but if there is perverseness in it, it causes destruction by wind When one is perverse with his tongue, it will ultimately bring upon him destruction that comes from the east wind, which is prepared to mete out retribution upon the wicked, as it is stated (Ex. 14:21): “with a strong east wind”; (Jer. 18: 17): “Like an east wind I will scatter them”; and (Ps. 48:8): “With an east wind, You break the ships of Tarshish.”

The house of a righteous man possesses great strength The Temple that David the Righteous built is a great strength and a mighty tower for Israel.

but it becomes ruined with the bringing of the wicked man But with the bringing of the idols that Manasseh brought into it, it was ruined.

The lips of the wise crown knowledge יזרו, they crown knowledge, as in (Ex. 25: “a gold crown (זר).”

is not so It is not true gold.

The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination of the Lord Balak and Balaam.

but the prayer of the upright This is Moses.

Harsh discipline will come to him who forsakes the way Harsh suffering is ready for him who transgresses the way of the Holy One, blessed be He.

The grave and Destruction are opposite the Lord It is revealed to Him all that are therein.

surely people’s hearts This is an inference from a major to a minor.

A merry heart makes a cheerful face If you cheer up the heart of the Holy One, blessed be He, by following His ways, He will show you a cheerful face to do your will, but if you sadden Him, He will show you a breaking spirit, as it is stated (Gen. 6:6f): “And He became saddened to His heart. And the Lord said, ‘I will erase man, etc.’“ a breaking spirit (Talant in Old French, explained in Ecc. 1:6) a spirit of fury.

All the days of a poor man are wretched Even Sabbaths and festivals, as Samuel said. A change of diet is the beginning of intestinal disorders.

but he who has a cheerful heart One whose heart is cheerful with his wealth.

always has a feast All his years seem to him like days of feasting to teach you that a person should be happy with his lot (Avoth 4:1). And our Sages expounded [on this] in the chapter entitled Chelek (Sanh. 100b, 101a).

Better a little with the fear of the Lord, than a great treasury and turmoil with it The voice of people shouting that the treasury was made from robbery and violence, as in (Amos 3:9): “And see great confusions within it and people being oppressed in its midst.”

than a fattened ox To feed him fat meat and to show him an angry countenance. than a fattened ox אבוס. An ox into whose mouth they stuff the food against his will, in order to fatten him. Likewise (I Kings 5:3): “fatted (אבוסים) fowl.” And it can be explained allegorically as referring to the handful—the little bit offered up by the poor—[being better] than an ox for a sin-offering offered up by a wicked man. Another explanation: Better a repast of herbs To give a poor man. where there is love To show him a friendly countenance.

A man of wrath stirs up quarrel A man who has no control over his anger, to be slow to anger, stirs up quarrels.

but he who is slow to anger Who does not hasten to take revenge and to quarrel.

abates strife It ends and abates by itself.

The way of a lazy man is like a hedge of thorns In his eyes, it appears as though the roads are fenced before him with a fence of thorns.

like a hedge of Heb. כמשכת. A fence, as in (Isa. 5:5): “I will remove its hedge (משוכתו).”

thorns Heb. חדק, thorns. but the path of the upright is even סללה, trodden and cleared. The Midrash Aggadah (Pesikta d’Rav Kahana 11a) states: The way of Esau is like a thorn entangled in a fleece of wool. If you extract it from here, it catches on here. Likewise, no one can extricate himself from his false accusations without money.

A wise son makes his father happy, but a foolish person despises his mother He causes people to despise his mother.

Folly is joy It is joy for the one devoid of sense.

Plans are foiled for lack of counsel Without counsel, the plan will not be established.

A man has joy with the response of his mouth According to its apparent meaning: Through a soft answer and gentle speech, people love him. Our Sages expounded it as referring to those who memorize the Torah; if they utter an answer with their mouth, they will remember it and rejoice with it.

and how good is a word in time! They ask concerning the laws of Passover and the laws of Sukkoth in their season.

The path of life is above the intelligent person As in (Isa. 6:2): “Seraphim stood above for Him.” Before the wise man, the path of life is arrayed and prepared.

troubles his own house he who is greedy of gain.

but he who hates gifts will live Since he hates gifts, he surely hates robbery.

The heart of a righteous man thinks to answer He will think and understand what to answer before replying.

The light of the eyes in Torah.

makes the heart happy when they ask him something, and he knows what to answer. According to its simple meaning, it is to be interpreted according to its apparent meaning: A thing that is a delight to the sight of the eyes makes the heart happy and cleanses the sadness of the heart, such as a vegetable garden and flowing rivers.

and before honor there is humility Humility causes honor to come.