Let the Prophets Speak

Some thoughts on the power of the beautiful lessons of Shir HaShirim.

Nothing can quench or conquer true love. The lovers triumphantly come home.

The King makes a final attempt to convince her to stay, but she is not convinced.

The ladies of the court taunt her, and the King tries again to seduce her with complements, but she will have none of it.

The young woman recounts her nightmare to the ladies of the court. Self blame, regret and intense desire stir her search for her beloved.

The shepherd so beautifully expresses his love and admiration for his beloved. She agrees to leave the King and join him.

As the young girl searches the streets for her love, the court women try to entice her by praising the grandeur of the King.

In one of the most stunningly beautiful chapters of the entire Tanach, the captive young women imagines her lover coming to rescue her.

The King tries to entice her with riches, and the ladies of the court mock her attachment to her peasant shepherd, but the young woman remains steadfast in her devotion to her lover.

We introduce the book of Shir HaShirim, which explores the powerful bond of love and passion that transcends logic and description.

Mishlei concludes with a poetic description of a woman of substance. Sung in Jewish households every Friday night, this is Mishlei's vision of a woman's role as the leader of the family.

Don't waste your life chasing pleasures, as this leads to injustice. Speak up for those who have no voice, administer justice for the poor and the needy.

Agur be Yakeh discusses the wonders of science and the downfall of the arrogant.

Truth, humility and concern for the downtrodden is all that matters. The sage Agur bin Yakeh delivers his beautiful speech.

One who trusts in God is not afraid of new things. Don't act too fast without thinking. We conclude the main portion of Proverbs.

The way to a stable regime is through justice and concern for the poor. When a rich and poor man truly meet: God brings light to the world.

Greedy leaders, guilty murderers and partial judges versus honest judges and generous souls.

Solomon discusses the dangers of a guilty conscience, the greatness of an honest leader, and the importance of making plans for potential risks.

You can't hide a painful marriage forever, you will get from your relationships only what you bring into them yourself.

Advice and criticism given out of love is better than silence because you are afraid to ruin a relationship. Jealousy can drive behavior that is worse even than anger.

Evil speech has consequences. The person who dresses up his ill intent with sweet sounding speech, is like one who covers a clay pot in silver. One day he will fall into the pit he dug for himself.

Don't hire an unqualified professional, and don't rely on a fool. There is nothing more dangerous than someone who thinks he knows what he is doing but is actually ignorant.

Don't make promises you can't keep, fight tyranny with patience, and many more gems from the wisdom of Solomon.

While God's justice is infinite and incomprehensible to man, human justice should be sensible and consistent. Don't compromise the principles of justice in order to sit among the powerful. Don't present your arguments by shaming others, instead you make your point by speaking the truth.

Don't be the one who judges based on what is popular, because popularity shifts unreliably. Stick with the truth, and at least in your heart you will be happy.

When people are suffering, stand up and act! The righteous may fall, but they will always get up and try again.

Drunkenness and gluttony lead down a terrible path, one that goes round and round into a deep ark pit.

Be careful when you accept favors from powerful people, there are always strings attached. Avoid people who don't give generously.

Listen to the wise, don't step on people when they are down, and if there is on obstacle in your path find out why it is there before you move it!

A good reputation is better than wealth, and we should beware of the potential consequences of our actions.

Too much drinking and spending on momentary pleasures will leave you poor in the end. No matter how smart you are, you can't beat God.

Only God knows our true intentions, one who ignores the cries of other's will one day be ignored.

Take counsel from others, things built in haste will not last, and be careful what you promise.

We all have room to improve, use the tools that God gave us to be better.

Take your personal life's mission seriously, have the humility to listen to proper advice, and never give up on your child.

The place to look for happiness is in your own heart, not in superficial friends. Think before you act.

Some timeless lessons about family and friendship, wisdom and proper speech.

Better to seek wisdom from the wise than to seek it on your own. Foolishness and pride lead to strife and ruin, while humility leads to safety and success.

What good is money in the hand of the fool? This and many more wise proverbs of Solomon.

A peaceful but humble home is more pleasant than wealth that comes with strife. Better to prevent an argument from happening than try to stop an ongoing fight.

It is our chosen path in life that leads to success, not the destination. Pride and arrogance is the root of all failure, and many more beautiful ideas.

Solomon probes the relationship between man's attempts at success and God's direction. He then discusses the true test of a leader or King.

The wise person thinks before she speaks. To be successful one needs to listen to advice from others, and awe of God leads to humility, learning and life.

A wise and person brings peace to the conversation, while a wicked man raises the temperature. Spread wisdom, not lies. Spread love, not strife. If you are happy with what you have, you will be happy every day of your life. If you are not satisfied with what you have, you will be sad forever.

It is righteousness and charity that makes a country great, leaders should choose competent officers, and many other words of wisdom from Solomon.

Only a person who lived an experience truly understands what he or she feels. A fool will believe anything you tell him. The good person's seeks reward in good itself.

You will be influenced by the company that you keep, a good man is rewarded with more opportunities to do good, and many more wise teachings of Solomon.

All difficulties between people are a result of our arrogance and inability to listen humbly and admit our mistakes. Our suffering will come from the very things we didn't take seriously.

The wise person limits his speech, seeks counsel humbly from others, and doesn't broadcast his grievances.

Accepting criticism is the key to growth. One who seeks only reassurance to continue living a life built on lies, will build a house of cards. One who seeks truth, will built something that lasts.