At last the Rabbi rises, and proves wiser than we have expected; wise enough to be also wily. He begins with a touch of humour; we smile, are caught off our guard, and for a few moments (it was all he needed) he has captured our attention.
Here is the thread of his remarks:
Commend not a man for his beauty,
And let not the proverbs of understanding escape thee.
If thou seest a man of Wisdom get thee betimes unto him,
And let thy foot wear out the steps of his doors.[130]
But, Let thy foot be seldom in thy neighbour’s house,
Lest he be weary of thee and hate thee.[131]
Lest thou be like unto him.[132]
He that giveth answer before he heareth,
It is folly and shame unto him.[133]
Learn before thou speak; and have a care of thy health,
Or ever thou be sick.[134]
Prepare thy work without and make it ready for thee in the field; and afterwards build thine house.[135]
Hast spoiled thy work? Take a needle and sew.[136]
Boast not thyself of to-morrow;
Change not a friend for the sake of profit,
Neither a true brother for the gold of Ophir.[138]
Laugh not a man to scorn when he is in the bitterness of his soul; for there is one who humbleth and exalteth.[139]
Reproach not a man when he turneth from sin;
For some of us also are waxing old.
Rejoice not over one that is dead;
Remember that we die all.[140]
Do no evil, so shall no evil overtake thee;
Depart from wrong, and it shall turn aside from thee.
And thou shalt not reap it sevenfold.[141]
Be not thou envious12 of evil men, neither desire to be with them, for their heart studieth oppression and their lips talk of mischief13.[142]
Let not thine heart envy sinners, but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long; for surely there is a reward and thy hope shall not be cut off.[143]
Say not thou, “It is through the Lord that I fell away: for that which He hateth He made not.” Say not thou, “It is He that caused me to err14, for He hath no need of a sinful man.”[144]
Say not, He will look upon the multitude of my gifts, and when I offer to the Most High God He will accept it.[145]
{264}
Keep thy heart with all vigilance,
For that is the way to life.[146]
Be not faint-hearted in thy prayer,
And neglect not to give alms.[147]
Commit thy ways unto the Lord,
And thy purposes shall be established.[148]
A brief lecture, but none the worse for that. Much Wisdom in small compass. Depart, as you must, whether touched or ostensibly indifferent. However that may be, whatever your feelings now, you cannot forget all his words; some of them are fastened in the memory. One day you may act upon them and discover that they were wise indeed, and then you will want yourself to move a vote of thanks to the lecturer.
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1
mere
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adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过 | |
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2
impatience
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n.不耐烦,急躁 | |
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3
edified
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v.开导,启发( edify的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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4
pompous
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adj.傲慢的,自大的;夸大的;豪华的 | |
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5
abhor
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v.憎恶;痛恨 | |
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6
discourse
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n.论文,演说;谈话;话语;vi.讲述,著述 | |
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7
folly
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n.愚笨,愚蠢,蠢事,蠢行,傻话 | |
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8
forth
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adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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9
worthy
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adj.(of)值得的,配得上的;有价值的 | |
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10
dishonour
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n./vt.拒付(支票、汇票、票据等);vt.凌辱,使丢脸;n.不名誉,耻辱,不光彩 | |
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11
furrows
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n.犁沟( furrow的名词复数 );(脸上的)皱纹v.犁田,开沟( furrow的第三人称单数 ) | |
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12
envious
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adj.嫉妒的,羡慕的 | |
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13
mischief
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n.损害,伤害,危害;恶作剧,捣蛋,胡闹 | |
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14
err
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vi.犯错误,出差错 | |
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