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# madness

«madness» in Mova's judaism dictionary: **Very foolish or dangerous behaviour: It would be madness…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 2 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (madness — uncountable; madnesses — rare)

### meaning for a pupil

1) Very foolish or dangerous behaviour: It would be madness to swim in that storm. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/M/madness/#m1)

2) (old-fashioned) Serious mental illness. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/M/madness/#m2)

3) Wild excitement or confusion: the madness of the January sales. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/M/madness/#m3)

4) Great anger (old use). [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/M/madness/#m4)

5) In old tales, madness can also be a name for rabies, a deadly illness of dogs that can spread to people. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/M/madness/#m5)

### sense in the lessons

In the Tanakh and Jewish tradition: It means loss of reason, sent as a punishment in the warnings about breaking the covenant. In Ecclesiastes it means wild folly, set beside wisdom, which the writer tested and found only a striving after wind. Interpretation: Tradition reads these warnings as a call to keep the commandments, which protect people's lives and minds. Ecclesiastes is read as a search that shows the limits of human wisdom without fear of God. In the primary lessons: In everyday talk «It's madness!» means a plan is silly or dangerous. In stories madness can describe chaos (Black Friday madness, March Madness for US basketball). The old sense for mental illness is now unkind — say «mental illness» instead.

### examples

- The LORD will smite thee with madness, and with blindness, and with astonishment of heart. (Torah DEU.28.28, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/M/madness/#x1)
- The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness; and the end of his talk is grievous madness. (Writings ECC.10.13, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/M/madness/#x2)
- And I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly — I perceived that this also was a striving after wind. (Writings ECC.1.17, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/M/madness/#x3)
- And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness and folly; for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done. (Writings ECC.2.12, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/M/madness/#x4)
- It's madness to cycle on the motorway. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/M/madness/#x5)
- The shops were pure madness before the holidays. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/M/madness/#x6)
- «This is madness!» shouted the captain as the waves rose. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/M/madness/#x7)
- There's method in his madness — his odd plan worked. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/M/madness/#x8)
- The madness of the crowd scared the little boy. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/M/madness/#x9)
- Leaving the gate open with the dog outside was madness. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/M/madness/#x10)
- We call it hydrophobia, but they call it dewanee--the madness--and run. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/M/madness/#x11)

### note

Uncountable. From mad + -ness. «Method in the madness» = a hidden sensible reason. Using «madness» about real illness is old-fashioned and can be hurtful.

### In the corpora

- [The LORD will smite thee with madness, and with blindness, and with astonishment of heart.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/jps/DEU.765/)
- [The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness; and the end of his talk is grievous madness.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/jps/ECC.200/)

### Trees and pragmatics

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