We continue our series on family life through the lenses of Mishlei (Proverbs) and the wisdom of Shlomo HaMelech alav hashalom (peace be upon him). Today, we will be discussing two Pesukim (verses) in Perek (chapter) Kaf Heh (25), Pasuk (verse) Tet Zayin (16) and Pasuk Yud Zayin (17). Shlomo HaMelech says, which means: Eat what is sufficient for you, lest you become overly satiated and vomit it all up. Let your feet be heavy. Let them be scarce in your friend's home. Don't visit too often. Why? Lest he be overly satiated with you and come to hate you.
In these two Pesukim, Shlomo HaMelech is teaching us a very interesting concept. He first gives us a Mashal, a parable. He gives us a metaphor in order for us to understand the message he will be teaching us in the second Pasuk. What is the parable? What is the metaphor? Shlomo HaMelech says that Devash, honey, is a very sweet and delicious food item, and people enjoy eating honey very much. But Shlomo HaMelech says, as delicious as it is, eat only what is sufficient for you. If you overindulge and eat more than your body can handle, then you will vomit up that honey. It will not stay in your body.
So what's the message, and what is Shlomo HaMelech teaching us over here? Shlomo HaMelech says in the second Pasuk, Hoker raglecha, let your feet be heavy. Let them be scarce. Don't visit your friend's home too much. He will be overly satiated with you and will come to hate you. Shlomo HaMelech here was teaching us that a good friendship is as sweet as honey. But even that must be done in moderation. Good friendships are preserved when they are limited to periodic visits.
Even if someone is your loyal friend, Shlomo HaMelech over here was talking about Re'echa, your good and beloved friend. Even with him, says Shlomo HaMelech, your visits should be moderate. They should be periodic. And not only that, the commentaries tell us that Shlomo HaMelech here is also teaching us that even when you do visit, you should visit at the right time. Let your visits be heavy. Meaning, calculated: when is the right time to go, and when is not the right time to go? A person should not visit his friend when it is time for him to eat, or maybe when he's sleeping or attending to personal matters. Visiting a person should be done with calculation and moderation.
Shlomo HaMelech has taught us a very important lesson over here. It is a very general lesson that could be applied to many areas and aspects of life. There are many sweet things in life that a person could do and be involved in. But if a person takes that sweet thing and takes advantage of it, misuses it, or overindulges in it, says Shlomo HaMelech, that sweet item transforms into poison, bringing upon himself no benefit, but only harm. So Shlomo HaMelech over here has taught us the following lesson: even the sweet things in life that we do, that we enjoy doing, that we love to do, and that we look forward to doing them, make sure, says Shlomo HaMelech, to enjoy them in a way that is calculated, in a way that is moderate. And with that, he will truly benefit from all the sweet and good things that a person does in life. Have a wonderful day.