Musar zu Schoftim 18:7
וַיֵּלְכוּ֙ חֲמֵ֣שֶׁת הָאֲנָשִׁ֔ים וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ לָ֑יְשָׁה וַיִּרְא֣וּ אֶת־הָעָ֣ם אֲשֶׁר־בְּקִרְבָּ֣הּ יוֹשֶֽׁבֶת־לָ֠בֶטַח כְּמִשְׁפַּ֨ט צִדֹנִ֜ים שֹׁקֵ֣ט ׀ וּבֹטֵ֗חַ וְאֵין־מַכְלִ֨ים דָּבָ֤ר בָּאָ֙רֶץ֙ יוֹרֵ֣שׁ עֶ֔צֶר וּרְחֹקִ֥ים הֵ֙מָּה֙ מִצִּ֣דֹנִ֔ים וְדָבָ֥ר אֵין־לָהֶ֖ם עִם־אָדָֽם׃
Die fünf Männer gingen und kamen nach Lajis, und sie sahen das Volk darin ruhig wohnen, nach der Weise der Zidonier friedlich und ruhig. Niemand würde sie hindern, das Land in Besitz zu nehmen; denn fern waren sie von den Zidoniern und hatten mit keinem Menschen Verkehr.
The Improvement of the Moral Qualities
As to the quality of penitence, the reason for referring it to (the sense of) taste is that contrition and penitence are felt for what has gone before, and one denies himself different kinds of enjoyment, which are rendered possible by means of the taste, as it is said (Hos. xiv. i), "O Israel, return." The attributing also of the quality of tranquility to (the sense of) taste is seen in the saying of Sennecharib (II. Kings xviii. 31), "Eat ye every man of his own vine, and every one of his fig-tree;" and again (Jud. xviii. 7), "And they saw the people that were therein, how they dwelt in safety."
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy