Wisdom Sayings Lesson Five

1. Wisdom Sayings – On Discretion, Discernment, and Good Judgment
I. Re-cap and Introduction
A. Discussionof discretion/discernment/judgment
1. What do these words mean to you?
(Webster’s:
Discretion- “that discernment which enables a person to judge critically
which is proper, united with caution.”
Judgment-“the operation of the mind, involving comparisonand
discrimination, by which knowledge of values and relations of things is
obtained,” especiallymorally, logically, intellectually, and materially.
2. What do we learn about these sorts of words in the introductory words of
that great book of wisdom, Proverbs (1:2-4):
This book is: “forlearning wisdom and discipline; for understanding words
of discernment (binah); for acquiring the discipline for success (haskel)...
for endowing the simple with prudence (ormah), the young with knowledge
and foresight (mezima).
Let’s look at these Hebrew words:

2. a. Binah - this can mean understanding, discernment, reason, the
intellectual faculty used in deducing truths and solving problems, the faculty
to deduce meaning and perceive relations and causes.
b. Haskel - this can mean a lot more than success; it’s deep insight or wise
dealing or patience in practical matters and relations in learning. It involves
taking to heart and being able to change one’s ways to follow; knowing the
line of right conduct leading to judgment and rectitude (straightness,
levelness>equity).
c. Ormah - this can also be prudence or even cunning, knowing of the way
to get there, to achieve goals.
d. Mezima - this can mean foresight, or, even better, ability to see hidden
meaning and devise one’s own plans appropriately.
Also, note that the Hebrew word for judgment, which is oftenused to
describe a judgment in court, is mishpat, which can also mean justice.
In these wisdom sayings there always is the idea of just judgment lurking
beneath!
C. So, after all that, do you have any new thoughts about what these words
(discernment, discretion, and judgment) mean and their importance to us?
(Discussion)
Let’s get started!

3. II. WisdomSayings
A. “In all the transmissions from God to Moses down to the Great
Assembly, three things were said...” And the first was “be
cautious/deliberate in judgment.” Avot 1:1.
1. What does it mean to be deliberate in judgment?
(Patient. Settled.
Not hasty, which can lead to remorse.
Not out of anger or emotion.
Slowly and methodicallyreach and explain a well-considered conclusion.
Remove puzzling parables from superficial meanings and know and explain
deepermeanings.
Be careful in choosing words.)
2. Why is being this way so very important?
(To keep sight of the most important things.
To establish the best criteria for decisionmaking, which is vital to living
right.
To make bestdecisions, which is really the objectof wisdom. (Afterall,
what good are wisdom and right direction, if one doesn’t use solid judgment
to choose and act in the right ways?)
To diminish the effect of those traits and temptations that steer us off track
To shape speechwith wisdom.
To effect justice.)

4. B. Here are several sayings that relate to judgment that may be relevant in
both judicial and general life settings:
* “Judge every man favorably.” Yehoshua ben Perahia
* “Do not make yourselves like those who arrange cases before judges.
Considerthe parties before you as wicked, but when they depart consider
them as innocent, provided they accept the judgment.” Yehuda ben Tabbai
* “Examine the witnesses thoroughly, and be cautious in your words lest
they learn from them how to deceive.” Avot1:8-9,Shimon ben Shetah
(YbP’s pair)
Can we reconcile these statements into a coherent positionrelative to
making good judgments? How (or how not)?
(Discussion)
C. “The bestpath lies midway.” Rabbi Yehuda
What philosophical attitude does this remind us of? What’s its wisdom that
is especiallyrelevant to the virtue of good judgment?
(It’s reminiscent of Aristotle’s GoldenMean. The idea is that there is a
middle way that represents the bestpath forward. We see this in
Confucius, Maimonides, Augustine, and others.

5. For example, the mean between recklessnessand cowardice is courage.
That betweenextravagance and miserliness is moderation.
The value, in part, is that good judgment should, among other things,
involve our knowing, finding, and then acting upon the mean when making
decisions.)
D. Rabbi Yehuda teaches us further about good judgment when, later in his
life, he comes to say, “a man’s place brings him honor.” Earlier in his life he
was known as “the leading speaker on every occasion.”
In his personal growth, he came to some important wisdom. What is it, and
what does it teach us about good judgment?
(Sometimes cockiness or pride leads us to a false ambition to think or act
like we’re the best at many things. We strive to be that way and want to be
billed and treated that way “on every occasion.”
Growing in maturity and judgment, we limit the ego and put more value in
the truth that one’s honor really comes from doing the good in the place
where one lives.
This is very important as we think about judgment because a personwho
operates from the latter perspective is far likelier to make decisions and act
in ways that are beneficial to the community than a personwho does so
from the former.
Basic attitudes, especiallythose that shape our values, are crucial to the
character of our judgment.)

6. E. While we are asked to sacrifice much and limit our ego and ambitions
for the sake of doing right, there is the other side of the equation, too. It is
said, “Man will be called to account for having deprived himself of the good
things which the world offered.” RavAbba
Is this inconsistent? Or does it suggest a good balance? Explain.
(This could be seen, too, as an example of the Golden Mean. There could
be a middle positionbetween selfishness orliving with excess and self-
abnegation that is fundamentally a properbut disciplined enjoyment of the
good things of life.
Perhaps this is rooted in the GoldenRule. We shouldn’t so love ourselves
that we have too little time, resources, and energy to love our neighbors.
But we should indeed love ourselves and act out that love, too.
It also suggests that physical pleasures that are made available to us in the
world are to be enjoyed in right and disciplined ways.
Good judgment is required, of course, to define the balance and make
decisions. But, recognizing the balance we learn in this saying is helpful to
defining good judgment in the first place.)
F. “He who occupieshimself with the study of the Law alone is as one who
has no God.” Rav Huna

7. After discussing the issues involved in this saying, we’ll ask: what does this
teach us, and what does it have to do with good judgment?
(Again we appear to have a case of the importance of the GoldenMean to
the exercise of good judgment.
We may worry about a total obsessionwith study of the law on one side
and ignorance of it on the other. In the middle,there may be a balance of
studying and living by the law and virtues as well as time spent in living,
working, companionship, and the affairs of the arts, physical pursuits, and
culture.
Perhaps the idea is that God can best be found in life within that mean.
Another way to look at it is to understand that law is important, but so are
mercy and compassion.
Another is that while adherence to law is vital, having a virtuous people
may be more so. So, time should be spent in encouraging greater virtue.
In a similar fashion, we may prize mediation of disputes more even than
resolution by law. So, we would want people to have mediation skills as
well as knowledge of law.
G. “Do not live in the neighborhood of an ignorant man who is pious.”
Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish
What’s the idea here? How does it relate to the virtue of good judgment?

8. (It’s of limited value to live in the neighborhood of an ignorant person. But it
can be dangerous if that ignorant person is pious. How?
The person can seek to harm others whose piety takes a different form if
the ignorant persondoesn’t know of the decencyof the other or is
incapable of learning and living true to the virtues of love and tolerance.
The person who is ignorant and pious may be a bad influence on others in
the neighborhood by spreading positions grounded in both the piety and
the ignorance. This could harm others in several ways, including shaping
their positions in unjust and unmerciful ways.
Good judgment can be harmed by nearness to such people. So, good
judgment teaches us to stay away!)
H. “Be mild in speech; suppress your wrath: and maintain good-willin
intercourse...” Abaye
We discussedthese virtues to some degree in our treatment of self-
discipline. But they bear further discussionhere. Why?
(For one thing, it’s hard to do the work well of exercising good judgment
and discretionwhen we’re caught up in the emotion and energy of wrath
and ill-will. Second, it takes good judgment to avoid these unhelpful
behaviors.)

9. Can one make a case that sometimes itshows good judgment to be rough
in speechor to be wrathful?
(Discussion)
I. “”A craftsman who makes a spoonwill still burn his tongue if he eats hot
soup from it.” Yosef
Get it? What do we learn from this wisdom?
(We can invent all kinds of things to solve all kinds of problems (including
technology), but if we’re not mindful, careful, and oriented to doing the right
and smart thing, we will still hurt ourselves in some of the same ways we
tried to avoid through our inventiveness.)
Can you suggest examples of this playing out in our lives?
(Discussion)
J. “Be quick in buying a field, and slow in taking a wife.” Rav Papa
Is this true, and why, or why not?

10. (It suggests that the marital decisionis more complexand consequential,
and wisdom dictates that we take more time to develop and exercise good
judgment about it before deciding and acting. Also, we might not easily see
or know important things about the personwe would marry that are
essential and require time to learn and assess.
One could argue, on the other hand, that commercial transactions are
complexas well and require time for good judgment.
K. “Do not worry about tomorrow’s trouble.” Ben Sira
Why not?
(Surely, we should be concerned about the future and factorin various
possibilities inour thinking and planning.
But we don’t know what tomorrow will bring. The problems we fear may
never actually come into being. We have plenty to worry about and act on
in the here and now, from today’s challenges and duties. Spending excess
time and energy on the speculative is an act of bad judgment.)
L. “Make sure a crowd seeks your welfare, and that you have many allies.
Reveal a secret only to one in a thousand.” Ben Sira
What does this teach?

11. (We exercise good judgment when we trust only a very few with our most
sensitive secrets. They tend to be those who are truly devoted. We also
show good judgment when we seek and earn support and care from a
growing number of people.)
M. Let’s look at the importance of judgment in effecting justice.
1. There’s a list in the Mishna of misfortunes that come into the world on
account of a specificsin. One is this: “The sword comes into the world on
account of...the delay of justice.”
Is this so? How does this problem relate to a poorexercise of judgment in
society?
(We may not be sure of where or when, but we certainly see times in
history in which this truth is borne out. Slavery’s part in contributing to the
Civil War appears to be a good example.
First, we must use properjudgment to insist that justice, however difficult it
is to do at certain times, be done.
Second, good judgment is crucial to justice. Justice involves the timely and
effective use of judgment to assure that the right is done and that people’s
rights are respectedand honored through justice.)

12. 2. In Tractate Sanhedrin, R. Judah b. Korha cites a verse in Zechariah:
“Execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates.” He concludes with
this wisdom: Simply where there is strict justice there is no peace...But
what is that kind of justice with which peace abides? We must say:
Arbitration.”
We just learned about the importance of justice. But here we learn that
good judgment calls for discretionin how we apply justice? In what way
might that be so?
(A court can and must administer justice. We must prize the just. It’s right
for us and the whole community.
But, if the ultimate hope is peace and wholeness, we want more buy-in,
more mutuality in decisions and outcomes from all parties. We want conflict
to be resolved amicably, if possible, not just justly. This often involves
compromise and agreement.
So, if 85-15 is fairer than 100-0,even though 100-0 is just, it may lead to
better peace and harmony if both sides could be happy through mediation
or arbitration at 85-15.)
III.Conclusion and Takeaways