These sources present the Gra's interpretations of and teachings derived from the Book of Proverbs, addressing themes of humility in learning, the relationship between fear of sin and wisdom, personal spiritual discipline according one's nature, and the nature of blessing.
ואת צנועים חכמה
22 sources · 5 verified
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What the sources say
The Gra opens his commentary by identifying three distinct dimensions of Mishlei — wisdom, moral discipline, and Torah — and correspondingly explains that Solomon's full name in the opening verse signals all three: 'Solomon' alludes to wisdom (as Scripture says of him 'he was wiser than all men'), 'son of David' alludes to discipline and piety, and 'king of Israel' alludes to Torah, since 'through me kings reign' (הגר"א, משלי א א); and Beur HaGra on Mishlei 1 further frames the entire book as structured around substance, agent, and form — the text itself, Solomon as its author, and knowledge and moral instruction as its purpose, with the ultimate aim being deed rather than mere study.
The Gra structures the inner life of a person around three faculties — speculative intellect, practical reasoning, and executive capacity — and maps onto them the three aims named in the book's introduction: wisdom guards a person from falling into the yetzer hara's snare, moral discipline enables him to break the evil inclination when it overpowers him, and understanding of Mishlei's deeper words ensures he does not go further than Torah permits even in the name of virtue (הגר"א, משלי א ב); הגר"א, משלי ב א-ד ו extends this by correlating wisdom, understanding, knowledge, Torah, and deed with corresponding physical organs — brain, heart, lung, throat, and the inner kidneys — so that all of a person's faculties are oriented toward divine service.
A central distinction in the Gra's reading of Mishlei is between the 'good' person and the 'righteous' person: the good person refrains from harming even those who deserve harm, and this is the wide path accessible to most people, while the righteous person goes further and gives of his own to others who have no legal claim on him at all — a standard so demanding that it belongs only to the rare few, which is why Scripture uses the narrow word 'paths' (ארחות) for the righteous but the broad word 'way' (דרך) for the good (הגר"א, משלי ב כ).
The Gra reads Mishlei's verse 'a good intellect gives grace' to mean that true grace in the eyes of others requires the combination of Torah knowledge and fine character traits — neither alone is sufficient — so that one who possesses both Torah (שכל) and good middos (טוב) earns the admiration of all (הגר"א, משלי יג טו), and Beur HaGra on Mishlei 4 similarly holds that wisdom and understanding are not two separate things but one concept viewed from two angles — wisdom as receptive knowledge and understanding as analytical comprehension — while scoffers stand as the precise opposite of the humble who bear insult without response.
A recurring theme across the Gra's writings on Mishlei is that no human gift — wisdom, strength, or wealth — carries inherent value divorced from its orientation toward Heaven; glory in any of these is legitimate only when one knows how to conduct himself within them for the sake of God, so that the gift itself becomes the vehicle for knowing the divine (הגר"א, קול אליהו ויצא; הגר"א, קול אליהו ויצא ל; הגר"א, קול אליהו ויצא ל) — and by the same logic, the Gra reads the closing verse of Mishlei ('charm is false and beauty is vain, but a God-fearing woman shall be praised') to mean that charm and beauty are condemned only when severed from fear of God, whereas when joined to it they too are praiseworthy.
The Gra draws a fundamental lesson from Solomon's own failure: even when the written Torah supplies an explicit reason for a commandment, that reason is only the revealed surface, and many hidden reasons remain; one may not therefore exempt himself on the grounds that in his particular case the stated rationale does not apply — Solomon reasoned that he could marry many wives because he would convert and improve them, yet they ultimately led him astray, proving that the deeper purposes of the commandment stood regardless (הגר"א, דברי אליהו שבת).
In Even Sheleimah the Gra applies Mishlei's teaching that 'fear of sin precedes wisdom' (Avot 3:9) by explaining that a person who genuinely fears transgression actively searches his learning to discover how to conduct himself, and whatever one seeks with great effort becomes dear and well-retained in memory — whereas one who lacks that fear of sin will study repeatedly and find nothing, because what carries no urgency for a person does not register in his mind (Even Sheleimah 8:8); and he further rules that when learning before a teacher, a student should seek always to receive Torah from him rather than to display his own novellae, as Mishlei itself instructs: 'and with the humble is wisdom' (Even Sheleimah 8:9).
Beur HaGra on Mishlei 14 teaches that God grants human beings genuine free choice and holds them accountable for it; that each person possesses a distinct natural temperament and must walk a path suited to his own character rather than imitating others or seeking popular approval; that wisdom consists above all in recognizing the craftiness of the yetzer hara and guarding against it; and that the righteous and the wicked are distinguished by their fundamental orientation toward this world — the wicked treat it as permanent and the righteous as temporary.
The Gra reads Mishlei 28 to illuminate the nature of kingship and divine sovereignty: when the righteous rule they voluntarily accept God's kingship upon themselves, while the wicked are subject to it against their will, and in the end all nations will accept His reign and He will be recognized as king over the entire earth across all generations (Beur HaGra on Mishlei 28).
The passage explains that blessing denotes an addition of goodness, and on each day this renews in bodies a capacity for reproduction and in souls a capacity for awareness and intellect; it interprets "that God created to make" as referring to the roots in all species to which God gave the capacity to produce their own kind, rejecting the view that "make" can be substituted for "create," and states that the blessing and holiness of the day returns upon those who observe it, making them blessed and holy.
ויברך אלהים. פי' ברכה תוספות טובה וביום הזה תתחדש בגופות דמות כח בתולדות ובנשמות כח ההכרה והשכל ופי' אשר ברא אלהים לעשות, השרשים בכל המינים, שנתן בהם כח לעשות דמותם והמפרש לעשות תחת עשה גם עשה תחת ברא, איננו כן לפי דעתי ואמר הגאון שברכת היום וקדושו ישוב על השומרים שיהי' מבורכים קדושים:
The Gra explains that blessing consists in God's pleasure in one's deeds, illustrated through a Talmudic passage where one person asks another for a blessing and receives the response that the blessing should be: may your mercy be revealed through your character traits, and may you attain perfection and teach knowledge to the people through your understanding.
Berakhot 7aunverifiedFiled under: The Meaning of a Blessing
Megillah 15aunverifiedFiled under: The Meaning of a Blessing
Source 3 · Acharonim
External
Beur HaGra on Mishlei 1
משלי עם ביאור הגר״א, ח״א סי׳ א׳
Beur HaGra on Mishlei 1
In Proverbs, all matters consist of substance, agent, and form; Mishlei itself is the substance of the book, Solomon is the agent, and knowledge and discipline constitute its form and purpose, with the ultimate aim being the acquisition of moral instruction through deed rather than mere study.
On this pageIn Proverbs, all matters consist of substance, agent, and form; Mishlei itself is the substance of the book, Solomon is the agent, and knowledge and discipline constitute its form and purpose, with the ultimate aim being the acquisition of moral instruction through deed rather than mere study.
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The Vilna Gaon (Rabbeinu Eliyahu of Vilna) Beur HaGra on Mishlei is not freely available in text. This PDF surfaced in our research. Please use the feedback buttons below to help us improve.
The Gra explains that wisdom and understanding are one concept with two aspects—wisdom relating to receptive knowledge and understanding to analytical comprehension—and that the righteous inwardly possess soul, spirit, and higher soul as secrets within the sefirot of beauty and splendor, while the simple possess wine as blessing; he further clarifies that scoffers are the opposite of the humble (who bear insult without reply), and that God will give the humble favor in the eyes of creatures, whereas the wise inherit honor and pass it to their children, with God giving them honor specifically to raise their disgrace afterward like the case of Haman.
On this pageThe Gra explains that wisdom and understanding are one concept with two aspects—wisdom relating to receptive knowledge and understanding to analytical comprehension—and that the righteous inwardly possess soul, spirit, and higher soul as secrets within the sefirot of beauty and splendor, while the simple possess wine as blessing; he further clarifies that scoffers are the opposite of the humble (who bear insult without reply), and that God will give the humble favor in the eyes of creatures, whereas the wise inherit honor and pass it to their children, with God giving them honor specifically to raise their disgrace afterward like the case of Haman.
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The Vilna Gaon (Rabbeinu Eliyahu of Vilna) Beur HaGra on Mishlei is not freely available in text. This PDF surfaced in our research. Please use the feedback buttons below to help us improve.
The Gra interprets Mishlei 14 across multiple dimensions: God grants humans free choice to act as they wish, yet holds them accountable; people possess different natural inclinations and must walk the path suited to their own character rather than imitating others or seeking approval from the masses; wisdom consists in recognizing the craftiness of the yetzer hara (inclination toward evil) and guarding against it; the righteous and wicked differ fundamentally in their relationships to this world and the next—the wicked treat the present world as permanent while the righteous treat it as temporary; knowledge requires three components (fear of God, understanding, and knowledge proper), and one must engage in both simple study and dialectical analysis to achieve true comprehension; and the righteous ultimately receive reward for their labor in the world to come while the wicked face judgment according to their deeds.
On this pageThe Gra interprets Mishlei 14 across multiple dimensions: God grants humans free choice to act as they wish, yet holds them accountable; people possess different natural inclinations and must walk the path suited to their own character rather than imitating others or seeking approval from the masses; wisdom consists in recognizing the craftiness of the yetzer hara (inclination toward evil) and guarding against it; the righteous and wicked differ fundamentally in their relationships to this world and the next—the wicked treat the present world as permanent while the righteous treat it as temporary; knowledge requires three components (fear of God, understanding, and knowledge proper), and one must engage in both simple study and dialectical analysis to achieve true comprehension; and the righteous ultimately receive reward for their labor in the world to come while the wicked face judgment according to their deeds.
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The Vilna Gaon (Rabbeinu Eliyahu of Vilna) Beur HaGra on Mishlei is not freely available in text. This PDF surfaced in our research. Please use the feedback buttons below to help us improve.
The Gra interprets Mishlei 28:2 to explain that when the righteous rule, they accept God's sovereignty upon themselves, whereas the wicked are ruled by God against their will; in the future, all nations will accept His kingship and He will be recognized as king over the entire earth, establishing a perpetual kingdom encompassing all generations.
On this pageThe Gra interprets Mishlei 28:2 to explain that when the righteous rule, they accept God's sovereignty upon themselves, whereas the wicked are ruled by God against their will; in the future, all nations will accept His kingship and He will be recognized as king over the entire earth, establishing a perpetual kingdom encompassing all generations.
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The Vilna Gaon (Rabbeinu Eliyahu of Vilna) Beur HaGra on Mishlei is not freely available in text. This PDF surfaced in our research. Please use the feedback buttons below to help us improve.
Solomon son of David king of Israel—the reader must know the author of a book, and Solomon wrote three books corresponding to three types of sayings: the first on wisdom (for which Solomon is named, as "he was wiser than all men"), the second on ethical instruction (for which "son of David" is invoked, as David was greatly pious), and the third on Torah (for which "king of Israel" is invoked, as "by me kings reign"), and these three types of sayings allude to the secret of "and he spoke three thousand sayings.
שלמה בן דוד מלך ישראל - כי הלומד בספר צריך לידע מי חברו, והוא עשה כאן שלשה ספרים שהם שלשה משלי, ראשון על חכמה, והשני, על מוסר, והשלישי, על התורה, ונגד אלו השלשה אמר כאן שלשה דברים, נגד חכמה אמר שלמה, דכתיב ביה "ויחכם מכל האדם", ונגד מוסר אמר בן דוד, שהיה חסיד גדול, כמו שאמרו חז"ל הרואה דוד בחלום יצפה לחסידות, וכשנאמר עליו שהיה בן דוד מסתמא היה ממלא מקום אבותיו, ונגד תורה אמר מלך ישראל, כמו שנאמר "בי מלכים ימלוכו", ואלו שלשה משלי הם סוד "וידבר שלשת אלפים משל"...
Wisdom is knowledge to avoid the snare of the evil inclination and its enticements; discipline involves self-mortification when the inclination overpowers one; and understanding of wise sayings teaches moderation in breaking the inclination—avoiding excess righteousness beyond what Torah prescribes—and these three correspond to the three intellects in a person: theoretical intellect (contemplative knowledge of divine matters), intellective faculty (self-governance through proper measure), and practical intellect (action).
חכמה - לידע חכמה שלא יפול ברשת היצר הרע, אשר הוא פורש לרגליו ושלא יתפתה בפתויו. ומוסר - שאם יצרו מתגבר עליו ייסר את עצמו וישבור אותו... להבין אמרי בינה - כי אף אם ישבר את יצרו ותאותו יראה לשבר בדרך התורה ולא יהיה צדיק הרבה, יותר ממה שכתוב בתורה... ואלו השלשה הם נגד שלשה שכלים שבאדם, שכל העיוני, שכל המחשבה שכל המעשה. שכל העיוני הוא בדרכי שמים, בהילוך כוכבים ובמרכבה וכדומה. ושכל המחשבה הוא להנהיג את עצמו במידה, ושכל המעשה הוא במעשה...
The passage distinguishes between two righteous paths: the "good" person who refrains from harming others even when entitled to by law (a broad way followed by most people), and the "righteous" person who goes further by giving to others from their own means even when unobligated, a rare and difficult path available only to the select few.
למען תלך בדרך טובים - ...טוב הוא המטיב עם הבריות, וצדיק הוא מבפנים ועושה צדקות ונותן משלו לבריות בחנם, אף שלא היו ראויים להטיב עמהם, הוא עוד עושה עמהם צדקה. והצדיקים מטיבים יותר מן הטובים, ולכן הם מועטים, כי קשה לאדם לעשות צדקה עם הבריות, אבל להטיב לבריות, דהיינו שלא לעשות רע אף למי שהיה ראוי לעשות לו רע לפי הדין, זהו דרכם של רוב בני אדם ,לכן כתיב אצל הטובים דרך, שהוא דרך רחב, אבל אצל הצדיקים כתב וארחות צדיקים - שאינן אלא ליחידי סגולה... לכן אמר וארחות צדיקים - לתת להם משלו אף שהם נתחייבו ליתן לו מן הדין...
One should boast not merely in wisdom, strength, or wealth, but in understanding and knowing God through these things—that is, in conducting oneself in wealth, strength, and wisdom all for the sake of heaven.
ורחל היתה - מה שאמר שלמה כי אם בזאת יתהלל המתהלל וגו', הפירוש כך, שאין להתהלל בחכמה ובגבורה ועשירות לבד, אלא בזאת יתהלל, בכל אלה יתהלל כשישכיל וידע אותי בהם, שידע איך להתנהג בעשירות גבורה וחכמה, שהכל יהיה לשם שמים.
The passage interprets two biblical verses as teaching that wisdom, strength, wealth, and beauty are praiseworthy only when accompanied by fear of God and directed toward knowing God and His name, otherwise they are worthless like a gold ring in a pig's snout.
...הנה שלמה המלך אמר בסוף משלי שקר החן והבל היופי אשה יראת ה' היא תתהלל, ובאמת מצינו גבי האמהות אשר נשתבחו בחן וביופי... וצריך לומר דהפירוש בפסוק כן הוא, שקר החן והבל היופי, היינו כשהן בלתי יראת ה', והם כנזם זהב באף חזיר, אבל אשה יראת ה' היא תתהלל, רוצה לומר דגם החן והיופי תתהלל. ועל דרך זה יש לפרש גם כן הפסוק אל יתהלל חכם בחכמתו וגבור בגבורתו וגו' כי בזאת יתהלל המתהלל השכל וידוע אותי בפסוק זה רבו הדקדוקים אבל לפי הנאמר יש לומר דהפירוש כך הוא, שאין להתהלל בחכמה ובגבורה ובעשירות בלבד, אלא בזאת יתהלל, רוצה בכל אלה תתהלל כשישכיל ויודע אותי... שהכל יהיה כוונתו לשם שמים.
According to this interpretation of the pasuk about not glorying in wisdom, one should not boast in wisdom, strength, or wealth alone, but rather should glory in these things when accompanied by understanding and knowledge of God—that is, by knowing how to conduct oneself in wealth, strength, and wisdom such that all one's actions are directed toward the sake of Heaven.
ועל דרך זה יש לפרש גם כן הפסוק אל יתהלל חכם בחכמתו וגו' כי בזאת יתהלל המתהלל השכל וידוע אותי. דהפירוש כך הוא, שאין להתהלל בחכמה ובגבורה ובעשירות לבד, אלא בזאת יתהלל, רוצה לומר בכל אלה יתהלל כשישכיל ויודע אותי בהן, דהיינו שידע איך להתנהג בהעשירות ובהגבורה ובחכמה שהכל יהיה כונתו לשם שמים.
The Gra taught that every matter has many reasons, but Chazal revealed only the simple one; similarly, Torah mitzvot have multiple hidden reasons even when Torah states an explicit reason, and one may not transgress the mitzvah—exemplified by Shlomo, who thought he could marry many women if he converted them and taught them proper conduct, yet they ultimately caused him to sin, even though the reason given was lest they turn his heart away.
ואמר הגר"א ז"ל שעל כל ענין יש הרבה טעמים, רק שחז"ל לא גילו רק הטעם הפשוט, כמו כן במצוות התורה, אף במקום שכתבה התורה טעם המצוה, יש עוד טעמים רבים נסתרים, ואינו רשאי לעבור על המצוה, וראיה משלמה שאמר לא ירבה לו נשים משום שלא יסיר את לבבו, והוא סבר שיגייר אותם וילמדם להיטיב דרכם, ולבסוף החטיאו אותו.
If one walks in the ways mentioned earlier—wisdom, understanding, knowledge of Torah and deed—corresponding to the internal organs (brain, heart, lungs, throat, and internal kidneys) and external faculties (eyes, ears, mouth, hands, and feet) in a person—then God will assist him.
יתן חכמה - אם תלך בה' דברים הנ"ל, חכמה ובינה דעת תורה ומעשה, (שנגדם באדם מח לב ריאה גרון וכליות הפנימיים, ועינים אזנים פה ידים ורגלים החיצוניים), אז יסייע בידו.
The Gra interprets "be strong and courageous" to mean strengthening oneself in Torah and fortifying oneself in derech eretz, which itself consists of fear of Heaven.
חזק ואמץ - חזק בתורה, ואמץ בדרך ארץ, ודרך ארץ הוא ביראת שמים.
When one possesses fear of sin before wisdom, the wisdom endures, because fear of sin motivates genuine inquiry into the path of proper conduct; human nature causes what is found through great effort to become beloved and memorable, whereas one without fear of sin learns repeatedly without truly grasping the material, since it holds no value in his eyes.
מ"ש )אבות פ"ג מ"ט( כל שיראת חטאו קודמת לחכמתו חכמתו מתקיימת,הענין כי כשיש בו יראת חטא,אז הוא מחפש בלמודו לידע את הדרך ילך בה,וטבע האדם כשמוצא דבר שחיפש ביגיעה רבה,הוא חביב עליו מאד ושמור בזכרונו.אבל מי שאין בו יראת חטא,אף שלומד כמה פעמים אינו מוצא,כי אינו חביב בעיניו,ומלתא דלא רמי עליה דאינש לאו אדעתיה )שבועות מא ע"ב משלי א ז (ו.
When learning from a teacher, one should not present one's own Torah insights before the teacher (for self-glorification), but should always show readiness to receive Torah from him, as Mishlei states "and with the humble is wisdom" (Mishlei 11:2) and "Mishlei 25" [reference].
כשלומד אצל רב,אל יאמר לפניו חדושי תורתו )להתפאר לפניו(,אך יראה תמיד לקבל ממנו תורה,כמ"ש )משלי יא ב( ואת צנועים חכמה )משלי כה.(
Each person must restrain himself from transgressions according to his natural temperament, even if his conduct appears improper in others' eyes since they do not recognize his nature; however, regarding matters that contradict Torah, he should not rely on his own reasoning—for example, fasting on Shabbat.
כל א' צריך לגדור עצמו מן העבירות לפי טבע מזגו,אף שאין דרכו נכונה בעיני הבריות,שאינם מכירים בטבעו )משלי יד ב,(רק בדבר שהוא נגד התורה,לא יסמוך על שכלו,למשל להתענות בשבת )משלי א ב,ועיי"ש שם טז ד שם י,שם א ג.(
Understanding a mashal involves grasping what lies beneath its surface—just as a mashal is always comprehensible yet clothed in a wondrous idea, so too the written Torah is understandable yet contains wondrous meanings concealed within it.
להבין משל - עכשיו מפרש מה "להבין", משל הוא נגד התורה שבכתב, ומכנהו בשם משל, כי המשל תמיד מובן אך הוא מלבוש לדוגמתו וענין פלא, וכן דברי תורה שבכתב הם מובנים אך נתלבשו בה ענינים פלאים...
ארנב"י אם נתנם טוף מתעשר כו'.
ההשגחה העליונה מטפלת בטובתם של בריות בכל הצדדים. ע"כ מי שהוא חמוש בזיין של המוסר והיראה, עלול הוא להיות מתעלה לעושר ולא יעשה עול בחזקתו, ע"כ לא ימנע ממנו העושר. ומי שרחק לבבו מאור תורה עד שמתרחק מחכמים ומורי תורה ועבודת ד', אין לו מחסה לקיים בידו מדות אנושיות, זולת אם יוסר ביסורי עוני המכניעים לבב. ע"כ לפעמים תהי' קרבת החכמים,- המועילה לישר המדות ולהקנות בלב המתיחשים לקרבתם אור דעת ויראת ד', הסבה ג"כ שיהי' מתעשר באשר העושר שלו יביא ברכה לעולם.
from our library copy — not yet checked against the original
