Tag Archives: Proverbs

Life Rules

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Title: Life Rules

General Information:

  • Verbal lore, Proverb
  • Informant: Meg Costantini
  • Location: Meg’s office, Aquinas House, Hanover, NH 03755
  • Date: October 18, 2018

Informant Data:

Meg Costantini is a campus minister at Dartmouth College’s Catholic student center, Aquinas House. She describes herself as a “cradle Catholic,” meaning that she was born and raised Catholic her whole life. She went to public school for grade and high school, Villanova for her undergraduate degree, and got her Masters of Divinity from Notre Dame in 2015. After that, she started her current job. She is married to her husband Shawn, has a one-year-old daughter Lucy, and a baby on the way. (And her dog, Rey, who you’ll hear barking in the audio recording.)

Contextual Data:

Social Data:

Meg heard this proverb while she was studying for her Masters of Divinity at Notre Dame. The director of her program used this as a set of “rules” for them to follow, and wisdom to guide them through their time there. The program was not composed entirely of Catholics, but was taught in a Catholic college and moral setting. This advice was given to the program participants to help them better understand how to relate to one another and build friendships during their time there, but also in a broader context to help them go out into the world with a Catholic mindset in their relationships.

Cultural Data:

This proverb has three parts. First, be your own best advocate means to know yourself before you enter a relationship, and advocate for what you need, because you can’t expect others to read your mind. Go gently means to treat yourself and others gently and with kindness, whether a friend, a partner, or a stranger. Meg said that we often need to love ourselves more than we do—and if you can’t be gentle with yourself, you can’t expect others to do the same. Finally, assume goodwill means to assume that others around you are acting with goodwill, and to think the best of them unless proven otherwise. Don’t assume that others are out to harm you. Though not explicitly using metaphors of Catholicism, these principles encompass a lot of Church teachings on how to treat others and yourself. Meg said she still recalls these principles and tries to keep them close at hand in her daily life, in order to remind herself to treat everyone with dignity.

Item:

Orally transmitted proverb:

“First, be your own best advocate, second, go gently, third, assume goodwill.”

Interview Recording:

Volume Warning: Meg’s busy life includes a young baby who liked to stand near the computer and a dog who likes to bark–they are audible and loud on the recording! Listen with care as to your volume.

Collector’s Notes:

The formula of this proverb is a three part piece of advice. The image is upbeat but serious. The message conveys how to properly treat others as well as yourself–an overlooked part of relationships. This is one of only two proverbs that doesn’t have explicitly Catholic metaphors, but it still conveys the heart of Catholic teachings.

Collector:

Alexandra Norris, 20
3305 Hinman, Hanover, NH, 03755
Dartmouth College
Russian 13
Fall 2018

Tags:

  • Proverbs
  • Catholic Proverbs
  • Friends
  • Relationships

Saints and Martyrs

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Title: Saints and Martyrs

General Information:

  • Verbal lore, Proverb
  • Informant Name: Meg Costantini
  • Location: Meg’s office, Aquinas House, Hanover, NH, 03755
  • Date: October 18, 2018

Informant Data:

Meg Costantini is a campus minister at Dartmouth College’s Catholic student center, Aquinas House. She describes herself as a “cradle Catholic,” meaning that she was born and raised Catholic her whole life. She went to public school for grade and high school, Villanova for her undergraduate degree, and got her Masters of Divinity from Notre Dame in 2015. After that, she started her current job. She is married to her husband Shawn, has a one-year-old daughter Lucy, and a baby on the way. (And her dog, Rey, who you’ll hear barking in the audio recording.)

Contextual Data:

Social Context:

Meg said that she heard this proverb from many Catholics, and could recall most recently the priest that she works with saying it in a homily. Homilies take place during Catholic mass services, after the day’s gospel reading, and are intended to preach a message with deeper meaning. Otherwise, they were casual conversations.

Cultural Context:

For Catholics, saints are people who lived out the Church’s teachings to the fullest extent, and martyrs are people who died for the faith. Both serve as role models to modern-day Catholics. This proverb pokes fun at one person needing to act as a martyr in order to live with someone who is a saint—or thinks that they are one. Meg mentioned that this proverb has a special meaning to her in her relationship with her husband; that they take turns being the martyr and the saint to each other. In her mind, this proverb exemplifies that there’s something about interacting with other people that makes us better versions of ourselves. When we interact with real people, with difficult or different personalities, we develop our own selves. The proverb is a reminder that when we feel frustrated with the people we live with (especially in marriage), that is a call to respond in a way that will bring us closer to God.

Item:

Orally transmitted proverb:

“It takes a martyr to live with a saint.”

Audio Recording:

Volume Warning: Meg’s busy life includes a young baby who liked to stand near the computer and a dog who likes to bark–they are audible and loud on the recording! Listen with care as to your volume.

This portion of the interview concludes about halfway through the second audio recording.

Collector’s Comments:

The formula of this proverb is two parts, with a statement and a condition. The image is intended to be humorous, though with a heartfelt/serious message behind it. This proverb uses metaphors of Catholicism to diffuse tension, inject humor, and poke fun at humility, while showing that martyrdom and sainthood are valued within the Church. This is one of two proverbs that I collected that focus on sainthood, which seems to be an important goal to strive towards, and certainly imparts morals, as well. Additionally, my informant chose to explain this proverb through her own life as well as through church history, showing a very personal connection.

Collector:

Alexandra Norris, 20
3305 Hinman, Hanover, NH, 03755
Dartmouth College
Russian 13
Fall 2018

Tags:

  • Proverbs
  • Catholic Proverbs
  • Family
  • Relationships

Family and Sainthood

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Title: Family and Sainthood Proverb

General Information:

  • Verbal lore, Proverb
  • Informant Name: Mike Carlowicz
  • Location: Aquinas House Library, Hanover, NH, 03755
  • Date: October 17, 2018

Informant Data:

Mike Carlowicz is a freshman at Dartmouth College. He was born and raised Catholic, went to Catholic school for all of his education before college, and now is involved in the Catholic student center at Dartmouth. He regularly attends Catholic mass at home. His parents are married and he has siblings.

Contextual Data:

Social Context:

Mike heard this proverb separately from a few different priests at his home parish while they were saying a homily, the reflection on the gospel reading for that day’s mass. He later was in the same space as all of those priests, in an informal gathering room like a study or lounge, and asked them if they had all heard it separately or from each other. They had all picked it up on their own, and it was a coincidence that they each preached about it.

Cultural Context:

Mike says this proverb is meaningful to him because as a Catholic, he believes that we should all strive to become saints. He knows that he’s not perfect, but he thinks this proverb exemplifies how much easier it is to be of a saint-like nature around people who aren’t family. Additionally, he says that this proverb points out that while it is more difficult, family may be a more valuable setting in which to try to emulate those qualities. He outlined two reasons for his interpretation. First, it’s easier to be saint-like around others because family members know your past and the motivations behind your actions; for example, if you’re acting with kindness in order to get your way later or gain something for yourself. Family members can more easily recognize your common sins. Second, the family is a more valuable setting in which to try to become a saint, because they can encourage you, support you, and see your progress. Since it is all the more difficult, it is even more impressive to be able to emulate the saints among people who know you deeply and may also know how to provoke you.

Item:

Orally transmitted proverb:

“It’s harder to be a saint around your family.”

Interview Audio:

Collector’s Comments:

This is a two part proverb, with a statement and a condition. The image is humorous, but with serious implications, as emphasized by the informant with personal connections to his own life and faith journey. This proverb stresses the importance of sainthood to Catholics, and suggests a method of achieving it (by being most saintlike when it is difficult to do so). As the informant inherited this proverb from several sources at different times, it also seems somewhat ubiquitous.

Collector:

Alexandra Norris, 20
3305 Hinman, Hanover, NH, 03755
Dartmouth College
Russian 13
Fall 2018

Tags:

  • Proverbs
  • Catholic Proverbs
  • Family
  • Relationships

Enemy’s Downfall – Humorous Version

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Title: Enemy’s Downfall- Humorous Version

General Information about Item: 

  • Verbal Lore, proverb
  • Language: English (Hebrew, Yiddish)
  • Informant: Sarah Katzenell
  • Date Collected: 29 October 2018

Informant Data

  • Sarah Katzenell was born in Jerusalem and raised in Jerusalem through the early 2000s. Her family was Jewish and Israeli, and Sarah speaks fluent Hebrew and English and knows limited amounts of Yiddish. She moved to Hanover, NH with her husband to receive a PhD in immunology, and now works as a post doctorate researcher in a biochemistry lab at Dartmouth College.

Contextual Data

  • Social Context: Sarah says that she has heard or used this proverb only in a professional setting, such as at work or with adult friends. Situations in which she has used the phrase in her life include finding out that a rival lab has failed to publish, or back in Israel with Palestine would do something that harmed their own country. Sarah said that the proverb is usually said with a hint of irony, and can be used to reassure yourself and others near you that it is acceptable in certain scenarios to not be upset when something bad happens to another. As it would seem like an ethical dilemma to publicly display happy or celebratory emotions when others are suffering, the proverb provides an “out” from this moral binding in which one reminds themselves and friends that the victim person, corporation, or nation has purposefully wished you ill in the past and it is therefore acceptable to not feel a need to assist them back.
  • Cultural Context: Sarah has heard the proverb in English, Yiddish, and Hebrew, but tends to use it in English. English and Hebrew are both frequently spoken by one person in Israel.

Item

The piece as recited by Sarah in English as this is how she usually uses the proverb. (Note that in Israel, the majority of people are fluent and communicate in both English and Hebrew.)

“If your enemy falls down, don’t rejoice! But also, do not help them get up too fast.”

 

Collector’s Notes

  • I was particularly fascinated by this proverb as it is clearly similar (and likely derived from) its religious counterpart recounted by Shoshana Zohar above, “Do not rejoice at your enemy’s downfall.” This type of “conversion” from more Biblical to humorous proverbs was also seen in one of the Catholic proverbs collected within my group. Based on the way this proverb is used in the same situation as its more serious counterpart, but to elicit a different response (humor vs shame in response to a reprimand), it seems possible this proverb is meant to pick fun at the Biblical teaching. This would be consistent with the more cynical and dry humor of the other Yiddish proverbs I collected.

Collector’s Name: Hannah Margolis

Hannah Margolis, 20

Hinman Box 2464

Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH 03755

Russian 13

Fall 2018

Tags/Keywords 

  • Verbal Lore
  • Proverbs
  • Yiddish Proverb
  • Relationships
  • Enemy

Cost of Friends vs Enemies

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Title: Cost of Friends vs Enemies

General Information about Item: 

  • Verbal Lore, proverb
  • Language: English
  • Informant: Sarah Katzenell
  • Date Collected: 29 October 2018

Informant Data

  • Sarah Katzenell was born in Jerusalem and raised in Jerusalem through the early 2000s. Her family was Jewish and Israeli, and Sarah speaks fluent Hebrew and English and knows limited amounts of Yiddish. She moved to Hanover, NH with her husband to receive a PhD in immunology, and now works as a post doctorate researcher in a biochemistry lab at Dartmouth College.

Contextual Data

  • Social Context: Sarah says that she has often heard or used this proverb in her daily life when discussing personal relationships. For instance, she says that the proverb would be appropriately invoked when someone is complaining about the work and time that is required to make a friend or when fretting about something trivial that they feel has made someone dislike them. Especially when speaking with young children who are first learning to make and maintain friends, Sarah believes the proverb offers excellent advice as a way to remind people that you must work hard for friends, but it is worth it. Similarly, it is important to be reminded that sometimes people dislike us for reasons that are not worth getting personally upset over. The proverb is therefore told in a way that is humorous, relieves tension from a strained relationship, but is often meant to be met with relief or appreciation that relationships in general are complicated.
  • Cultural Context: Sarah has heard the proverb in English, Yiddish, and Hebrew, but tends to use it in English. English and Hebrew are both frequently spoken by one person in Israel.

Item

The piece was recited in English by Sarah as this is how she uses it most frequently.

“Friends cost money, but enemies are for free.”

 

Collector’s Notes

  • This proverb does not fit into the structures suggested by Dundes, but clearly relies on parallelism (friends cost money vs enemies cost no money). I was interested in this proverb as an example of a more humorous proverb that Sarah suggested was originally Yiddish in nature (although she does not speak Yiddish and instead knows it in English). As common in Yiddish proverbs that I collected, this proverb demonstrates a rather cynical and dry humor that takes an unpleasant fact of life and makes it laughable (compare to “Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t!). Furthermore, the humorous nature of this proverb once again provides a great example of the way proverbs are used to dispel tension while providing advice.

Collector’s Name: Hannah Margolis

Hannah Margolis, 20

Hinman Box 2464

Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH 03755

Russian 13

Fall 2018

Tags/Keywords 

  • Verbal Lore
  • Proverbs
  • Yiddish Proverb
  • Relationships
  • Friends
  • Enemies

 

Enemy’s Downfall

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Title: Enemy’s Downfall

General Information about Item: 

  • Verbal Lore, proverb
  • Language: Hebrew
  • Informant: Shoshana Zohar
  • Date Collected: 1 November 2018

Informant Data

  • Shoshana Zohar was born 13 November 1988 in Elko, Nevada to a Jewish mother and Jewish, Israeli father. Shoshana was raised Jewish and after visiting Israel as a young adult, decided she felt safer there than in her home country. She moved to Israel in January 2013. Shoshana speaks fluent Hebrew and English.

Contextual Data

  • Culture Context: Shoshana was often taught this proverb, which is biblical in nature, growing up. She did not recall a time when someone told this proverb to her, but imagines she would likely feel ashamed if someone had to point out her improper behavior towards someone else’s pain.
  • Social Context: Although she doesn’t recall any of the specific instances when it was told to her, she indicated that she would likely use this proverb to remind someone to be kind or a gracious winner. For instance, Shoshana expressed that the proverb should be used as a reprimand when a lack of respect or humbleness is demonstrated when someone else, even if it is someone you do not like, is suffering.

Item

The piece was recited by Shoshana Zohar over a phone call and then repeated in Hebrew, followed by English translation for Hannah to record. Shoshana kindly provided the Hebrew text.

בנפול אויבך אל תשמח

Translation word for word:

“Downfall your enemy unto rejoice.”

Translation general:

“Do not rejoice at your enemy’s downfall.”

 

Collector’s notes

  • This piece is a typical example of a Jewish Biblical  proverb in that it acts as a commandment, has serious imagery, and does not match any of Dundes’ suggested structures. Importantly, this was the first proverb I collected that was intended to elicit a negative emotion in the receiver. Among the proverbs my group collected, it was far more common for the proverb to serve as a way to dispel tension or add humor to a serious situation. However, this proverb clearly violates that usual function in providing a rather harsh reprimand. Therefore, we see that while this proverb does not serve the usual function of dispelling tension, it clearly teaches social norms and cultural expectations, which is another important function of proverbs. I am particularly interested in analyzing this proverb as it relates to its more casual and  humorous  counterpart. Please see this link.

Collector’s Name: Hannah Margolis

Hannah Margolis, 20

Hinman Box 2464

Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH 03755

Russian 13

Fall 2018

Tags/Keywords 

  • Verbal Lore
  • Proverbs
  • Hebrew Proverb
  • Relationships
  • Enemy

Teacher and Student

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Title: Teacher and Student

General Information about Item: 

  • Verbal Lore, proverb
  • Language: Hebrew
  • Informant: Shoshana Zohar
  • Date Collected: 1 November 2018

Informant Data

  • Shoshana Zohar was born 13 November 1988 in Elko, Nevada to a Jewish mother and Jewish, Israeli father. Shoshana was raised Jewish and after visiting Israel as a young adult, decided she felt safer there than in her home country. She moved to Israel in January 2013. Shoshana speaks fluent Hebrew and English.

Contextual Data

  • Cultural Context: Shoshana first heard the proverb when she admitted to her cousin that she was too shy to ask something. It was said in a friendly but firm way to remind Shoshana that if she wanted to learn something, she would have to “get over” her shyness at least momentarily to ask. The second part of the proverb was told to her in a more soothing way to remind Shoshana that educators and people that teach will not be impatient or harsh with her or they would not choose to be educators.
  • Social Context:  Shoshana says the two parts of the proverb can be used individually. For instance, she says that when she gets impatient at work when trying to teach someone how to do something, she’ll remind herself of this part of the proverb as a self-criticism to try harder to be patient. Shoshana would also use this proverb or tell it to others if she saw someone like her too shy to ask something, or someone being impatient when teaching another something.
  • Shoshana invokes the first part of the proverb most often to remind herself that to use something she has just learned and may not have mastered yet. She added, “If you are too afraid of how you’ll look when you try something or when you ask a question, you won’t learn or improve.”
  • Shoshana also indicated that this proverb isn’t always used literally. For instance, it can be used simply to relate to the fact that certain pairs of people will not work well together. Shoshana said that this proverb can be said to an acquaintance when discussing a dysfunctional relationship or partnership among two people with contradictory personalities.

Item

The piece was recited by Shoshana Zohar over a phone call and then repeated in Hebrew, followed by English translation for Hannah to record. Shoshana kindly provided the Hebrew text.

לא הביישן למד, ולא הקפדן מלמד

Word for Word Translation:

“No the shy learn, and no strict teaches.”

Translation:

“The shy one does not learn, and the impatient one doesn’t teach.”

 

Collector’s Notes

  • I was unsure when I first heard this piece if it was in fact a proverb. The initial situation in which Shoshana explained it was used was far too literal with no use of metaphor. However, when Shoshana explained that the proverb can also be used to refer to any pair of people in a difficult relationship, the proverb gained metaphorical meaning.
  • The proverb itself lacks the structures suggested by Dundes, but clearly has a parallel structure of its own that is unique among the proverbs I collected. The piece is also interesting as it does not seem to suggest a way of resolving the situation (two people that aren’t able to work together), but rather provides the absolute that such a relationship will not work.

Collector’s Name: Hannah Margolis

Hannah Margolis, 20

Hinman Box 2464

Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH 03755

Russian 13

Fall 2018

Tags/Keywords 

  • Verbal Lore
  • Proverbs
  • Hebrew Proverb
  • Relationships
  • Teaching
  • Learning

 

 

Difficult Person

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Title: Difficult Person

General Information about Item: 

  • Verbal Lore, proverb
  • Language: English and Yiddish
  • Informant: Hannah Margolis
  • Date Collected: 28 October 2018

Informant Data

  • Hannah K Margolis was born and raised in north-eastern Nevada. She is Jewish by birth, and her mother, father, and father’s parents all practiced Judaism actively throughout her early life. Her grandparents spoke and could read both Yiddish and English, so when Hannah visited them in Baltimore she was exposed to Yiddish sayings and their contexts.

Contextual Data

  • Cultural Context: Although Hannah doesn’t remember when or where she first started using the proverb in question, it was likely picked up during her childhood from her grandparents. She uses the proverb as advice when someone mentions having to deal with a difficult person- often someone they don’t get along with from former experience. Most often, she would invoke it when a difficult relative was visiting and someone mentioned dreading the visit.
  • Social Context: The proverb itself is meant to be met with amusement and is used casually. Often, the amusement can help relax the tense situation of awaiting said relative or acquaintance’s arrival. To Hannah, the proverb should convey a sense of relief and reminder that it is better to deal with a difficult person you do know than a difficult person you do not know as when dealing with someone you do know, you can at least be aware of what is ahead, manage expectations, and have experience on how to make the encounter less difficult. The proverb can be said to people of all ages and regardless of which family member or acquaintance they are experiencing difficulty with.

Item

The piece was recalled in its English version, which is how Hannah has always used it. She is aware that the piece also has a Yiddish translation from which it originated, which she looked up and provided.

“Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t!”

Translation to Yiddish-

“Besser mitn taivel vos m’ken eider mitn taivel vos, ‘ken im nit!”

 

Collector’s Comments

  • This proverb is a clear example of Dundes’ “Better _______ than ______ structure” and  a clear example of a Yiddish proverb. Particularly in English, this proverb had the interesting characteristic in that it is rather a mouthful to say and has a specific rhythm to it. Given that this proverb is used to dispel tension through humor (as well as give advice), I have speculated that the rhythm and clunkiness of the English saying within itself provides a way of diverting a conversation out of concerns over a relatives visit and into the proverb and humorous response to follow.

Collector’s Name: Hannah Margolis

Hannah Margolis, 20

Hinman Box 2464

Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH 03755

Russian 13

Fall 2018

Tags/Keywords 

  • Verbal Lore
  • Proverbs
  • Yiddish Proverb
  • Relationships
  • Family
  • Friends

 

 

Elder Respect

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Title: Elder Respect

General Information about Item: 

  • Verbal Lore, proverb
  • Language: Hebrew
  • Informant: Rabbi Meir Cohen Goldstein
  • Date Collected: 5 October 2018

Informant Data

  • Rabbi Meir Cohen Goldstein was born in Phoenix, Arixona and received his master’s of rabbinic studies and rabbinic ordination from the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at the American Jewish University. Goldstein worked for three years at Elon University as the associate chaplain for Jewish Life after serving as rabbi for the Commack Jewish Center in Commack, New York. He began his position of tenured Dartmouth Hillel Rabbi in July 2018.

Contextual Data

  • Cultural Context: A custom in Israel is that when an elder gets onto the bus, one gets up to offer them their seat. The proverb may be used in this literal sense if a child or visitor does not know this custom, but Rabbi Goldstein said that it is understood that anyone who is a teacher or worthy of your respect deserves this sign. He suggested that the proverb is understood as a “general principle to honor Torah and the wisdom of our tradition by honoring rabbis and Jewish scholars.”
  • Social Context: As such, the proverb is often delivered as a reprimand or reminder or stern reminder when someone behaves in a disrespectful manner, particularly towards an elder.

Item

The piece was provided in written form and translated orally by Rabbi Goldstein in both the word for word and general translation.

מִפְּנֵ֤י שֵׂיבָה֙ תָּק֔וּם

Translation- word for word

“Before the white haired, get up.”

Translation- general

“Before the elderly, stand up.”

Collector’s Comments

  • This proverb is particularly interesting as it is related (unclear whether in cause or effect) to a physical gesture used to show respect. I initially thought this was not a proverb at all, but a set of verbal instructions as to how to physically act in a specific social situation. However, Rabbi Goldstein insisted that the saying is also used as a reprimand against disrespectful behavior or speech, especially towards one’s elders or teachers. In this case, this proverb can  be seen as another Biblical proverb that does not match Dundes’ structural formulas and acts as a commandment. This proverb is also an excellent example of the way in which proverbs are commonly used to teach about one’s heritage or culture. This proverb is highly effective in this respect as it both provides key cultural information (that elders are considered very important and should always be treated with respect) and also information on how to respond to a physical situation appropriately.

Collector’s Name: Hannah Margolis

Hannah Margolis, 20

Hinman Box 2464

Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH 03755

Russian 13

Fall 2018

Tags/Keywords 

  • Verbal Lore
  • Proverbs
  • Hebrew Proverb
  • Respect
  • Elders

Duty to Others

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Title: Duty to Others

General Information about Item: 

  • Verbal Lore, proverb
  • Language: Hebrew
  • Informant: Rabbi Meir Cohen Goldstein
  • Date Collected: 5 October 2018

Informant Data

  • Rabbi Meir Cohen Goldstein was born in Phoenix, Arixona and received his master’s of rabbinic studies and rabbinic ordination from the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at the American Jewish University. Goldstein worked for three years at Elon University as the associate chaplain for Jewish Life after serving as rabbi for the Commack Jewish Center in Commack, New York. He began his position of tenured Dartmouth Hillel Rabbi in July 2018.

Contextual Data

  • Social Context: Rabbi Goldstein often uses this proverb with friends and with his wife. He explained the context as almost joking or teasing in nature, designed to be a friendly reminder of the obligation friends have towards each other rather than a reprimand or accusation. As a common example, Rabbi Goldstein said that his wife, Laura, loves sweets and will often bring them home. However, Rabbi Goldstein says he will eat all of them, and when he sees that Laura has brought sweets home, he’ll say the proverb to her.
  • Cultural Context: The proverb is biblical in nature, but Rabbi Goldstein does not think this prevents it from being applicable to others. He explained it to be as a reminder that when someone has an inability to see things, it is our obligation to make sure that we do not do anything that may trip them up, literally or metaphorically. Instead, Rabbi Goldstein suggests it is our personal obligation to understand the shortcoming of those close to us and make sure we do not purposefully make something more difficult for them.

Item

The piece was presented in the original biblical Hebrew by Rabbi Goldstein and translated orally in its literal and general form. Rabbi Goldstein kindly provided the Hebrew writing.

לִפְנֵ֣י עִוֵּ֔ר לֹ֥א תִתֵּ֖ן מִכְשֹׁ֑ל

Translation- word for word

“Before sightless no give them offense.”

Translation- general

“Do not place a stumbling block before the blind.”

Collector’s Comments

  • This proverb is an excellent example of the type of Biblical proverbs we found common in the Jewish culture. The proverb is presented as a commandment rather than in the structures presented by Dundes and uses serious imagery. Very interestingly, although this proverb invokes a rather serious image and strict, Biblical teachings, Rabbi Goldstein suggested it is often used in a light and humorous way among friends and family. It seems that this proverb has a dual nature in which it can either be used in such a joking manner or used as a more strict reminder of the mutual responsibility two people in a relationship have towards each other.
  • This proverb also provides a good example of the way proverbs can be an important means of cultural or religious instruction.

Collector’s Name: Hannah Margolis

Hannah Margolis, 20

Hinman Box 2464

Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH 03755

Russian 13

Fall 2018

Tags/Keywords 

  • Verbal Lore
  • Proverbs
  • Hebrew Proverb
  • Relationships
  • Responsibility