Parables

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Be deliberate in judgment. How so? This teaches that a person should carefully deliberate in judgment, for all who are careful in judgment will feel settled about their judgment, as it says (Proverbs 25:1), "These, too, are the proverbs of Solomon, which the men of King Hezekiah of Judah copied." This does not mean they merely copied them, but that they deliberated over them. Abba Shaul says: They did not merely deliberate carefully over them, but explained them. Originally, they would say: Proverbs, and Song of Songs, and Ecclesiastes had to be hidden…

Avot DeRabbi Natan 1:4

May the LORD judge between you and me! And may He take vengeance upon you for me, but my hand will never touch you.

I Samuel 24:13

The word of GOD came to me: O mortal, propound a riddle and relate an allegory to the House of Israel. Say: Thus said the Sovereign GOD: The great eagle with the great wings and the long pinions, with the full plumage and the brilliant colors, came to the Lebanon range and seized the top of the cedar. He plucked off its topmost bough and carried it off to the land of traders and set it in a city of merchants.

Ezekiel 17:1-4

Rabbi Elazar bar Avina in the name of Rabbi Aḥa and the Rabbis. Rabbi Elazar said [in the name of Rabbi Aḥa]: “He spoke three thousand proverbs” regarding each and every matter. “His songs were one thousand and five”—one thousand and five reasons for each and every matter. The Rabbis say: “He spoke three thousand proverbs” on each and every verse. “His songs were one thousand and five”—one thousand and five reasons for each and every proverb. “His proverbs were” is not written here, but rather, “his songs were one thousand and five”—the song of the proverb, the reason for the matter…

Shir HaShirim Rabbah 1:1:11

“When a person presents a meal offering to the Lord, his offering shall be of high quality flour; he shall pour oil upon it, and place frankincense on it” (Leviticus 2:1).
“When a person presents a meal offering,” Rabbi Yitzḥak began: “A handful of tranquility is better than two handfuls of toil and herding wind [ureut ruaḥ]” (Ecclesiastes 4:6). One who studies two orders and is fluent in them is better than one who studies halakhot but is not fluent in them. Rather, ureut ruaḥ, his desire [reutei] is to be called a master of halakhot…

Vayikra Rabbah 3:1

That is what is written: “Your sons will be in the stead of your fathers” (Psalms 45:17). You find a righteous person begetting a righteous person, a wicked person begetting a wicked person, a righteous person begetting a wicked person, and a wicked person begetting a righteous person. Each of them has [an allusion in] the Bible, has [an allusion in a popular] proverb, and has [an allusion in] common parlance. A righteous person begetting a righteous person has [an allusion in] the Bible and has [an allusion in] a proverb…

Shir HaShirim Rabbah 1:1:6

Another matter, “The song of songs,” Rabbi Aivu and Rabbi Yehuda, Rabbi Aivu said: Song, one, of songs, two; that is three. Rabbi Yehuda bar Simon said: Song of Songs is entirely one. The other two, what do you do with them? [One is] “A song of ascents for Solomon” (Psalms 127:1) and one is: “A psalm, a song for the dedication of the House, by David” (Psalms 30:1). They thought to say that David said it. But you say it was attributed to David, as it is stated: “Your neck is like the tower of David” (Song of Songs 4:4)…

Shir HaShirim Rabbah 1:1:10

“A handful of tranquility is better than two handfuls of toil and herding wind” (Ecclesiastes 4:6).
“A handful of tranquility is better” – one who studies halakhot and is familiar with them is better than one who studies halakhot and the hermeneutical principles but does not review them and familiarize himself with them. The parable says: One bound bird is better than one hundred that are flying. “And herding [urut] wind” – his wish [re’utei] is to be called “master of the mekhiltot…

Kohelet Rabbah 4:6:1

"Make Asaph listen to my teaching. As it says in the scripture (Deuteronomy 4:9-10), "Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children's children— how on the day that you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, the Lord said to me, 'Gather the people to me, that I may let them hear my words, so that they may learn to fear me all the days that they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children so…

Midrash Tehillim 78:1

“This is the statute of the Torah…” – Rabbi Yitzḥak began: “All this I attempted with wisdom; I said: I will become wise, but it is distant from me” (Ecclesiastes 7:23). It is written: “God granted wisdom to Solomon…[like the sand that is on the seashore]” (I Kings 5:9). What is “like the sand”? The Rabbis say: He granted him wisdom corresponding to that of all of Israel, as it is stated: “The number of the children of Israel will be like the sand of the sea…” (Hosea 2:1). Rabbi Levi said: Just as the sand is a barrier for the sea, so too, wisdom was contained within Solomon…

Bamidbar Rabbah 19:3

“What profit is there for man in all his toil that he toils under the sun?” (Ecclesiastes 1:3).
“What profit is there for man?” Rabbi Binyamin said: The Sages sought to suppress the book of Kohelet because they found in it matters that tend toward heresy. They said: All of Solomon’s wisdom that he seeks to impart is: “What profit is there for man in all his toil,” but one might [think that he meant] even in the toil of Torah. They then said: He did not say “in all toil,” but rather in his toil…

Kohelet Rabbah 1:3:1

[God] said to me, “Mortal, eat what is offered you; eat this scroll, and go speak to the House of Israel.”

Ezekiel 3:1

Another matter, “The song of songs,” that is what the verse says: “Beyond the fact that Kohelet was wise” (Ecclesiastes 12:9). Had another person said them, you would have been required to bend your ear and listen to those matters; more so because Solomon said them. Had he said them on his own, you would have been required to bend your ear and listen to them; more so because he said them through the Divine Spirit.
“Beyond the fact that Kohelet was wise, moreover, he taught the people knowledge, considered [izen] and investigated, composed many proverbs” (Ecclesiastes 12:9)…

Shir HaShirim Rabbah 1:1:8

Another matter: “You shall take a bunch of hyssop” – that is what is written: “Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest [so is my beloved]” (Song of Songs 2:3). Why is the Holy One blessed be He likened to an apple tree? It is to say to you: Just as the apple tree appears to the eye with nothing, but it has taste and fragrance, the same is true of the Holy One blessed be He, as it is stated: “His palate is sweet; all of Him is lovely” (Song of Songs 5:16). He appeared to idolaters but they did not wish to accept the Torah, and the Torah was in their eyes like a matter lacking substance…

Shemot Rabbah 17:2

“Moses spoke so to the children of Israel, but they did not heed Moses because of lack of spirit, and because of hard labor” (Exodus 6:9).
“Moses spoke so to the children of Israel, but they did not heed Moses…” It was difficult for them to forsake idol worship. So explains Ezekiel and says: “Each man, cast away the detestable objects of his eyes, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt” (Ezekiel 20:7). See what is written: “Each man did not cast away his detestable objects and they did not forsake the idols of Egypt” (Ezekiel 20:8)…

Shemot Rabbah 6:5

[6] To understand a proverb, and a figure of speech" - To understand a proverb - these are the parables of the Torah, and a figure of speech - this is the Torah itself, which is called a figure of speech, for it shields those who engage in it from the judgment of Gehenna in the future to come. Another interpretation: Why is it called a figure of speech? - Because anyone who mocks the words of Torah will have mockery added to him, as it is stated (Proverbs 3:34): "Surely He scorneth the scorners." "The words of the wise and their riddles" - If a person hears words of wisdom…

Midrash Mishlei 1:6

“The Lord spoke to Moses saying: See, I have called by name Betzalel, son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah” (Exodus 31:1–2).
“The Lord spoke…See, I have called by name Betzalel,” this is how Rabbi Tanḥuma bar Abba began: “Then He saw it and related it, prepared it, and also studied it” (Job 28:27). The Holy One blessed be He foresaw that Israel would accept the Torah, as had it not been so, He would not have created the world, as it is stated: “Then He saw it and related it.” What is written thereafter? “He said to man [adam]: Behold, the fear of the Lord…

Shemot Rabbah 40:1

Another interpretation: “Why are you crying out to Me?” – that is what is written: “Have you composed your prayer [shuakha] with no trouble?” (Job 36:19). What is this? Rabbi Elazar ben Pedat said: The parable says: Honor your doctor before you need him. Rabbi Shimon says: Compose your prayers before your Creator, so you will not have enemies on high. Rabbi Ḥama bar Rabbi Ḥanina said: When Israel departed from Egypt, Samael the angel arose to prosecute them. Rabbi Ḥama bar Rabbi Ḥanina explained it in the name of his father: This is analogous to a shepherd who was crossing his flock…

Shemot Rabbah 21:7

Another matter: “Then Israel sang” (Numbers 21:17) – this is one of three matters that Moses said before the Holy One blessed be He, and He said to him: You have taught Me. He said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, from where do Israel know what they have done? Did they not grow in Egypt, and all of Egypt are idolaters. When You gave the Torah, You did not give it to them, and they were not standing there, as it is stated: “The people stood at a distance” (Exodus 20:18), and You gave it only to me, as it is stated: “To Moses, He said: Ascend to the Lord” (Exodus 24:1)…

Bamidbar Rabbah 19:33

When GOD first spoke to Hosea, GOD said to Hosea, “Go, get yourself a wife of whoredom and children of whoredom; for the land will stray from following GOD.”

Hosea 1:2

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