Hi everybody. Welcome to NachDaily, covering the entire Tanach one perek at a time. Today we’ll be discussing Mishlei, perek 5, containing 23 pessukim.
In this perek, Shlomo Hamelech primarily warns us to stay away from the Isha Zarah, Foreign Woman. He enumerates the destruction that engaging in conduct with this promiscuous and dangerous woman will bring upon you.
As it says in passuk gimmel, “ki nofes titofna sifsay zarah, v’chalak m’shemen chikah - for the lips of the female stranger drip honey, and her palate is smoother than oil.”
Shlomo Hamelech explains for almost the entire perek that engaging in a relationship with her will only lead to death. She will remove you from true life, preventing you from obtaining wisdom. Stay as far away from her as possible, because in the end you’ll see how destructive she really was.
So who is this Isha Zarah, foreign demonic woman?
There are many levels as to what this refers. The simplest is the pshat brought by the Vilna Goan, who brings the Gemarah in Sanhedrin 75a:
“Mishecharav Beis Hamikdash nital ta’am biah v’nitein lovrey aveira - Since the Bais Hamikdash was destroyed, people chase illicit relationships.” In the moment they look as enticing as “dripping honey,” extremely desirable and pleasurable. In the end, however, the small level of pleasure received leads to a life of destruction. It causes difficulty in so many areas of one's life, as enumerated in this perek.
It seems that nowadays the proliferation of the Isha Zarah has grabbed hold of many, something that Shlomo Hamelech knew and understood very well, warning against this over 2,000 years ago. If you find yourself entrenched with the Isha Zarah, you should know that wisdom can be found and you can receive help.
On a different note, Rashi and others explain that the Isha Zarah is a code word for apikorsas, heretical ideologies that seem close to true Torah wisdom but are not. At first certain ideas seem to be exciting, “dripping with honey,” but ultimately subtly lead a person away from the true wisdom that comes from the Torah.
The Chevel Nachala brings that honey is a kosher product which comes from a non-kosher bee. So too, certain ideas sound kosher, but when you trace their origins, you’ll find that comes from non-kosher sources.
This should be a way in which to strengthen ourselves. Sometimes we forget to have emunah in the wisdom and purity of the Torah, which is totally Divine in origin, and therefore completely pure, Godly wisdom. What can be better than that?
This brings us further along in the chapter where Shlomo Hamelech urges us to “drink from our own waters.” The waters of our youth are blessed, and we should stay true to the pure waters of the Torah.
As it says in passuk 19 regarding the Torah: “Ayeles ahavim v’ya’alas chein, dadeha yeravucha b’chol eis, b’ahavasa tishgeh samid - She will be like a beloved doe, and graceful gazelle. Her breasts will satisfy you at all times. You’ll always be infatuated with love for her.” Binah L’ittim explains that a person who constantly satisfies himself with the nourishment of Torah will find his love for it constantly growing.
Rebbe Nachman in Leuktei Maharan Torah aleph brings the Gemarah in Eruvin 54b on this passuk: “shema’alah chein al lomdeha - The Torah places chein on those who learn it. Nowadays, the value of the Jewish nation has fallen, and thus people place importance on non-Jewish things which seem charming and full of chein to them.
However, by learning Torah, the chein and importance of Am Yisrael is replaced on us. The Torah is an aya’alas chein, a beloved doe, and gives grace to those who learn it.
May we merit realizing the true importance and value of the wisdom of Torah, to evade the traps of the Isha Zarah, dangerous woman, by lifting ourselves with chein through our Torah learning.
Thank you for listening, and have a wonderful day.
