Musar zu Hoschea 6:78

And behold we shall conclude this topic with an esteemed statement of the Sages of Israel, may there memory be blessed: Hillel, peace be upon him, used to say (Avot 1:14), "If I am not for myself, who is for me? And if not now, when?" The explanation of the content is [that] if a person does not arouse his soul, what effect can reproof have? For even if they enter his heart on the day that he hears them, the impulse will forget them and drive them out of his heart, like the matter of that which was stated (Hosea 6:4) "when your goodness is like a morning cloud." And it is [also] stated (Proverbs 10:20), "The tongue of a righteous man is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little worth (kimeat)." Its explanation is that the reproof of a righteous man is pure without any dross, and his speech is chosen. But the heart of the evildoers that listen to his reproof is [only for] one instant. This is from the usage (Psalms 81:15), "then would I subdue their enemies instantly (kimeat)" - the meaning of which is, in an instant would I subdue their enemies. And [only] an understanding and refined heart is called a heart, as it is stated (Proverbs 15:32), "he who heeds reproof acquires heart"; and (Proverbs 17:16), "to purchase wisdom, when he has no heart?" Indeed, a man must arouse his heart when he hears reproof and place the things into his heart, to constantly think about them. And he should add teaching from his own heart and produce words. He should also meditate in the chambers of his spirit and repent, to turn the hand of the reproof upon himself and not just rely upon the rebuke of the rebuker. [Otherwise. that] rebuke will be like morning clouds, and for [fleeting] instants, until he takes the reproof upon himself and until he purifies himself. "But if I am for my own self [only], what am I?" Even when I am for myself and I reflect upon wisdom all the time, what am I? For the grasp of a man is short and weak. So [even] with the effort and the refinement, he will only attain a little of the virtues - see what I am and what my life is when I am not for myself, to make efforts to refine my soul. And the comparison here is to a field that is inferior. For with great toil and refinement, and with much work, it will bring out a small [amount of] seed. But if they do not toil in its refinement, it will not produce [anything] and no grass will grow in it besides thorns and brambles. However there is benefit in sowing a superior field - even if he does not toil in working it. And our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said about this matter (Avot D' Rabbi Natan 16), "That which it is written (Psalms 103:14), 'For He knows our formation' - there is a [relevant] metaphor of a king that gave a field to his servants and warned them to work it and guard it, and to bring him thirty kor from it each year. And they toiled on it and worked it well, but only bought five kor in front of the king. He said to them, 'What have you done?' They said to him, 'Our master, the king, the field that you gave us was inferior, and we worked it with all of our strength. But with all of the toil, it did not make more grain than this.'" "And if not now, when?" It is not appropriate for me to delay my efforts, a day or two, in refining my soul and fixing set times for Torah [study]. For if I say, "I shall hope for leisure time and until I have enough money in my hands for my needs" - behold the distractions of the world do not stop. As our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said (Avot 2:4), "Say not, 'When I shall have leisure I shall study,' lest you will not have leisure."

Therefore, scrutinize well your soul and try with all your power not to let your eyes dwell on those who are below you in wisdom and in Service to God — for then you, yourself, will be lessened in the service of the Holy One, Blessed is He, and in the quality of wisdom. But rather, pay heed with your eyes and your heart to him who is above you, and try to follow his example and to emulate him according to your ability in exercising wisdom and in the service of the Holy One, Blessed be He. And on this subject it is said in Hosea 6:3: "And let us know — eagerly strive to know the Lord, His going forth is as sure as the morning, and He shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter rain that watereth (instructs) the earth."

And it [gemiluth chasadim] is one of the three things on which the world stands, as we find in Avoth, Chapter 1: "The world stands on three things: on Torah, on Avodah (the sacrificial service), and on gemiluth chasadim." And it is equivalent to sacrifices. As stated in Avoth d'R. Nathan (4:4): "Whence do we derive this for gemiluth chasadim? It is written (Hoshea 6:6): 'For I desired chesed and not sacrifice.' The world, ab initio, was created only with chesed, as it is written (Psalms 893): "For I said: 'The world will be built through chesed.'" Once, R. Yochanan b. Zakkai went out of Jerusalem and R. Yehoshua went after him and saw the Temple in ruins, at which he said: "Woe unto us, the place where our sins were atoned is in ruins!," at which R. Yochanan responded: "My son, do not despond. We have an atonement equivalent to it. Which? Gemiluth chasadim, as it is written: 'For I desired chesed and not sacrifice!'" (See Succah 49b, to the effect that [according to R. Elazar) charity is greater than sacrifices; how much more so, gemiluth chasadim!) It [gemiluth chasadim] is greater than the mitzvah of tzedakah [charity], as R. Elazar said (Succah 49b): "Greater is lovingkindness than charity, as it is written (Hoshea 10:12): 'Sow for yourselves by charity; reap by lovingkindness.' If one sows, it is not certain whether or not he will eat; but if he reaps, he will assuredly eat." "The Rabbis taught: 'In three respects, lovingkindess is greater than charity: Charity [is conferred] with one's wealth; lovingkindness — both with one's wealth and one's body. Charity — to the poor; lovingkindness — both to the rich and the poor. Charity — to the living; lovingkindness — both to the living and the dead.'" And it is one of the things, the fruit of which one eats in this world, with the principal remaining for the world to come, as we find in Peah I.

But for a man in whom this longing does not burn as it should, a good advice for him is to act with zeal by force of will in order that this will bring an inner awakening of this longing in his inner nature. For the external movement rouses the inner ones and certainly the external movement is more in his power than the inner ones. Thus, if he exercises what is in his power to do, this will lead him to also attain what is not in his power. For an inner joy will awaken within him and a desire and longing through the power of acting fiery, externally, by the force of will. This is what the prophet said- "let us know, let us run to know the L-rd" (Hoshea 6:3) and "After G-d they will go, who shall roar like a lion"(Hoshea 11:10).

This looking into will cause him to not grow lazy or lax in His service. For since it is impossible for him to repay G-d, blessed be His Name, for His goodness, he will feel that at least he can thank His Name and fulfill His commandments.

The Levites' cities absorbed those forced to go into exile because of their having committed involuntary manslaughter. When disaster struck the nation, the Levites too were sent into exile as we know from Psalm 137,3 which tells of the Levites being asked to sing the songs they used to sing in Zion. They responded by refusing, claiming they could not possibly do so on foreign soil. Our sages (Midrash Tehillim 137,5) say that they amputated the tops of their fingers so as to be unable to play their instruments. Israel without a rebuilt Temple is compared to כאדם עברו ברית, "just as Adam who had violated the covenant with G–d," in the words of Hoseah 6,7. Midrash Eichah Rabbah elaborates on this, Rabbi Abahu saying that G–d describes how he had placed Adam into Gan Eden, commanded him a single commandment, which he transgressed. G–d consequently punished him with expulsion and personally elegized him with the word איכ-ה, Ayekkoh, (Genesis 3,9), which can be read as Eychah, an expression of mourning as in Lamentations, and also as used by Moses in Deut. 1,12 in the same sense, until He was able to bring the Jewish people into the Holy Land. Jeremiah 2,7 describes this in the words ואביא אתכם אל ארץ הכרמל לאכול את פריה. "I have brought you to the land of the Carmel to eat its fruit." Proof that G–d commanded Israel to observe commandments in the Holy Land is derived from Numbers 34,2: "Command the children of Israel, say to them…when you enter the land of Canaan, etc." Israel transgressed these commandments as described in Daniel 9, 9-11. Daniel includes the whole people as having violated G–d's teachings, as a result of which the curses in the Torah were poured out over them. Our exile, too, was a result of such conduct as is stated in Hoseah 9,9: "I will expel them from My House." The expulsion was not only to a country adjoining their homeland, but also to far off places as is indicated by Jeremiah 15,1: שלח מעל פני ויצאו, "Dismiss them from My Presence; let them go forth!" In His elegy, G–d refers to the lonely and isolated situation Zion finds itself in as a result; cf. Lamentations 1,1. Thus the introduction of Midrash Eicha.

He should be zealous to seek knowledge of the Torah and knowledge of the Creator, as it is written. "And let us know, eagerly strive to know the Lord" (Hos. 6:3). Thus said the Sages: "Betake thyself to a place of Torah" (Aboth 4:14). And a man should be alert to seek justice, as it is written : "Justice, justice shall you pursue" (Deut. 16:20). And it is written, "Hearken to Me, ye that follow after righteousness, Ye that seek the Lord" (Is. 51:1). It is necessary to be quick in copying out the books which one needs for one's study. When he sees or hears a new thing, he should be alert to write it down and not delay until it is forgotten from his heart.

Immediately Moses had heard all this he understood that all the exiles the Jewish people would have to suffer in the course of their history can be traced back to the original sin committed by Adam. This has been explained in the opening passage of Midrash Eichah Rabbah on Hosea 6,7: והמה כאדם עברו ברית בגדו בי, "They transgressed the covenant just like Adam, they betrayed Me." This is the reason why G–d Himself grieved over Adam and is quoted as saying איכה about his downfall (Genesis 3,9). Jeremiah simply paraphrased G–d when he commenced his famous elegy with the words איכה ישבה בדד. We can extend this allegory even further: Consider that immediately after the passage dealing with the בן סורר ומורה the Torah continues (21,22) that the body of a person found guilty of a capital offence who has been executed is to be hung on a tree. The verse is an allusion to Adam who had eaten from the tree of knowledge and thereupon experienced the death penalty. However, the Torah goes on in 22,1 that in the future the "ox of your brother who has broken down" will not remain outcast forever, that it is Israel's task to assist in the rehabilitation of Adam by keeping the Torah's commandments.

Afterwards he should recite: “Master of the Universe, save me, deliver me and give me succor from all sin, transgression and iniquity in the merit of the three commandments mention above. ‘I have placed my trust in You; let me not be ashamed forever; spare me in Your righteousness’ (Tehillim 31:2).” While reciting this verse one should have in mind that it begins with a beis and ends with a yud, for a numerical value of twelve, an allusion to the twelve tribes. Then he should say: “Master of the Universe, in the merit of the twelve tribes guard me and save me from every sin and from every form of the evil eye. Let them have no dominion over me or my offspring or their offspring forever. And do not allow the evil eye to have dominion over my belongings or my body. Hashem, guard my going out and my coming in. Let them be towards life and peace from now and forever. “Hashem is my refuge upon my right hand. Let us know and run to know Hashem as clearly as the dawn when it has gone forth (Hoshea 6:3). No man shall stand up before you; Hashem your God will put fear and awe of you over all the land upon which you tread as He has promised you (Devarim 11:25). Do not allow a sorceress to live (Shemos 22:17). No dog will wag its tongue towards any of the children of Israel (Shemos 11:7). You have been shown that you may know that Hashem is God, there is no other beside Him (Devarim 4:35).” Afterwards, when a man goes out to the street, his intention should be to meditate continually upon the mitzvos, as I have written above in Chapter Two. Even if he should happen to see snow he should reflect that it is one of the four shades of skin plagues. And especially if he should encounter an animal he should conduct himself according to the way I explained in that chapter.