Mishlei 25:4-5 - The Silver Refining Principle/Fallacy (Part 1)

Mishlei 25:4-5 - The Silver Refining Principle/Fallacy (Part 1)

Author: Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss November 5, 2025 Duration: 11:05

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!

Mishlei 25:4-5 - The Silver Refining Principle/Fallacy (Part 1)

(ד) הָגוֹ סִיגִים מִכָּסֶף וַיֵּצֵא לַצֹּרֵף כֶּלִי.(ה) הָגוֹ רָשָׁע לִפְנֵי מֶלֶךְ וְיִכּוֹן בַּצֶּדֶק כִּסְאוֹ.

Length: 10 minutes
Synopsis: This morning (11/5/25), in our Morning Mishlei shiur, we only had 10 minutes - since I spent the first 35 minutes giving an impromptu "Mishleic Musings on Mamdani’s Mayoral Mandate" shiur (available at https://rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ for paid subscribers only). We managed to raise all the major questions on our couplet of pesukim. Tomorrow we'll delve into our own ideas and some of the meforshim.
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מקורות:
משלי כה:ד-ה
מצודת ציון/דוד
ר"י אבן כספי פירוש ב
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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 18:7 - The Self-Inflicted Harm of a Fool’s Speech [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:28
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!Morning Mishlei shiur given at YBT (10/13/20) on Mishlei 18:7.פִּי כְסִיל מְחִתָּה לוֹ וּשְׂפָתָיו מוֹקֵשׁ נַפְשׁוֹPlease feel free to leave your questions, insig…
Review of Mishlei 18:1-6 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:59
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!This morning (10/1/20 at YBT) we reviewed all of the pesukim we've covered thus far, spanning 18:1-6. We clarified some ideas, sharpened others, and revised other…
Mishlei 18:6 - The Contentious Communication of the Ksil [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:35
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!Morning Mishlei shiur given at YBT (9/30/20) on Mishlei 18:6. It's a complete coincidence that today's pasuk happened to be about last night's presidential debate…
Mishlei 18:5 - Showing Favoritism to a Rasha in Judgment [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:04
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!This Mishlei shiur was given at YBT on 9/22/20. After reviewing Mishlei 18:4 and going over an additional original interpretation, we learned Mishlei 18:5 in acco…
Mishlei 18:4 - How to Listen to a Chacham (Part B) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:26
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!Morning Mishlei shiur given at YBT (9/21/20) on Mishlei 18:4. This is the continuation of our interrupted Zoom session (https://youtu.be/olsMl1EkRm8).מַיִם עֲמֻקִ…
Mishlei 18:4 - How to Listen to a Chacham (Part A) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:05
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!Morning Mishlei shiur given at YBT (9/21/20) on Mishlei 18:4. Unfortunately, we got booted from Zoom between OUR explanation and Rabbeinu Yonah's explanation. The…
Mishlei 18:3 - Avoiding Degradation by a Rasha [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:08
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!Morning Mishlei shiur given at YBT (9/15/20) on Mishlei 18:3.בְּבוֹא רָשָׁע בָּא גַם בּוּז וְעִם קָלוֹן חֶרְפָּה:Please feel free to leave your questions, insight…
Mishlei 18:2 - The Fool's Interest in Knowledge [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:33
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!We begin our inaugural Mishlei shiur at YBT (given on 9/14/20) with an overview of Mishlei and its methodology. We commence our learning of the text with Mishlei…