Zdobycie mądrości według Syracha (Syr 6,18-37). Część I: Przyjęcie wychowania prowadzi do osiągnięcia mądrości (Syr 6,18-22)

The main subject of Sir 6:18-37 is acquisition of wisdom. The pericopemay be divided into three parts: vv. 18-22 present the prerequisite for the acquisition of wisdom, namely undergoing wisdom formation; vv. 23-31 deal with one’s submission to wisdom, while the last fragment (vv. 32-37) focuses on the means necessary to obtain wisdom. The present article constitutes an analysis of the first part of Sir 6:18-37, that is Sir 6:18-22. Two sections may be distinguished within this excerpt - in the first one (vv. 18-19) the sage makes use of agricultural imagery to encourage his disciple to make a patient effort to seek wisdom, since the acquisition of wisdom is a long-lasting process that requires a lot of discipline (the process spans a person’s whole life; cf. Sir 6:18). The author emphasizes, however, that those who seek wisdom and undergo wisdom formation will soon be able to take advantage of its fruit. In the second section (vv. 20-22) the author describes a person who refuses to undergo wisdom formation as uneducated (cf. 6:20a) and devoid of intellectual abilities (literally, heartless; cf.6:20b). Lacking patience, such a person refuses to make an effort to receive wisdom education and rejects wisdom altogether. Thus, they will never become wise. Even though wisdom is the province of the few only (cf. 6:22), it is accessible to anyone, regardless of the person’s origin, social status or other external conditions. There is, however, one vital prerequisite, namely, a person’s inner attitude or disposition, their willingness to make an effort and their patience. Only few people fulfil these conditions and acquire wisdom.