Hint Book

The sages say: A wise man learns from a hint. A fool learns only from a fist (i.e., a punch in his face).

Indeed, there are some 'accomplished' fools who don't learn even from repeated "fists." Many of them are politicians.

In Aramaic (Hebrew's sister-tongue and the language in which the saying was expressed), "hint" (רמיזא) and "fist" (כורמיזא) rhyme, they're a pun or play on words. In English, one could say: if you don't get the pun you might need a punch.

God is always hinting to us whether or not to embark on a path that we desire. A wise man is sensitive to God's hints.

But there are different types of wise men, different types of hints, and different manners of how to interpret hints.

Sometimes the hint poses a question mark as to the advisability of making a certain decision, of following a certain path. Sometimes the hint says go ahead but carefully. Sometimes the hint says first understand the subtleties of the hint itself and then you'll know what to do.

There are four levels to learning Torah. One of them is "hint" (רמז).

Read and contemplate the eternal truths of the Torah. Be attentive to their inherent hints. They are addressing you in the here and now.