blood. 132

nuts

What’s the worst sickness? A bad neighbor. nerves When the nerves yell, the wit is silenced. new Clear out the old, make room for the new. night Night was created so that we might consider what we did during the day. At night all cows are black. Three things grow during the night: profit, interest’ and lovely young ladies. A sleepless night is the worst punishment. He arose in one night and perished in one night. no (see also yes) Nothing is as difficult to sell as a “No!” “No” is an oath. “Yes” is an oath. noble Not everyone who sits high on a horse is a noble. nurse A nurse is different from a mother. nuts Give someone nuts and he will throw the shells at you.

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O oath A man cannot bequeath an oath to his sons. A false oath desecrates God’s name. Do not grow accustomed to uttering oaths. obstacle The greater the obstacle, the more creditable it is to remove it. ocean The ocean can’t be emptied with a can. office Sometimes it is not the office that makes the man but the man that makes the office. oil Don't carry oil to the city of olives. old age Old age is the mother of forgetfulness. If you want to avoid old age, hang yourself in youth. An old man in the house is a burden, but an old woman is a treasure. An old man should be welcomed by a young girl; an old woman should be thrown out like garbage. An old woman in the house makes it a joyful place. Old age, to the unlearned, is winter; to the learned, it is harvest time. Childhood is a crown of roses, old age a crown of thorns. Fortunate is the man who has a happy old age. Ash-grey hair looks like churchyard flowers. Rise before the old, show respect to the aged. 134

opinion

He who possesses wisdom is old. Old men for the council, young men for war. When the old demolish, they build; when the young build, they destroy. A man is not old until his regrets take the place of dreams. What's the use of gray hair if the brains under it are still green? Don’t shame an oldster, for we’ll all be counted among them. As men age, their views change. Gifted infants, backward old men. There should be no more old people born. What the old chew, the young spit out. You can’t find reason with the aged, nor can you counsel with them. Better an elder who spoils you than a junior who humiliates you. For an old man, any hill is a mountain. Abandon me not when I grow old! old maid An old maid who marries becomes a faithful wife. An old maid who marries becomes a young wife. once Once gets applause; twice gets no attention; thrice gets kicked in the backside. one He who despises “one” will never get to “ten.” Only one shirt, one eye, and only one child: may God preserve us from all that. one-eyed The one-eyed need sleep, too. opinion Opinions are scanty, but differences of opinion abound. He who stands by his opinion will be very hungry. 135

oppression

Just as people’s faces are different, so are their opinions different. Opinions founded on prejudice are always sustained with the greatest violence. oppression In times of oppression. the salvos of the firing squad are sometimes the only signs of life. order Learn to give orders by obeying. ornament A beautiful ornament looks best on a beautiful woman. orphan An orphan eats too much, a bitter heart talks too much. An orphan weeps. A bitter person talks a lot. He who ensures the education of an orphan can be considered his real parent. When an orphan suffers, nobody notices; when he rejoices, the whole world sees it. Whoever takes a wife late, leaves orphans early. the others The man who believes he can live without others is mistaken; and the man who thinks others can’t live without him is more mistaken. If folk knew what others intended for them, they would kill themselves. outsider Pity the outsider even if he is rich. outergarment The outergarment conceals the inner torment. ox (see also bullock) From one ox you cannot skin two hides. The ox is not aware of its strength. When the ox stumbles, all whet their knives. 136

ox

When the ox falls, its slayers are many. An ox may have traveled a lot, he is still an ox. Although an ox has a long tongue, he still cannot blow on the ram’s horn. Send an ox to the university and he comes back as an ox with a degree.

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P pain He who is in pain should go to the doctor. Better a pain in your heart than shame before men. The world is full of pain, but everybody feels only his own. Not to have felt pain is not to have been human. Every pain, but not heart pain; Every ache, but not headache. pair You and I are a happy pair; without you I fizzle out and amount to nothing. pancake The pancakes that you dream about are not pancakes—just dreams. parable A parable without a moral is like a legless body. paradise Paradise exists everywhere for the true believers. For everything He created, God created an opposite: a paradise, a hell. Even in this world, one can taste the joy of paradise. Even in Paradise, it is not good to be alone. Even to be one small hour in paradise is well worthwhile … parents What God is to the world, parents are to their children. Parents can give their children everything except good fortune. Parents can give everything but common sense. Parents can give a dowry but not luck. 138

passion

Parents cannot keep quiet about the genius of their little children; older children always talk about the foolishness of their parents. Parents may have a dozen children, but each one is the only one for them. In disputes between parents and children, the children always get the upper hand. You cannot acquire parents with money. Let us be grateful to our parents: had they not been tempted, we would not be here. Honor your father and mother, even as you honor God; for all three were partners in your creation. Those who are ashamed of their parents can win neither blessings nor praises. There is one thing one cannot buy, one’s parents. The man who disobeys his parents will have disobedient sons. Happy the generation in which the parents listen to the children. Parents’ love is for their children, but the children’s love is for their own children. If you do not honor your parents, your children will not honor you. Once parents used to teach their children to talk; today children teach their parents to keep quiet. If you do not respect your parents, your children will not respect you. partner The more partners, the more arguments. party After the party: hangovers, bills, and dirty linen. passion Passion is but a brief act of insanity. When passion burns within you, remember that it was given to you for a good purpose. 139

past

Passion is at first a spider’s web; but in the end it becomes a thick cable. There is no guarantee against passion. Trembling from passion controls life. Sexual passion is at first a guest, then he becomes the master of the house. Passion and desire have an iron will. When passion ends, contrition begins. The greater the man, the more violent his passion. past Whoever is crying for the past is praying in vain. No individual can be whole without some link to the past. A nation’s future lies in its past. The past is dead. patch Better to have an ugly patch than a beautiful hole. path The just path is always the right one. One path leads to paradise, but a thousand to hell. patience (see also impatience) Patience is half of wisdom. Patience is worth 200 dinars. With patience you can drain a brook. With patience you can even bore through granite. You can drain a whole brook, or drill through the hardest granite, if only you have enough patience. One who is patient in spirit surpasses one who is proud in spirit. A patient person will become a master. To be patient can be better than being rich. pay If you receive pay, you cannot sit idle; and if you sit idle, you cannot receive pay. 140

people

It is not the rich who pay; it is the honest. peace Where there is peace, there is God. Where peace reigns, you need no courts. The reward for righteousness is peace. When there is peace in the house, a bite suffices. There is a future for a man of peace. A bad peace is better than a good war. Peace without truth is a false peace. For the sake of peace one may even lie, but peace itself should never be a lie. If you can't find peace within you, you’ll labor in vain to find it elsewhere. Peace will not rise by force, but only through understanding. Where there is peace, there is blessing. pearl Pearls around the neck—stones upon the heart. pen The pen is the envoy of the heart. The pen wounds deeper than an arrow. penny A penny is a lot of money—if you haven’t got a penny. A penny saved is better than a coin you earned. Pennies add up to a sizable total. A penny at hand is worth a dollar at a distance. A penny in a box rattles the most. Every penny counts. In for a penny, in for a pound. people (see also man) People are like grass in the field: some blossom, some wither. There are all kinds of people in this world: oxen and donkeys, dogs and pigs—and a whole lot of worms. 141

pedigree

Go out and see how the people act, and that is the law. Many people see things but few understand them. People always sing the tune that pleases their host. People will not lie about anything that can be found out. When people meet, they speak. The voice of the people is like the voice of the Almighty. When people say someone is crazy, believe it. Some people are like new shoes: the cheaper they are, the louder they squeak. Where people love you, go rarely; where you are hated, don’t go at all. He who mingles with other people, knows what’s going on in his own house. pedigree It is vain to flaunt your father’s pedigree if your children don’t take pride in you. perfect To strive and achieve perfection—that alone is a fault. Nothing is perfect. perfume Approach the perfumer and thou wilt be perfumed. Oil and perfume gladden the heart. persecute It is better to be persecuted than to persecute others. perseverance Perseverance is the source of intelligence and wisdom. When you start something you must persevere. person You only know a person when you're in the same boat with him. A person is judged only by his acts at the time. A person must never open his mouth to Satan. 142

pit

A person should be grateful to a place which causes him enjoyment. pessimism The best way for a man to choose is pessimism in appraisal and optimism in action. pessimist A pessimist, confronted with two bad choices, chooses both. Pessimists may not laugh because optimists may not weep. philosophy In every generation there is more knowledge of philosophy, and new wisdoms arise—thus new illnesses are added to every generation. physician (see also doctor) A physician who heals for nothing is worth nothing. That city is in a bad state whose physician has the gout. It is forbidden to live in a city without a physician. Feel sorry for the town where the physician has gout and the surgeon is cross-eyed. Do not dwell in a city whose governor is a physician. Don’t wish your physician a good year. Honor a physician before thou hast need of him. A poor physician makes you blind. A lot of people also die without a physician. pig (see also swine) Give a pig a chair and he'll want to get on the table. He who lies in the sty will be eaten by the pigs. The pig snatches the best apple. The pig shows his hooves and says “I am clean.” pious Avoid people who are too pious and too stupid. pit If you dig a pit for someone else, you fall in it yourself. 143

pitcher

pitcher The stone fell on the pitcher? Woe to the pitcher. The pitcher fell on the stone? Woe to the pitcher. pity Pity is a root of all creation. Pity is a great, strong foundation for improving your character. Pity has pure intentions. Whoever can ask pity for his friend, but doesn’t do so, is called a sinner. place That place seems good where we are not. He who changes his places changes his luck. Every single thing has a place of its own. The place does not honor the man; the man honors the place. plan It is a bad plan that cannot be changed. A plan without a program is a dream. plant There is a time to plant, and a time to harvest. My fathers planted for me before I arrived, so do I plant for those who come after me. please Generally it is more agreeable to please men than to please God. If you want to please everybody, you’ll die before your time. Trying to please is always costly. pleasure An everlasting pleasure becomes a habit and not a pleasure. Don't make a toil of pleasure. He who loves pleasure shall be a poor man. I commended pleasure, for man has nothing good under the sun other than to eat, drink, and be merry. 144

poor

pledge Pledge yourself and you have sold yourself. pocket The way to a man’s pocket is terribly long. A man is related to his pocket. Everyone must have two pockets, so that he can reach into the one or the other, according to his needs. In his right pocket are to be the words: “For my sake was the world created,” and in his left: “I am dust and ashes.” poet(ry) Poets are the heart and soul of a people. The best of poems is that which intelligent people are content with, and ordinary people understand them. poison Don't put poison in his cup if he’s not present. The poison always begins in the head. police If there are police, there are judges; if there are no police, there are no judges. poor (see also poverty, rich) The only poor man is a simpleton. It is no disgrace to be poor—which is the only good thing you can say about it. He who laughs at the poor will become the butt of other’s jokes. Honor the sons of the poor, for they give science its splendor. The greatest charity is to enable the poor to earn a living. Every poor man has a dry throat and wet boots. When finally the poor man has a roof over his head, it begins to rain gold outside. When a poor man eats a chicken, one or the other is sick. A poor man is like a torn sack. A poor man, if content, is rich! Once poor, never rich. 145

popularity

Even a poor man wants to live. Even a poor man who lives on charity should give charity. He who has nothing is all too willing to share his possessions with others. Our rabbi is so poor that if he didn't fast every Monday and Thursday, he'd starve to death. A table spread for the poor is an altar for the rich. Twice a year the poor are badly off: summer and winter. When does the poor man feel miserable? When he is invited to two weddings on the same day. Whoso stoppeth his ear at the poor shall cry himself and not be heard. No one is so poor as an ignorant person. When is a poor man glad? When he loses something and finds it again. The poor are ever liberal. popularity Woe to the one nobody likes, but beware of the one everyone likes. pork When you eat pork, at least make sure the fat drips from your beard. position Sometimes the position does not make the man, but the man makes the position. possession The best possessions are an intelligent wife and a fertile mare. He who says, What is mine is yours and what is yours is yours, is a saint. He who says, What is yours is mine and what is mine is mine, is a wicked man. postponement One postponement leads to another. pot The pot belonging to partners is neither hot nor cold. 146

power

If there is nothing in the pot, there is nothing on the plate. He who has eaten of the pot knows the taste of the broth. Small pots boil over easily. Every pot will find its lid. You will never get more on your plate than there is in the pot. Better an old pot than a new potsherd. poverty (see also poor) The wheel of poverty is ever-revolving. Three things can’t be hidden: love, coughing, and poverty. Poverty follows the poor. Poverty and old age often travel together. Poverty has a thick head. Poverty is no disgrace, but no honor either. Poverty is no disgrace, just so it isn’t filthy. Poverty reveals itself first on the face. Happy poverty overcomes everything. People come to poverty in two ways: accumulating debts and paying them off. With a brush and a needle poverty can be covered up. An advantage of poverty: your relatives gain nothing by your death. Remember famine in a time of plenty, and poverty and want in a season of prosperity. Poverty runs after the poor, and wealth after the wealthy. Poverty comes from God, but not dirt. power Power doesn’t come from body-strength. It comes from an unbending will. Power buries those who wield it. Men in power hate compliments like cats hate butter. You want to know him? Give him power! 147

praise

praise He who praises himself will be humiliated. Do you want to receive the praise a wise man gets? Then simply agree with everyone. It is better to praise yourself than to disparage others. A part of man’s praise may be told in his presence; the whole in his absence. Praise me and I praise you; we belong to the same union. Let a stranger praise you—but not your own mouth. A man is praised when he enters according to his appearance, and according to his wit when he departs. pray If you pray for another, you will be helped yourself. Better to pray for yourself than to curse another. To pray is to take your own soul into your hands and offer it to God. An angry man is not fit to pray. Whoever prays loudly, it shows he has little faith. Pray only in a room with windows. [To remember the world outside] prayer If prayer did any good, they’d be hiring men to pray. Prayer is the service of the heart. Prayer is greater than sacrifices. Prayers go up and blessings come down. Prayers are best heard at night. The prayer of the righteous is brief. One of them eats cheese and the other doesn’t even say his prayers. Only that man’s prayer is answered who lifts his hands with his heart in them. A man should pray for the welfare of him who gives him employment. God longs to hear the prayer of the just. 148

pride

The words of a man to God should be brief. The gates of prayer are never locked. Prayer without devotion is like a body without soul. Prayer without synagogue is preferred to a synagogue without prayer. precept (see also commandment) The chief purpose of the precepts is to straighten the heart. pregnancy A pregnant woman wants toasted snow. Don't deny a pregnant woman’s wish. A woman who bears many children, gets pregnant from breaking wind. The real labor pains don’t come until the children are grown up. The woman who has a shop under her navel will never die of hunger or cold. prejudice No physician can cure a prejudice, which is a blindness in the mind. present The present must always pay the price of the future. pretty You don’t have to be pretty if you are charming. price When prices drop, buy. prick When the prick stands up, the brain goes to sleep. pride Pride is the reservoir of sin. Pride is the mask we make of our faults. Pride in children is more precious than money. Pride is unbecoming in women. 149

prince

Pride crows on the dungheap. A man's pride will bring him low. Don't be filled with pride or boasting when you speak. There is no worse pride than that of the man who boasts of his modesty. Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Pride joined with many virtues chokes them all. Pride that dined with vanity supped with poverty. prince Don't put your trust in princes, or the sons of men; there is no salvation in them. principle We cannot learn everything from “general principles”—there may be exceptions. prisoner Prisoners are free if content with their state; free men who seek more than their lot are prisoners to desire. problem The more problems you have, the fewer customers you attract. Resolve one problem and you prevent a hundred others. It is better to laugh about your problems than to cry about them. profit No profit is more assured than that which comes from the frugal use of what you already have. Profit and loss are companions. progress Have no fear of making slow progress, be only of opposition. promise Promise little and do much. Don't promise great things, do them. 150

protest

It is easy to promise, it is hard to fulfill. Too many promises undermine trust. A promise unkept leads to a bad life. Evening promises are like butter: morning comes, and it's all melted. He who promises runs in debt. Do what you promised! proof The burden of proof is on the plaintiff. Well-known things do not need proof. Prepare your proof before you argue. property Treat other men’s property as if it were it your own. prophet No man is a prophet in his own town. Wisdom departs from a boastful sage, and prophecy from a boastful prophet. Leave it to the people, if they are not prophets, they are the sons of prophets. prosecutor A prosecutor cannot become counsel for the defense. prosperity When prosperity comes, don't use it all up. In time of affliction, a vow; in the time of prosperity, an inundation. It is beyond our power to explain either the prosperity of the wicked or the afflictions of the righteous. prostitution Prostitution and magic are the end of everything. protest Long before you, elders also protest. 151

proverb

proverb At times you'll find a people’s outlook in its proverbs. A proverb has three characteristics: few words, good sense, and a fine image. A proverb without wisdom is like a body without a foot. proud A proud man is unacceptable even to his own household. The proud man thinks, “Wherever I sit is the front.” public It’s bitter and bad when the public is wrong. Despise not public opinion. pudding Whoever eats lots of pudding will live a long time. pumpkin A young pumpkin now is better than a full grown one later on. Every pumpkin is known by its stem. punish Do not punish without first giving warning. Punishment of the sinner should not be seen as revenge. Do to him as he schemed to do to his fellow man. pupil A man's pupil is like his own son. A pupil receives but a fifth of the reward that accrues to the teacher. I learned much from my teachers, more from my friends, and the most from my pupils. He who withholds a law from his pupil robs him of his inheritance. purse (see also money) A heavy purse makes a lighthearted spirit. A heavy purse is light to carry. A full purse will heal the sick. 152

put

Two coins in a purse make more noise than a hundred. So it goes in this world: one has the purse, the other has the money. It isn’t that a full purse is so good; it's that an empty one is so bad. pursue Choose to be with the pursued, rather than with the pursuers. push Push me, I like it so much. put If you put something in, you can take something out.

153

Q quality It is hard to know the quality of a person, or a watermelon. quarrel (see also fight, dissension) In a quarrel, each side is right. In a quarrel, leave the door open for a reconciliation. If you sleep on a quarrel it becomes less serious. After every quarrel—remorse. A quarrel is as a leak in a pail, which ever increases. The first quarrel is the best quarrel. Don't dwell among the quarrelsome; dissension leads to murder. A quarrelsome man deserves no answers. The first to hold his tongue in a quarrel, is from a good family. He who quarrels for nothing, makes up for nothing. When two men quarrel, the one who yields first displays the nobler character. A couple's quarrel is like an itch; the more they scratch, the more it itches. You can stop a quarrel before it starts! queen Even though her hand might hold the reigning sceptre, she remains a woman. question Not every question deserves an answer. When you’re asked a question and don’t know the answer, don’t be embarrassed to say, “I don't know.” 154

quote

quick Leave quickly but don’t fall down my stairs. quiet Peace and quiet are the greatest delights. A handful of quiet is better than both hands jammed with oil, and striving after wind. A dry crust of bread is better in a quiet house than a house full of feuding and strife. quote He who quotes something in the name of the one who actually said it, brings salvation into the world. A quotation at the right moment is like bread to the famished.

155

R rabbi The rabbi is just the man who knows the Torah—he is not the Torah itself. Whether a rabbi or a bathhouse keeper, all have enemies. The rabbi is a big man when he is surrounded by a crowd of small Jews. Better a rabbi without a beard than a beard without a rabbi. If you are at odds with your rabbi, make peace with your bartender. The rabbi drinks up the wine and orders his followers to be gay. As the bottle got paler, the rabbi got redder. Treat me like a rabbi but keep an eye on me as if I were a thief. The rabbi prays and preaches and talks—and we keep wandering around, hungry and barefoot. It is a miracle when God does what the rabbi asks; and an even greater miracle when the rabbi does what God asks. A rabbi whose congregation doesn’t want to run him out of town is not a rabbi; and a rabbi whose congregation does run him out of town is not a man. The rabbi’s wife gives birth to a child, and the rabbi feels pain in his bottom. rag You may deal in rags and dress in velvet. rain Rain is the earth’s bridegroom. Rain is greater than the resurrection since that is only for the righteous. Rain is for everyone. 156

relatives

No land, no rain. No rain, no land. Without both, no mankind. A heavy rain is good for the fields and bad for the roads. Rain chases you into the house and a quarrelsome wife chases you out. There’s no rain without thunder, and no children born without pain. When is the world equal? When the rain falls. rainbow When there is a rainbow, it is a sign that God has forgiven our sins. rebuke A rebuke can lead to love. Better a public rebuke than unrevealed love. A rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding than a hundred failings into a fool. Do not rebuke one who scorns, lest he hate you; rebuke a wise man, and he will love you. recovery A patient, when he recovers, returns to his youthful days. redemption Like a livelihood, redemption must be earned each day. The future redemption will be as marvelous as was Creation. refuse Only refuse is to be gotten free. regret Nobody has a monopoly on regret. relationship Their relationship is like the sun and the moon, who pass each other by. relatives Rich relatives are close relatives. Poor relatives are always distant relatives. 157

religion

religion Religion, like a language, is dead when it stops changing. There is no absolute religion. Science without religion is lame; religion without science is blind. The state compels and coerces, religion teaches and persuades. The state enacts laws, religion proffers religious commandments. It cannot be a true religion if it loves money. A religion should be judged by its preachings and its best preachers, not by the many or few hypocrites who profess it. A religious act is more acceptable when it is performed at the right time. The doctrines of religion are resolved into carefulness; carefulness into vigorousness; vigorousness into guiltlessness; guiltlessness into abstemiousness; abstemiousness into cleanliness; cleanliness into godliness. Whoever says he will repair religion, it’s like someone who says he’ll cool the fire. remedy Sometimes the remedy is worse than the disease. When there is a remedy for an ailment, it is only half an ailment. remorse Never mind the remorse; just don’t do what causes it. repeat If you repeat often enough that you’re right, you'll discover you’re wrong. repentance (see also sin) Repentance prolongs a man’s life. Repentance atones for minor sins. Better one hour of repentance and good deeds in this world than a lifetime in the world to come. Wisdom and repentance always come late. 158

revenge

The gates of repentance are eternally open. If a man repents, and then reverts to sinning—that's not repentance. Repentance for the sinners is like medicine for the sick. Repentance and good works are like a shield against calamity. The ways of repentance are as much hidden as the ways of sin. Don't say to a penitent, “Remember what you once did.” Wisdom’s goal is repentance and good deeds. Repent one day before your death. reply A gentle reply turns away rage. reprimand Whoever hates a reprimand is stupid. reputation There is nothing better than a good reputation. respect He who respects his fellow-men, earns respect for himself. Whoever does not respect you, insults you. responsible All men are responsible for one another. A person is always responsible: if his act was accidental or intentional, whether he was awake or asleep. A person is not responsible for an act committed in his time of distress. Whether awake or asleep, man is always responsible for his deeds. Don't hold a man responsible for what he says in distress. restaurant When you go to a restaurant, choose a table near the waiter. revenge Maybe revenge is meagre comfort, but it certainly is a tasty bite. 159

rich

Whoever takes revenge destroys his own home. rich (see also capitalist, wealth) To be rich is not everything, but it certainly helps. The rich have no sense of justice. A rich man has many admirers. A rich man has no need of character. The rich man has his brains in his billfold. It’s not just that the rich man is rich, but he also writes such nice checks. We would all be rich—if we didn’t have to eat. Whoever trusts in his riches will fall. The rich man who is stingy is the worst pauper. Better a pauper sound and sober than a rich man sick and sorry. Rich people are only ever hungry on doctor’s orders. The truly rich are those who enjoy what they have. It is so delicious to be rich that even the rabbi likes to take a breath of fresh air with them. Rich people aren’t only rich: even their I.O.U’s are worth a lot of money. A man would give his last shirt to be a millionaire. A stingy rich man and a fat billygoat only give pleasure when they are dead. A rich man always has beautiful daughters. Whoever hastens to grow rich will not go unpunished. Better a wealthy parvenu than a bankrupt rich man. Who is rich? He who rejoices in his lot. Who is rich? The man with a wife of pleasant deeds. He who enjoys his riches is rich. The death of the rich is smelled far away. The more riches, the more worries. rich and poor In the eyes of God, the rich and the poor are equal. 160

righteous

Poverty chases the poor, wealth chases the rich. The rich eat the meat; the poor eat the bones. The rich don't eat gold, and the poor don't eat stones. The poor think, the rich laugh. If a rich man were to steal he would have made a mistake. If the poor man were to make a mistake, he would be stealing. A rich man has many friends. A rich man is wise in his own eyes. A rich man may fall seven times and rise again, but the poor falls once only—and forever. You can smell the meat dish of a poor man and the death of a rich man from afar. If the rich could hire others to die for them, the poor could make a nice living. Rich men are often lean and poor men fat. You don’t get richer by being mean; you don’t get poorer by being generous. The poor man’s enemies are few, the rich man’s friends are even fewer. An impoverished nobleman and a beggar who became rich aren’t at all the same. ridicule Better be ridiculed than shamed. right To know what is right and yet not to do it is cowardice. Protest long enough that you are right, and you will be wrong. If both sides are right, then “right” is in trouble. righteous The righteous need no tombstones; their words are their monuments. A righteous man who knows he is righteous is not righteous. A righteous man may fall seven times yet will rise again. 161

risk

There is not a righteous man on earth who does only good and never sins. A righteous person dies, and no one takes it to heart. The righteous say little and do much. I was young, now I’m old, and I did not see a righteous man forsaken and his children begging for bread. In my life of vanity I saw everything: a righteous man dying in his righteousness, and a wicked man living long after his evil deeds. Even for only one righteous person the world would have been created. The righteous live forever. The mouth of a righteous person is a fount of wisdom. A righteous man will thrive like a palm tree; he’ll grow like a cedar in Lebanon. All those who hate the righteous, it’s as though they despise God. Don’t be too righteous! risk Whoever doesn’t take risks won’t get profits. river Every river has its own course. The larger the river, the bigger the fish. road The straightest road is full of stones. Don’t choose the easiest road, but the best one. Once you have walked on it for a while, it won’t be difficult any more. The longest road in the world is the one that leads to the pocket. Men can follow whichever road they choose. Never say you are walking on the last road. All roads are considered dangerous. rob(ber) (see also thief) Rob not, repent not. 162

rumor

The robber is expert in robbery. A robber’s accomplice is as bad as a robber himself. rod Kiss the rod with which you were beaten in your youth. romance For a romance there have to be two. roof If you go up to the roof, take your provisions with you. rope A rope too tightly drawn is apt to break. Untying one of two ropes tied together means you untie both. rose Even the most beautiful rose wilts. If too many people smell the rose, it will soon lose its freshness. Where roses bloom, the caterpillar is never far away. Let us adorn ourselves with roses before they wither. If you want to pick roses, do not fear the thorns will prick you. ruin Better ruined ten times than dead once. rules The rules that prevail in a courtroom, you don’t know why, go and see how the public behaves, and act accordingly. If everyone adhered strictly to the rules, only fools would enter paradise. If you find a ruling whose meaning you don’t understand, don't divert it to something else. rumor Don’t rejoice on hearing a bad rumor.

163

S Sabbath The Sabbath is the Queen of the week. Sabbath has about it a flavor of paradise. Where life is in danger, Sabbath laws do not apply. sack You cannot fill a torn sack. sage When a sage dies, all men should mourn, for they are his kinsmen. To see a sage die is like seeing a holy scroll burn. So long as everything is working well, we’re regarded as sages. All men should rise when a sage passes. The sage who teaches not is as the myrtle in the desert. A single fool may ask questions which even a thousand sages cannot answer. A sage takes precedence over a king, for if a sage dies, we have no one like him; but if a king dies, all Israel is eligible to succeed him. There are four types of students studying with the sages: the sponge, the funnel, the strainer, and the sifter. salt You mustn’t pour salt on a wound. When you need salt, sugar won't do. sanctify If you sanctify yourself a little, you are sanctified a great deal. sardine Better a sardine on the dish than a flounder in the sea. 164

scholar

Satan (see also devil) Put another way, Satan is a person's wish to do evil. It was hard for Satan alone to mislead the world, so he appointed rabbis in different localities. Satan seduces us in this world, and accuses us in the next. When Satan is likely to fail, he sends a woman. Satan can slip in through the eye of a needle. save To save one man is to save the world. The saving of a life is far more important than the Sabbath. The supply of “Saviors of Mankind” is always much greater than the demand. He who saves his money is worth more than someone who earns it. He who saves is worth more than he who cares. What you save is, later, like something found. saver A saver is better than an earner. He who amasses a little at a time will build a nest egg. say Say little and do much. What he says he doesn’t mean, and what he means he doesn’t say. To say nothing is not the same as to keep quiet. schnapps When schnapps goes in, judgment goes out. scholar Who is a scholar? One who can interpret questions of law at any time, anywhere. Scholars enhance peace in the world. A scholar who abandons study is like a bird that strays from the nest. Rivalry of scholars advances wisdom. 165

school

When a scholar seeks a bride, he should take an ignoramus along to advise him. The scholar’s wife deserves as much respect as the scholar himself. A table is not blessed if it has fed no scholars. Two scholars who dislike each other may not sit together as judges. The ignorant think less clearly as they age; scholars think more clearly as they grow older. A scholar may not live in a city that has no plant life or verdure. It’s better to associate with a generous boor than with a stingy scholar. With the exception of scholars, men don’t like others in the same vocation. Don’t live in a city run by scholars. Sit in the dust at the feet of scholars, and drink in their words thirstily. The older scholars become, the wiser they become. Even the mundane, everyday talk of scholars needs study. A scholar’s sin does not cancel out his learning. A man who is not a scholar by temperament should devote his time to public affairs. A tent cannot stand without pegs and cord, and Israel cannot stand without scholars. A scholar who fears not sin is as a craftsman without his tools. He who declines to endow a scholar with his worldly goods will see no blessing. No person is born a scholar. school A village without a school should be abolished. A city without schoolchildren is doomed to destruction. It is permissible to transform a synagogue into a school, but not the other way around. 166

secret

If there are more than twenty-five children in a school for young children, hire an assistant. science Science and arrogance don’t go well together. scolding Scolding won’t help, but the stick would. scrap A scrap will not satisfy the lion. the Scriptures (see also Talmud, Torah) Knowledge of the Scriptures is the best wares. A passage from Scripture can yield many meanings, just as a hammer splits one rock into many fragments. sea Why walk into the sea when it rages? What do they say in the sea? “There are fish being caught.” All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full. season For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the heavens. secret The secrets of people are as varied as their faces. A secret is between two; when a third is involved, it’s no secret. Women don’t know what a secret is. Whoever keeps a secret is a bosom friend. There is no blessing bestowed upon a secret. He who is pregnant of a secret is not really blessed. After nine months the secret comes out. What three know is no longer a secret. If you cast your secret into the sea, the sea will cast it out. It is easier to hear a secret than to keep it. Tell your secret to one in a thousand. 167

seduction

Do not speak of secret matters in a field that is full of little hills. There are secrets that would never have been found out if they had not been so secret. Tell your wife a secret, but cut out her tongue. The only secret a woman will keep is her age. Women can only keep one secret: theirs. seduction The best way to defend against seduction is to close your eyes. A man is easier to seduce than a woman. Seduction laughs at a fool who takes her seriously. see He who thinks he sees it all, is blind. We do not see things as they are. We see them as we are. seek If you seek, you will find. self-help If a people can’t help itself, they can’t be helped at all. self-respect If you lose your self-respect, you also lose the respect of others. self-satisfied Nobody is as ugly as a self-satisfied man. sell Sell and regret. Rather sell than be poor. While the dust is on your feet, sell what you have bought. seller Every seller praises his wares. serpent (see also snake) Never turn your back on the serpent. 168

shell

He who has been bitten by a serpent is terrified at a rope. servant A servant is formed from his master’s clay. One servant can’t serve two masters. Sometimes the servant is nobler than the master. Bad servants do the thing first and then seek counsel. It isn’t funny to be the servant of a servant. When you have a servant, you are a lord, protected by the law. Better to be a servant in the temple of an idol than to take alms. A servant whose master has no control over him cannot be called one. Don’t be like servants who serve the master in order to win a prize, but do it without expecting a reward. seven As one is at seven, so is he at seventy. seventh heaven He who is in seventh heaven, is close to paradise. shadow A man cannot jump over his own shadow. Rather the shadow of a man than the shadow of the wall. shame Shame induces us to fear sin. Those who feel true shame will go to the Garden of Eden. An unjust man does not know shame. A woman’s shame is greater than that of a man. sheep When the sheep are shorn, the lambs tremble. Sheep follow sheep. shell If I didn’t open your shell, you wouldn’t have found the pearl. 169

shepherd

shepherd When the shepherd is angry with his flock, he appoints a blind sheep as leader. shirt One doesn’t spoil a shirt because of one corner. shit Do not let anyone one shit on your head. You have a mouth, don’t you? shlemiel (= foolish person) The shlemiel lands on his back and bruises his nose. A shlemiel takes a bath and forgets to wash his face. A shlemiel doesn’t know how to find a notch in a saw. A shlemiel wonders if a flea has a navel. If it rained soup, a shlemiel would have only a fork. A shlemiel rushes to throw a drowning man a rope—both ends. A shlemiel has accidents that start out to happen to someone else. When a shlemiel slaughters a cock, it runs away. When a shlemiel winds a clock up—it stops. A shlemiel travels the world and comes back empty-handed. A shlemiel is always spilling hot soup—down the neck of a shlimazl. shlimazl (= luckless person) A shlimazl buys a suit with two pair of pants and promptly burns a hole in the jacket. If a shlimazl sold umbrellas, it would stop raining; if he sold candles, the sun would never set; and if he made coffins, people would stop dying. shoe Not one shoe fits every foot. Everyone knows where his shoe pinches. No one can know how the shoe pinches except the one who walks in it. 170

silence

If you stay at home, you won’t wear out your shoes. The shoes of the poor man’s kids grow with their feet. I do not desire a shoe that is larger than my feet. shoemaker The best shoemaker of all the tailors is Yankl the baker. The shoemaker speaks of his last and the sailor of his mast. shop Don’t open a shop unless you know how to smile. short Men of short stature are often bad-tempered. shroud Shrouds are made without pockets. sick(ness) A sick person is a prisoner. When a sick person looks like he is dying, the doctors experiment with the most doubtful and dangerous medicines. A sick man, when he recovers from an illness, returns to the days of his youth. A sick man who lies to the doctor deceives only himself. Sickness of the spirit is worse than sickness of the flesh. sigh Sighing is bad for your health. A sigh can shatter a person’s body. Do not sigh, for your enemy will hear and rejoice. silence Silence is a fence around wisdom. Silence may be equivalent to confession. Silence is golden. A word is worth one dinar, silence is worth two. Silence is better than making an error. Silence is the only good substitute for intelligence. Silence is good for the wise, and even more so for the fools. 171

silk

Silence is a strong island in a sea throbbing with words. Dignified silence is better than dignified speech. Silence profits the wise and even more the fool. If a word be worth one shekel, silence is worth two. Silence heals all diseases. If only you remained silent—that would be your wisdom. There is a time to be silent, and a time to speak. A time to keep silence and a time to silence others. silk Silks and satins put out the kitchen fire. simpleton A simpleton believes anything. simplicity To be simple is a pedestrian virtue, but to persevere in simplicity is a virtue of spiritual giants. sin To sin is only difficult the first time. Sin crouches at every door. Sin is sweet in the beginning but bitter in the end. Sin is like a double-edged sword; there is no cure for its wound. When the sin is sweet, the repentance is not bitter. He who forgives a sin, seeks love. Nobody sins unless the spirit of foolishness has entered him. When words increase, sin does not cease. Whoever hides his sins will not prosper. Whoever has not tasted sinfulness does not qualify for holiness. If one congregant sins, is the whole congregation responsible? There is no man who never sinned. Flee from sin as from a snake; if you go near it, it will bite you. It’s not the sin that maddens a person, but the desire to do it. 172

sin

From a limb that started sinning, all the troubles began. The beginning of sin is sweet; its end is bitter. A sin repeated seems to be permitted. To think of a sin in advance is even worse than committing it. Can you commit all the sins of the creation without having a little bit of pleasure? If not for fear, sinning would be sweet. If a sin tempts a person, and is rejected, that is deemed a great virtue. It’s not the sin that maddens a person but the desire to do it. It costs money to sin. Man does not commit a sin unless he is possessed by folly. None sins unless he stands to profit by it. Commit a sin twice and it will not seem a crime. Sometimes the sin is great and the lusting small; sometimes the lust is great and the sin is small. Denying a sin is a double transgression. Nobody suffers from other people's sins—you have enough with your own. To confess one’s sins is to honor the Holy One. Whoever confesses his sin, God will forgive. He who commits a sin and is ashamed of it is pardoned for all his sins. A person who lives among the righteous and sins is worse than one who lives among the wicked and sins. If you built up bundles of sins, make bundles of good deeds to offset the former. Sin originated in the woman and because of her we will all perish. Sinful thoughts are worse than sinful deeds. While sinning, repent! Without sin, there can be no forgiving.

173

sing

sing How many singing lessons are given by people who cannot sing! I cannot sing, but I am a musicologist. skillful More people become skillful from practice than from talent. slander (see also gossip) Slander piles itself before the door of a widow. Slander slays three persons: the speaker, the spoken to, and the spoken of. Slander is worse than bloodshed, incest, or idolatry. Slander is worse than weapons, for weapons hurt from near, slander from afar. All slander begins with a grain of truth. What is candor to your face is slander behind your back. Whoever slanders others deserves to be stoned. Who slanders others will be damned for his own guilt. Never trust a scandalmonger. What he tells you about me he will tell me later about you. It is not because a slanderer lies that there is no truth in what he says. A slanderer kills three: himself, his listener, and the person who was slandered. If you said a small word of evil about others, regard it as big. There is no cure for a slanderer. slap A slap heals, but a harsh word is remembered. If one gets a slap in the face, one acquires an enemy as a bonus. slave (see also master) Love a wise slave as yourself; do not withhold his freedom. A slave shows his true character, not while he is enslaved but when he becomes a master. 174

soap

The slave of his own appetites is worse off than the slave of men. sleep Sleep is the first step toward failure. Sleep is the best doctor. Sleep faster—we need the pillows. Sleep will clothe a man in rags. The less you sleep, the more you get out of life. The sleep of the wicked people is a benefit for them and a boon to the world. In sleep, it is not we who sin—but our dreams. Not everyone whose eyes are closed is asleep. Don’t love sleep lest you become impoverished. slip of the tongue A slip of the foot is better than a slip of the tongue. smack Better an honest smack in the face than a false kiss. smart If you want to be considered smart, just agree with everyone. To want to be smarter than everyone else is the height of folly. He who is too smart, plays a losing game. smoke Where there is smoke, there is fire. Where there’s smoke, there’s salmon. snake (see also serpent) A snake deserves no pity. snow You can’t make cheesecakes out of snow. soap What soap is to the body, laughter is to the soul. 175

society

society Nobody should withdraw from society. soldier A soldier becomes smart after eating some warm food. If one soldier knew what the other thinks, there would be no war. The common soldiers do the fighting, and the officers claim the victory. The soldiers fight and the kings are heroes. son (see also father) A son in this world prevents loneliness in the world to come. He who does not teach his son a trade teaches him to steal. When you teach your son, you teach your son’s son. Till age six, your son is your master; until ten, he’s your servant; until sixteen, a wonderful adviser; from then on, he’s either your friend or your enemy. Whoever spares the rod, hates his son. A wise son makes his father happy; a foolish one grieves his mother. It is better that the son cries, rather than the father. A son shall not suffer for a father’s sin, nor vice versa. The world cannot exist without males and females, yet happy the father of sons and unhappy the father who has only daughters. Whoso striketh his son that is grown driveth him to sin. A person should not accustom his son to meat and wine. Blessed is the son who studies with his father, and blessed is the father who teaches his son. He that does not bring up his son to some honest calling and employment brings him up to be a thief. Your son shall be the way you raise him to be, your husband shall be the way he was raised to be. My son, do as much good as you can … remember, there is no joy in the nether world. 176

spark

son-in-law A son-in-law’s love for his father-in-law is like the sun on a winter day. With a good son-in-law you find a son, with a bad one you lose your daughter, too. song To every new song one can find an old tune. sorcerer The sorcerer mutters but doesn’t know what he mutters. sorrow One does not know another’s sorrow. Sorrow makes the bones grow thinner. The deeper the sorrow, the less tongue it hath. soul A wounded soul is difficult to heal. Just like your body, your soul can be healthy or sick. A body cannot be cured if the soul is neglected. If the soul is at peace, the body will be too. If you want to control your soul, hand it as a gift to your intellect. The fewer souls, the more joy. soup Every mouth prefers its own soup. sow The way you sow, so shall you reap. If you do not sow, how will you harvest? They who sow in tears will reap in joy. He who observes the wind shall sow, and he who regards the clouds shall not reap. spark Sometimes one must go through the ashes to find one single spark. 177

speak

speak Whoever does not refrain from speaking, others will quiet him. A man has two eyes, two ears, and only one tongue. So he should see and hear more than he should speak. To keep quiet nicely is nicer than speaking nicely. speaker There are two types of speakers: one we know in advance everything he is going to say; and the other, even after he has finished, no one knows what he said. speech Speech is difficult, but silence is impossible. Speech is good, silence even better. The worst kind of person is one whose power of speech is greater than his power of thought. Gentle speech multiplies friends. speed Encourage speed with people who work, not with people who are eating. Speed is only good for catching flies. spinster Untilled land is like a widow or a lonely spinster. spirit A broken spirit is hard to heal. spit If thou spittest into the air, thy spittle will fall on thine own face. spot All spots can be removed with a little gold. spring The earth renews itself every year, why shouldn’t a person have an annual spring? 178

stone

stain Stains are not seen at night. starling Two starlings do not sleep on the same perch. start When you start something, finish it! starvation (see also hunger) If we must die of starvation, let us first taste some roast beef. steal (see also thief) He who does not steal, does not have to repent. If you steal, eventually you’ll commit perjury. Stealing leads to poverty. Whoever steals an egg will steal a cow. Stealing and giving away for charity is still stealing. He who steals from a thief goes unpunished. Do not buy stolen goods. stick It is not the stick that helps but the kind word. stomach An empty stomach can’t tolerate anything. He whose stomach is full increases deeds of evil. If you go to sleep with an empty stomach, you’ll count the beams on the ceiling. When the stomach is empty, so is the brain. Eat a third, drink a third, and leave a third of your stomach empty; then, should anger seize you, there will be room for its rage. Every sickness begins in the stomach. stone He who throws stones on another gets them back on his own bones. If someone throws stones at you, throw back bread. 179

storm

If you throw a stone up, it will fall back on your head. There’s a time to throw and a time to gather stones. storm The storm blows over but the driftwood remains. story A good story can’t stand troublesome questions. straight A straight path is an abomination to the wicked. Which is the straight way a man should choose: the one that honors him and wins people’s admiration. strange city When you’re in a strange city, adopt its manners. stranger A stranger is like a blind man. Never greet a stranger in the night, for he may be a demon. Respect the stranger—and remain suspicious. Pity the stranger, even if he is rich. He who has fed a stranger may have fed an angel. The troubles of a stranger aren’t worth an onion. Those who have laughed and cried together are no longer strangers. There shall be one law for the citizen and for the stranger living among you. street When the streets are muddy, the cobblers rejoice. strong Who is strong? He who controls his urges. stubbornness There is no medicine for stubbornness. student If the student is successful, the teacher gets the praise. To punish a student, use a shoelace. 180

success

study (see also learn) Study has no end. Study leads to action. If you do not suffer the toil of study, you will suffer the toil of ignorance. If you forsake study for one day, it will forsake you for two. Free time without study is lifeless. Some men study so much, they don’t have time to know. To study without thinking is idle; to think without study is dangerous. Never say: “I will study when I have the time,” because you may never have the time. A person can study for seventy years and at the end die a fool. The chief thing is not to study but to do. Whoever studies joyously will learn more in one hour than he who studies longer hours but unhappily. Do not say, “I’ll study when I’m free”—you may never be free. stupid Stupid solutions that succeed are still stupid solutions. stupidity You don’t have to sow the seed of stupidity: it sprouts everywhere of its own accord. Against stupidity, the Lord Himself is helpless. style A man lacking in character and self-esteem will never be a man of style. success The door of success is marked “push” and “pull.” Achieving success is knowing when to do what. Real success is success of the soul. The secret of success is to hold on to a goal. Success intoxicates without wine. 181

suffer

From success to failure is one step. From failure to success is a long road. Sometimes success will kiss you, and sometimes retreat from you angrily. suffer When a man suffers, let him examine his deeds. sugar Sugar is sweet; why, then, do we need honey? Sugar in the mouth will not help if the heart is bitter. sun There is nothing new under the sun—and that’s why everything is in such a mess. The sun will set without thy assistance. The sun shines brighter after a shower. He has sold the sun to buy a candle. It is the same sun that turns paper white and gypsies brown. He sold the sun in order to be able to buy a candlestick. surety Your surety wants a surety. suspense Suspense is worse than the ordeal itself. suspicion No one suspects a person of what he did not do. swear Swear it ten times—and I’ll take your word for it. sweep If each one sweeps before his own door, the whole street will be clean. sweet Don’t be too sweet, lest people lick you. Other people’s snacks taste the sweetest. 182

synagogue

Man could not have known sweetness until he tasted bitterness. swimmer Even the best swimmer can drown. swindler All swindlers hate and besmirch each other. When swindlers meet a genuinely honest man, they’re so astonished they regard him as a greater swindler than themselves. swine (see also pig) If there were fewer swine, there would be fewer bastards. sword And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. If the Bible, then no sword. If the sword, then no Bible. synagogue The nearer to the synagogue, the farther from God. A synagogue may be turned into a school: but not a school into a synagogue. A saloon can’t corrupt a good man, and a synagogue can’t reform a bad one.

183

T table There isn’t anyone to go to the table with. tail Be a tail to lions rather than a head to jackals. tailor Tailors’ wives are the worst dressed. take He who likes to take doesn’t like to give. Don’t take by force what will be given willingly. talk Talk too much and you talk about yourself. When you talk to someone about himself, he will listen to you for hours. If you talk too much, you’ll talk folly. Sweet talk doesn’t make you warm, but sweet meaning does. Talk is worth a shilling; silence is worth two. The talk of the child in the street is that of his father or his mother. The less you talk, the better off you are. In a lucky time it is good to talk; in an unlucky time it is better to be silent. If you keep on talking, you'll end up saying what you didn’t intend to say. It is better to abstain from talking than from eating. You may regret your silence once, but you will regret your talk twice. Try talking sometime when your tongue isn’t free. Talk little, finish your words quickly. 184

teacher

Talking isn’t barking. People talk about something, until it comes to pass. Let’s talk with a purpose, as between friends. Excessive talk results in scorn. tall Don't walk tall—be tall! Talmud (see also the Scriptures) The Talmud is like a vast ocean. To learn the whole Talmud is a great accomplishment; to learn one good virtue is even greater. The whole Talmud has no other goal than to increase peace. tar If you deal with tar, expect your hands to get dirty. task It is not required that you complete a task, but neither are you exempt from beginning it. taste There is no arguing about people’s tastes. teach As you teach, you learn. He who teaches a child, it is as though he created it. A rigid person cannot teach. teacher There are more lazy teachers than lazy pupils. There are many academic chairs but few outstanding teachers. Woe betide the pupils when the teacher has had a fight with his wife! A teacher who surrenders the respect due him is no longer respected. Open your lesson with a joke; let your students laugh a little. Then become serious. Whoever quarrels with his teacher, it’s as though he did so with God. 185

tears

The teacher deserves the name of father more than does the parent. Teachers die, but books live on. tears Tears don’t wipe out debts. Tears open gates; song smashes down walls. The gates of tears are never shut. Don’t waste tears on yesterday’s sorrows. Ink dries fast; tears do not. What good is a silver urn if it is full of tears? False tears keep the real ones out of heaven. What soap is for the body, tears are for the soul. A child’s tears reach the heavens. tease Anyone who teases you loves you. temper Bad temper and anger shorten the years. temptation Temptation in a maiden is asleep; in a wife it’s awake. Do not put yourself in the path of temptation—even King David could not resist it. The most effective defense against temptation is this: shut your eyes. The poor man’s temptation is a loaf of bread. tenant Better a rich tenant than a poor landlord. testimony What neither fire nor water can consume, false testimony can. thanks You can’t put “thank you” in your pocket. 186

thought

thief (see also robber) When a thief kisses you, count your teeth. A thief has a good heart: he takes care of other people’s possessions. A thief who steals solely to satisfy his hunger pangs is not indicted. A thief thinks everybody is a thief. It is no crime to steal from a thief. A thief is better than a liar, but they are both doomed. What’s left over from the thief is spent on the fortune-teller. The thief on the point of breaking into a house calls on God for help. If the thief has no opportunity, he thinks himself honorable. Thieves have easy jobs but bad dreams. An animal’s end is slaughter. A thief’s end is hanging. There are seven kinds of thieves; the worst of all is the one who steals consciences. All thievery depends upon a receiver. Rather a hometown thief than a strange rabbi. The greatest thief is the one who steals the mind of men. things When things go right, you become rich. Things cannot be bad all the time, nor good all the time. think When you stop thinking, you stop living. One always thinks that others are happy. Thinking is more precious than all five senses. thorn While the thorn is still young, it produces prickles. Tread on thorns with your shoes on. For the benefit of the flowers, we water the thorns, too. thought Thoughts do not earn as much profit as feelings cost. 187

throw away

Thoughts are stronger than the power of the body. Not much thought given to it, but still accomplished. Even people with clean hands can sometimes have dirty thoughts. There are people who deserve paradise for their thoughts, and hell for their deeds. throw away Don’t throw away the soiled until you have the clean. tidbits Another man’s tidbits smell sweet. tidings Good tidings are heard from far away. time Time brings wounds and heals them. Time is the best physician. Time is the same for pauper and priest. Time is the wisest and most sublime of teachers. Time is more precious than money. Time is rare and precious; you can't buy it for money. Time works wonders. Time can alter everything. Time strengthens friendships and weakens love. Time and words can’t be recalled, even if it was only yesterday. A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to break down and a time to build. A time to weep and a time to play. A time to mourn and a time to dance. A time to keep silent and a time to speak. A time for war and a time for peace. Nothing does greater harm than wasted time. What time will accomplish, all your cleverness cannot do. All things grow with time, except grief. Nothing can hold out against time. 188

tongue

Nothing is more precious than time, and nothing so much abused. times As the times, so the people. title Woe to the man whose titles outnumber his wisdom. An undeserved title brings more shame than honor. today If it pleased you today, then come back tomorrow. tomorrow Tomorrow your horse may be lame. Don’t worry about tomorrow. Who knows what may happen to you today? Nobody knows what tomorrow will bring. Clean up yesterday’s mess before you start worrying about tomorrow. tongue (see also slip of the tongue) The tongue is the pen of the heart. The tongue is a person’s greatest enemy. The tongue is the most dangerous of weapons. Loose tongues are worse than wicked hands. A wicked tongue is worse than an evil hand. A blow with the tongue which goes to the heart is better than many stripes. A man's ear belongs to himself; his tongue belongs to others. A sharp tongue is worse than a hard hand. A gentle tongue is a tree of life. Evil tongues are silenced by the tinkle of coins in your pocket. Our eyes and ears do not always depend upon our will power, but a man’s tongue does. Honor and shame are in the power of the tongue. Teach your tongue to say “I don't know,” so that you won’t be tempted to lie. 189

tooth

Guard your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit. Use your head first and then your tongue. Many fell by the sword, but more fell by the tongue. If a horse with four legs can stumble sometimes, how much more so can a man with only one tongue. The whole world balances on the tip of a sharp tongue. tooth Those who cannot bite should not show their teeth. You do not count the teeth in someone else’s mouth. He who gives us teeth will also give us bread. toothache A toothache makes you forget a headache. top When you get to the top, don’t look back. Torah Exact no fee for teaching Torah. God gave it gratis. Torah can be interpreted in 49 varied ways. God told Moses, “Decide according to the majority.” There are seventy ways of studying Torah; one is in silence. Knowledge of the Torah is no deterrent to sin. The Torah gives light, the Torah burns, but only the dollar gives warmth. Whoever honors the Torah is honored by humanity; whoever dishonors the Torah, will likewise be dishonored. You have to live according to the laws of the Torah, but they don’t have to lead to your death. When you neglect the Torah, you’ll often find a reason to neglect it. To use the Torah is more important than to study it. Nobody is free, except the one who loses himself in the Torah. Turn the Torah this way and that; everything is in it. The Torah sheds its grace on all who study it. 190

tree

torch Of what use is a torch at midday? town Every town has its fool. Woe to him that builds a town with blood. trade (see also business) A trade makes you king but robs you of leisure. To have a trade is to be free of worry. trader Traders always limp. tradition Tradition is a fence for the Torah. Tradition must be a springboard to the future, not an easy chair for resting. transgressions Moral transgressions are worse than ritual transgressions. translation There are times when one should not translate the lines themselves but rather what is between the lines. travel Travel does three things: it destroy your clothing, bows your body, and reduces your funds. A person who travels knows a great deal. There are men who travel far to look for something that they can find in their own homes. tree Trees are created for mankind’s companionship. A tree strikes roots in only one place. A tree whose branches are abundant but whose roots are few, the wind comes and uproots and overturns it. He who cuts down good trees sees no profit. A young tree bends, an old tree breaks. 191

trial

A tree that does not bear fruit should be chopped down. Every good tree bears good fruit. Nature’s way is for a tree’s roots to rule over its leaves. If you besiege a city for a long time, do not destroy its trees. trial All sides in a trial want to hide at least some of the truth. trick A trick is clever only once. trip The trip is never too hard, if you know you’re going home. trouble Trouble does not come alone. Trouble is like strong medicine—too much at a time is harmful. Troubles are as common as wood, but they can’t heat up the oven. Troubles that don’t show on the face lie on the heart. Troubles arrive quickly, and depart slowly. Before trouble comes, obtain advice; after it comes, advice is useless. Never trust people who tell you all their troubles but keep from you all their joys. Do not meet troubles half-way. The troubles of many are a half-solace. There is no person without his own bundle of troubles. New troubles make us forget old ones. Man was born for trouble. There is no trouble in the world without a cure. Much have I learned from my teachers and books, but most from my troubles. Not all troubles come from heaven. Bygone troubles are good to tell. Trouble cuts up the heart. 192

truth

Celebrations have to be made, troubles come by themselves. A person doesn’t live from happy occasions, and he doesn’t die from troubles. You never know the other fellow’s trouble. All you have to do is ask for a long life; there will be no shortage of troubles. Nobody tries to steal your troubles and nobody can take your good deeds. He who overcomes his troubles in a hundred years will live long. trust Trust draws to heaven, honor to earth. One cannot trust these three things: the king, the sea, and the weather! Never trust the man who tells you all his troubles but keeps from you all his joys. truth (see also mirror) Truth is the safest lie. Truth: water in a sieve. Truth is the seal of God. Truth is a burden, but its bearers are few. Truth is a tree of life—you shall eat from it all you life. Truth needs no ally. There is no mistaking the truth. There is no hope for those who know the truth, but plan to rebel against it. Without truth, there is no mercy. The truth is not always what we want to hear. A man who admits the truth is wise. Truth is immortal, but it lives like a vagrant. Truth!—that is the biggest fraud. There is only one truth—each explains it in his own way. Truth may walk about naked; but lies should be clothed. The truth stands up, a lie doesn’t. 193

truth

The truth surfaces like oil on water. The truth never dies—but it lives a wretched life. The truth has charm but it is shy. The truth has many faces. The truth is in sight; the lie is behind the eyes. The truth is not alive, the truth is not dead—it struggles. Truth doesn’t die, but lives in bitter poverty. Truth is heavy; few therefore can bear it. He who tells the truth gets beaten up. Nobody ever conquered the world by only telling the truth. Nothing tastes more bitter than the truth. You can recognize the truth by her own sound. A truth doesn’t become greater by repetition. Truth is a slowpoke. Truth is found only with God, and with me only a little. Truth is only found in the Prayerbook. Everybody says so, there’s some truth to it. Half-truth is a whole lie. If you add to the truth, you subtract from it. Words of truth don’t sound so good. From the mouths of babes and drunkards, you will learn the truth. No other purpose should be attached to truth than that you should know what is true. Truth is heavy; therefore, few care to carry it. Never use reason against truth. Heaven and earth have sworn that the truth shall be disclosed. He who tells the truth loses his friends. When you tell the truth you don’t have to remember what you said. Better the ugly truth than a beautiful lie. How many will listen to the truth when you tell them? Truth lives long and yet does not grow old. 194

two

There is no greater danger to a new truth than an old error. The path of truth leads to God. try Whoever does not try, does not learn. Turk The laws of the Turks are gruesome but their proverbs are fantastic. two Two are always stronger! Two together are luckier than one.

195

U ugliness Ugliness is the sole guardian angel for a woman. When the money is spent, the ugliness remains. When an ugly man looks in the mirror, he sees an ugly liar. unclean What comes out of the unclean is unclean, what comes out of the pure is pure. underling Underlings are worse than masters. understand(ing) The less we understand, the better. With all that you obtain, get understanding. Obtain wisdom, get understanding. unity Let us be like the lines that lead to the center of a circle, uniting there, and not like parallel lines, which never join. See how good it is, and how pleasant, when brothers live in unity. unlucky An unlucky man falls on straw, but splits his nose from a hidden stone. unworthy There are three people whose lives are unworthy—the overly compassionate, the hot-tempered, and the hypercritical. uphill For every uphill stretch there is just as much downhill.

196

V vanity Vanity of vanities, all is vanity. “Everything is vanity”—but without vanity you won’t go far. Learn to know that all is vain and your life will be tranquil. vase Use thy best vase today, for tomorrow it may perchance be broken. velvet If velvet and silk are stored in the chest, one may appear among people in rags. vengeance A wise man was asked: What is vice? He replied: Vengeance. One who seeks vengeance will wreck his own home. The smallest vengeance poisons the soul. verdict He who pleads after the verdict pleads nothing. verse A timely verse is as good as bread in famine. victory Victory is a dangerous intoxication that sometimes leads to sloth and laziness. He who boasts today about yesterday’s victory, won’t have anything to be proud of tomorrow. village Every village has its own village idiot. What a dump of a village this is! Every time I want to change a note of a hundred, I remember I haven’t got one. 197

vinegar

vinegar (see also grape) Vinegar is the son of wine. When you always drink vinegar, you don’t know that anything sweeter exists. Some prefer vinegar, and some prefer wine. Three things a man prefers not to have: weeds in his garden, a girl among his sons, and vinegar in his wine. violence Violence in a house is like a worm on vegetables. virgin God never forgets a virgin when it’s time for her to be married. The old virgin who gets married becomes a young bride. A marriage to a virgin will last a long time, and to marry a widow is very expensive. It’s better to stay a virgin than to live in conflict. A virgin is a rose whose petals have not yet opened. How rare a thing it is to match virginity with beauty. virtue Virtue bears its own fruits. One virtue can cancel out a thousand vices. We annoy God with our sins and people with our virtues. Every virtue arouses jealousy, except modesty. The reward for virtue is virtue; the reward for sin is sin. There is no vice that does not occasionally have some benefit, and no virtue that at times is not hurtful to some people. visit (see also guest) Visiting is like rain: prayed for when absent, and tiresome when overdone. If you visit less often, you’ll be prized more. voice Two voices cannot enter one ear. In a woman, a harsh voice is a blemish. 198

vow

vow When you make a vow to God, don’t delay its implementation. It’s better not to vow than to vow and not pay up. An unpaid vow is like thunder without rain. A vow annulled in part is annulled in whole. Whoever makes a vow, it’s as though he has a yoke on his neck.

199

W wages Wages are payable at the conclusion of the work. walk If you walk straight, you will not stumble. wall Walls have ears, the street has eyes. There are more ears with walls, than walls with ears. Don't put your ear to the wall, and you won’t hear gossip about you. With him you can break through walls. He who wants to put his head through a wall, must still first find a wall. wallet As the wallet grows, so do the needs. war War is bad an ugly, but people in the war are sometimes better than those in daily life. Sweets are not handed out during a war. Often a dirty war leads to a big clean-up. From small wars comes great unrest. He who can’t stand the smell of gunpowder shouldn’t engage in war. In a war of defense, everyone comes out—even a groom from his room and a bride from her wedding canopy. In a war stay where you are, in famine shift your ground! warning A warning to a man is a warning to the whole community. 200

wedding

wasp Don't pick a wasp out of a cream-jug. water You can live without wine but you can’t exist without water. The purest water comes from the well that you use the most. watermelon Two watermelons cannot be carried under one arm. way Every way up has its way down. The smoothest way is full of stones. The way most valued leads to the pocket. A short way is the straight way. way out When there is a way out, there is no need for fear. weakling The weaklings will suffer where the powerful fight. wealth (see also rich) Wealth feeds more poor people than charity. Wealth can cover up any fault. Great intellect makes you old, great wealth makes you young. Great wealth will marry off even an old woman. Although wealth is not a virtue, it is an instrument leading to it. weasel When the weasel and the cat marry, it bodes evil. weaver Even a weaver is a master in his own home. wedding (see also marriage, marry) Early to rise and early to wed, no harm done. A wedding is something like a funeral—but with more cheerful music. After the wedding it is too late to have regrets. 201

weep

If you dance at every wedding, you will weep at every funeral. They went to the wedding and left the groom at home. No wedding, no bedding. When you enjoy a friend’s wedding, you’ll live to enjoy your own. Delay is good for cheese, but not for a wedding. A woman of sixty, like a girl of six, will run at the sound of wedding music. You can’t dance at two weddings at the same time; nor can you sit on two horses with one behind. weep The stars in Heaven weep with him who weeps at night. Weeping makes the heart grow lighter. Everything ends in weeping. welcome Welcome everyone with joy. well Don't throw a stone into a well from which you have drunk. wheat There is no wheat without chaff. wheel The wheel always comes full circle. The worst wheel squeaks the loudest. whore Spit in the face of a whore and she will tell you it’s raining. why Every “why” invites a “because.” wicked The wicked fare well in this world; the saints in the life to come. The wicked promise a great deal but do not do even a little. 202

wife

Associate not with the wicked man, even if you can learn from him. Happy is the man who did not walk in the counsel of the wicked. A gathering of the wicked is an evil for them and an evil for the world. widow Better a young widow than an old maid. When someone comes to comfort a young widow, he doesn’t mean to perform a good deed. A respectable widow will keep her door locked. No-one pays any attention to a widow in mourning, but if she’s having fun, everybody notices. A rich widow will soon find a new husband. The man who marries a widow with three children, is married to four thieves. A young man says to the widow, “I’ll marry you if you’re still a virgin …” Gossip always gathers on the widow’s doorstep. Never marry a widow, even when her cheeks are a bunch of flowers: you will love her but she will say, God blesses the blessed one. widower The widower lives in a darkened world. wife (see also man) A wife is one’s heart’s delight. A wife is the equal of her husband. When you have a pretty wife you are a bad friend. A pretty wife is half a livelihood. A good wife is a crown to her husband. Happy is he who has found a good wife. A graceful wife lends grace to her husband. Envious wives will ruin their husbands. A silent wife is a gift from the Lord. 203

wife

A wife gives grace to her husband. A wife’s bickering is like unceasing dripping of rain. A wife is like a defensive wall for her husband. It’s a disgrace for a man to be his wife’s wife. A desert is more desirable than a wicked wife. A wicked wife is like leprosy to her husband. A pleasant home, a pleasant wife, and pleasant furnishings expand a man’s mind. Whoever has a wicked wife will not see hell. Woe to the husband whose wife wears his trousers. Be careful to honor your wife, for blessing enters a house only because of the wife. Other men’s wives are always the most beautiful. Whoever depends on his wife’s earnings will not succeed. If you find your wife on the sofa with your partner, you had better sell the sofa. It is a shame and a disgrace for a wife to support her husband. Your first wife is sent to you by God, the second by man, the third by the devil. Every loss can be replaced except the wife of one’s youth. Choose a wife rather by your ear than by your eye. A man can find contentment only in his first wife. Whoever listens to his wife will lose his job. The second wife is like a wooden leg. A good wife is a good gift. There is no end to the goodness of a good wife and none to the wickedness of a bad one. Your best partner is your wife—there are even some doubts about that, too. Choose neither wife nor cattle from your own town. Rather follow a lion or a serpent than a woman. A bad wife scorches you worse than a fire and chokes you worse than a rope or water. A bad wife is like a dreary, rainy day. 204

wife

When the wife is like a queen, the husband is like a king. Wives can lead to good or mislead, but either way, they lead. There is no one more devoted than one’s wife. There are no secrets from one’s wife. A home without a wife is like a wagon without wheels. There is only one bad wife in the whole world, and every man thinks it is his. The first wife is as faithful as a dog, the second as a cat, the third as a mouse. He who listens to his wife, will be eaten by his ears. Tell your wife a secret but be sure to cut out her tongue. Ask for your wife’s advice and then do the opposite. He who honors his wife, honors himself. Only God can help when a wife hits her husband. Punish your wife with a rival rather than using a whip. A man should not quarrel with his wife to please his parents. Wives and sandals cannot be shared. A good wife can halve your sorrow and double your happiness. A beautiful wife enlarges a man’s spirit. A beautiful wife makes for happiness and her husband’s days are doubled. A man whose first wife dies is as though the Temple was destroyed in his lifetime. It does no harm to listen to one’s own wife. The man who waits for his wife’s wages will never know abundance. Beating your wife with a paddle doesn’t make the linen white. Give your ear to all, your hand to your friends, but your lips only to your wife. If the wife wears the breeches, the husband must rock the cradle. The wife wails and the dog whimpers and the child whines and poverty howls! 205

will

When the wife wants the husband to stay at home, she talks less and cleans more. When the wife wears the pants, the husband washes the floor. When the young wife gets into the house, the mother-in-law gets out of it. If thy wife is short, stoop and whisper into her ear. Thy wife is short, so bend down and consult her. He who follows his wife’s counsel tumbles into hell. He who sends away his wife is hateful. Wives save men from sin. The biggest trouble—a shrewish wife. If your wife is chaste, why should you watch her? If she is not, you will watch her in vain. A shrewish wife can also be right. A shrewish wife is a scourge. Humiliated by the men, he came home to his poor wife. Another man’s wife is always the prettiest. There is no hell like an evil wife. A wifeless man exists without joy, without blessing or boon. A wifeless man is not a man. will If the will is strong, one will achieve it. If there’s a will, there’s a way; you just have to want to do it. Be the master of your will and the slave of your conscience. If we cannot do what we will, we must will what we can. If you really will it, it will not be a legend. win He who wins first, loses last. If you cannot win, you must win. If you win, you win a coal; if you lose, you lose a pearl. wind The same wind that blows out a little flame today, tomorrow will revive it into an all-consuming fire. 206

wine

They who sow the wind will reap the whirlwind. When there’s wind, garbage flies high. wine Wine in, secret out. Wine renews the passion of lovers, and the hatred of enemies. When the wine’s in, murder will out. When wine enters in, the secret slips out. Wine whets the appetite. Wine ends in blood. No joy without wine. Eat your bread joyously, drink your wine with a merry heart. Give a strong drink to a person who is lost, and wine to one in distress. Old wine is good for the stomach. Better old wine than old strength. Over a glass of wine, you find many good friends. If you empty a cup of wine in one gulp, you are a drunkard. He who denies himself a little wine is a sinner. Lust follows on the heels of wine. Serve wine to the man used to drinking it, and greens to the gardener. Did you drink the wine? Then put the barrel back where it belongs! You can also get a red nose from white wine. Much wine is harmful; a little is beneficial. Where there is no wine, we need medicine. Wine tops the list of all medicines. Expensive wine comes in small bottles. Wine is as good to the old as milk is to babies. Wine is an unreliable messenger! You send it down to your stomach, and it goes up to your head! 207

winter

winter What you spend during the winter on fuel, you spend during the summer on frivolous things. wisdom Wisdom is a tree whose fruit is virtue. The beginning of wisdom is to desire it. Wisdom is the light in man. Wisdom is God’s dinner suit. Wisdom is the greatest pedigree. Wisdom is better than riches. Wisdom comes with the years. Wisdom is a precious thing. Wisdom is more precious than jewels. Wisdom is better than sanctimony. Wisdom is better than power. Wisdom travels by oxen. Wisdom, like wine, keeps best in a plain vessel. Wisdom cannot be purchased in the market. Wisdom cries aloud in the streets. Wisdom without action is like a tree without fruit. Wisdom by itself does not pay for groceries. True wisdom is slow of comprehension. The greatest wisdom is that a person should not be over-wise. When wisdom enters, subtlety comes along. Wisdom without morality is like a ring without a gem. The man who thinks wisdom is greater than virtue will lose his wisdom. He who searches for wisdom is wise. He who thinks he has found it, is a fool. A short life with wisdom is better than a long life without it. Fortunate is the man who has found wisdom. Solomon’s wisdom is not inferior to David’s might. 208

wise man

Those who train themselves in wisdom cultivate true courage. Wealth brings anxiety, but wisdom leads to peace of mind. Up to seventy years of age we learn wisdom and then we die fools. What use is wisdom when folly reigns? A body without wisdom is like a house without foundations. Better a man that hides his folly than one who hides his wisdom! He who has won wisdom has won everything. wise Who is wise? He who learns from all men. Who is called wise? He that knows his own shortcomings. He who wishes to become wise should study monetary laws. He is not called wise who knows good and ill, but he who can recognize of the two evils the lesser. You don’t have to have a lot of knowledge to be wise. Wise is he who knows how to use his knowledge, no matter how little it may be. You don’t have to be wise to be lucky. Do not be wise in your own eyes. Do not be wise in words—be wise in deeds. Whoever walks with the wise will become wise. The words of the wise are heard softly. The sayings of the wise are like goads. wise man (see also fool) A wise man hears one word and understands two. A wise man understands with a hint, a donkey needs a fist. A wise man must be faithful to the religious laws of his country, and not scorn the laws of others. When the wise man gets angry, he stops being wise. When a wise man makes a mistake, he makes a big mistake. A wise man is greater than a prophet. A wise man hearkens to advice. 209

wise man

A wise man incapable of resigning himself to his destiny is not wise. A wise man is a greater asset to a nation than a king. A wise man’s question contains half the answer. A very wise man is still half a fool. What a wise man bewails makes the fool happy. When a wise man talks to a fool, two fools are talking. Wise men go on foot and fools ride. Wise men are pleased when they discover truths; fools are pleased when they discover falsehoods. Two kinds of people that are difficult: a fool among the wise and a wise man among the fools. When a fool throws a stone into the well, ten wise men can’t get it out. That which makes the wise man sad, delights the fool. Better a slap from a wise man than a kiss from a fool. Better to lose with a wise man than to win with a fool. The wise man keeps his wisdom to himself, the fool spreads his foolishness around. A wise man conceals his intelligence; the fool displays his foolishness. A wise man knows what he says, a fool says what he knows. A wise man knows and asks; a fool doesn’t know and doesn’t ask. A wise man walks on foot and a fool rides in a coach. The wise man, even when he holds his tongue, says more than the fool when he speaks. Being in the company of a wise man is like going into a perfumery; you may buy nothing, but the scent will cling to you for a day. It is better to be with a wise man in hell than with a fool in paradise. The wise man’s nakedness is between his loins, and that of the fool between his cheeks. A wise man without a book is like an artisan without tools. 210

woman

Who is a wise man? He who learns of all men. The wisest man is guilty of folly. wish Wish everybody only the best: they get the worst things for themselves. If it is not what one wishes, then one must want what it is. Better to make a good wish for yourself than a bad wish for another. May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year. May your name be inscribed in the book of life. May you grow like a turnip with the head down and the roots up. May the people who dance on your grave get cramps in their legs. I want you to lose all your teeth, except for the one that hurts terribly. witch A woman who, in life, becomes a witch, is worse than she who is born a witch. wit (see also nerves) A man’s wit can be judged better by his questions than by his answers. witness A false witness is worthy of being cast to the dogs. A single witness may not establish the guilt of any man. No witness can become a judge. wolf The wolf isn’t afraid of the dog, but he hates his bark. Not everyone who is not a wolf must be a lamb. woman (see also man and woman) God did not create woman from man's head, that he should command her; nor from his feet, 211

woman

that she should be his slave; but from his side, that she should be nearest his heart. A woman is a bit of a dove but a bit of a devil too. A woman has long hair and short sense. A woman is not a lemon whose quality you can judge at once. A woman is more compassionate than a man. Woman is fire bearing fire. A woman comes out not only to see but also to be seen. Women, land, and belly are insatiable. A woman’s sphere is in the home. A woman’s sense of shame is sharper than that of a man. Two women in one house and there will be fights. Every woman has a mind of her own. All women inherited from mother Eve. Everything is replaceable, except the woman of your youth! It’s better to live on a roof’s corner than with a contentious wife in a mansion. A woman prefers a poor young man to a rich old one. It’s better to have a man of wood than to stay alone. Women want to be married more than men do. God cursed women and everybody chases after them. The Lord gave more brains to Woman than he did to Man. Even the wisest woman is still the biggest fool. The woman is like a curved rib; try to straighten her and she will break. Give a woman praise and she’ll fall for you. A woman has breasts instead of brains. The world is saved thanks to virtuous women. He who falls into a woman’s hands, falls on burning coals. A woman does not so readily hold out her hand for alms. A woman can salt the herrings with her tears. A woman’s tears are a form of bribery. 212

woman

You can change her hairstyle but not her character. Women and melons are difficult to fathom. Every woman is an unsolvable riddle. Be careful not to make a woman weep. God counts her tears. A woman without morals is like a meal without salt. A bad woman is as hard as a harsh winter’s day. A bad woman is like a dull rainy day. Woman was created only for the purpose of marriage. Woman was only created for the house. A woman who can be hired is as cheap as spittle. An intelligent woman is a gift from God. Women form a separate nation. Women have one small defect—it’s bad with them, and bitter without them. A woman is on the run from old age like a lamb is from the wolf. A modest woman has good children. A woman feels shame more keenly than a man. A woman is worthier after she has become a mother than before. A woman must not put on a man’s apparel, nor shall a man wear woman’s clothing. A woman recognizes the character of a guest sooner than her husband does. A woman suffers more from the jealousy of a friend than from the prick of a thorn. A woman watches a guest more grudgingly than a man. A woman carries her armor with her. Women do not travel to far countries. The wishes of the old woman are only fulfilled in her dreams. The painted woman leaves her husband through the back door. A woman’s beauty is her modesty. 213

woman

It's better for a woman to be beautiful than intelligent, because men would rather look than think. Speak highly of a woman’s beauty in her presence and all your sins will be forgiven. A beautiful woman and an old wine are sweet poison. A woman’s beauty lies in her hair. A woman with a beautiful face does not need witnesses. A woman with beautiful feet doesn’t have to cover her face. In the dark every woman is as beautiful as the moon. No hatred is greater than that of a woman. If a woman is praised for her godliness, she certainly will not be beautiful. Who can find a woman of valor? Her price is far above rubies. Ten degrees of talkativeness descended on the world—nine went to women and one to everyone else. Turn off the light and all women are the same. A small woman can also have a big mouth. A woman who is either only pretty or only clever is like a person standing on one leg. It is better to talk to a woman and think of God, than talk to God and think of a woman. Women always lead you astray: to the worst things or to the best. When women fall, they generally fall on their back. Culture in a woman is worth more than gold. Trust in a woman is like poison to your stomach. The death of a woman is felt by no one so much as her husband. A woman prefers poverty with love to wealth without love. Keep afar from the love of women, for their beauty is lewdness and their body a graveyard of lust. Of two evils choose the lesser; of two women, the third. From a woman came the beginning of sin and because of her we will all perish. A malicious woman can still be right from time to time. 214

word

The more women look in their mirror, the less they look to their house. From a garment flutters a moth and from a woman her wickedness. Women will follow those who run away from them and run away from those who are looking for them. If women had two mouths, then men would need more than four ears. A woman lies even when she says nothing. A woman’s sword is her tongue and she doesn’t let it rust. Women persuade men to good as well as to evil, but they always persuade. Women refrain from reproving the tailor when he sews shrouds for them. A bad woman is worse than death. The man who sees a wicked woman in his dreams should dread lest it portend some calamity. Rather dwell with a lion and a dragon than keep house with a wicked woman. An unfaithful woman should live in a house with two entrances. The more you have contempt for a woman, the more she will love you. The best woman is the one who is least talked about. There is no such thing as bad brandy to the drunkard, nor dirty money to the salesman—nor is any woman ugly to the lecher. Women are impossible to live with—or without. The vegetables on her head have dried out long ago and still she does not stop talking. wool The wool seller knows the wool buyer. word The word is the shadow of the deed. 215

word

A word helps a good person, but even a stick cannot help the bad. A word is like an arrow—both are in a hurry to strike. A gentle word can break a bone. A bird that you set free may be caught again, but a word that escapes your lips will not return. A kind word is better than alms. A word fitly spoken is as apples of gold in a setting of silver. A word without thought is like a foot without muscles. Like a bee, a word has honey in its sting. One cross word brings on a quarrel. One word too many serves no purpose. While the word is still in your mouth, you are a lord; once you utter it, you are a fool. If I don’t utter a word, I’m its master; once I utter it, I’m its slave. Better one word in time than two ill-timed. Judge your words before you utter them. Good manners and soft words overcome many difficulties. Words should be weighed, not counted. Friendly words don’t cost much, but achieve a lot. A friendly word that falls from the tree today can bear fruit tomorrow. Honest words are so powerful! Words that come from the heart enter the heart. You can tell from a man’s words if he’s your fried or foe. A soothing tongue is a tree of life; but wild words break the spirit. A blow will perish, a word remains. Sometimes we call someone wise with one word, sometimes stupid with one word. So be careful with your words. When the kingdom of words ends, the kingdom of silence begins. 216

world

work (see also labor, wages) Hard work never killed anyone. Work is divine, it endows the worker with honor. The hardest work is to go idle. To work for another man is often like taking honey from a bee: accompanied by a sting. The day is short and work lasts long. The workers are idle, and reward is great, and the Master is urgent. No day is too long for someone who likes to work. To earn a living can be as hard as to part the Red Sea. The most difficult way to earn a living is to be unemployed. He who likes his work, to him work comes easy. One chops wood and the other shouts, “Oh! My Back!” The man who looks for easy work always goes to bed tired. Man dies when he stops working. Only he who worked before the Sabbath may dine on the Sabbath. There’s nothing better than that a person should enjoy his work. Whoever does no work will suffer all his life. world God created one world full of small worlds. The world is a wedding. The world is in the hands of fools. The world resembles a collapsing bridge. That’s how the world is: wolves kill sheep. The whole world isn’t crazy—yet. The whole world is one thief. The world is big, its troubles still bigger. The world is full of troubles, but each man feels his own. The world can be changed by neither scolding nor laughing. The world is good, only bad luck casts a pall over it. The world is much more demanding than God. 217

worm

The world consists of cogs—one depends on the other. The world is like a ladder: one man goes up while another goes down. The world stands on three things; money, money, and money. Change the world, and start with yourself. If the world will ever be redeemed, it will only be through the merit of children. The world exists on three things: truth, justice, and peace. The world hates the informer and the moralist. All the world is a very narrow bridge. The most important thing is not to be afraid. You can’t measure the whole world with your own yardstick. This world is like an inn; the world to come like home. Wonderful world, radiant world? Sure; but one asks oneself for whom? If you want to, you can move the whole world. Every person must say, “The world was created for me.” All the darkness in the world could not put out the light of one small candle. [Found on a Jewish Holocaust victim’s headstone] worm Every worm has its hole. A worm in a jar of horseradish thinks he’s in paradise. To a worm in horseradish, the whole world is horseradish. Be of an exceedingly humble spirit, for the end of man is the worm. It’s the little worm that attracts the fish—not the fisherman nor the hook. Worms eat you up dead and worries eat you up alive. worry Worry saps a man’s strength. When you worry, you eat your own heart. Do not embitter life today with tomorrow’s worry. 218

wrong

Put off your worries for tomorrow. Worries go better with soup than without. Worries make you age before old age. Ten small worries are better then one giant one. Don’t pray for a life without worries, because that is no life any more. A person worries about the past, is upset about the present, and fears the future. Everyone worries—some because their pearls are too sparse, others because the beans in their soup are too sparse. worst Provide for the worst; the best can take care of itself. wound Wounds may be cured, but not the pain of words. Any wound is better than a wound in the heart. wrath He who curbs his wrath merits forgiveness for his sins. writer If he is a fighter, he is no writer; if a writer, no fighter. wrong If you’re going to do something wrong, at least enjoy it. Whoever can protest against a wrong, and does not, will be punished.

219

Y year As the years go by, the teeth and the memory grow weaker. Lost years are worse than lost money. yell Don't yell! You might wake God up. yes There are “yesses” that looks like “noes.” you What you think about yourself is more important than what others think about you. Whatever people think of you, do what you think is right. If I am not for myself, who will be? But if I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, then when? Look after me, and I’ll look after you. Keep yourself in mind and you will forget the unpleasantness of others. youth Youth is a crown of roses; old age a crown of willows. What the older people pre-chew, is spit out by the young ones. Youth feeds itself with dreams, age with memories. Exercise and moderation keep the strength of youth going until old age. In her youth a calf; in old age, a cow. That which is practiced in youth will be pursued in old age. A young man has to live, an old man wishes to live. A young maid to an old man is like a hard nut to a bad tooth. Age is a garland of nettles—youth, a garland of roses. 220

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