The contrast between the Chacham, the wise person, and the Foolish person is a contrast between ability of mind, yes, but also a contrast of improvement of mind. And whereas the ability of your mind is not under your control -- the scope of a person's intellect being determined by God -- how much you IMPROVE the mind you have is your choice, it's up to you.
Upon our coming into being, God bestows upon each one of us a valuable gift -- the potential for acquiring wisdom.
Another gift -- the part of wisdom that is relevant to our understanding has been given to us in the Torah. It is there and available to us!
(12) It is not in the heavens, that you should say, “Who among us can go up to the heavens and get it for us and impart it to us, that we may observe it?” (13) Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, “Who among us can cross to the other side of the sea and get it for us and impart it to us, that we may observe it?” (14) Rather, this thing is very close to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to observe it.
Wisdom is our companion and partner in all areas of life.
The failing of any Fool, a person without wisdom, is that they have failed to seek wisdom.
So where do we start?
For example -- What experience have others had? What has been tried? What should be watched out for? Are there known pitfalls? And -- What will my goals? Can I define the objectives? Can I anticipate any objections, and do they have any merit? And -- What does the Torah say about this situation? Is there precedent to guide me? Are there any laws, Natural, legal, or Halachic, that provide relevant parameters I should be aware of?
Chochma:
If anyone is not satisfied with a superficial knowledge of wisdom, and makes an effort to understand it more deeply -- reasons and consequences -- he will be rewarded by the revelation of its convincing evidence and its realism about all things and concerns. It applies to all parts of life, and has personal relevance to our active and internal lives, and the power to change us for the better, and bring our lives towards closeness to God.
Chachma leads to insight, which leads to confidence.
Confidence leads to courage, and the energy (mental, moral) needed to turn truth into practice.
Why is someone lacking knowledge? Lacking information? There can be many characteristics that lead to this sad state -- they are described as K'sil, Eh-vil, Pesi, Leitz, and Ba'ar throughout Mishlei. (Ksil will be learned about more in Chapter 17; Evil in Chapter 14, and Pesi I this chapter.)
Each describes a different personality or habit of mind and deed that results in lack of wisdom.
All these types of "fool" -- and "fool" is really the wrong word here -- all these uneducated or unenlightened people are not doomed to fail. They have no inherent lack of IQ.
What is the specific character of the Pesi of this chapter?
The Pesi is untaught, unenlightened, inexperienced, naive, gullible.
Given any subconnscious impulse, any dazzling enticement, any alluring example, or even some mistaken or misleading pronouncement made by some self-important personality -- a Pesi is bound to be influenced by any of these. The Pesi aspect of naiveté is at risk of being spoken to whenever communication subverts or circumvents our analytic, judgmental part of our mind.
Commercials, subliminal messages, banner ads, product placements, influencer marketing, propaganda -- these all work at the Pesi level of our mind, the part of our minds that is wide open for input at all times.
We are all at risk of Pesi-gullibility when we set aside our natural analytical critical thinking -- known in the movie industry as "the voluntary suspension of disbelief" -- when we lean back to take in a movie or other entertainment. Any time we are tired, bored, spaced out, trying not to use too much mental energy... the Pesi-impressionable part of our mind is still listening and ready to believe anything.
The Pesi can protect himself from deceptive influence / messages and the erroneous actions based on them.
As a first step (RSRH pg 53), the Pesi should become aware of the importance and need to use some moral shrewdness.
Without that savvy, he is exposed and vulnerable to everyone's manipulation. The first step in climbing out from being a Pesi, then, is realizing that you needs to figure out how to not be so naive, how to be more alert to manipulation.
The Maharal, Rabbi Yehudah Loewy of Prague, (late 1500s), explains that the reason we begin the Passover Seder with the 4 Questions, is to open our minds to being receptive -- and eagerly receptive -- to hearing the answers, to hearing about the Exodus from Egypt.
While it is traditional to have the children ask the 4 Questions on Passover, even at a Seder attended only by two Torah scholars proficient in the laws of Passover, one scholar must ask the other. And if someone is alone, they ask the questions to themselves! (Talmud, Pesachim 116a)
Sometimes, asking the question, wanting an answer, finding a desire to know truth, is the most important part of finding wisdom.
Our greatest sages in every generation are called Talmidei Chachamim -- "students of the wise" -- because their wisdom is a result of being lifelong students, not of thinking that they are already experts! A true sage will never cease to listen attentively to the knowledge of others in order to enrich his own.
(א) חָ֭כְמוֹת בָּנְתָ֣ה בֵיתָ֑הּ חָצְבָ֖ה עַמּוּדֶ֣יהָ שִׁבְעָֽה׃
(ב) טָבְחָ֣ה טִ֭בְחָהּ מָסְכָ֣ה יֵינָ֑הּ אַ֝֗ף עָֽרְכָ֥ה שֻׁלְחָנָֽהּ׃ (ג) שָֽׁלְחָ֣ה נַעֲרֹתֶ֣יהָ תִקְרָ֑א עַל־גַּ֝פֵּ֗י מְרֹ֣מֵי קָֽרֶת׃
(ד) מִי־פֶ֭תִי יָסֻ֣ר הֵ֑נָּה חֲסַר־לֵ֝֗ב אָ֣מְרָה לּֽוֹ׃ (ה) לְ֭כוּ לַחֲמ֣וּ בְֽלַחֲמִ֑י וּ֝שְׁת֗וּ בְּיַ֣יִן מָסָֽכְתִּי׃
(ו) עִזְב֣וּ פְתָאיִ֣ם וִֽחְי֑וּ וְ֝אִשְׁר֗וּ בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ בִּינָֽה׃ (ז) יֹ֤סֵ֨ר ׀ לֵ֗ץ לֹקֵ֣חַֽ ל֣וֹ קָל֑וֹן וּמוֹכִ֖יחַ לְרָשָׁ֣ע מוּמֽוֹ׃
(ח) אַל־תּ֣וֹכַח לֵ֭ץ פֶּן־יִשְׂנָאֶ֑ךָּ הוֹכַ֥ח לְ֝חָכָ֗ם וְיֶאֱהָבֶֽךָּ׃ (ט) תֵּ֣ן לְ֭חָכָם וְיֶחְכַּם־ע֑וֹד הוֹדַ֥ע לְ֝צַדִּ֗יק וְי֣וֹסֶף לֶֽקַח׃ (פ) (י) תְּחִלַּ֣ת חָ֭כְמָה יִרְאַ֣ת יְהוָ֑ה וְדַ֖עַת קְדֹשִׁ֣ים בִּינָֽה׃ (יא) כִּי־בִ֭י יִרְבּ֣וּ יָמֶ֑יךָ וְיוֹסִ֥יפוּ לְּ֝ךָ֗ שְׁנ֣וֹת חַיִּֽים׃ (יב) אִם־חָ֭כַמְתָּ חָכַ֣מְתָּ לָּ֑ךְ וְ֝לַ֗צְתָּ לְֽבַדְּךָ֥ תִשָּֽׂא׃
(יג) אֵ֣שֶׁת כְּ֭סִילוּת הֹֽמִיָּ֑ה פְּ֝תַיּ֗וּת וּבַל־יָ֥דְעָה מָּֽה׃ (יד) וְֽ֭יָשְׁבָה לְפֶ֣תַח בֵּיתָ֑הּ עַל־כִּ֝סֵּ֗א מְרֹ֣מֵי קָֽרֶת׃ (טו) לִקְרֹ֥א לְעֹֽבְרֵי־דָ֑רֶךְ הַֽ֝מְיַשְּׁרִ֗ים אֹֽרְחוֹתָֽם׃
(טז) מִי־פֶ֭תִי יָסֻ֣ר הֵ֑נָּה וַחֲסַר־לֵ֝֗ב וְאָ֣מְרָה לּֽוֹ׃ (יז) מַֽיִם־גְּנוּבִ֥ים יִמְתָּ֑קוּ וְלֶ֖חֶם סְתָרִ֣ים יִנְעָֽם׃ (יח) וְֽלֹא־יָ֭דַע כִּֽי־רְפָאִ֣ים שָׁ֑ם בְּעִמְקֵ֖י שְׁא֣וֹל קְרֻאֶֽיהָ׃ (פ)
(1) Wisdom has built her home, She has carved out her seven pillars.
(2) She prepared her meat, mixed her wine, And also set her table.
(3) She has sent out her maidens, she calls out upon the wings of the city heights:
(4) “Whosoever is naive, simple, gullible, turn in here!"; and as for the one who lacks an understanding heart, she says to him:
(5) “Come, eat of my food And drink of the wine that I have mixed;
(6) Leave your naïveté, and live, stride forward in the way of understanding.”
(7) One who corrects a scoffer, acquires disgrace for himself, and he who rebukes a wicked person, it is his own blemish.
(8) Do not rebuke a scoffer, lest he hate you; Reprove a wise person, and he will love you. (9) Give wisdom to a wise man, and he will grow even wiser; make known to a righteous man, and he will add to his learning.
(10) The beginning of wisdom is fear of God, And knowledge of the the holy is the essence of understanding.
(11) For through me your days will be increased, And they will add years of life to you.
(12) If you have become wise, you have become wise for yourself/to your own benefit; but if you have mocked, you will bear it alone.
(13) The foolish woman is tumultuous, She is superficial and knows nothing.
(14) She sits in the doorway of her house, on a chair at the city heights,
(15) Calling to all the passersby who make their ways upright -- (16) “Whosoever is naive, simple, gullible, turn in here!"; and as for the one who lacks an understanding heart, she says to him:
(17) “Stolen waters are sweet, And secret bread is pleasant.” (18) He does not know that dead men are there, That her guests are invited into the deepest grave.