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# foolishness

«foolishness» in Mova's judaism dictionary: **silly or unwise behaviour or thinking, without good sense** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (foolishness; uncountable)

### meaning for a pupil

1) Foolishness is silly or unwise behaviour or thinking, without good sense. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/F/foolishness/#m1)

2) Foolishness can also mean nonsense: «Stop this foolishness!». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/F/foolishness/#m2)

### sense in the lessons

In the Tanakh and Jewish tradition: In Sefer Yetzirah it is the opposite of wisdom. Interpretation: It is listed with the pairs of opposites, as wisdom and foolishness. These are tied to the letters. In the primary lessons: In stories, fables and the Bible, foolishness is often contrasted with wisdom (the wise man built his house on the rock, the foolish man on the sand). In everyday life, parents say «That's enough foolishness». In safety lessons, foolishness like playing near railway lines can be dangerous. Phrases: «sheer foolishness», «stop this foolishness».

### examples

- The antithesis of wisdom is foolishness; of wealth, poverty; of fruitfulness, childlessness; of life, death; of dominion, dependence; of peace, war; and of beauty, ugliness. (Sefer Yetzirah, Kalisch 1877) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/F/foolishness/#x1)
- My wounds are noisome, they fester, because of my foolishness. (Writings PSA.38.6, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/F/foolishness/#x2)
- A prudent man concealeth knowledge; but the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness. (Writings PRO.12.23, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/F/foolishness/#x3)
- The foolishness of man perverteth his way; and his heart fretteth against the LORD. (Writings PRO.19.3, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/F/foolishness/#x4)
- It was foolishness to swim in the river alone. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/F/foolishness/#x5)
- «Enough of this foolishness!» said the teacher. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/F/foolishness/#x6)
- The fable shows the foolishness of the greedy dog. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/F/foolishness/#x7)
- The Bible compares wisdom with foolishness. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/F/foolishness/#x8)
- He regretted his foolishness later. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/F/foolishness/#x9)
- Running across the road without looking is pure foolishness. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/F/foolishness/#x10)
- "What foolishness," cried one, "to walk when they might as well ride. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/F/foolishness/#x11)

### note

Uncountable. Adjective: foolish; noun: fool (a foolish person); April Fool's Day is 1 April. Similar: silliness, stupidity (ruder).

### In the corpora

- [My wounds are noisome, they fester, because of my foolishness.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/jps/PSA.619/)
- [A prudent man concealeth knowledge; but the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/jps/PRO.344/)
- [The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright; but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/jps/PRO.412/)
- [The foolishness of man perverteth his way; and his heart fretteth against the LORD.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/jps/PRO.531/)
- [Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/jps/PRO.634/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «foolishness» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/F/foolishness/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.