Halakhah zu Kohelet 12:78

Of what manner is the root of piety? When a man’s heart inclines toward qualities of piety and it is made difficult for him because all mock him and shame him and say things to torment him and recall his former evil deeds, let him not leave his piety because of the scorners, but let him acquire good qualities little by little, day after day: “he that gathereth little by little shall increase” (Prov. 13:11). Concerning this it is stated, “If thou art wise, thou art wise for thyself” (Prov. 9:12). Concerning the scorners it is written “They make a man an offender by words” (Isa. 29:21), i.e., they (the scorners) speak badly about those who perform the commandments. It is a great sin to say to a penitent, “Remember thy former deeds”¹Baba Metzia 58b. after he has evidenced through good deeds his desire to acquire the qualities of piety. He is not disturbed by the laughter of the scorners. Those that recall his former deeds are regarded as if closing the door to the penitent. And let him say to himself that his being shamed will be counted for him as a great merit and as righteousness.²Berakoth 12b. And the pure fear of God enters his heart and purifies his heart and body of all evil because he will be aided from heaven to be strengthened in the fear of God. And so they said, “He who comes to be purified is assisted from heaven.”³Shabbath 104a. And they prepare for him to make full repentance, for the doors of repentance are not shut.⁴Midrash Tehillim, ed. Solomon Buber (Wilna: Romm Publisher, 1891), p. 313. And precept leads to precept,⁵Aboth 4:2. and now as the man enters through the doors of repentance he will pray day and night before his Creator that He rescue him from Divine Justice and there occur no stumbling through himself. And to the extent that a man treads in his piety and has no inclination to turn aside from his meritorious way—for it is upright in his sight—so the Master of Uprightness will lead him in the upright path. And thus David said, “Good and upright is the Lord; therefore doth He instruct sinners in the way. He guideth the humble in justice; and He teacheth the humble His way” (Ps. 25:8). And as he enters piety with difficulty so will it be the more difficult for him to leave his good way because of shame, because people might say, thus is it now known that this man strives for outward appearances only⁶Samuel 16:7. and in order to deceive people he has feigned piety, and it is forbidden to deceive people, even a gentile.⁷Hullin 94a. And because piety is difficult to achieve initially it is good to start during youth, as it is written, “Remember then thy Creator in the days of thy youth” (Eccl. 12:1); “and even when he is old he will not depart from it” (Prov. 22:6). For the repentance of an old man, when he is aged and the desires are gone, resembles a man indulging in slander with his tongue gone and he speaks no more. But when a man returns while yet in his strength and might and his passion threatens to make itself master over him and he subdues it, this sort of repentance is the most praiseworthy. And a mighty act he performs indeed through controlling his intense and strong passion. Concerning this it is said, “and he that ruleth his spirit (rather) than he that taketh a city” (Prov. 16:32). And for each matter which is difficult for the individual but which he nevertheless accomplishes, his reward is very great.⁸Aboth 5:26.

The foundation of the fear of God is the trial. For the essence of fear becomes apparent in the time of trial. And as fear is apparent when involving passion for women, so is it recognizable in all sorts of passion. And the Holy One, blessed be He, does not put man to a trial except when He intends to do good to him; Satan, who embodies the attribute of strict justice, comes before God and says, “Lord of the Universe, it would not be proper to do good to him until he proves himself in trial.” Therefore the just are sworn to conquer their passion.¹Hagigah 10a. And thus when He brought good to Saul and his children He tried him, and so with Abraham and Job.²Aboth 5:3. Man should always be deliberate in the fear of the Lord,³Berakoth 17a. answering softly, turning back anger,⁴Ibid. speaking peacefully with his brothers and close ones, even with a gentile in the street, in order that he be beloved above and favored below and acceptable to human beings. They said concerning Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai, a man never was first in saluting him not even a gentile.⁵Ibid. And let a man be deliberate in fear of the Lord and understanding to think subtle thoughts for the improvement of the world and the honor of heaven. In the end the words of every man who is God-fearing are heard. As it is stated, “The end of the matter, all having been heard: fear God” (Eccl. 12:13).⁶Berakoth 6b. A man who possesses learning but is devoid of works is analogous to one to whom have been given the inner keys but not the outer ones by which he shall enter; and how shall he enter?⁷Shabbath 31b.

(Yod) “The dust returns to the ground as it was; and the spirit returns to God Who bestowed it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7). And our teacher Rabbi Yitschak Arama (Spain, 15th century) wrote in Akeidat Yitschak:
[This] teaches us that the goal of man and his perfection is that that at the time of his end, his two components will completely split one from the other – each one for itself, without the one having any remnant of its companion, etc. However this which the wise one (Shlomo/Kohelet) said about their complete separation – to here and to there – is only accomplished in a [person] if he [has reached] the fullest good while he is alive, such that there not be any admixture in his soul and it not connect to physical traits and their lowliness to identify with them at all; and that he inclines to this, such that he makes efforts that they should be separated. Until, in the end, “the dust returns to the dust as it was,” without any soulful admixture; “and the spirit returns to God Who bestowed it,” without any dusty admixture. This is as they say (Shabbat 152b), “Give it to Him like He gave it to you.” However this matter of separation in this way is difficult for people, as behold, their souls have a great inclination towards their physicality because of their constantly dealing with the physical, etc., to the point where they love it with a powerful love during their lives. And [so] they do not separate in their deaths, etc. and there remains with [the soul] bad and destructive matters, etc.”
And hence he says:
It is as difficult for the soul of the evil to leave [the body], as it is for wool stuck in one of the thorns, etc. – since “the dust returns to the ground as it was,” is not fulfilled with them. [See there.]
And in Maggid Mesharim of [R. Yosef Karo, he] also writes that it is [like the] the ‘hollow of a sling.’⁴¹See I Sam. 25:29. As the bodily powers with their desires that have become connected to the soul – sometimes with this sin, and sometimes with that sin; and each sin has its designated power to punish him – is ‘the hollow of a sling.’ And [so] all the designated powers fling him one to the other. See there. And it appears that with this we can resolve that which is written in the Midrash (Sifrei Bamidbar 86)⁴²The standard text of the midrash is slightly different, but different enough to make the explanation given here less compelling. “‘And He called the name of that place Kivrot-Hataavah [because the people who desired were buried there.]’ (Num. 11:34). I might think that that was because of the name of an event; it is therefore written, ‘for there they buried (kavru) the people who desired (hamitavim).’” To here [is the midrash]. And see what is written in Akeidat Yitschak – that it should have stated, “the people who had desired.” See there. And this is the explanation: “I might think that it was because of the name of an event” that happened once – this story that they desired meat – and then it stopped; however the name of the place remained from that time. And the explanation of, “it is therefore written, ‘for there they buried the people who desired,’” is that they are still desiring and it is not [just a one-time] event; rather it is happening all the time. And [it] is as he wrote – that anyone who desires [the physical] in his lifetime is [still] connected to it after the separation of the soul; and [so] they are still desiring.

And the fourth is because the perfect table “which is before the Lord” is the upper level where the soul is nourished. There are four upper levels which, like the four animals of “the chariot” among the upper beings, correspond to the four winds of the world, and to the four elements in the beings below in the lower world. These levels are the intellectual banquet which is called “the life of the world to come.” And our rabbis before us called it “the table of three legs,” as it is said in the Talmud, Massekhet Ta’anit.⁴⁰B. Ta’anit 25a: “In the future the righteous will eat at a table of gold which has three legs.” And why didn’t they call it “the table of four legs”? It was their way of referring to the three patriarchs, and that’s why they said “of three legs;” and they were concealing the fourth. LikewiseEzekiel concealed the place of the eagle, as it is written, “Each of the four had the face of an eagle;” he did not specify what its position was.⁴¹Ez. 1:10. In his prophetic vision of the four heavenly creatures, the prophet specifies that each had four faces: a human face, a face of a lion on the right, the face of an ox on the left, and the face of an eagle. But unlike the other faces, Ezekiel does not state specifically where on the creatures’ bodies the eagle’s face was. And from his example our sages z”l learned to conceal an implied fourth when they just said, “The patriarchs are indeed the chariot”⁴²Ber. R. 47:8. and “one refers to the patriarchs only as three.”⁴³B. Berakhot 16b. But it is well known that no chariot has less than four wheels. For this reason one saint used to say while reciting the Amidah, “the God of David and Builder of Jerusalem,” to mention in his prayer the whole chariot in all its completeness.⁴⁴In other words, he added the Messiah, the descendent of King David and rebuilder of Jerusalem, who has yet to come and complete the four. And therefore I call this book “Table of Four” for that level where our souls are attached: where they are nourished and take pleasure to the degree appropriate to their level. This is the perfect table for the righteous one.Completing the chariot makes it a table of four, for there the souls of the patriarchs are hidden away. And accordingly, having achieved this status, the place where the vessels [of their souls, i.e., their bodies] are buried is called Kiryat Arba’ (“The City of Four”), that is, Hebron.⁴⁵R. Bahya is probably also suggesting that the name of the patriarchs’ burial place not only alludes to the number four as a symbol of perfection and completion, but also to the re-union of the soul with her source implied in the word “Hebron.” Hebron sounds like the root of the Hebrew word for “to unite” or “to attach” that R. Bahya just used to refer to the place “where the soul is attached,” “sham hithabrut ha-nefesh.” So when a person is eating and drinking at his table to sate his soul to sustain his body with its four elements, his mind should ramble about upward onto the pure “table which is before the Lord,” that is, the four levels which hover over the refined soul who merits each and every one according to her level. There is no doubt that by this, all of his bodily activities are accounted to a person as if they were intellectual ones, that he himself be counted among the elite, and his soul “be bound up in the bundle of life”⁴⁶I Sam 25:29: tzurah be-tzror ha-hayyim, an expression which has come to mean “eternal life” as in the prayer for the dead El Male Rahamim.even while he is still alive; fit for the whole world to be created for his sake. As our rabbis z”l taught in a midrash: “’For this applies to all mankind,’⁴⁷Eccl. 12:13. that is, all the world in its entirety was created only in conjunction with this man.”⁴⁸B. Shabbat 30b.

Every commandment of the Law, both positive and negative, if a man transgresses one of them through error or deliberately, if he repents and returns from his sins he is enjoined to confess before God, may His name be exalted, as it is written, “When a man or woman shall commit any sin that men commit, to commit a trespass … then they shall confess their sin” (Num. 5:6). This is a verbal confession and it involves a positive commandment. In what manner does one confess? He says, “I pray, O Lord, I have sinned, I have done perversely, I have transgressed before Thee, such and such have I done, and behold I am sorry, I am ashamed of my actions and I will never return to this thing.”¹Maimonides, Hilkhoth Teshuvah, 1:1. This is the essence of the confession. And he who adds to his confession and elaborates in the matter is all the more praiseworthy.²Yoma, 84b. And so sinners and the guilty at the time that they bring sacrifices for their sins and for their errors are not forgiven until they do penance and make a verbal confession, as it is written, “And he shall confess that wherein he hath sinned” (Lev. 5:5). And so all those under sentence of death by the court and those subject to lashes, their death and flagellation does not obtain forgiveness for them unless they do penance and confess.³Sanhedrin 43b. And so he who wounds his neighbor or does damage to his neighbor even though he has paid him that which was due him is not atoned for until he confesses and returns from ever doing this again, as it is written, “Any sin that men commit” (Num. 5:6).⁴Yalkut Shimoni, ed. Horeb, Numbers, par. 701, p. 444. The goat that is to be sent away⁵Lit “The goat to be sent away.” The scapegoat used for the Yom Kippur ritual sent into the wilderness carrying the sins of the people. (See Leviticus 16:8.) atones for all transgressions in the Torah, light ones and more serious ones, both if the person transgressed in error and if he transgressed deliberately, both if it was made known to him or not made known to him, all is expiated for by the goat that is sent away and this all applies only when he does penance. But if he has not done penance the goat does not atone except for the light ones.⁶J. T. Shebuoth 1:6. And which are the light ones and which are the more serious ones? The more serious ones are those for which one is guilty of the death penalty or of excision (from Israel). A needless oath and a false oath, even though excision is not applicable, are considered among the more serious ones. And all other positive commandments and negative commandments which do not involve excision are regarded as light ones. And in our day when the Holy Temple no longer exists and we have no atonement through the altar there is nothing left but penance. Penance atones for all transgressions. Even if a man has been wicked all his days and has done penance at the end, his wickedness is not counted, as it is written, “And as for the wickedness of the wicked he shall not stumble thereby in the day thereby he turneth from his wickedness” (Ezek. 33:12).⁷Kiddushin 40b. And the gravity of the Day of Atonement atones for penitents, as it is written, “For on this day shall atonement be made for you” (Lev. 16:30).⁸Yoma 85b. Even though repentance atones and the gravity of the Day of Atonement atones, there are transgressions which obtain forgiveness only after a time.⁹Ibid., 86a. How so? A man has transgressed a positive commandment not involving excision and has done penance he does not go away from there until he is forgiven. Concerning these (such transgressors) it is said, “Return, ye backsliding children, I will heal your backslidings” (Jer. 3:22). If a man has transgressed a negative commandment which does not involve excision and capital punishment and has repented, the repentance suspends judgement and the Day of Atonement atones. Concerning this it is said, “For on this day shall atonement be made” (Lev. 16:30). If he has transgressed in a matter involving excision and capital punishment and has done penance, penance and the Day of Atonement suspend judgement and the tribulations that visit him conclude the expiation, and he never does obtain full forgiveness until tribulation comes upon him. Concerning them (such transgressors) Scripture says, “Then will I visit their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with strokes” (Ps. 89:33). When does this apply? Only when he did not profane the Name when he transgressed, for example, he committed the transgression in secret (is expiation possible), but profaning the Name publicly, even though he has done penance and the Day of Atonement has arrived and he stands yet within his penance and tribulation has visited him, not even all of these are able to cleanse his wrong so as to obtain (for him) full forgiveness, except that he die. Repentance, the Day of Atonement and tribulations, these three only suspend judgement but death cleanses and atones, as it is said, “And the Lord of hosts revealed Himself in mine ears” (Isa. 22:14).
What is complete penance? (It is illustrated by) one to whom a transgression has presented itself which he has already transgressed and he has the opportunity to do it again but has withdrawn and has not done it because of the penance and not because of fear or weakness. How so? Behold one who has cohabited illicitly with a woman and later has been left alone again with her and has had the opportunity to do it again, and he has been still steadfast in his love for her and has been able to do it, but has subdued his passion and has not transgressed, he is a complete penitent. Concerning this one Solomon said, “Remember then thy Creator in the days of thy youth” (Eccl. 12:1).¹⁰Abodah Zarah 19a. And if he has not returned except in his old age and at the time when it is no longer possible because of his failing strength, to do that which he was able to do in his youth, even though this is not the best penance it avails, and he is regarded as a penitent. And even though he has transgressed all his life and at the end, at the time of his death, he has repented and he has died penitent, all of his transgressions are forgiven him,¹¹Kiddushin 40b. as it is said, “Before the sun and the light … are darkened” (Eccl. 12:2), which is the day of death, from which we can deduce that if he remembers his Creator before death he is forgiven. And what is this repentance? That the sinner forsake his sin and remove evil thoughts from his heart, and resolve in his heart to do it (the evil) no more, as it is said, “Let the wicked forsake his way” (Isa. 55:7). Let him repent and regret his previous sins, as it is written, “Surely after that I was turned I repented” (Jer. 31:18); and let him say, “I give testimony concerning myself before Him Who knows all hidden things, that I will not return to this sin ever; as it is written, “Neither will we call anymore the work of our hands our gods” (Hos. 14:4).¹²The Zohar, ed. Soncino, V, 334, 335. And in keeping with the paths of repentance it would have been proper for him to cry continuously before God with weeping and supplications, do charity according to his ability, further himself greatly from the things wherein he sinned, change his name, that is to imply, that “I am another and not that man who did those evil things,” and he changes his actions for the good to rear himself in the upright path. He imposes exile upon himself because exile atones for transgression, it subdues him and causes him to become humble and meek. And it is most praiseworthy for the penitent to confess publicly and let his sin be known and reveal his sin that is between him and his neighbor to others, saying to them, “I have sinned against so and so and such and such have I done to him and this day I return and do penance.” And the proud who do not make known but conceal their sins, their repentance is not complete, as it is written, “He that covereth his transgression shall not prosper; but who so confesseth and forsaketh shall obtain mercy” (Prov. 28:13). In what case (who so confesseth … shall obtain mercy)? Only (in cases) concerning transgressions between man and man, but involving those between man and his Master, he does not need to publicize them. It is insolence on his part if he has revealed it to another; instead he returns to his Creator, blessed be He, and enumerates his sins before Him but confesses them before the congregation inexplicitly, (saying) “I have sinned.” It is best that he not reveal his transgressions, “Happy is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is pardoned” (Ps. 32:1).¹³Rashi, Yoma 21a.

(Yod) “The fear of the Lord was its storage chest” (Isaiah 33:6). And [this] means like that which [Rabbi Bachya] said in the Duties of the Heart, “And be careful that that your enterprise in your acts for God not be like the enterprise of the bird about which the verse says that it lays its egg and warms it on top of the ground and so fails to safeguard it, to the point that other animals destroy it and it does not become a fledgling.” [This is] like the verse states (Job 39:13-14), “The wing of the ostrich spreads […]. She leaves her eggs on the ground, etc.” And even one who is occupied with Torah, the commandments and acts of lovingkindness require safeguarding. And that is fear [of God] – like the kav of ḥomton (a substance that keeps pests away from grain), as is elucidated in the Talmud (Shabbat 31a-31b).⁸⁷See the next paragraph. And it is written,⁸⁸The first and last part of the quote is from Exod. 20:16-17, but the middle is from Deut. 5:22. “You speak to us […] and we will hear, lest the great fire consume us. And [Moshe] said […], ‘Be not afraid; for God has come only in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may be upon your faces.’” And at first glance, this is not understood – first he says, “Be not afraid”; and at the end he says, “in order that the fear of Him may be upon your faces.” And it appears to me [that it can be explained] according to that which is said about one of those who had fear [of God]: That they found him sleeping in one of the wildernesses and said to him, “Are you not afraid of lions; that you are sleeping in this place?” He said [back] to them, “I am ashamed in front of God to have any fear besides my fear of Him.” [This is] brought in the Duties of the Heart (in the Section on Love, Chapter 6).⁸⁹10:6. See there. And this is the intention of the statement of [the Sages], may their memory be blessed, “‘That fear of Him may be upon your faces’ – this is [referring to] shame” (Nedarim 20a). The explanation is that they be embarrassed to fear anything else behind Him, may He be blessed. And this is what Moshe told them, “Be not afraid,” meaning that they not be afraid from the voices and the fire – like they said, “Lest it consume us.” But only “the fear of Him should be upon your faces” – and that is the shame. And anyone who is on this level will have all of his actions dedicated to His name, may He be blessed. And with this, there will be a safeguarding of his Torah and his good deeds. And so did Kohelet say (Ecclesiastes 12:13), “Fear God and guard His commandments” – and its explanation is that only through fear of Him will his commandments be guarded, just like the wheat with the kav of ḥomton. And without the safeguarding, the Torah [that one studies] and the commandments [he performs] are not lasting. And in the Zohar, fear [of God] is given the name daughter; and Torah, the name son. And it is possible that they were hinting to this in the Talmud (Bava Batra 141a), “A daughter first is a good sign for sons. […] because she raises [the sons].” [This is] according to that which is written in Avot 3:9, “Anyone whose fear of sin precedes his wisdom, etc. And anyone whose wisdom precedes his fear of sin, etc.” And this is [the meaning of “A daughter first,” meaning fear, “is a good sign for sons,” meaning Torah – “because she raises [the sons].” As through it, the Torah [study becomes] lasting. And through this, the explanation of the song of Haazinu becomes elucidated – “The Lord saw and was vexed, and spurned His sons and His daughters” (Deut. 32:19): [This] means that they had the son come before the daughter – the explanation of which is that Torah [preceded] fear. “And He said, ‘I will see how they fare in the end, for they are a generation of reverses’” (Deut. 32:20), as they reverse the order; and as a result of this, they are “children with no faith in them,” – the explanation of which is that also the Torah [study] that they have with them will not grow and be lasting with them.

(Bet) In Sefer HaIkkarim 3:35,⁹⁰A classic work of Jewish philosophy written by Rabbi Yosef Albo (Spain, c. 1380-1444). [it is written about (Deut. 6:5), “And you shall love the Lord, your God”]: “A person cannot love two things or two persons with a perfect love, for if he loves them both, neither love is perfect since it is divided between two. It is impossible for the lover to be completely united with the loved – such as the idea of love requires – unless the loved is one. […] But since ‘the Lord is one,’⁹¹The reference is to the previous verse, Deut. 6:4. [‘you shall love the Lord, your God’].” See there. And this appears to be the intention of the Scripture (Gen. 22:2), [wherein] the Holy One, blessed be He, says to Avraham, “Please take, etc., whom you love”; but after his passing the test, it is said to him (Deut. 22:16), “Because you have done, etc., your only one from Me” – but it did not repeat, “whom you love.” As the essence of the test was that God, may He be blessed, saw that [Avraham] loved the son he fathered when he was a hundred. And because of this, his love was [divided] and not perfect with Him, may He be blessed. Hence He told him to slaughter his son that he loved. This was in order to negate the love from his son and make it perfect for [God], may He be blessed. And after he passed the test and made his love perfect for God – to the point that in his love, he wanted to slaughter his only son – then his love for his son was already negated; and all of its divisions became wholly for God, may He be blessed. And therefore it no longer mentioned “love” for Yitschak, just “his only one.” And one must dedicate [his] fear and love to His name, may His name be blessed, as we have elucidated. And behold, from undiluted fear, he came to total love. And they said in the Talmud (Shabbat 31a), “‘The fear of the Lord was its storage chest’ (Isaiah 33:6) [… There is] a parable about a man who said to his emissary, ‘Bring […] wheat up to the attic for me.’ [So] he went and brought it up for him. He said to [him], ‘Did you mix a kav of ḥomton into it?’ He said to him, ‘No.’ He said to him, ‘It would have been preferable had you not brought it up.’” And Rashi explains that ḥomton preserves produce from getting wormy. But [it is found] in the Midrash (Shemot Rabbah 30:14), “[‘The fear of the Lord was its storage chest’] – there is a parable about a man who said to his fellow, ‘I have a hundred kor of wheat, a hundred barrels of oil [and] a hundred barrels of wine.’ [The other] said to him, ‘Do you have storehouses to put [them into?’ He said to him, ‘No.’ He said to him, ‘Then] you will have no [benefit] from them.’” And in Tur Bareket,⁹²A commentary on the Shulchan Arukh written by R. Chaim HaKohen (Syria, 1585-1655). it is written that in our Talmud, it is a parable for internal fear, but in the midrash – which calls it storehouses – it is a parable for external fear. See there. And behold, certainly one who has more wheat or fruit will need to have more homton and to have more storehouses to put them in. And for this reason, one who is a master of Torah, the commandments and many good deeds, will need more storehouses and homton – according to the value of the grain and barrels of wine and oil that he has. And if so, he needs more fear of Him, which ‘is his storage chest.’ And for this, he needs cooperation and association with those that fear – those that fear the Lord. And [it is] just like there is cooperation between the one who has grain but does not have storage chests and the one has many storage chests. And with this, it is possible to explain (Ps. 119:63), “I am a companion to all who fear You, to those who guard Your precepts” – since through fear, the commandments will be guarded. And [it is also possible to explain], “Fear God and guard His commandments” (Ecclesiastes 12:13), – as through fear of Him, [a person’s fulfillment of the] commandments will be guarded, like the kav of ḥomton preserves the wheat, and as I wrote in Paragraph Yod adjacently (immediately above).