משל

מָשָׁלm. (b. h.; v. מָשַׁל I) (something tangible, substantial, plausible; cmp. אֲמַתְלָא, a truth substantiated by an illustration, wise saying; fable, allegery; example; mashal. Cant. R. introd. אל יהי המ׳ הזה קלוכ׳ do not esteem the mashal lightly, for through if man gets at the basis of Ib. וש לו מקרא ויש לו מ׳וכ׳, v. מְלִיצָה. Ex. R. s. 40, beg. צריך אדם להיות נוטל מ׳ man should take an example (of the Lord). Pes.49a bot. מ׳ לענביוכ׳ it is like mixing grapes with מ׳ למה הדבר דומה v. דָּמָה a. preced.B. Bath.15a איוב לא היה … אלא מ׳ היה the story of Job never occurred, but was invented merely as a parable. Snh.92b אמת מ׳ היה (the vision of the valley of the dead) was the truth of a mashal, (emended:) באמת מ׳ היה in the truth (the fact of resurrection) there was a symbol (for the redemption of Israel from captivity; Ez. 37:11).Y.Keth.IV, 28c top; Y.Snh.VIII, 26c top זה … שנאמרו בתורה במ׳ this is one of the three verses in which the Law uses metaphorical expressions (Ex. 21:19; 22:2; Deut. 22:17); Mekh. Mishp. 6; a. fr.Pl. מְשָׁלִים, מְשָׁלוֹת. Sot.IX, 15 (49a) משמתר״מ בטלו מושלי מ׳ with the death of R. M. ceased the composers of fables. Cant. R. l. c. מִשְׁלוֹתָיו שלוכ׳ the wise sayings of Solomon. Ib. דברי מ׳ didactic literature, opp. זמר. Ib. שלש מ׳ three collections of sayings (Prov. 1 to 9; 10 to 24; 25 to 31). Num. R. s. 14, end ועם בלעם … כי אם במ׳ God spoke to Balaam only through allegories (visions).Succ.28a מִשְׁלוֹת שועלין (Ms. M. מִמְשְׁלוֹת, v. Rabb. D. S. a. l. note) fox-fables; מ׳ כובסין washers fables; B. Bath. 134a. Snh.38b (Ms. M. ממשלת); Yalk. Prov. 947.Gitt.35a bot. ספר איוב ומִמְשָׁלוֹת copies of the Books of Job and Proverbs (v. infra).מִשְׁלֵי (sub. שלמה) Mishlé, the Book of Proverbs (commencing with the word mishlé). Cant. R. l. c. B. Bath.14b. Y.Yoma I, end, 39b; a. e.