The Most Important Journey

Every Friday, we turn to the Book of Proverbs for

timeless wisdom to guide our lives and strengthen

our faith. One of the 11 books of the Ketuvim

—“Writings” in Hebrew—Proverbs belongs to the

Bible’s wisdom tradition, offering practical and

godly guidance for living with faith, integrity, and

understanding.

The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: for gaining wisdom and instruction; for understanding words of insight; — Proverbs 1:1-2

My husband and I host many guests at our table on Shabbat, both strangers and friends alike. One time, we hosted a man who worked in the diamond industry. He told us about the long journey of a diamond—from a mine in one part of the world, to the eventual owner in another part of the world. But what struck me was how he ended: “The most important journey that a diamond will make is the 18 inches across a desk.”

In other words, if you can’t sell the diamond to a client, its long journey is worthless.

The journey of a diamond reminded me of the importance of passing on our faith to the next generation. Like a diamond, our Bible has traveled on a long journey—from the Sinai desert 3,000 years ago, through centuries and continents, until this very day.

But the most important journey our Bible will make is from us to the next generation. Or from us to those who have not yet discovered the truth and beauty of God’s Word.

According to the Jewish sages, this is precisely why King Solomon wrote the Book of Proverbs. In Hebrew, the book is

called mishlei, which comes from the Hebrew word which means “allegory.” Solomon was able to present important ideas in easy-to-understand allegories so that the Bible’s wisdom would be accessible to everyone.

And the Bible calls us to share its values and lessons in a way that speaks to our audience. Whether we are trying to teach beginners to the Bible, disenchanted youth, or our own children, we have to reach out to each person in a way they can understand.

There are many different ways to pass on our faith, but I’ve found that the simplest and most effective way is to teach by example. When we model virtues such as honesty, faith, kindness, and discipline, our actions speak much louder than

pages full of words and ensure that our faith will make the most important journey to our children and to the world.