"... The book of Ben Sira, a work at the fringes of the Jewish biblical canon, posed a different sort of problem for the rabbis. The rabbis affirm that Ben Sira is not included in the biblical canon (t. Yad. 2:13). Nevertheless, it is clear that the book enjoyed widespread popularity in both rabbinic and non-rabbinic circles (Leiman 1991, 99–102). Indeed, the content of Ben Sira is consistent with rabbinic wisdom statements and is cited frequently in rabbinic literature (Segal 1958, 37–42); several rabbis even take credit for teachings found in the book (Pirkei Avot 4:4; b. Shabbat 11a). There is not an obvious pattern to the subject matter or verses that the rabbis cite, although Tal Ilan (2006) notes that a significant percentage of them concern women. Other subject matter quoted include attitudes toward esoteric knowledge, appropriate social conduct and manners, and hospitality (Labendz 2006, 381). Of course, Ben Sira’s famous identification of wisdom with Torah resembles that found in rabbinic literature, even if the rabbis never quote Sirach 24. Whether the rabbis would be willing to rely upon a non-canonical work as a source of wisdom regardless of its content, however, was an open question ..."