Great Throughts Treasury

"Seven things characterize the wise man, and seven the blockhead. The wise man speaks not before those who are his superiors, either in age or wisdom. He interrupts not others in the midst of their discourse. He replies not hastily. His questions are relevant to the subject, his answers, to the purpose. In delivering his sentiments he taketh the first in order first, the last, last. What he understands not he says, ?I understand not.? He acknowledges his error, and is open to conviction. The reverse of all this characterizes the blockhead."

"Sheep follow sheep."

"Silence (in court) may be equivalent to confession."

"Sinful thoughts are even more dangerous than sin itself."

"Sin is sweet in the beginning, but bitter in the end."

"Teach thy tongue to say, "I do not know.""

"The best conduct a man can adopt is that which gains him the esteem of others without depriving him of his own."

"Speak the truth to one another, render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace."

"The bad teacher's words fall on his pupils like harsh rain; the good teacher's, as gently as dew."

"That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. That is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation."

"The burden is equal to the horse's strength"

"The best preacher is the heart; the best teacher is time; the best book is the world; the best friend is God."

"The day is short, the labor long, the workers are idle, and reward is great, and the Master is urgent."

"The joy of the heart begets song"

"The noblest of all charities is in enabling the poor to earn a livelihood."

"The parent who does not teach the child a useful trade is teaching him or her to steal"

"The doctrines of religion are resolved into carefulness; carefulness into vigorousness; vigorousness into guiltlessness; guiltlessness into abstemiousness; abstemiousness into cleanliness; cleanliness into godliness."

"The deeper the sorrow the less the tongue has it."

"The end result of wisdom is... good deeds."

"The highest form of wisdom is kindness."

"The Divine Spirit does not reside in any except the joyful heart"

"The house that does not open to the poor shall open to the physician."

"The sacred books should be burned rather than made available to women"

"The sun sets without thy assistance."

"There are three whose life is no life: he who lives at another’s table; he whose wife domineers over him; and he who suffers bodily affliction."

"There are three things which, in great quantity, are bad, and, in little, very good: leaven, salt, and liberality."

"This is the punishment of a liar: he is not believed, even when he speaks the truth."

"There is no pity for a man who moans about living in one town and does not move to another."

"There are stars whose light only reaches the earth long after they have fallen apart. There are people whose remembrance gives light in this world, long after they have passed away. This light shines in our darkest nights on the road we must follow."

"The whole worth of a kind deed is in the love that inspires it."

"There are three whose lives are lacking: the over-compassionate, the hot-tempered, and the too-squeamish He who carries out one good deed acquires one advocate in his own behalf, and he who commits one transgression acquires one accuser against himself. Repentance and good works are like a shield against calamity."

"There is a great difference between one who can feel ashamed before his own soul and one who is only ashamed before his fellow men."

"Three things are good in little measure and evil in large: yeast, salt and hesitation."

"Throw no stones into the well whence you have drunk."

"To break an oral agreement which is not legally binding is morally wrong."

"Thy friend has a friend, and thy friend's friend has a friend; be discreet."

"Too many captains sink the ship."

"Tongue in the mouth of woman is one of God's less agreeable blunders."

"Until a child is one year old it is incapable of sin."

"To have no faithful friends is worse than death."

"Trust not your own powers till the day of your death."

"Underneath the wings of the seraphim are stretched the arms of the divine mercy, ever ready to receive sinners."

"Up to the age of forty eating is beneficial. After forty, drinking."

"Understand a man by his deeds and words; the impressions of others lead to false judgment."

"When a scholar goes to seek out a bride he should take along an ignoramus as an expert ."

"When a thief has no opportunity for stealing, he considers himself an honest man."

"When choosing a wife look down the social scale; when selecting a friend, look upwards."

"When the castle goes to ruin, castle is still its name; when the dunghill rises, still it is a dunghill."

"When love is strong, a man and a woman can make their bed on a sword's blade. When love grows weak, a bed of 60 cubits is not large enough."

"When the wine's in, murder will out."