Your Daily Slice

Shevat 23

WISE Counsel

“Blessed is the man who shall not walk in the counsel of the WRONG …” (Ps 1:1 ISR, emphasis mine)

Different translations have used the words “ungodly”, or “wicked” in this verse; they all strongly point to whose counsel we should not listen to.  And it is not difficult to recognize that the opposite of wrong is the one who is right, or righteous; the opposite of wicked is one who is good; and the opposite of ungodly would be one who is walking Torah.   Pretty straightforward, I would think, and a clear signal of whose advice and counsel we should heed.

What amazed me when I took a hard look at the wording of this verse was that we are told what we are not to do:  walking – living our lives – according to this wrong and ungodly counsel.  Yet this verse says nothing about what we listen to.  Think for a moment, if you would, of all that we hear throughout the course of one 24 hour period that is not necessarily according to Torah:  TV, radio, fellow shoppers, conversations while eating in a restaurant, just to name a few. 

And not all of it is bad.  There are those within the circle of our lives that are able to offer us much practical wisdom, while not strictly conforming to the dictates of Torah.  For example, our local extension service, through the Department of Agriculture, will offer us advice concerning what trees and shrubs grow best here in our corner of Wyoming.  This is good advice and common sense from those who have trained for the position they are now in, and it is certainly worth our while to listen when people like this talk.

When looking for advice and counsel, do your research.  Learn about the one(s) you are thinking about approaching, find out if they are even qualified to speak about the subject you are interested in.  Someone who is well versed in Medieval English History would probably not know much about Hebrew, and vice versa.   Take a look at others who have heeded this one’s advice:  has it been successful?  And without a doubt, if you are seeking counsel for a personal problem, find a person whose Torah walk cannot be questioned …

“The wise one hears and increases learning, And the understanding one gets wise counsel.” (Pro 1:5 ISR)

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