Description
Book SynopsisMore than commonplace truisms, the biblical Book of Proverbs is an anthology of teachings designed to help you live with a sense of self-responsibility. Its wisdom, compiled in the seventh century BCE and credited to King Solomon, transcends nationality and politics, addressing instead the individual seeking the true satisfaction and tranquillity that comes from living with an honest perception of reality. In this fresh translation of an ancient "how-to," Rami Shapiro unpacks the proverbs, demonstrating how these complex poetic forms are actually straightforward instructions to live simply, without rationalisations and excuses. He shows how unlike almost anything else in the Hebrew Bible, the truths claimed in the Book of Proverbs are testable and verifiable. They force us to examine our lives and how we are living them without the benefit of psychological sophistry and New Age babble: We are either doing good or doing bad; we are either disciplined or lazy; we are either students of wisdom or puppets of desire. Now you can experience the Book of Proverbs and understand Solomon's teachings with no previous knowledge of the Hebrew Bible. This SkyLight Illuminations edition presents insightful commentary that shares these timeless principles and encourages us to put them into practice in ways that are uniquely our own.
Trade Review"Clear, engaging and instructive ... a valuable teaching." —Union of Liberal & Progressive Synagogues Newsletter
Table of ContentsPreface Introduction The Nine Foundational Teachings Introduction The First Teaching The Second Teaching The Third Teaching The Fourth Teaching The Fifth Teaching The Sixth Teaching The Seventh Teaching The Eighth Teaching The Ninth Teaching The First Collection of Shorter Sayings The Thirty Precepts of Wisdom Sayings of Solomon's Contemporaries The Second Collection of Shorter Sayings Warnings and Numerical Proverbs A Mother's Advice Afterword Bibliography
