Musar zu Jeschijahu 1:6

King Solomon, peace be upon him, also said (Proverbs 15:30-31) "What brightens the eye gladdens the heart; good news puts fat on the bones. He whose ear heeds the reprimand of life lodges among the wise." And every wise-hearted person should know that it is not likely that King Solomon, peace be upon him, composed idle words like these [in the middle of] words of reproof and fear of God for nothing - since Scripture has already testified about him (I Kings 5:11), "He was the wisest of all men." Rather this is the understanding of the thing: "What brightens the eye gladdens the heart" - the eye is a very esteemed organ, for they will see all the events that gladden the heart with it. But more esteemed than it is the ear, for they will hear good news, that puts fat on the bones, through it. For [the ear] has no feeling and it will not be fattened from the light of the eyes, unless it is a special enjoyment. And so did our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, say (Bava Kamma 85b) that the ear is more esteemed than the other organs. For if one blinded his eye, he must pay for the value of his eye; but if he makes him deaf, he pays all of his value. And truly a person is obligated to serve, God, may He be blessed, with his limbs. And they were all formed for His service - as it is written, (Proverbs 16:4), "The Lord made everything for His sake." Even with the esteemed limbs that He formed in him, is he obligated to serve their Maker. And the great punishment is even much greater if he prevents them from doing His commandments, he does not do the service with them and he does not pay back the good that is done through them. For with his esteemed senses, God gave him a great kindness; and He crowned him with beauty and glory through them. Therefore he prefaced to mention one of the virtues of the ear in order for you to see the greatness of the obligation of its service. And afterwards, he explained that the service of the ear should be in listening to reprimand; and he said "He whose ear heeds the reprimand of life lodges among the wise." Its explanation is [that] it is fitting to dwell among the sages, since he can [then] listen to their reprimands. And our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said (Shemot Rabbah 27:9), If a man falls from a roof and all of his limbs are broken, he needs a bandage and a plaster for every one of his limbs and his bones. And a sinner who has sinned with all of his limbs is considered as if he received a great wound on all of his limbs - from the sole of his foot to his crown, as it is stated (Isaiah 1:6), 'From head to foot, no spot is sound.'" But behold the Holy One, blessed be He, heals all of his limbs with one bandage. And that is the listening of the ear, as it is stated (Isaiah 55:3), "Incline your ear and come to Me; hearken, and you shall be revived."

There is nothing as good in all the world as listening, — and thus said our Sages : "If a man fell from a roof and his limbs were broken, he needs medicated applications and bandages for every single limb and for every bone, however the one who has sinned with all of his limbs, as it is said "From the sole of the foot even unto the head, there is no soundness in it" (Is. 1:6), the Lord, may He be Blessed, heals all of his limbs with one medicated bandage. And what is this bandage? Listening carefully as it is said "Incline your ear, and come unto Me, hear, and your soul shall live" (Is. 55:3) (Exodus Rabbah 27).