Hello everyone. Welcome to NachDaily covering the entire Tanach one perek at a time. Today we’re discussing Mishlei, perek daled, which contains 35 pessukim.

The perek primary discusses the value of acquiring wisdom and gaining insight, pointing out that when a person stops valuing wisdom, life heads in the wrong direction.

We shouldn’t devalue our own common sense, because that can lead us in the wrong direction, away from Hashem.

Again, as if he’s speaking to a child, Shlomo urges us to seek the true wisdom and intelligence which is to be found in the Torah.

The famous passuk says, “Ki lekach tov nasati lachem, Torasi al ta’azovu – For I’ve given you good teachings, do not abandon My Torah.”

The Vilna Goan explains that “lekach” refers to mitzvos which are to be performed, each in its own time. “Torasi al ta’azovu” refers to Torah learning, which is a constant mitzva.

The Medrash Yalkut Shimoni uses this passuk to teach the great value of Torah knowledge with the following metaphor: A Talmid chocham, Torah scholar, was once aboard a ship together with businessmen bringing their merchandise to sell. The businessmen asked the simple scholar to show them his merchandise. “It’s hidden,” he responded, I’ll show it to you when we reach the port.”

Once they reached the port, all the merchandise on the ship was impounded and the businessmen were left with nothing. The Torah scholar, however, was greeted by a large entourage of people and brought to the city to teach Torah. The businessmen finally understood that the scholar’s true riches were in his heart, hidden away.

The point of this mashal is that true wisdom its something that can never be taken away from you. When you have a realization or true insight into the world or your own life, it is something that is yours and can never be diminished. Insights and understanding are more valuable than all the riches in the world.

Shlomo Hamelech continues to urge us to acquire wisdom and understanding, not to abandon it, and to love it. The wisdom one acquires, specifically Torah learning, will afford protection from life’s maladies.

Verse 7 says: “Reishis chochoma, knei chochma. U’bechol kinyanecha knei bina – The beginning of wisdom is to acquire wisdom. Use all your faculties to acquire understanding.”

The Ramad Walli explains that sometimes people who learn a little bit about a subject may think that they know more than they really do. They run the risk of becoming self-styled experts when they don’t actually know very much.

Therefore, the passuk says, the beginning of wisdom is to acquire it. When learning something about a topic of chochma, seek to understand it and learn more. Instead of considering ourselves experts, we should try to obtain more insight and wisdom.

The same can be said about the words, Talmid chochom. We are constantly students of wisdom, students of the Torah. By recognizing that we are always in learning mode, we’ll be able to acquire more knowledge.

The perek continues to relate the value of wisdom and following proper moral values.

Shlomo Hamelech warns us not to forsake wisdom, insight, and understanding because this will lead us away from God to the path of the wicked. We will lose sleep and be filled with anxiety and worry. It can lead to developing an alcohol problem and feeling surrounded by darkness, in contrast to the Tzaddkim, whose lights radiate brightly. It is therefore fitting to look ahead into the future to see the type of life we want to live, and act now!

Thank you for listening, and have a wonderful day.