About Jewish Proverbs and Sayings

Jews are known as a people of the book. Their literature contains wisdom sayings and maxims. For a discussion of the Jewish literature see [3]. Both [3] and [4] are excellent sources of Jewish sayings.

One approach to ordering wisdom puts statements in a chronological sequence. That is the approach of the Pirkei Avot: Ethics of Our Fathers. That work contains several well-known maxims:

"If I am not for myself, who is for me? And if I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?" -Hillel

"Make your Torah study a permanent fixture of your life. Say little and do much. And receive every man with a pleasant countenance." -Shammai

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Many sayings are common: not known as Jewish. Here are three:
"He who hesitates is lost." [4, p. 153]
"Every way up has its way down." [4, p. 155]
"Jack of all trades, master of none." [4, p. 158]
Others are among those posted to the web at Collected and Yiddish Wit:
"If you sit at home, you won't wear out your boots!"
"If you stay at home, you won't wear out your shoes!" [4, p. 56]
"He has as much sense as a church has mezuzahs."
"What will become of the sheep if the wolf is the judge?"
This modern statement and some folk wisdom follow: "the themes of Proverbs are neatly summed up in Eshet Hayil [5] : build a worthy family, stay on the path of virtue, and you shall be rewarded." - Elana Roth

"Those who live near a waterfall, do not hear its roar." ~ Jewish Proverb
"If God lived on earth, people would break his windows."
Proverbs or folk wisdom from students of Yiddish class: The truth comes out like oil on water.
A hint hits harder than the truth.
The worst peace is better than the best war.
The sun shines brighter after a rain.
The world is beautiful but people make it ugly.
Before you utter a word you are the master. After words you are a fool.
With another's common sense one cannot live.

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[3] Rosten, Leo Calvin, Leo Rosten's Treatury of Jewish Quotations, NY: McGraw-Hill, 1972.

[4] Kogos, Fred, The Dictionary of Popular Yiddish Words, Phrases, and Proverbs, Secaucus NJ: Citadel Press, 2000.

[5] What is the Eshet Chayil (A Woman of Valor) hymn?
A Woman of Valor