כִּי־תֵשֵׁב לִלְחוֹם אֶת מוֹשֵׁל בִּין תָּבִין אֶת־אֲשֶׁר לְפָנֶיךָ

When you sit to break bread with a ruler, you must discern well that which is before you. Regardless of the identity of this ruler, such a feast cannot be treated as a regular meal among friends.

וְשַׂמְתָּ שַׂכִּין בְּלֹעֶךָ אִם־בַּעַל נֶפֶשׁ אָתָּה

Even if the ruler displayed great generosity by inviting you to feast with him, you must be careful. Therefore, put a knife into your throat, so that you do not speak too much at this meal, if you are a wise and sensitive person, as unnecessary disclosures can harm you. Some explain that the verse means to say: Put a knife into your throat so that you do not eat too much if you are someone with a large appetite.

אַל־תִּתְאָו לְמַטְעַמּוֹתָיו וְהוּא לֶחֶם כְּזָבִים

Do not crave his delicacies, as it is the bread of deceit. The ruler certainly did not invite you to feast with him merely because he likes you; his generosity is designed to make you incur a debt that you will eventually be forced to pay. This idea is reiterated many generations later by the Sages, who also advise against becoming too close to the governing authorities, as powerful people generally have only their own interests at heart and do not care about others.

אַל־תִּיגַע לְהַעֲשִׁיר מִבִּינָתְךָ חֲדָל

The aphorist speaks about wealth: Do not weary yourself to become rich, to acquire wealth beyond your needs; cease your discerning, your investigating ways of amassing more and more money.

הֲתָעִיף עֵינֶיךָ בּוֹ וְאֵינֶנּוּ כִּי עָשֹׂה יַעֲשֶׂה־לּוֹ כְנָפַיִם כְּנֶשֶׁר יָעוּף הַשָּׁמָיִם

If you cast your eyes on it, even if you do manage to acquire wealth, as soon as you look upon the money it is gone, as it will make wings for itself and disappear quickly. Like an eagle it will fly to the heavens, leaving no trace of the hard work you invested in amassing your wealth.

אַל־תִּלְחַם אֶת־לֶחֶם רַע עָיִן וְאַל־תִּתְאָו לְמַטְעַמֹּתָיו

This proverb deals with a stingy person: Do not break bread on the bread of a miser, and do not crave his delicacies.

כִּי כְּמוֹ־שָׁעַר בְּנַפְשׁוֹ כֶּן הוּא אֱכוֹל וּשְׁתֵה יֹאמַר לָךְ וְלִבּוֹ בַּל־עִמָּךְ

For as he deems in his mind, so he is. His true attitude is internal and may not be revealed through his actions. If you are his guest, he might perhaps invite you politely: Eat and drink, he says to you; but nevertheless, his heart is not with you. He has no interest in your partaking of his food.

פִּתְּךָ־אָכַלְתָּ תְקִיאֶנָּה וְשִׁחַתָּ דְּבָרֶיךָ הַנְּעִימִים

You ate your loaf at his invitation, but it will make you uncomfortable and you will vomit it, so that it will be as though you had never eaten at all. And you will have destroyed your pleasant words. The pleasantries you heaped upon him and your genuine compliments will amount to nothing. You will derive no benefit from associating with someone who is not interested in you or your well-being.

בְּאָזְנֵי כְסִיל אַל־תְּדַבֵּר כִּי־יָבוּז לְשֵׂכֶל מִלֶּיךָ

This advice is perhaps connected to the previous proverb: Do not speak in the ears of a fool, as he will not benefit from your statements and will even scorn the insight of your words. Therefore, any discussion or attempt to criticize him will be useless.

אַל־תַּסֵּג גְּבוּל עוֹלָם וּבִשְׂדֵי יְתוֹמִים אַל־תָּבֹא

This verse also deals with money and the social arena, and it expands upon an ancient idea recorded in the earliest sources: Do not move the ancient boundary, in order to enlarge your property by encroaching on land belonging to others, and do not encroach as a trespasser on the fields of orphans. Although it is tempting to take over a nearby field that is currently neglected because it belongs to orphans, you must refrain from doing so,

כִּי גֹאֲלָם חָזָק הוּא־יָרִיב אֶת־רִיבָם אִתָּךְ

for even if the orphans have no relatives who can defend their interests, their Redeemer in heaven is strong; He will conduct their quarrel with you, and you will be held accountable for your actions.

הָבִיאָה לַמּוּסָר לִבֶּךָ וְאָזְנֶךָ אִמְרֵי־דָעַת

This section deals with ethics and education. Bring your heart to admonition, listen carefully to rebuke, while retaining an open mind, and open your ears to hear sayings of knowledge.

אַל־תִּמְנַע מִנַּעַר מוּסָר כִּי תַכֶּנּוּ בַשֵּׁבֶט לֹא יָמוּת

Do not refrain from admonishing a lad even by means of physical punishment, as necessary; when you occasionally strike him lightly with the rod, he will not die from such treatment.

אַתָּה בַּשֵּׁבֶט תַּכֶּנּוּ וְנַפְשׁוֹ מִשְּׁאוֹל תַּצִּיל

On the contrary, you should strike him with the rod and thereby deliver his soul from the grave. A minor blow will cause only slight physical pain, but it will save his soul from destruction and eternal punishment. Unlike many of the previous exhortations, which are geared primarily toward young people, that they should listen, internalize, and obey, this warning is for adults who are concerned about their children’s welfare. Such individuals must remember that being strict is not necessarily harmful.

בְּנִי אִם־חָכַם לִבֶּךָ יִשְׂמַח לִבִּי גַם־אָנִי

My son, a figurative reference to a student in addition to its literal meaning, if your heart is wise, my heart too will rejoice. If you grow ever wiser, I will not become jealous of you. On the contrary, I will rejoice and take pleasure in your success. The Sages similarly state: A person is jealous of everyone, except for his son and his student.

וְתַעֲלֹזְנָה כִלְיוֹתָי בְּדַבֵּר שְׂפָתֶיךָ מֵישָׁרִים

And my kidneys will delight, I will be filled with genuine happiness, when your lips are speaking fairness, truthful and honest statements.

אַל־יְקַנֵּא לִבְּךָ בַּחַטָּאִים כִּי אִם בְּיִרְאַת־ה' כָּל־הַיּוֹם

Let your heart not envy sinners, and take no notice of their deeds. Rather, be involved only in fear of the Lord all day. Some explain the verse as follows: Do not direct your envy at a person who has acquired wealth illegally, and do not seek the status of a powerful individual. It is much better to envy one who fears God and to contemplate how to emulate his righteousness.

כִּי אִם יֵשׁ אַחֲרִית וְתִקְוָתְךָ לֹא תִכָּרֵת

For indeed, there is a future, a purpose and a goal for all things, and therefore your hope for a successful outcome will not be eliminated. Accordingly, do not be jealous of sinners who enjoy temporary good fortune.

שְׁמַע אַתָּה בְנִי וַחֲכָם וְאַשֵּׁר בַּדֶּרֶךְ לִבֶּךָ

Hear you, my son, and try to become wise, and then you will be able to persist in the way of your heart, the appropriate path.

אַל־תְּהִי בְסֹבְאֵי יָיִן בְּזֹלְלֵי בָשָׂר לָמוֹ

Do not be among the guzzlers of wine, those who drink until they are intoxicated, or among the gorgers of meat for themselves, who consume large amounts of meat for pleasure. Gluttony is an abhorrent trait, especially when one eats not merely staple foods such as bread, water, and milk but gorges himself on luxuries such as meat and wine.

כִּי־סֹבֵא וְזוֹלֵל יִוָּרֵשׁ וּקְרָעִים תַּלְבִּישׁ נוּמָה ן

For a guzzler and a gorger will become poor, and the slumber of an inebriated, hedonistic, or lazy individual will impoverish and ultimately clothe you in tatters. Instead of drowning oneself in physical pleasures, one should work for his livelihood.

שְׁמַע לְאָבִיךָ זֶה יְלָדֶךָ וְאַל־תָּבוּז כִּי־זָקְנָה אִמֶּךָ

Heed your father, as it is he who begot you, and do not scorn when your mother has aged. Such attitudes should be avoided, not only because they are disrespectful, but also because one can learn important lessons from one’s parents. Evidently, the familiar depiction of parents as old people who do not understand modern life and whose ideas are no longer relevant was prevalent in ancient times as well.

אֱמֶת קְנֵה ואַל־תִּמְכֹּר חָכְמָה וּמוּסָר וּבִינָה

Invest the necessary effort and resources to acquire truth, even if that requires one to spend money purchasing books or traveling to a distant land to study. And after you have acquired truth, do not sell it, do not attempt to earn a profit by selling truth for more than you spent acquiring it. Rather, the acquisition of truth itself, alongside wisdom, good conduct, and understanding, should be your reward. In addition, the Sages explain that even if you have spent money to learn Torah, you should still teach others free of charge.

גִּיל יָגִיל אֲבִי צַדִּיק וְיוֹלֵד חָכָם יִשְׂמַח בּוֹ

The father of the righteous will revel with happiness, and the begetter of the wise will rejoice in him. Therefore, you should make every effort to be among those who bring joy to their parents.

יִשְׂמַח־אָבִיךָ וְאִמֶּךָ וְתָגֵל יוֹלַדְתֶּךָ

Your father and your mother will rejoice, and she who bore you, an appellation that includes the nurse who raised you, will be happy when they see you behave properly.

תְּנָה־בְנִי לִבְּךָ לִי וְעֵינֶיךָ דְּרָכַי תִּצֹּרְנָה

My son, give me your heart, listen to my advice, and your eyes will safeguard my ways, so that you can avoid temptation.

כִּי־שׁוּחָה עֲמֻקָּה זוֹנָה וּבְאֵר צָרָה נָכְרִיָּה

Maintain control over your eyes and your desires, which try to draw you after them, for a harlot is a deep pit, a trap, and a foreign woman is a narrow well, from which it is very difficult to escape. This refers not only to an actual harlot, but also to a woman of loose morals who acts promiscuously for pleasure alone.

אַף־הִיא כְּחֶתֶף תֶּאֱרֹב וּבוֹגְדִים בְּאָדָם תּוֹסִף

She too will lie in ambush like a kidnapper, who attacks suddenly. When a woman of this kind encounters a man, she initially appears charming and delightful, but she is actually a vicious predator waiting to ensnare him, and she will increase the treacherous among men. Such a woman is generally married, and her adultery leads to more faithlessness, strife, and troubles.

לְמִי אוֹי לְמִי אֲבוֹי לְמִי מִדְיָנִים לְמִי שִׂיחַ לְמִי פְּצָעִים חִנָּם לְמִי חַכְלִלוּת עֵינָיִם

This warning is comprised of poetic refrains regarding one who drinks wine: To whom, who can be expected to cry out: Woe? To whom: Alas? To whom strife? To whom talk of complaints and bitterness? To whom wounds that he received without cause? To whom redness of the eyes?

לַמְאַחֲרִים עַל־הַיָּיִן לַבָּאִים לַחְקוֹר מִמְסָךְ

These phenomena are common to those who linger, who sit until late at night, over wine. Their eyes are red from all their drinking and lack of sleep, and they sometimes suffer injuries in unnecessary brawls. The same applies to those who come to assess the quality of the mixture of their drink. Instead of discussing matters of Torah and fear of God, they stay up late debating which alcoholic drink is best.

אַל־תֵּרֶא יַיִן כִּי יִתְאַדָּם כִּי יִתֵּן בַּכּוֹס עֵינוֹ יִתְהַלֵּךְ בְּמֵישָׁרִים

Do not see wine in its redness, do not allow its attractive color to seduce you, for he who directs his eye to the cup will walk inattentively. When one gazes at wine and is tempted by its color, the goblet, or its fragrance and taste, he can overindulge and become addicted to alcohol. This will cause him to be inattentive to the pitfalls around him, as he will not notice where he has to turn or take a detour to avoid obstacles. Drunk people lack inhibitions, and their judgment is often impaired.

אַחֲרִיתוֹ כְּנָחָשׁ יִשָּׁךְ וּכְצִפְעֹנִי יַפְרִשׁ

Although wine is initially pleasant and enjoyable, in its end it bites like a serpent and secretes like a venomous adder. It can cause severe harm to those who get drunk.

עֵינֶיךָ יִרְאוּ זָרוֹת וְלִבְּךָ יְדַבֵּר תַּהְפֻּכוֹת

When you are drunk, your eyes will see illusions. An intoxicated individual can start to hallucinate. And your heart will speak contradictions. You will be illogical.

וְהָיִיתָ כְּשֹׁכֵב בְּלֶב־יָם וּכְשֹׁכֵב בְּרֹאשׁ חִבֵּל

You will be like one lying in the midst of the sea, among the waves rocking him back and forth, or like one lying at the top of a mast blowing in the winds. One who drinks too much is frequently dizzy.

הִכּוּנִי בַל־חָלִיתִי הֲלָמוּנִי בַּל יָדָעְתִּי מָתַי אָקִיץ אוֹסִיף אֲבַקְשֶׁנּוּ עוֹד

The drunkard declares: Indeed they struck me, but I did not feel pain; they beat me, but I did not know. Feeling as though the entire world is spinning, he nevertheless states: When will I awaken? I will continue to seek it. He only wants to drink more wine. This brief but vivid depiction of the stages through which a drunkard passes from start to finish are an attempt to dissuade a young man from drinking.