Is wisdom is greatened by foolishness?

Is wisdom is greatened by foolishness?

While in the verse, "there is a greatness to chochma (wisdom) over 'sichlut'," sichlut is often translated as "foolishness," a better translation would be "external wisdom" (chochma chitzonis). The word for foolishness is "shtus."

So the meaning of this verse is that best explaned as that "true wisdom (Torah) gains some from external wisdom." For example, the wisdom of philosophy or the the astronomical mathematics used in the laws to sanctify the new moon.

Similarly, the verse "And the Wisdom of Shlomo was greater than all of the wisdom of the early generations" is better translated as "And the wisdom of Shlomo was greatened because of the wisdom of the early generations."

So the level of Chochma refers to higher, divine wisdom, while the level of Malchus, kingship, also termed as "chochmat Shlomo," refers to the elevation and purification of external wisdom.

(Apparently there are seven kinds of external wisdom.)

However it is specifically someone of the stature of Shlomo, "wiser than all men" who can achieve this feat of elevating external wisdom. It is not for the layman to attempt.

Ohr Hatorah, Biyur Vayishma Yisro

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