The Mishlei Podcast

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! In our morning Mishlei shiur (10/29/20 at YBT) we began with a "Mishlei Moment" I had, as well as an explanation of what "Mishlei Moments" are and why it is beneficial to articulate them. Then we began analyzing Mishlei 18:13 which we will continue tomorrow. מֵשִׁיב דָּבָר בְּטֶרֶם יִשְׁמָע אִוֶּלֶת הִיא לוֹ וּכְלִמָּה:...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! In our morning Mishlei shiur (10/28/20 at YBT) we continued our analysis of Mishlei 18:12. We started by refining the two approaches we took yesterday, supporting one of them with the commentary of the GRA, and then we developed two more approaches.  לִפְנֵי שֶׁבֶר יִגְבַּהּ לֶב אִישׁ, וְלִפְנֵי כָבוֹד עֲנָוָה: Please feel free to leave yo...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! In our morning Mishlei shiur (10/27/20 at YBT) we began our analysis of Mishlei 18:12. Our learning was so fruitful that we didn't even get to the meforshim! We came up with two interpretations, each based on a different reading of the pasuk. Tomorrow we'll refine these interpretations, then venture into the meforshim to learn wh...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! In our Monday Night Community Mishlei shiur (10/26/20 with Lomdeha, hosted by YBT) we learned Mishlei 10:2: לֹא יוֹעִילוּ אוֹצְרוֹת רֶשַׁע, וּצְדָקָה תַּצִּיל מִמָּוֶת. This pasuk was a real exercise in walking the fine line between interpreting the pasuk literally and figuratively, narrowly and broadly, conservatively and speculatively. W...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! The pasuk we learned in Mishlei shiur this morning (10/26/20 at YBT) is clearly related to the previous pasuk. How it is related is a matter of debate. This morning's pasuk also raised the controversial question: Should you assume that every Mishlei pasuk is telling the truth? According to Ralbag, ibn Kaspi, and Rabbeinu Yonah, the an...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! The pasuk we learned in Mishlei shiur this morning (10/26/20 at YBT) is clearly related to the previous pasuk. How it is related is a matter of debate. This morning's pasuk also raised the controversial question: Should you assume that every Mishlei pasuk is telling the truth? According to Ralbag, ibn Kaspi, and Rabbeinu Yonah, the an...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This morning's Mishlei shiur (10/22/20 at YBT) was a doozy. After summarizing yesterday's findings, reading the Rabbeinu Yonah, and attempting some approaches, we ended up caving and just reading my four-sentence summary from when I prepared this idea over the summer. Don't get me wrong - the idea was a good one, but we just...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This morning's Mishlei shiur (10/21/20 at YBT) was a little different. This is a very difficult pasuk for a number of reasons. After struggling to come up with an approach, we decided to check out the meforshim, just to get a sense of their approaches. We'll continue this tomorrow, and then try to come up with our own approach in...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! We began our morning Mishlei shiur (10/20/20 at YBT) with a review of yesterday's explanation of Mishlei 18:9: גַּם מִתְרַפֶּה בִמְלַאכְתּוֹ אָח הוּא לְבַעַל מַשְׁחִית. Yesterday we ended off with a question on the Rabbeinu Yonah and today we ended up getting not one, but two ideas on the Rabbeinu Yonah. We then did a brief methodolog...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! In our Monday Night Community Mishlei shiur (10/19/20 with Lomdeha, hosted by YBT) we learned Mishlei 10:1: מִשְׁלֵי שְׁלֹמֹה: בֵּן חָכָם יְשַׂמַּח אָב וּבֵן כְּסִיל תּוּגַת אִמּוֹ. Not only did we come up with two (maybe three?) ideas, but we covered a LOT of Mishlei methodology along the way. If you're looking for a way to get into...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! In this morning's Mishlei shiur (10/19/20 at YBT) we reviewed Mishlei 18:8, and then moved on to Mishlei 18:9: גַּם מִתְרַפֶּה בִמְלַאכְתּוֹ אָח הוּא לְבַעַל מַשְׁחִית. We came up with our own explanation, which was reflected in the Metzudas David (albeit in reference to a far more specific realm). We concluded with the Rabbeinu Yonah...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Morning Mishlei shiur given at YBT (10/15/20) on Mishlei 18:8. We came up with a solid explanation of the pasuk which satisfactorily answered all of the questions we raised yesterday, making a solid case for why the act of complaining will make everyone more miserable - including and especially the complainer. דִּבְרֵי נִרְגָּן כְּמִתְלַהֲ...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Morning Mishlei shiur given at YBT (10/14/20) on Mishlei 18:8, after reviewing Mishlei 18:7. This one required some INTENSE translation-work. As a result, we only got through the translation and the questions. Analysis and answers will follow tomorrow. דִּבְרֵי נִרְגָּן כְּמִתְלַהֲמִים וְהֵם יָרְדוּ חַדְרֵי בָטֶן Please feel free to leave...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Morning Mishlei shiur given at YBT (10/13/20) on Mishlei 18:7. פִּי כְסִיל מְחִתָּה לוֹ וּשְׂפָתָיו מוֹקֵשׁ נַפְשׁוֹ Please feel free to leave your questions, insights, and feedback in the comments! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- מקורות: משלי יח:ז רב...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Well, the PLAN for this morning's Mishlei shiur (given at YBT on 10/2/20) was to learn Mishlei 18:7. However, right before shiur I had an insight triggered by the shocking news this morning that President Trump and the First Lady have been diagnosed with COVID-19. That insight ended up dictating the course of the shiur which spanned a...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This morning (10/1/20 at YBT) we reviewed all of the pesukim we've covered thus far, spanning 18:1-6. We clarified some ideas, sharpened others, and revised others. I also discussed my "4-sentence summary" procedure for reviewing and keeping a record of Mishlei.  Here are the links to the shiurim for each of those pesukim: 1...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Morning Mishlei shiur given at YBT (9/30/20) on Mishlei 18:6. It's a complete coincidence that today's pasuk happened to be about last night's presidential debate. שִׂפְתֵי כְסִיל יָבֹאוּ בְרִיב וּפִיו לְמַהֲלֻמוֹת יִקְרָא Please feel free to leave your questions, insights, and feedback in the comments! ---------------------...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Morning Mishlei shiur given at YBT (9/29/20) on Mishlei 18:1. This pasuk was a DOOZY! I believe it ranks among the most difficult-to-translate pesukim in the entire sefer, which is why we skipped it at the beginning of the series. You'll quickly see why I chose to skip this and come back to it. I didn't want people's first e...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This Mishlei shiur was given at YBT on 9/22/20. After reviewing Mishlei 18:4 and going over an additional original interpretation, we learned Mishlei 18:5 in accordance with the interpretations given by Metzudas David and Saadia Gaon. שְׂאֵת פְּנֵי רָשָׁע לֹא טוֹב לְהַטּוֹת צַדִּיק בַּמִּשְׁפָּט: Please feel free to leave your questions, i...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Morning Mishlei shiur given at YBT (9/21/20) on Mishlei 18:4. This is the continuation of our interrupted Zoom session (https://youtu.be/olsMl1EkRm8). מַיִם עֲמֻקִּים דִּבְרֵי פִי אִישׁ נַחַל נֹבֵעַ מְקוֹר חׇכְמָה: Please feel free to leave your questions, insights, and feedback in the comments! --------------------------------------------...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Morning Mishlei shiur given at YBT (9/21/20) on Mishlei 18:4. Unfortunately, we got booted from Zoom between OUR explanation and Rabbeinu Yonah's explanation. The latter will be uploaded separately מַיִם עֲמֻקִּים דִּבְרֵי פִי אִישׁ נַחַל נֹבֵעַ מְקוֹר חׇכְמָה: Please feel free to leave your questions, insights, and feedback in the co...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Morning Mishlei shiur given at YBT (9/15/20) on Mishlei 18:3. בְּבוֹא רָשָׁע בָּא גַם בּוּז וְעִם קָלוֹן חֶרְפָּה: Please feel free to leave your questions, insights, and feedback in the comments! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- מקורות: משלי יח:ג מצוד...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! We begin our inaugural Mishlei shiur at YBT (given on 9/14/20) with an overview of Mishlei and its methodology. We commence our learning of the text with Mishlei 18:2.  לֹא יַחְפֹּץ כְּסִיל בִּתְבוּנָה כִּי אִם בְּהִתְגַּלּוֹת לִבּוֹ: Please feel free to leave your questions, insights, and feedback in the comments! ------------------------...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This Introduction to Mishlei shiur was given on 9/14/20 as the inaugural class for Lomdeha's weekly Mishlei series. After providing an overview of Mishlei's title, structure, audience, and stated purposes, we delve into Saadia Gaon's introduction, in which he states his theory that Mishlei is a guide for how to maximize plea...