Proverbs · Chapter 31

The words of Lemuel the king The words of King Solomon, that he said for the Holy One, blessed be He, because he sinned against the Holy One, blessed be He. Lemuel for God, like (Job 40:4): “to (למו) my mouth.” The words that the king said for the sake of the Holy One, blessed be He. a prophecy that his mother chastised him When he married the daughter of Pharaoh on the day of the dedication of the Temple, she brought in for him many kinds of musical instruments, and he was awake all night and slept on the next day until four hours [after dawn], as is related in Pesikta (unknown, but found in Mid. Mishle and in Num. Rabbah 10:8), and the keys of the Temple were under his head. Regarding that time, we learned (Eduyoth 6:1): “Concerning the daily morning burnt- offering, that it was offered up at [the conclusion of] four hours. Then his mother entered and chastised him with all this prophecy.” a prophecy that his mother chastised him An allegorical prophecy with which his mother chastised him.

"The words of Lemuel king of Massa, with which his mother corrected him" — at the beginning of the book he made known that his father disciplined him in wisdom, and here he relates that his mother, Bathsheba, corrected him after his father's death, to teach him wisdom: to keep far from women and from wine, for they are the cause of wickedness and transgression. And because of their [women's] wisdom and honor, he praised the wise woman by way of an alphabetical acrostic, so that it should serve as a remembrance. "Lemuel" — this is Solomon. And it is possible that he was called this because in his days they had one God and did not worship idols; likewise, the one who sat upon his throne was called "Immanu-El" (God is with us).

"The words of Lemuel" — Here Solomon called himself "Lemuel the king," in the manner of the Torah's statement, "and he was priest to God Most High" (Genesis 14:18) — meaning that he was a king belonging to God, for Hashem had anointed him, and his words were upright toward God to the utmost degree possible. And he said that these are the words his mother spoke to him in her instruction of him, and he recorded them in this book because they are of great benefit. It appears that Solomon had already told her that she should ask something of him and he would fulfill her wish, and this is what she said.

"The words of Lemuel the king" — Meaning, these are the words of the king, who belongs to Hashem and is His anointed. "The burden, etc." — Meaning, here he relates the words of moral instruction with which his mother reproved him, which he regarded in his own eyes as a "massa" [burden/oracle] of the word of Hashem. And our Sages, of blessed memory, said: when Solomon married Pharaoh's daughter, on the day of the dedication of the Temple she brought in for him many kinds of musical instruments, and he stayed awake the entire night and slept the next day until the fourth hour of the day, and the keys to the Temple courtyard were under his pillow, so that they were unable to offer the daily [tamid] offering. His mother then came in to him and reproved him with these words.

"Lemuel" — this word is composed of two: "lemo" and "El," that is, "to Hashem," as in "and kept silence for my counsel [lemo]" (Job 29:21). "Massa" [burden] — prophecy. "Yisserato" [she corrected him] — from the language of "mussar" (rebuke).

'The words of Lemuel' — the book of moral instruction with which his mother disciplined Lemuel, king of Massa.

What, my son What is this that you have done and told that you are my son, and [you did] not [tell] that you are the son of your father. Everybody knows that your father was completely righteous, and if you are wicked, they will say, “His mother made him that way.” the son of my womb All your father’s wives, as soon as they conceived, would not return for marital relations, but I pushed and entered in order to have a son well-formed and of strong vitality, because marital relations are beneficial during the last six months. and what, the son of my vows? All your father’s wives would vow that they would have a son fit for the throne, but I vowed that I would have a son bright in Torah.

"What, my son" (mah beri) — its meaning is: what are you accounted, my son and son of my womb, whom I bore? "My vows" (nedari) — that I vowed at the time I gave birth to you: "if I escape the pangs of childbirth..." Therefore I have disciplined you not to give your strength to women, and not to give your ways to blotting out the ways of kings — meaning that it should not be your practice to depart from the custom of kings, for lechery and the drinking of wine and strong drink are not fitting for them, lest each of them drink and forget what is inscribed as a statute in the scroll.

"What, my son" — What shall I request, my son whom I raised, and what, son of my womb, who were in my belly when I was pregnant with you? She said this because sometimes one who is not literally the son of her womb is called "son," as it says, "these are the sons of Michal daughter of Saul" (2 Samuel 21:8), because she raised them, even though they were not her own sons, but the sons of Merav her sister. "And what shall I request for you, son of my vows" — meaning, that out of my great love for you, all my vows concerned you, after the manner of a lover whose vows and oaths are [sworn] by the life of his beloved. Or he may mean by this, that on his account her vows were always to Hashem.

"What, my son" [beri] — You, my son, whom I have raised — what is this that you are doing? "And what, O son of my womb" [bar bitni] — Since sometimes one is called a "son" even by one who did not bear him but only raised him, as it says, "the five sons of Michal daughter of Saul" (2 Samuel 21:8) — whereas Merab her sister bore them and Michal [only] raised them — she therefore added, "son of my womb," to say: behold, you were in my womb; therefore I both bore you and raised you, and I am extremely concerned for your welfare. "And what, O son of my vows" [bar nedarai] — What is this that you are doing, you son of my vows? Meaning, out of my abundant love for you, all my vows concerned you, as is the way of one who loves: all his vows and oaths are for the life of the one he loves.

"Bari" — this is the Aramaic translation of "beni" (my son).

'What, my son' — you are the one distinguished from all my sons in three respects: 1) that you are 'my son' (beri) — meaning, the one distinguished to me from all my sons through the learning and upbringing that I devoted to you more than to all my other sons; 2) you are 'son of my womb' (bar bitni) — distinguished from the side of my womb, in that you emerged distinguished by your very nature from birth, from the womb, and from conception, unique in your nature to be a treasure among all my sons; 3) you are 'son of my vows' (bar nedarai) — for I vowed great vows on your behalf to God, meaning that you were distinguished even before conception, through great vows and prayer to God; and at the time of conception, from the womb, from the very dawn of your existence; and after birth, through upbringing and learning.

Do not give Do not weaken. your strength to women Heb. חילך, your strength.

"And your ways" — stands in place of two. "To blot out" (limchot) — from [the root of] "machiti" (I have wiped away). "Kings" (malkin) — the letter nun is used in place of a mem, as in "le-ketz ha-yamin" [with a nun] and "lo ya'amin ba-chayin" [with a nun].

"Give not to women" — your strength which you have for seeking wisdom and attaining it, for excessive involvement with women turns a person away from diligence in wisdom, and his heart continually wanders after them, and your ways should not be devoted to blotting out the many counsels and thoughts that are needed by one who wishes to pursue proper philosophical inquiry. He said this because constant involvement with women prevents the settled consideration required for these counsels and thoughts.

"Give not" — Meaning, do not weaken your strength through excessive intercourse with women (for excessive intercourse weakens the strength of the male and strengthens the female, as if he were giving of his own strength to the female). "Nor your ways" — Do not give your ways over to erasing and destroying the ways of kings; meaning, do not alter the practice proper to kings, of being careful in their deeds in an equitable and correct manner.

"Cheylekha" [your strength] — your strength, as in "in the day of your strength" (Psalms 110). "Limchot" [to destroy] — from the language of "mechiyah" (wiping out) and "mechikah" (erasing). "Malkin" [kings] — the nun stands in place of a mem [the ordinary Hebrew plural ending], and likewise "la-ketz ha-yamin" [at the end of the days] (Daniel 12).

'Give not your strength to women' — thus it is fitting that this great strength and power of yours be devoted to the service of Hashem, and that you not give it to women. 'Nor your ways' — and your conduct — 'to that which blots out kings': to a thing that erases kings and blots them out from the record of their lineage, for on account of such things they become unfit for kingship.

It is not for kings, Lemoel This matter is not fit for kings who are for the Holy One, blessed be He. Lemoel is like (Job 40:4): “to (למו) my mouth.” it is not for kings to drink wine It is not proper for them to become intoxicated. neither is strong drink Heb. אי שכר, like אין שכר, there is no strong drink.

"Not" (i) — like "ein" (there is not); and sometimes it takes a hirik vowel, as in "i nakki," meaning "ein naki" (there is no innocent one).

"It is not for kings" — You, my son, that is, Lemuel: your ways should not be like the ways of kings who love pleasures, who pursue the drinking of wine and ask, "Where is strong drink?" [in order to drink it], for it is not fitting for a king like you, who belongs to God, to do so.

"It is not for kings, O Lemuel" — This matter is not fitting for kings, who belong to Hashem and are His anointed ones. "It is not for kings" — It is not fitting for kings such as these to drink much wine, and for princes such as these it is not proper [to seek] strong drink. And the matter is repeated in different phrasing.

"Ve-larozenim" [and for rulers] — refers to rulers and princes. "Ai" — equivalent to "ein" (there is not), as in "He will deliver even him that is not innocent [i naki]" (Job 22:30). "Shechar" [strong drink] — aged wine.

'It is not for kings, Lemuel' — is it not that, on account of your deeds, you are no longer counted among the kings? For 'it is not for kings to drink wine,' and also for the princes, who are the counselors of the kings, it is not fitting to drink strong drink — for even though they may drink wine, it is not fitting that they drink intoxicating strong drink.

what was made law What is written in the Torah—and surely the tradition that is committed to memory.

"The afflicted one" (oni) — [meaning] one whom others have afflicted.

"Lest he drink and forget" — [lest he forget] the ruling that comes before him according to the Torah, and this will be a cause for him to distort the judgment of all the children of poverty, which is an extraordinary sin, for it includes within it both the sin of perverting justice and the sin of robbing a poor person of his very life, and each one of these by itself is an extraordinary sin. And therefore he mentioned the perverting of the judgment of all the children of poverty — not because a change would likewise arise from this in the judgment of the rich, but rather he mentioned that which would give rise to the greater evil from this disposition [of drunkenness], following the practice of those who give reproof. And in just this manner did Solomon proceed in most of the reproofs included in this book.

"Lest he drink" — Lest, when he drinks, he forget the matter inscribed in the Torah, and thereby pervert the judgment of the poor; his sin is thereby doubled, for he robs the poor and perverts justice.

"Mechukak" [that which is decreed] — from the language of "chakikah" (engraving) and writing. "Ve-yeshanneh" [and pervert] — from the language of "hishtannut" (change) and "chiluf" (alteration).

'Lest he drink' — and therefore the lawgiver forget the statutes and the laws, and thereby pervert the judgment of all the children of the poor, for they all come before him for judgment; and the statutes must be kept in his heart, so that he may judge and render true judgment by them.

to the one who is perishing To him who will ultimately perish—to the wicked. to those of bitter soul Who suffer pain because of their poverty and their mourning. To give them pleasure in this world, so that they receive the reward for the precepts they kept, in this world, [leaving them with nothing in the hereafter.]

"Give strong drink to the one who is perishing" — Behold, strong drink and wine are fitting only for one bitter of soul, and for the one who is perishing, so that the one bitter of soul may forget his legal case and not know the order of his pleas, by which his judgment and verdict would be made clear; it is fitting that you should open your mouth to guide him, to state the words of his dispute. Now, "the dumb" refers to one who does not know how to state anything at all of the words of his dispute, while "the children of chalof [exchange]" are those given to substitution, who say the opposite of what is in their heart. And it is fitting for the perfect judge to see to it that their judgment not be forfeited on account of their deficiency in speech and in presenting the matters of their disputes.

"To the one who is perishing" — To one who is lost through great poverty. "To the bitter in soul" — To one whose soul is bitter to him because of abundant toil and weariness.

(6-7) 'Give strong drink to the one who is perishing,' 'let him drink and forget his poverty' — intoxicating strong drink is fitting only for the one who is perishing, so that his mind be completely deranged and he forget his poverty, like those being led out to execution, whom they would make drunk so that their mind be deranged. 'And wine to the bitter of soul' — to them they give wine that gladdens the heart, so that their suffering no longer be remembered.

"His poverty" (risho) — for wine gladdens the heart; therefore, once occupied with wine, he will no longer remember his trouble.

"Let him drink" — For when he drinks, he becomes intoxicated and forgets his poverty and affliction; and the toil that embittered his soul he will no longer recall in the time of intoxication, for wine dispels sorrow.

"Risho" [his poverty] — from the language of "rash" (poor) and "ani" (needy).

all whose help has passed Heb. בני חלוף. These are the orphans, whose help has passed and gone away.

The lamed of "le-ilem" (for the mute) — is like "on behalf of." "Chalof" (passing away) — a noun, from [the phrase] "kalil yachalof yigzor" (it utterly passes away, it is decreed); and thus the interpretation is: the words of King Lemuel are words of a burden and a prophecy, with which his mother disciplined him. "Sons of chalof" (bnei chalof) — sons of mortality, on account of the sentence of death; and he says that they [the judges] should investigate his case thoroughly.

"Open your mouth" — meaning that you should judge righteously in the case of the poor and destitute, and their judgment should not be forfeited on account of their weakness and the strength of the one arrayed against them.

"Open your mouth" — Do not drink wine, so that your mind remains settled, and open your mouth for the mute — meaning, if someone comes to judgment and is like a mute person, not knowing how to arrange his arguments, you should open your mouth on his behalf to arrange his arguments. "In the cause" — Also open your mouth in the cause of all the foolish sons who, because of their foolishness, express their words differently from what is in their hearts; open your mouth to set them straight toward the intent they truly desire, as is fitting for a righteous judge to do, in order to bring the judgment to its truth.

"La-illem" [for the mute] — the letter lamed stands in place of "ba'avur" (for the sake of), and likewise in "le-Itiel" (above, ch. 30). "Chalof" [passing away, i.e. mortality] — from the language of "hitchalfut" (exchange) and "temurah" (substitution).

'Open' — but you must open your mouth for the mute, who cannot plead his own claims; you must plead on his behalf. Likewise, open your mouth 'for the cause of all the sons of chalof' (those whose fortune has changed) — men whose fortune has changed and who have fallen from their wealth, and who have a legal grievance against those oppressing them.

"Open your mouth" — with inquiries and investigations, and judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy, so that their justice not be withheld from them on account of their weakness against the strength of their adversary in the dispute.

'Open your mouth' — you must also open your mouth 'to judge righteously,' meaning that the verdict should be rendered in righteousness — and not only the judgment of the rich, but also the judgment of the poor and needy.

"A woman of valor, who can find?" — "chayil" [means] wealth, like a woman who acquires wealth and property through her wisdom — who is able to find [such a woman]? "Her price" (mikhrah) — from [the same root as] "timkeru me'itam" (you shall buy/sell from them).

"A woman of valor" — Behold, he concluded this book with a description of matter, which serves the intellect a perfect service, in such a way that the intellect attains through it the acquisition of its own perfection. And he described it (matter) in the feminine, as is his custom, and called it "a woman of valor" on account of the perfection of its power to bring to the intellect what it needs from it, namely the sense-perceptible forms. And he said that it is difficult to find, and that its worth is far, its value beyond the value of pearls, for there is no comparison between it and them.

"A woman of valor" — When he finished relating the moral instructions of his mother, he returned to praise a woman of valor in honor of his mother, so that it should serve as a remembrance for her. "Who can find" — Who can find a woman of valor? For she is something precious and a rare thing (Aramaic: milta de-lo shechicha, "a thing not commonly found"). "And far" — If one wished to sell her, her worth would be far beyond the worth of pearls, for she is worth more; and this is a manner of poetic expression.

"A woman of valor" — that is to say, diligent and upright. "Mi-peninim" [than rubies] — these are pearls.

The plain sense "A woman of valor" — since he mentioned the moral instruction of Lemuel's mother, who was herself a woman of valor, as is evident from her instruction, he now recalls the praise of the woman of valor. Now, to attain something can be either through finding it, or through effort, as one acquires one thing in exchange for another. Regarding the first, he says "who can find her" — through finding; and regarding acquisition through effort, he speaks of her "price" (mecherah) and her acquisition — or, alternatively, [reading the word as] the place of her dwelling — as farther away than pearls, which are precious and not readily found. The allegorical sense "A woman" — the commentators have already agreed that this statement contains an allegory (mashal) and a figure of speech, and most of them have interpreted it in reference to the soul (nefesh), and this is my opinion as well in this matter — except that, in my opinion, it speaks of the hylic (material) soul, not the soul that is eternally emanated from on high. I have already explained in my commentary on Psalms (chapter 45) that there, in his figurative language, he described the intellect (sekhel) as a king ruling within the body, and he likened the hylic soul there to "the daughter of Tyre" whom the king betrothed — for she is "a daughter of Tyre," meaning a daughter of matter, which ranks among the strangers relative to the spiritual beings; and when she is obedient to the intellect, he betroths her to himself as a wife. For she is sometimes a good woman — if she is disposed by her nature, or through effort, to receive the impressions of wisdom and goodness and to walk in the ways of wisdom and happiness — and then she is "a woman of valor" whom Scripture praises, and the Torah is likened to her. And sometimes she is a bad woman, in one whose soul inclines toward every bad trait, and then the intellect, her husband, must wage constant inner war with her, and the two of them quarrel and grumble in their tents, she going her crooked ways according to her evil nature, in defiance of the honored sight of the intellect and its counsel. Now there is one whose soul is disposed by nature to good traits and happy dispositions, and there is one whose soul acquires good traits and happy dispositions through study and habituation. Regarding the first he says "a woman of valor, who can find" — for this is like one who finds a found object without the labor of his hands; and regarding the second he says "and her price is far above pearls" — for one who wishes to acquire her through toil and effort, she is farther away than pearls, whose place is in the depths of distant seas, requiring one to cross distant seas and descend to the depths of the sea-bed; so too this requires much time and many deeds, and one must descend to the depths of the abyss of the soul to bring forth the praiseworthy powers hidden within it, in its depths, and draw them up to the surface, outward.

and he will lack no gain lit. no plunder, i.e., he will lack no good.

"Trusts in her" — because she provides. "And spoil" (shalal) — that she acquires. "He shall not lack" — [namely] the husband; therefore he trusts in her.

"He trusts in her" — Behold, the heart of her husband trusts in her, that she will supply him with what he needs to furnish in advance from sense-perception for his inquiry, and he will not lack for gain, so as to be sustenance for the house of the intellect.

"Does trust" — When the man is not in his house, he trusts her to guard everything that is in the house, and wherever he is, he will not lack in gaining profit, for he will not be anxious and rushing home for fear of some lack in the house.

"Ve-shalal" [and gain] — refers to the plunder of war.

The plain sense "Her husband's heart trusts in her" — for most women squander wealth, and their husbands do not trust that they will keep what they have earned; but in her, his heart trusts, so that nothing is lacking from all the gain that he has earned. The allegorical sense "Trusts" — the heart is the ruling faculty within the soul, and "her husband" is the intellect, whose heart wishes to rule according to the counsel of the intellect and wisdom. When she [the soul] is a bad woman, she does not follow the counsel of his heart; and even when she listens once to his counsel and gains profit, she will afterward, through desire and wickedness, be turned back from his counsel and lose the gain. And whatever the intellect has gained in understanding the statutes of the Torah, his evil soul — straying after its evil impulse — will lose. But when the soul is good, his heart trusts in her, and nothing is lacking of the gain earned through study and deed.

"She has repaid him" (gemalathu) — she returns to him a good recompense, because he trusted in her, and she has not repaid him with evil.

"She has done him good" — All the days of her life she has done him good, and submitted herself to his service, and did not turn at all away from his service.

"She has rewarded him good" — All the days of her life, when her husband treated her well, she repaid him good in return for the good; but the bad [treatment], she did not repay him according to his deed.

The plain sense "She repays him" — other women repay their husbands with evil, and even the good ones among them will repay him, many times, with evil as well; and the one who is good in the days of her youth will do him harm in old age, or in a time of poverty and want. But she repays him only with good and not with evil, and this too continues all the days of her life. The allegorical sense "She repays him with good" — for as to other souls, even though every soul has good traits, they have, after all, eaten from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and at times the bad traits gain the upper hand and rule over it. And there is one who subdues his impulse in his days of old age but not in his days of youth, as in the matter of what they said: "Happy is our youth, which did not shame our old age." But the good soul repays him only with good, and not with any evil at all, and this too continues all the days of her life.

"She seeks" (darshah) — to acquire wool and flax. "With the willingness of her hands" — as if her hands themselves desire to do [the work]; the opposite of this is when his hands refuse to work.

"She seeks wool and flax" — in order to spin with them what her household needs of clothing, and she did this with the willingness of her hands, after the manner of a servant who desires to do the will of his master, and not after the manner of a servant who serves out of compulsion. And indeed he said this because that which reaches the intellect from the sense-perceptible things is refined through many refinements before it reaches it, and thereby many of the material, corporeal aspects are removed from them, and they draw near to spiritual existence, as is mentioned in the Book of Sense and the Sensible.

"She seeks" — She herself searched after wool and flax to spin them, even though it is only incumbent upon the woman to spin, not to go searching after them. "With the delight of her hands" — She did not do her work through coercion and pressure, but with the willingness of her hands, as if her hands themselves desired the work.

The plain sense "She seeks out" — in every occupation she engages in, she acts with alacrity and diligence and in the best possible manner. If she has chosen the weaving and making of garments as her occupation, she seeks out wool and flax to weave garments from them, and she does not work lazily or as one compelled, but works with the willingness of her hands — the opposite of what is said in disparagement of the sluggard, that "his hands refuse to work." The allegorical sense "She seeks out wool and flax" — all the acquired traits and virtues that become fixed in the soul are called by the name "garments," with which the soul clothes itself; and these acquisitions become fixed in the soul through actions, since by habituating oneself to good deeds, they come to be a permanent possession in the soul, so that it is continually clothed in them. And just as he likens the acquisitions and traits to a garment, to clothing, and to raiment, so he likens the actions to the spun thread of wool and flax (tzemer u-fishtim) from which the garments are made. Accordingly he says that this woman of valor "seeks out" wool and flax in order to spin from them the acquisitions of character traits — that is, that she seeks to perform praiseworthy deeds. And he explains what this wool and flax is: it is what "she does with the willingness of her hands" — that the deeds and actions in which she habituates herself, so that they may become fixed traits in the soul, she does not perform out of compulsion, in the manner of one subdued, but with willing heart and good will, as though the very hands that act desired these actions.

"Like the ships" — that travel to distant places.

"She is like the merchant ships" — Like the great merchants who bring their merchandise from a distant land, so she brings her food from afar, for what the intellect needs in inquiries that are difficult to establish through the senses, except by traveling through lands or through the testimony of predecessors, in whom it is fitting to trust that they tell the truth.

"Like the merchant ships" — Like the ships of merchants that travel to distant places, so she brings her food from afar, for she sends trade there in order to be sustained from it, even though it is the husband's obligation to support her.

The plain sense "She is" — and if she engages in trade outside her home, she does not trade nearby, where the profit is not so great; rather, she is like the merchant ships that cross distant seas, and she brings her bread from afar. The allegorical sense "She is" — the acquisition of the sciences is likened to commerce, in which one buys and profits and exchanges one thing for another; so too one gains understanding from understanding, and inference from inference, as it is said, "to acquire understanding is more choice than silver." And she is like a ship that sails upon the great sea; so she sails upon the deep and wide sea of the sciences, and from afar brings the bread of the soul. For the wisdom, the intellect, and the spiritual insights concerning the Godhead, its governance, and the spiritual beings, are far from the material world; and insofar as the soul that is drawn after desire and the [evil] impulse — these hinder it from the study of science and understanding — but the woman of valor, who has been purified from the defilement of desire and the [evil] impulse, unfurls a banner upon the sea of the sciences.

food Heb. טרף. and an allotted share Heb. וחוק. This too is the food that is allotted to them.

"Night" — before the rising of the dawn. "To her household" — to her children. "And a portion" (chok) — food, as in the matter of "ve-akhlu chukam" (and they ate their portion) and "lechem chok" (bread of the allotted portion).

"She rises while it is yet night" — with diligence and alacrity, to give sustenance to her household and a portion to her maidens, in order to maintain the health of the body, for through it the health of the soul is maintained. And behold, you will find that here he told of diligence, in the allegory of this matter, partly for the service of her husband and partly to maintain the health of the body, which is likewise for the service of the intellect — to the point that she has already considered a field, bought a field, and planted a vineyard, in order to bring forth from them fruit for the intellect.

"While it is yet night" — Before the light of day. "And gives" — She distributes food to the members of her household. "And a portion" — She distributes the allotted food to her maidservants.

The plain-sense approach "And she rises" — and if she is occupied with the needs of the house within, she rises while it is yet night to prepare food and sustenance for her household, and an allotted portion for her maidens — for the members of the household receive without a fixed measure, while the servants receive a fixed, allotted portion. The intellectual approach "And she rises" while it is yet night — even in this world, where the spiritual and intellectual light is wrapped, as it were, in "thick darkness as its swaddling band" (Job 38:9), because matter and its natures darken the radiance of the intellect and the perception of the soul — nevertheless she rises from the sleep of matter and rouses herself from its slumber, and "gives food to her household" — this is the study of Torah, which is the sustenance of the members of her household, namely the powers of intellect and understanding; and "a portion for her maidens" is the performance of the commandments, which are the statutes given for governing matter and its natures, insofar as they are the maidens of the soul that serve it in its holy service.

"She considers" (zamemah) — she planned to acquire a field. "From the fruit" — alludes to the wealth that is the toil of her hands, meaning: from the fruit of her hands a vineyard is planted for her, for it is not the custom of women to plant.

"She considers" — When she has thought about a field and set her eyes upon it, she will not rest until she has bought it. "With the fruit of her hands" — From the wages of the work of her hands, she plants a vineyard.

"Zammah" [she considers] — she thought/planned, as in "as I have planned [zamamti]" (Zechariah 8).

The plain-sense approach "She considers" — and if she chose outdoor labor, to work the soil, then she plans deep thoughts as to how she will acquire a field, and from the fruit of her labor, which she earned by working the field, she plants a vineyard. The intellectual approach "She considers a field" — she also sows divine seeds upon the plot of the soul, as we have already explained (Isaiah 28) that the soul is like tilled ground, prepared to grow the fruit of produce if its work is done through plowing and sowing, both in contemplation and in deed. The seed of deeds is likened to a field that produces grain for the bread of the soul in the World of Reward, while the seed of contemplation is likened to a vineyard, because contemplation becomes embodied within the soul itself. Therefore the intellectual concepts that she plants within her soul are likened to vines in a vineyard, which themselves endure forever and do not wither like the stalks of grain; so too the intellectual concepts that endure forever in the soul and in the World of Reward — from them she brings forth wine that is preserved in its grapes.

"She girds her loins with strength" — as if strength itself is what she has girded on.

"She girds her loins with strength" — to run with alacrity to her needs, and she strengthened her arms to perform her tasks with diligence.

"She girds, etc." — She girds her loins with strength and might; meaning, she exerted herself with vigor to do her work. "And makes strong" — She strengthened her arms for the work; and this is a repetition of the same matter in different words.

The plain-sense approach "She girds" — insofar as she trades outside, going in the ships of merchants, or in any labor in the field, she girds her loins with strength for the journey; and insofar as she performs housework within, she strengthens her arms so that they do not slacken from labor. The intellectual approach "She girds" — with regard to contemplation, which is likened to walking, so that she goes from one intellectual concept to another, she girds her loins to go "from strength to strength" (Psalms 84:8), from comprehension to comprehension; and with regard to deed, she strengthens her arms to perform commandments and good deeds without laziness or slackness of hands.

"She perceives" (ta'amah) — like "blessed is your discretion" (barukh ta'mekh), meaning she judged that it is good to engage in commerce; therefore [her lamp] does not go out.

"She perceives" — She recognized that her merchandise is good, on account of the fruit that reaches the intellect from it, and therefore she conducts herself with alacrity in serving it [the intellect], to the point that its lamp does not go out at night, in order to keep far from laziness.

"She perceives" etc. — When she has determined within herself that her merchandise is good, so as to find profit in it, then her lamp will not be extinguished at night, for she engages in merchandise even at night.

"Ta'amah" [she perceives] — refers to counsel, as in "and takes away the counsel [ta'am] of the elders" (Job 12:20).

The plain-sense approach "She perceives" — she also does not devote her trade solely to what is pleasant and beneficial for her own needs, for she perceives that her trade is good, in that she can also accomplish good through it, such as charity and acts of kindness; therefore her lamp does not go out at night, and she increases her diligence in her work so that she will have money also for commandments and good deeds. The intellectual approach "She perceives" — and beyond what she does to perfect herself, she also engages in trade with it — that is, she strives to perfect others as well, whether in contemplation or in deed. For then the merit of the many depends upon her, and whatever they gain, she has a share with them, because she caused it — and this is like a merchant who profits; and this trade of hers is better than all merchandise, for it is a perpetual gain. This is the meaning of "her lamp does not go out at night" — that even after death her lamp shines in the blackness of darkness, for the commandments that will be performed because of her, and the halachic rulings that will be said in her name, will light her lamp — "for the commandment is a lamp, and the Torah is light" (Proverbs 6:23), forever and ever.

onto the distaff Heb. כישור that is called vertel, verteil, vertay in Provencal, which prepares (מכשיר) the spindle to spin. the spindle Heb. פלך, fusele in French.

"She lays her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle" — in order to spin the wool and the flax.

"Her hands" — Even though she is occupied with thoughts of merchandise, nevertheless she does not depart from the work of women, and she puts forth her hands to grasp the distaff and to hold the spindle — these being the tools of spinning.

"Shilchah" [she lays] — refers to reaching out, as in "the putting forth [shlach] of the finger" (Isaiah 58). "Ba-kishor" [to the distaff] — this is the implement on which the flax is wound; it has no parallel elsewhere [in Scripture]. "Tamkhu" [hold] — refers to leaning/support. "Pelekh" [spindle] — this is the implement used for spinning, and similar to it is "and holds the spindle [pelekh]" (II Samuel 3).

The plain-sense approach (19-20) "Her hands" — the construction of the verses is: "her hands, which she sent to the distaff" — she "sent to the destitute"; and "her palm, which held the spindle" — she "spread out to the poor." That is, she sets aside from the work of her hands charity for the destitute and kindness for the poor. The palms perform finer work; these she sends to the poor person, who is more distinguished than the destitute person. And the spreading out of the palms is done in private, but the sending of the whole hand is done in public, for the poor person is ashamed to take, unlike the destitute person. The intellectual approach (19-20) "Her hands she sent to the distaff" — she "sent to the destitute"; and "her palms held the spindle" — she "spread out to the poor." The "poor" (ani) signifies the poverty of the soul, and the "destitute" (evyon) signifies the wretchedness of the body, and the "hands" signify deeds — what she sent, her hands, "to the distaff" (kishor), with skill (kishron). And also the kishor is the thick beam to which prisoners are bound in confinement, as it is written, "Who brings out prisoners into prosperity (kosharot)" (Psalms 68:7) — and it signifies the thick, coarse matter that binds and weighs down upon the soul. Into it she sends her hands, which perform commandments and good deeds, through which she refines matter and releases it from its bonds. And these hands she sends "to the destitute" — that is, to one over whom desire has overpowered — so that when others see the deeds of his hands and his charity, they will learn to act like him and to overcome their own material nature. And "her palms, which held the spindle" — the spindle being the instrument with which she spins and weaves intellectual concepts — this she sends "to the poor" through knowledge, teaching him the Torah of Hashem and the knowledge of holy things; and this will stand him in good stead also in the World to Come.

"She spreads out" — "bread for the poor" — "to her household" — "her children": meaning she is not afraid of the snow that falls on the ground, for each member of her household is clothed with scarlet wool (tola'at shani); or, all her household is clothed with "two" [garments] — the one being of the flax (linen) kind, and "argaman" (purple) of the dyed kind, which is red.

"She stretches out her hand to the poor, and reaches forth her hands to the needy" — and this is part of the completeness of her diligence, that she does that by which she completes for the intellect its due — to acquire from wealth what suffices for her and for her household, and to give to the poor their due.

"She stretches out" — for the poor person to take her gift from her hand, and she did not withhold her hand. "She reaches forth" — she extended her hand to give into the hand of one who is ashamed to take it himself.

She fears not for her house hold For those who live in her house. for snow For the cold. are dressed in crimson Colored clothing.

"She is not afraid" — [regarding] garments of scarlet, he said this on the one hand to indicate her diligence in acquiring what is needed of wealth, and on the other hand he said this [to indicate] that what she prepares for the intellect from the sense-perceptible things is far from leading the intellect astray. And behold, she made for herself coverlets and ornaments in [proper] measure.

"She is not afraid" — She does not fear on account of the members of her household from the cold of the snow, for each one of the members of her household is clothed in a garment dyed with scarlet worm-dye, for the scarlet dye, which is red, has by its nature the quality of warming greatly.

The plain-sense approach "She is not afraid" — and although she gave away the garments that she wove to the poor and the destitute, she is not afraid on behalf of her household, at the time of snow, lest they lack covering against the cold, for all her household are clothed in scarlet (shanim). The intellectual approach "She is not afraid" "at the time of snow" — which is a figure of speech for death, for the life of a person is natural heat and the flowing of blood, and with death come snow, and coldness, and ice, and the congealing of the blood. And although the life of the body will cease, she is not afraid for her household — that is, her powers of soul — that they will remain without clothing, for "all her household are clothed in scarlet" (shanim) — for then she will be clothed in various (shonim) garments, from the Torah and commandments that she performed, which become spiritual garments for the soul.

beautiful bedspreads Heb. מרבדים, beautiful spreads for the bed, as in (above 7:16) “I have bedecked my couch with covers (מרבדים רבדתי).”

"Fine linen and purple are her clothing" — meaning to say, precious and clean garments, in praiseworthy measure, not soiled garments in disgraceful measure.

"Coverlets" — She made fine spreads for herself, and she wears garments of fine linen and purple which she made by the work of her own hands.

"Marvadim" [coverlets] — bed coverings, and likewise "coverlets have I spread [marvadim]" (above, ch. 6). "Shesh" [fine linen] — high-quality flax. "Ve-argaman" [and purple] — dyed a red color, its name being "argaman," as in "and blue, and purple... and fine linen" (Exodus 25:4).

The plain-sense approach "And she herself made coverings for herself" — these are precious ornaments — "and fine linen and purple are her clothing," for Hashem gave her wealth and riches and sent blessing upon the work of her hands. The intellectual approach "Coverings" — she also made for herself ornaments from the intellectual insights that she attained in her lifetime, which become embodied within her and adorn her; and her spiritual clothing is "of fine linen and purple," which is a figure of speech for the "robe of the Sages" (challuka de-rabbanan) and garments of majesty and splendor, for glory.

Her husband is known in the gates He is recognizable among his peers because of his garments, which are beautiful.

"Elders" — the elders; and they seat her husband among them because of her. "To a Canaanite" — a merchant, as in "kena'aneha nikhbedei aretz" (her traders are the honored of the earth).

"He is known in the gates" — Now, her husband is known for wisdom when he sits with the sages of the land, on account of the abundance of guidance that she gives him toward the acquisition of wisdom.

"Is known" — Because of the splendid garments she made for her husband, he is known and recognized among his companions when he sits with them in the gates — the place where the elders and the notable men sit — as it is written: "then his brother's widow shall go up to the gate" (Deuteronomy 25).

The plain-sense approach "Known" — she supports her husband so that he may occupy himself with Torah, until he becomes a great man, distinguished in his sitting with the Sanhedrin and the elders who sit at the gate. The intellectual approach "Known" — and the husband of this "woman of valor," meaning her intellect, is known both "in the gates" — for there they speak with the enemies of the soul "in the gate" (Psalms 127:5), that is, in the war of the intellect with the [evil] inclination, which is waged through the statutes of wisdom, by which they learn to walk in the good way and to guard against evil — and also "in his sitting with the elders of the land," which refers to the contemplation of intellectual concepts and the ways of understanding, for the elders understand judgment through the ways of understanding.

to the trafficker Heb. כנעני, a merchant.

"She makes linen garments and sells them, and a girdle" — which she made, she gave to the merchant to sell it for her, so that she would have wealth with which to acquire whatever her soul asks.

"Linen garments" etc. — Besides what she made for her own use, she made more to sell to merchants.

"Sadin" [linen garment] — a type of garment made for wrapping oneself. "Ve-chagor" [and girdle] — a belt and sash. "La-kena'ani" [to the Canaanite] — a merchant/trader, as in "the daughter of a certain Canaanite [merchant]" (Genesis 38:2).

The plain-sense interpretation: (24-25) 'Linen garment' — the linen garment that she made and sold as merchandise, and likewise the belt that she wove and gave to the Canaanite [merchant], in order to distribute the proceeds to the poor: this linen garment is 'strength and splendor,' her clothing for the last day, and by it 'she will laugh' at the last day, for the mitzvah will be a spiritual garment for her, with which she will clothe herself when she removes her physical garments. The intellectual interpretation: 'Linen garment' — the linen garment that she made and sold: this is the garment she wove by means of the ways of understanding (binah), with which the intellect weaves conceptual ideas from one person to another. 'And sold' — for understanding is likened to commerce, as it says, 'to acquire understanding is choicer than silver' (Proverbs 16:16), as stated there. Also, what she taught others of the ways of her understanding — through this she profits as well, as in the saying, 'and from my disciples more than from all of them.' And 'the belt that she gave to the Canaanite' refers to the conduct that distinguishes between good and evil, which comes through wisdom (chochmah) — this is likened to a belt that girds the loins with strength; so too, through wisdom one overcomes the [evil] inclination with strength, to act valiantly. And this she gave to the Canaanite [merchant], so that others would learn from her deeds in this.

at the last day On the day of her death, she departs with a good name. and she laughs all her life about the day of her death, that it should be honored with a good name.

"Strength" — as if she is clothed in strength and majesty. "For the time to come" — at the time of her old age she is able to stand firm, laughing, and she does not fear want; or, [this refers] to the World to Come. "Kindness" — [meaning] that she is prepared to perform kindness.

"Strength and dignity are her clothing" — Behold, her clothing is strength and dignity, meaning to say that beauty and vigor are perfected in her character, so as to subdue her bodily desires. And this is among what is perfected by her conducting herself in the ways of the Torah, and she laughs at the day of death, in the manner of men of stature, who are not terrified of death, for their will is not to live except in order to perfect the intellect; and after its perfection, they almost desire death, for it is life to them.

"Strength and dignity" — Her clothing is strong, a durable thing, and adorned in beauty. "And she laughs" — All her days she rejoices over the honor that will be hers on the day of her death.

The intellectual interpretation: 'Strength' — through this she will have a garment of strength and splendor on the last day, in which she will clothe herself with her intellectual attainments and good deeds. 'And she laughs' — she rejoices, for the merit of the many will depend upon her, and she will reap the fruit of their deeds, attributed to her, since she was the one who taught [others] how to benefit and who brought merit to many — and 'those who bring merit to the many are like the stars forever and ever' (Daniel 12:3).

"She opens her mouth with wisdom" — for from it are derived its first principles, and the law of kindness that Hashem performed for [His] creatures is made evident on her tongue, through that which reaches the senses concerning this matter, in which Hashem has made His kindness wondrous in His works of creation.

"She opens her mouth" — All her sayings are said with wisdom. "And the law of kindness" — teaching of kindness is on her tongue; that is to say, she teaches and urges others to do kindness with people.

The plain-sense interpretation: 'She opens her mouth' — then she will open her mouth on the day of judgment through the laws of wisdom that she followed, and 'the law of kindness' — the kindness she performed beyond the strict letter of the law — will be on her tongue; this will serve as her advocate on the last day. The intellectual interpretation: 'Her mouth' — then she will open her mouth in wisdom, [reflecting] how she conducted herself according to the laws of wisdom in matters between good and evil. 'And the law of kindness is on her tongue' — it has always been explained by us that 'the mouth' alludes to wisdom (chochmah), and 'the tongue' to understanding (binah). Through her tongue, by the paths of understanding, many mysteries of the Torah's secrets were revealed to her, and this is called 'the law of kindness' — for kindness (chesed) includes everything that goes beyond the plain letter of the law in abundant measure, such as one who multiplies acts of piety beyond the strict letter of the law in practice, and one who goes to great lengths in understanding the hidden mysteries of the Torah's secrets through study — this is called 'the law of kindness.'

She supervises In her house, she pays attention to all the needs of her household, how they should act with truth and with modesty.

"Idleness" — [i.e.] a lazy woman.

"She looks well" — She always looks and watches the goings and the paths that lead her to her house, wherein she joins with the intellect, to bestow upon it from the sense-perception that it needs in [its] inquiries. And she does not eat the food of the lazy, which lacks [proper] refinement; rather, all that she acquires of these imaginative forms will be of complete refinement with respect to the intellect. Behold, the woman whose way this is, is praised on account of the powers of the soul and on account of the intellect.

"She looks well" — She looks upon the conduct of the members of her household, and directs their way in modesty and in fear of Hashem. "And [eats not] the bread of idleness" — that is to say, she does not linger over her eating, delaying at it a long time in the manner of the lazy person, but rather hastens through it and returns to her work.

"Tzofiyah" [she looks well] — refers to watching, as in "watching [tzofot] the evil and the good" (above, ch. 15).

The plain-sense interpretation: (27-28) 'She looks well' — in that she was a woman of valor for the sake of maintaining her household, and in that she watched over and supervised the conduct and running of her household, and did not eat the bread of idleness — her diligence was only so as to eat bread as a blessing. For this she will not be praised in the gates among the daughters of the many; rather, 'her children rise up and call her blessed' — she will be praised only by her children and her husband alone, not by others, for— The intellectual interpretation: 'She looks well' — there are souls that occupy themselves only with perfecting themselves, and they will not be praised by others. But the souls upon whom abundant influence was bestowed, to the point that they merit [benefiting] the [present] generation and future generations as well — like the prophets, men of the spirit, the great ones of the generation, and the righteous, through their Torah and their good deeds — they will be praised generation after generation. This is what is meant: the soul whose only concern is to look well to the ways of her own household, attending only to her own affairs, and who does not eat the bread of idleness, and is diligent in study and in deed only to perfect herself — she will not be praised in the gates among the daughters of the many; rather—

"They rise up" — in the morning her children [rise up], for at night her lamp does not go out. "And praises her" — this is the praise, that they say of her: "Many daughters have done valiantly" — [meaning] have acquired substance. "You surpass" — like [the phrase] "and she raised up one of her cubs" (Ezekiel 19:3); that is to say, she is greater than all of them.

"They rise up" — On account of all this, her children and her husband rise up and commend and praise her.

"Kamu" [rise up] — refers to bestirring oneself to do something, as in "Rise, I pray you, sit" [kum na shevah] (Genesis 27). "Va-y'ashruha" [and call her blessed] — refers to praise and acclaim, as in "Happy is the man" [ashrei ha-ish] (Psalms 1).

The intellectual interpretation: 'Her children rise up and call her blessed' — corresponding to her diligence in good deeds, her offspring will call her blessed; these are her good deeds, which are her 'children.' Likewise, the faculties of the soul that receive the reward of deeds are the 'children' of the encompassing soul. And corresponding to her effort in contemplation and the attainment of truths, only 'her husband praises her' — this is the intellect, which is the husband of the allegorical 'woman of valor'; he praises her for not having made him cease from study and contemplation.

“Many women, etc.” In this way, her husband and children call her fortunate.

"Many daughters" — and they will say: "Many daughters have done valiantly, but you have risen above them all."

"Many" — And thus they say: it is indeed true there are many daughters who have acquired and amassed great wealth by the work of their hands, but you have grown great so as to surpass them all.

"Asu" [have done] — refers to acquisition and gathering in, as in "and the souls that they had acquired [asu] in Charan" (Genesis 12). "Chayil" [valiantly, lit. might/wealth] — wealth. "Alit" [you excel] — from the language of "elyon" (higher).

The plain-sense interpretation: (29-31) 'Many daughters have done valiantly' — in this matter, gathering wealth and property for their households. But 'you excel them all' — in that for you, grace was deceitful and beauty was vain; you did not pride yourself on grace and beauty, but were praised only for having been 'a woman who fears Hashem.' For this, 'give her of the fruit of her hands' — for this she will receive the fruit of her deeds in the world of recompense. And for this, not only her husband will praise her — rather, 'her deeds will praise her in the gates.' The intellectual interpretation: (29-31) 'Many daughters have done valiantly' — there were many such souls who perfected themselves, but 'you excel them all,' to the point that 'grace is deceitful' — for the earlier souls who attained grace and beauty through their intellect and good deeds are deceitful and vain compared to you, since you are praised for having been 'a woman who fears Hashem,' and through the fear of Hashem you merited the holy spirit and the merit of bringing righteousness to many (as our Sages, of blessed memory, said: 'grace is deceitful' refers to the generation of Moses, and so on — and similarly several other homiletical expositions — concerning souls who rose in stature above previous generations to an even greater degree through the fear of Hashem that nested in their hearts). Therefore, 'give her of the fruit of her hands,' and you will receive great reward through the merit of the many. 'And her deeds will praise her in the gates,' and her name will remain for a blessing and for glory in the gates of wisdom and righteousness, and in the gates of the daughters of the many.

Charm is false No one praises a woman of charm or beauty; everything is futility and false, but a God-fearing woman alone is praised.

"Grace is deceitful" — this verse, too, is [part of] the praise of her children: it is they who say, "False is the gracious woman, and vain is beauty."

"Grace is deceitful" — for that which she prepares for the intellect will sometimes lead to error in the deep inquiries to which the fear of Hashem is not joined.

"Grace is deceitful" — The grace of a woman and her beauty are deceitful and vain; that is to say, there is not in them enough benefit to praise a woman for these, but rather a woman who fears Hashem — she is the one worthy of being praised for this.

"Sheker" [deceitful] and "hevel" [vain] — their meaning is something devoid of substance. "Tithallal" [she shall be praised] — from the language of "hillul" (praise) and "shevach" (acclaim).

her deeds The skill of her deeds testifies for her so that all passersby praise her in the gate of the city. This is the figure, as I explained it, but according to the allegory, the chapter is explained as referring to the Torah and those who study it. (v. 10) a woman of valor This is the Torah. who can find Fortunate is he who merits to find it. than pearls Heb. מפנינים, [also referred to as] מרגליות. (v. 11) and he lacks no gain He eats the fruit in this world and in the next (v. 13) She seeks wool and flax Since it [the Torah] is compared to a woman, Scripture speaks according to the figure concerning the requirements for the work of women, and the allegory is as follows: The Torah seeks Scripture, Mishnah and Midrash, and searches for them, as they are the requirements of the students. (v. 14) She is like the merchant ships The Torah brings those who study it blessing and sustenance. (v. 15) She rises when it is still night They rise early in the [morning] watch. she gives food to her household The teacher teaches the pupils the lesson allotted to them. (v. 16) She contemplates a field Heb. זממה. The Torah muzzles Esau, the “man of the field,” with a muzzle and a bridle. and purchases it lit. and takes him from the world to destroy him; from the fruit of her deeds she plants a vineyard Israel, to keep them alive for the fire of the world to come. (v. 18) She advised Its speech. her lamp does not go out at night It is written בליל, with the “hey” missing; on the night of watching (ליל שמורים), when the Egyptians were plagued, it shone for Israel and protected them. (v. 19) onto the distaff Heb. בכישור, through the skill of its deeds. support the spindle Heb. פלך, a support, as in (II Sam. 3:29): “one who leans on a staff (מחזיק בפלך).” (v. 20) She spreads out her hand Whoever makes himself like a poor man on its account—in him it [the Torah] endures. (v. 21) She fears not for her household for snow with which they judge the wicked from fire to snow. dressed in crimson The covenant of the blood of circumcision. Another explanation: They are dressed with the commandments expressed in double language. (Deut. 15:10): “You shall surely give (נתון תתן),” (ibid. verse 8): “you shall surely open (פתוח תפתח),” (ibid. verse 14): “you shall surely furnish him liberally (הענק תעניק).” All these save them from the snow of Gehinnom. So it is expounded in Tanhuma. (v. 24) She makes a cloak It grants a glorious [raiment] to the Sages. and she gives a belt to the trafficker To the one who is girded with its merchandise, she gives a belt for their loins. (v. 25) to the last day They need not grieve over the day of judgment because they will be saved from it, and all the days of their life they will rejoice at the day of judgment. An expression of צחוק, laughter, applies to anyone who need not be concerned, as in (Job 41:21): “and he rejoices at the din of a spear.” (v. 27) She supervises the ways of her household The Torah teaches them the good way, to separate from sin. (v. 28) Her children The pupils. her husband The Holy One, blessed be He. (v. 30) Charm is false [The charm] of the kings of the nations. and...is futile Their greatness and their beauty. (v. 31) Give her in the future. of the fruit of her hands Glory and greatness, strength, beauty and ruling power.

"Give" — the husband says to his children: "Give her of the fruit of her hands," until those who praise her, praise her for her deeds; or, her deeds themselves shall praise her. And the "giving" here is [done] through speech, as in the matter of: "Give unto Hashem your God glory" (Jeremiah 13:16). The Book of Proverbs is completed.

"Give her" — Behold, to a woman such as this, [reward] shall be given from the fruit of her hands, for benefit follows from the providence that cleaves [to her husband], on her account, through a good intellect, and not through bodily matters as well, as we have explained in Book Four of the Wars of Hashem (Milchamot Hashem). And her deeds shall praise her in the gates, where the pleasantness of her character, the goodness of her discipline, and her fear of Hashem shall be recounted. And behold, the benefit of this statement, according to the allegorical sense, is evident; and there is a further benefit in it, according to the literal parable, namely to guide a woman to strive in the service of her husband and in the proper ordering of her house in this manner.

"Give her" — Give her of the fruit of her hands; that is to say, repay her the reward of her deeds, to praise and laud her. "And let her works praise her, etc." — That is to say, the excellence of her deeds will praise her in the gates, the place where the notables sit; therefore there is no need to publicize her praise, for her deeds are what testify about her, and they are what praise her. And the entire matter is also stated as an allegory for the rational soul, which assists its possessor just as a wife assists her husband. (v. 10) "A woman of valor, who can find?" — Who is it that finds a rational soul in its perfection, able to know and understand every matter of wisdom and intellect by itself? It is as if to say: behold, this is difficult to find in reality; yet such a soul is found, having ability and ingenuity to know everything. And this is because she recognizes that her accomplishment is far more valuable than the reward of pearls, having no comparable equivalent — for one who sells pearls receives their price, and the pearls leave his possession; but one who teaches wisdom to another in exchange for learning a different wisdom, both wisdoms remain in the possession of each of them. Thus, one who possesses such a soul can, through this, acquire many wisdoms. (v. 11) "Trusts" — The possessor of the rational soul trusts in it, and he will not lack for plundering the spoil of wisdoms from others, for he has something to teach in exchange for them. (v. 12) "She has repaid him" — The rational soul guides its possessor on a straight path for his good, and does not lead him astray to walk on crooked paths to his harm; and all his days, no mishap will befall him through it. (v. 13) "She seeks out" — Indeed, she will succeed in investigating the hidden reasons for the commandments, which Satan raises objections against, such as the wearing of shatnez — wool and linen together — and the like; and even though she has not grasped the reason, nevertheless she performs them willingly, without laxity. (v. 14) "She is" — She will succeed in grasping speculative matters that are difficult to understand, by means of numerous premises and varied proofs, like this ship that brings merchandise from a distant land. (v. 15) "And she rises" — While she is still perplexed and wandering in the matter of investigation, while the lights of inference and the radiance of comprehension are still dark, she will then find, along the way of her inquiry, intelligible matters from other branches of wisdom. (v. 16) "She considers" — Everything she longs to understand, she will understand and attain, and she will also become skilled at deducing one matter from another, and she further produces blossoms and flowers. (v. 17) "She girds" — She is diligent and strives very much to investigate and probe deeply into intelligible matters. (v. 18) "She perceives" — When she begins to investigate intelligible matters and finds the origin of the matter, then her hands will not slacken, and she will not rest until she reaches the goal; and the depth of the concept will not restrain her, for she will become skilled at illuminating the darkness, to refine and clarify it. (v. 19) "Her hands" — When her power of speculation weakens, she will occupy herself with matters that are easy to grasp. (v. 20) "Her palm" — She sweetens her words with fitting eloquence, to instill wisdom and understanding into the hearts of those weak in knowledge and lacking in comprehension. (v. 21) "Not" — She is not afraid of bad occurrences or of troubles that arise, for the merit and the good deeds in her possession serve as a shield and refuge for her. (v. 22) "Coverings" — Because she has multiplied upright and honest deeds, she will delight in abundance in the world of reward. (v. 23) "Known" — The possessor of such a soul is known at the gates of the Garden of Eden, and the doors will not be shut before him; he is also known when he sits in the company of the heavenly academy on high, for they will prepare for him a seat at the head. (v. 24) "Linen garments" — She has investigated and comprehended, through her own knowledge, wondrous matters, and her light flows to nourish others in exchange for other intelligible ideas. (v. 25) "Strength" — She performed the deeds of the commandments in the best manner and with proper intent; therefore, even while she is still on the earth, she rejoices when she remembers the time of separation from the body, for through her actions she trusts that she will return to the holy source from which she was hewn. (v. 26) "Her mouth" — Her only occupation is the pursuit of wisdom, and she bestows it upon others even as an act of kindness, without payment of recompense, if his hand does not attain enough wisdom to give her in exchange for her wisdom. (v. 27) "She watches over" — At all times she looks ahead and brings to mind the ways of the eternal world, for there is her true, everlasting home; therefore she does not grow lazy in her diligent pursuit of wisdom while she is still on earth. (v. 28) "They rise up" — The angels that she created through the fulfillment of the commandments, and her Husband, the Master of all souls — all of them together praise and glorify her. (v. 29) "Many" — It is indeed true that good things can be found in all the various kinds of wisdom; but the benefit of the wisdom of the Torah surpasses them all. (v. 30) "False" — The subtle speculations and clever investigations found in the other branches of wisdom — their benefit is not great compared to the wisdom of the Torah, for they are as nothing against it. (v. 31) "Give" — For the rational soul engaged in the wisdom of the Torah, there is reward for its labor, and it is what teaches proper deeds — not so all the other branches of wisdom; therefore it surpasses them all.