Mishlei 17:20 - Crooked Hearts and Reversed Speech

Mishlei 17:20 - Crooked Hearts and Reversed Speech

Author: Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss March 17, 2026 Duration: 1:24:10

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Mishlei 17:20 - Crooked Hearts and Reversed Speech

עִקֶּשׁ לֵב לֹא יִמְצָא טוֹב וְנֶהְפָּךְ בִּלְשׁוֹנוֹ יִפּוֹל בְּרָעָה:

Length: 1 hour 23 minutes
Synopsis: This evening (3/16/26), in our Monday Night Mishlei shiur, we took up a pasuk that felt simultaneously generic and specific. We came up with good approaches, some complete and some on their way there, but then I hit a wall of exhaustion (due to a short, interrupted sleep the night before). We quickly had to deploy my own approach that I developed with my high school students earlier that day. Because my mind was zonked, I don't know if I got it out clearly. We did one more interpretation from the meforshim, then called it a night even without review. Still good Mishlei, even if it wasn't up to par. 
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מקורות:
משלי יז:כ
תרגום כתובים
הואיל משה
פירוש רס"ג
מצודת דוד
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This week's Torah content is sponsored by Seth Speiser, in honor of the yahrzeit of his father, Rabbi George Speiser (Rav Yosef ben Dovid). Rabbi Speiser was a kind and gentle soul as well as an intellectual and a scholar. He received smicha from Rav Hutner at Chaim Berlin. His love for teaching and making puns was only outweighed by his love of family.
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Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss hosts The Mishlei Podcast, a series of classes dedicated to a deep and practical exploration of Sefer Mishlei, known in English as the Book of Proverbs. This isn't a theoretical lecture series; instead, the rabbi grounds the ancient wisdom in a framework articulated by the sage Saadia Gaon, treating the text as a timeless manual for making smarter choices. The central idea is that Mishlei offers a path toward increasing lasting fulfillment and reducing future regret, making its lessons immediately relevant to daily decisions and relationships. Each episode, or shiur, usually concentrates on unpacking a single verse, examining its language, context, and layers of meaning. Listeners will find a thoughtful, step-by-step analysis that connects the biblical text to contemporary challenges in work, character development, and personal growth. The pace is deliberate, allowing space for reflection on how these principles apply off the page. For anyone interested in Jewish thought, self-improvement, or simply gaining a more thoughtful approach to life's complexities, this podcast provides a structured yet accessible guide. You'll hear a teacher's passion for the material without pretense, focusing on clarity and real-world application. Tune in for a quiet, intellectual engagement with one of the world's most enduring collections of wisdom literature.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 692

The Mishlei Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Mishlei 17:4 - What the Evildoer and Man-of-Falsehood Listen To [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:42:17
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!Mishlei 17:4 - What the Evildoer and Man-of-Falsehood Listen Toמֵרַע מַקְשִׁיב עַל שְׂפַת אָוֶן, שֶׁקֶר מֵזִין עַל לְשׁוֹן הַוֺּת:Length: 1 hour 42 minutesSynopsi…
Mishlei 17:3 - The Crucible of the Heart [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:32:07
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!Mishlei 17:3 - The Crucible of the Heartמַצְרֵף לַכֶּסֶף וְכוּר לַזָּהָב וּבֹחֵן לִבּוֹת יְיָ:Length: 1 hour 31 minutesSynopsis: This evening (9/29/25), in our Mo…
Mishlei 25:1-2 - Kavod Elohim vs. Kavod Melachim (Part 2) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:58
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!Mishlei 25:1-2 - Kavod Elohim vs. Kavod Melachim (Part 2)גַּם אֵלֶּה מִשְׁלֵי שְׁלֹמֹה אֲשֶׁר הֶעְתִּיקוּ אַנְשֵׁי חִזְקִיָּה מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה:כְּבֹד אֱלֹהִים הַסְ…
Mishlei 25:1-2 - Kavod Elohim vs. Kavod Melachim (Part 1) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:59
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!Mishlei 25:1-2 - Kavod Elohim vs. Kavod Melachim (Part 1)גַּם אֵלֶּה מִשְׁלֵי שְׁלֹמֹה אֲשֶׁר הֶעְתִּיקוּ אַנְשֵׁי חִזְקִיָּה מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה:כְּבֹד אֱלֹהִים הַסְ…
Mishlei 15:33 - Mishlei's Definition of Yiras Hashem (Part 2) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:46
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!Mishlei 15:33 - Mishlei's Definition of Yiras Hashem (Part 2)יִרְאַת יְיָ מוּסַר חׇכְמָה וְלִפְנֵי כָבוֹד עֲנָוָה: Length: 44 minutesSynopsis: This morning (9/18/…
Mishlei 15:33 - Mishlei's Definition of Yiras Hashem (Part 1) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:25
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!Mishlei 15:33 - Mishlei's Definition of Yiras Hashem (Part 1)יִרְאַת יְיָ מוּסַר חׇכְמָה וְלִפְנֵי כָבוֹד עֲנָוָה: Length: 47 minutesSynopsis: This morning (9/17/…
Mishlei 17:2 - Intelligent Servant vs. Embarrassing Son [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:37:48
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!Mishlei 17:2 - Intelligent Servant vs. Embarrassing Sonעֶבֶד מַשְׂכִּיל יִמְשֹׁל בְּבֵן מֵבִישׁ וּבְתוֹךְ אַחִים יַחֲלֹק נַחֲלָה:Length: 1 hour 42 minutesSynopsis…
Mishlei 15:32 - The Consequences of Loosening or Negating Mussar (Part 2) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:56
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!Mishlei 15:32 - The Consequences of Loosening or Negating Mussar (Part 2)פּוֹרֵעַ מוּסָר מוֹאֵס נַפְשׁוֹ וְשׁוֹמֵעַ תּוֹכַחַת קוֹנֶה לֵּב:Length: 30 minutesSynops…
Mishlei 15:32 - The Consequences of Loosening or Negating Mussar (Part 1) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:28
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!Mishlei 15:32 - The Consequences of Loosening or Negating Mussar (Part 1)פּוֹרֵעַ מוּסָר מוֹאֵס נַפְשׁוֹ וְשׁוֹמֵעַ תּוֹכַחַת קוֹנֶה לֵּב:Length: 43 minutesSynops…
Mishlei 17:1 - A Dry Piece of Bread vs. a House Filled with Meat [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:43:15
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!Mishlei 17:1 - A Dry Piece of Bread vs. a House Filled with Meatטוֹב פַּת חֲרֵבָה וְשַׁלְוָה בָהּ, מִבַּיִת מָלֵא זִבְחֵי רִיב:Length: 1 hour 42 minutesSynopsis:…