Do not boast Do not boast now concerning a thing that is destined to be tomorrow.

for you do not know what the day will bear Perhaps the day will bear some evil that will nullify it.

and the burden Heb. ונטל, a burden.

the anger of a fool that a fool angers the Holy One, blessed be He, causes [Him] to bring anger to the world.

but who can stand up before jealousy Who can stand up before the jealousy of He Who is jealous and vengeful?

are burdensome Heb. נעתרות, an expression of largeness, as in (Ezek. 35: 13): “You have multiplied (נעתרות) against Me.”

tramples honeycomb Heb. תבוס, tramples by foot, as in (Ps. 44:6): “we will trample (נבוס) those who rise up against us.”

all bitter is sweet Every sweet thing is bitter to it. This can be interpreted in regard to the study of the Torah. If one shows himself to be sated, that he has no desire for words of the Torah as a desire of his soul, he tramples honeycomb. [That is,] even the reasons that are acceptable to the heart are not important to him, but he who yearns for it, even the things that come to him with bitterness and toil are sweet to him.

wandering from its nest that goes and wanders, so is a man who wanders from his place, i.e., a Torah scholar who wanders away from his studies, from reviewing what he learned.

Oil and incense The scent of balsamum oil and the scent of incense cause the heart to rejoice.

and the sweet words of his friend more than one’s own counsel He whose friend draws him near with words is better than what his [own] soul advises him. Another explanation: and the sweetness of his friend who improves his deeds, that they should be sweet to the Holy One, blessed be He, is better for him than gratifying the desires of his heart.

your friend and your father’s friend The Holy One, blessed be He, Who is called a friend to Israel, and your father’s friend, for He endeared your forefathers.

Do not forsake And, if you do forsake Him, retribution will befall you.

and...your brother’s house Do not rely on the children of Esau and Ishmael that they should befriend you. We find that when Israel was exiled to Babylon, they would say to those who led them in neck irons, “We beg of you, lead us on the way of our brethren, the sons of Esau and Ishmael,” and the sons of Esau went out toward them and welcomed them with various kinds of salty foods and blown up flasks.

than a distant brother It is better that the One Who is near to those who call Him dwell among you than that you should come to your brother who distanced himself by saying (Gen. 27:41): “When the days of mourning for my father are at hand, etc.”

Be wise, my son Heb. חכם, become wise, my son.

and cause my heart to rejoice and let my heart be happy with you.

A cunning man saw harm He sees the retribution coming upon the earth and hides from it by withdrawing from sin, but the fools did not hide and passed on the way of harm.

and were punished They suffered loss.

because he stood surety for a stranger A man who stood surety brings about that the judge should say to the creditor, “Take his garment.”

He who blesses his friend Someone blesses his friend daily, and the blessing is converted into a curse, for people say about him that he is generous with his money and wealthy, and everyone comes and borrows from him, and the government provokes him to collect his money. In this manner, it is interpreted in tractate Arachin (16a). Besides this, it appears in the midrash of Rabbi Tanhuma (Balak 15) as regards Balaam, who blessed Israel with a loud voice, as it is stated (Num. 23:7): “And he took up his discourse, etc.,” an expression of raising the voice, and he later counseled to cause them to sin.

A constant dripping Rain that drips from the roof into the house and drives out the inhabitants of the house.

on a rainstormy day Heb. סגריר, a rainy day, when all are shut in their houses.

and a quarrelsome woman, are alike They are both the same...

He who guards her guards the wind He who thinks to watch her from her lewdness guards the wind; just as it is impossible to guard the wind, so will she not be guarded.

and he calls “the oil of his right hand” He calls “tzaraath” to come upon him until he drives her out like a “metzora,” who is purified with oil on the thumb of his right hand [as in Lev. 14:17].

sharpens the countenance of his friend Heb. יחד, sharpens. Torah scholars sharpen each other in halachah.

shall eat its fruit and so will one who guards his master be honored and eat the fruit of his deeds.

As in water the face that you show it, it shows you.

is the heart of a man to a man his friend. According to how much a man knows that his friend loves him, so he will show him his face.

The grave and Gehinnom will not be sated from receiving the wicked therein, just as the eyes of a wicked man will not be sated from wandering after temptation and gratifying his lust.

The refining pot A vessel made to refine silver. The furnace is made to refine gold. A man is refined and considered according to his praise; according to how people praise him for his good deeds, he is tested by the public, whether good or bad.

grain Heb. הריפות, wheat crushed in a mortar.

in a mortar Heb. במכתש, a mortar, in French mortier; Morser in German.

with a pestle Heb. בעלי, a pestle, pilon in French, Stossel in German. Since they lift it up (מעלין) and beat with it, it is called עלי.

the condition of your flocks lit. the face of your flocks. Do not think lightly of always paying attention to them to determine what they require.

For riches are not forever For, if you are rich with silver and gold, perhaps it will not last forever. Therefore, do not despise your small things.

When the hay is carried away When the hay is carried away in the days of Nissan, the grass becomes visible, and the grasses are gathered to grow (?), then it will be beneficial to you, for you will have the fleece of the lambs for your clothing.

and... the worth of the field The he-goats will be worth as much as a field because you will eat the flesh and sell the hides.

and enough for your sustenance.

For your food and the food of your household; you will have sufficient goat milk. This is the figure. The allegory is: the condition of your flocks The teacher who is appointed over the congregation is required to carry them in his bosom and to lead them slowly. For riches are not forever and thereby, he eats the fruit, and the principal remains.

When the hay is carried away When his laws are disseminated and the Torah is magnified through him, then these lambs will be his clothing, and the disciples shall be to him for a name and for raiment of glory and beauty.