Even birds recognize the narrow-eyed (the envious/mean-spirited)

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Even birds recognize the narrow-eyed (the envious/mean-spirited)

Even birds recognize the narrow-eyed (the envious/mean-spirited)

By analogy: The character of the narrow-eyed (envious, stingy, or someone who begrudges others' good fortune) is so obvious or off-putting that even birds can supposedly recognize them.

(And Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: How do we know that even birds recognize the narrow-eyed? For it is said (Proverbs 1): 'Surely in vain is the net spread in the eyes of any bird.' – Sotah 38a)

Translation

Expression (Hebrew)

אֲפִלּוּ עוֹפוֹת מַכִּירִין בְּצָרֵי עַיִן

Definition (Hebrew)

בְּהַשְׁאָלָה: הָאֹפִי שֶׁל צָרֵי הָעַיִן בּוֹלֵט אוֹ דּוֹחֶה עַד כְּדֵי כָּךְ שֶׁכִּבְיָכוֹל אֲפִלּוּ הָעוֹפוֹת יְכוֹלִים לְהַבְחִין בָּהֶם (צַר עַיִן מַשְׁמָע קַנַּאי, אוֹ קַמְצָן, אוֹ אָדָם שֶׁרַע לוֹ כְּשֶׁלָּאַחֵר טוֹב).

("וְאָמַר ר' יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי: מִנַּיִן שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ עוֹפוֹת מַכִּירִין בְּצָרֵי הָעַיִן? שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (מִשְׁלֵי א) כִּי חִנָּם מְזֹרָה הָרָשֶׁת בְּעֵינֵי כָּל בַּעַל כָּנָף"- סוֹטָה לַח ע"א)

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