Musar zu Mischlej 29:41

The sage has forbidden it, saying (Eccl. vii. 9), "Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry." Furthermore the verse makes clear the reason for his forbidding it in the expression (ib.) "For anger resteth in the bosom of fools." The wrathful deserves to be called "fool." It is impossible in most cases for the man of violent wrath to be secure from grave sin and serious transgression. Thus the sage spake (Prov. xxix. 22): "A wrathful man aboundeth in transgression." Thou wilt notice that most men, when they become wroth and violently angry, take no heed of the disaster which they may incur through the violence of their anger, like him of whom it is said (id., 11), "A fool uttereth all his mind," and on the other hand (ib.). "But a wise man keepeth it till afterward." Therefore our masters, peace be upon them, sought to interdict the immoderate exercise of this quality, saying, "He who rends his garments in wrath is like unto an idolater." According to this, a superior man must not be violent in wrath, for he accustoms himself to the qualities of the wild and wicked beast. Nor must he be so gentle as never to become wrathful, for this were characteristic of little boys.¹Attributed to Aristotle in an article on "Ruhmliche Denkmale der Joiner aus den Tiirkischen," Diez (vol. i., p. 83); cf. Hatch (above cited, p. 223). The discreet stand with reference to this is to take the intermediate course. Thou must know that man's reason is perfected when it subdues his wrath. Thus Scripture says (Prov. xix. 11), "The discretion of a man deferreth his anger." Ptolemy, the sage, said of wrath, "When thou becomest wrathful, pardon, for if thou dost not yield, the taking²Versified by Steinschneider ("Manna," chap, i., p. 89); cf. Bahya, vi. 7, and Brull (p. 77, note 3). of vengeance is a sign of weakness."

Whoever acts in this wise ought to be ashamed, and remember that according to the measure of his superciliousness will he experience contempt, and in proportion to his power will humiliation suddenly befall him. Thus the sage saith (id. , xxix. .23), "A man's pride shall bring him low," i.e., boastfulness and arrogance are the main causes of man's humiliation, and these, by my life, are characteristic of the wicked, as he saith (id., xxi. 4), " A high look and a proud heart. "

The fifth principle is worry: As he will worry and fear from the punishment of his iniquities. For there are iniquities for which the repentance has the atonement depend upon cleansing afflictions, as it is stated (Psalms 38:19), "I acknowledge my iniquity; I am fearful over my sin." The content of grief is about the past, whereas the content of worry is about the future. And he will also doubly worry - maybe he is falling short in his obligation of repentance with pain, bitterness, fasting and crying. And even if he has multiplied the pain and multiplied the crying, he should crawl and fear - maybe corresponding to this had he multiplied his guilt; so that all of his affliction and having his soul cry in its fast did not fill his measure. And one who examines the greatness of the service to the Creator upon his creatures and that there is no end to the evil of one who rebels against His word [will know that even with] all of what he adds to his service and in the ways of repentance, is it not small? Behold it is like a little in his eyes. And King Solomon, peace be upon him, said (Proverbs 14:16), "A wise man is afraid and turns away from evil." And its explanation is that even though a wise man turns away from evil with all of the efforts of his ability, he should crawl and fear - maybe he did not complete his measure, and he was not careful according to the standard of what needs to be done. And like this is (Proverbs 28:6), "than a rich man whose ways are crooked" - even though he is rich. And likewise did our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, say in Yilamdeinu (Tanchuma, Lech Lecha, 15), "Do not explain [it as] 'A wise man is afraid and turns away from evil'; but rather, 'A wise man turns away from evil and is afraid.'" And the end of the verse (Proverbs 14:16) proves this - "but a fool rushes and is confident." He states abut the traits of a fool, that they are the opposite of the traits of a wise man. For a fool rushes, but is nevertheless confident that iniquity and damage will not come to him. Yet the angry person is given to sins and open to damages, as it is stated (Proverbs 29:22), "A hot-tempered man commits many offenses." And it is [also] stated (Proverbs 25:28), "Like an open city without walls is a man whose temper is uncurbed."

Whoever has the quality of arrogance ought to try and turn away from it for it is very base, and the damage caused by it is great and ever-present, and the worth that is in it is very little. Therefore, we must distance ourselves from it with all our might, for arrogance brings man to ruin and to humiliation, as it is said: "Pride goes before destruction" (Prov. 16:18), and it is also said: "A man's pride shall bring him low" (Prov. 29:23). And you already know what happened to Pharaoh when he said, "Who is the Lord, that I should hearken unto His voice to let Israel go?" (Exod. 5:2), and to Goliath, the Phillistine, who said: "I do taunt the armies of Israel this day" (I Sam. 17:10), and to Sennacherib, who said, "Who are they among all the gods of these countries that have delivered their country out of my hand ?" (Is. 36:20). And Nebeuchadnezzar, when he said, "And who is the god that shall deliver you from my hand?" (Dan. 3:15), and similar instances of those who spoke thusly, and their end was shame and disgrace. And whoever clings to this quality is not saved from sin and wrongdoing, as the Sage said, "A proud and haughty man, scorner is his name. Even he that dealeth in overbearing pride" (Prov. 21:24).

And likewise all of the people are careful about the blood of the soul and the blood of exudate; but some of them are not careful about the preparation of salting, to remove the blood from the meat according to the law. And there are very many like these [examples], without knowledge and without reprimand. And it is like it is stated (Proverbs 29:18), “For lack of vision a people becomes wild.”

“You must not destroy its trees, wielding the ax against them” (Deuteronomy 20:19). For we were warned with this not to cut down any fruit tree - even to build fortifications with it, so long as one finds enough fruitless trees for his needs. And we were also warned with this not to throw money around for no reason - even the value of a perutah (a small coin). And our Rabbis said (Bava Kamma 91b), “One who rends his garments excessively over his dead [relative] is lashed.” And all the more so, one who breaks vessels in his anger, as he has done two evils - destroying his wealth; and letting his anger be in control, to make him transgress matters of the Torah. As from now on, he will have a struggle with the impulse of anger, to make him transgress his religion - like the matter that is written (Proverbs 29:22), “a hot-tempered man commits many offenses.” And we have already let you know that which our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said (Shabbat 105b), “One who breaks his vessels in his anger [...] should be like an idol worshiper in your eyes, as that is the way of the evil impulse. Today it tells him, ‘Do this,’ and tomorrow it tells him, ‘[...] worship idols.’” And our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said (Yevamot 44a), “A man should not pour out water from his well when others need it.” We were even warned not to waste the body, by giving it over to dangers or torturing the body to consume it needlessly with fasts from his distress and anger, and not to mourn [more than is necessary] for his dead [relative]. But [regarding] one who grieves and mourns over his iniquities - about him is it stated (Isaiah 57:18), “I note how they fare and will heal them; I will guide them and mete out solace to them, and to the mourners among them.” And it is stated (Genesis 9:5) “But for your souls’ blood, I will require a reckoning.” And our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said (Bava Kamma 91b), “From the hand of your souls (i.e., from yourself), will I require your blood.”

And behold the righteous abominate the evildoer, as it is stated (Proverbs 29:26), “The unjust man is an abomination to the righteous.” And with one who is not in the counsel of the sages - if he does not surely abominate him, nor surely curse him; he should also surely not bless him.

And you must know that the punishment of the fool that advocates guilt is only when he attributes a defect in a man who fears sin, [and] whose [evil] impulse seized him and he sinned and was guilty - as his practice and way is to regret his sins. And all the more so if the matter that he repented is known. But [regarding] the man whose path you have examined and he has no fear of God in front of his eyes and is also stationed on the bad path - it is a commandment to speak in his disgrace and to reveal his sins, and to make the ones involved with sin foul in the eyes of people, so that the souls of the ones listening will be revolted from bad deeds. And it is stated (Proverbs 29:27), “The unjust man is an abomination to the righteous.” And it is [also] stated (Proverbs 8:13), “To fear the Lord is to hate evil.” And they said (Sanhedrin 52a), “It is permissible to call an evildoer who is the son of a righteous man, ‘an evildoer, son of an evildoer’; and it is permitted to call a righteous man who is the son of an evildoer, ‘a righteous man, son of a righteous man.’”
And behold when you see a man who is saying something or performing an act, and one can judge the thing as him being guilty or being innocent: If the man is one that fears God, you have been obligated to judge him favorably in truth - even if the thing is closer to, and makes more sense to be, understood unfavorably. And if he is from the [group] in-between, that are careful about sin, but sometimes stumble over it - you must incline the doubt towards judging favorably, as our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said (Shabbat 127b), “One who judges another favorably is himself judged favorably.” And it is a positive commandment from the Torah, as it is stated (Leviticus 19:15), “you shall judge your countryman justly (betsedek, which can also be understood as, favorably).” And if the matter leans towards guilt - let the matter be a doubt to you, and do not decide it unfavorably. But if most of that man’s actions are evil, or you have examined that he has no fear of God in his heart - judge his actions or his words unfavorably, as it is stated (Proverbs 21:12), “The Righteous One observes the house of the wicked man; he subverts the wicked to their ruin.” And we have already discussed its explanation.

A man is obligated to hide a secret that is revealed to him confidentially by his fellow, even though there is no matter of talebearing involved in revealing that secret. For there is damage to the holder of the secret [simply] by its being revealed, and it [can cause him] to abort his plan - as it is stated (Proverbs 15:22), “Plans are aborted without a secret.” Secondly - because revealing a secret is even an aberration of the ways of modesty, as he surely violates the will of the holder of the secret. And King Solomon said (Proverbs 20:19), “He who gives away secrets is a talebearer.” He means to say, if you see a man who does not control his spirit, to guard his tongue from revealing a secret - even though there is no issue of talebearing between a man and his friend in revealing that secret - this trait will bring him to go talebearing, which is from the four bad groups, given that his lips are not in his control to guard. He also said (Proverbs 11:13), “A talebearer will reveal secrets.” He means to say, do not confide a secret to someone who goes talebearing. For since he does not guard his lips from talebearing, do not trust him to hide your secret, even though you have given your words over to him in private and in confidentiality. And we have been warned by the Torah not to accept evil speech, as it is stated, (Exodus 23:1), “Do not accept a vain report.” And it is stated (Proverbs 29:12), “A ruler who listens to lies, all his ministers will be evildoers.” And our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, explained (Midrash Tehillim 54) that when a ruler accepts evil speech and words of talebearing, his ministers will become evildoers and talebearers to find favor in the eyes of their master. And behold it is these three groups that we mentioned that they, may their memory be blessed, had in mind when they referred to the group of slanderers.

And, what is more, even if this [disreputable] son of his dies, and he [the father] has already merited through his deeds to sit in Gan Eden, even so, there will accrue to him [the father] great suffering from him. For they will take him from Gan Eden to Gehinnom to witness the suffering of his son, as Chazal have said. And the GRA has adduced this idea on the verse (Mishlei 29:17): "Chastise your son and he will give you peace, and he will give pleasures to your soul": "When your son, etc."; and, furthermore, he will give you peace from Gehinnom, 'and he will give pleasures to your soul' in Gan Eden, as in the episode of R. Akiva, who learned Torah with a wicked son and rescued him [the father] from Gehinnom; and, what is more, even a tzaddik, if he has a wicked son, is taken from Gan Eden to Gehinnom to witness the suffering of his son. And this is the meaning of 'Chastise your son, and he will give you peace' in your place, and he will also give you pleasures, etc."

Whoever has a brain in his head must flee this evil trait as one flees fire. For he knows in his soul clearly that because of this evil trait he will certainly emerge "liable" on the day of judgment, as it is known, that one who has an abundance of sins [over merits] is in the category of rasha [wicked]. And Chazal have said (Nedarim 22b): "If one is prone to anger, it is known that his sins are more than his merits, as it is written (Mishlei 29:22): 'And the man of wrath is abundant in offense [pesha].'" As to "pesha" being written, which is rebellion, and worse than meizid [malice], this is because at the time of anger, Torah and mitzvoth are entirely meaningless to him. As Chazal have said: "If one gets angry, even the Shechinah is meaningless to him." And our Rabbis of blessed memory have said: "If one tears his garments in his anger or breaks his vessels in his anger or scatters his money in his anger, let him be as an idolator in your eyes. Where is this written? (Psalms 81:10): 'Let there not be a foreign god within you.' What is the foreign god within a man's body? The yetzer hara of anger."

And, in truth, this is a great error. For if so, why did the Torah command this [(abstention from lashon hara)] by a negative commandment? Is it not known that "the Holy One Blessed be He does not deal despotically with His creatures"? The Torah, then, should have included this only in the class of middoth [desirable character traits], like other holy middoth, that are addressed only to unique individuals, [and not as a mitzvah]. But certainly the Creator of man put it in the power of each and every Jew that if he only puts his eyes and his heart to his ways he can avoid this [(speaking lashon hara)]. As we find in Sifrei, Parshath Ha'azinu (Devarim 32:4): "He is a G-d of trust, without wrong." That is, He did not create men to be reshaim, but to be tzaddikim. (For if not so, there is wrong, G-d forbid, in the ordinance of the Blessed One in the punishment that He metes out to them afterwards.) And thus is it written (Koheleth 7:29): "G-d made man just and they sought out many [devious] accountings." And thus is it stated in Tanchuma, Parshath Bereshith 7: "G-d made man just" — The Holy One Blessed be He, who is called "tzaddik and yashar [just]," created man in His image only to be tzaddik and yashar, as He is. And if you ask: "Why, then, did He create an evil inclination, of which it is written (Bereshith 8:21): 'For the inclination of a man's heart is evil from his youth'? You say: 'It is evil. Who can make it good?' The Holy One Blessed be He answers: "You made it evil. You were a child and did not sin. You grew up and you sinned. [That is, a man draws it (the yetzer) upon himself by his acts and by his affairs. For the Holy One Blessed be He gave man the power to withstand it and to make it his servant in many areas for the ultimate end, as it is written (Bereshith 4:17): "And you shall overcome it." And it is written (Mishlei 29:21): "One who indulges his servant from youth, etc." The words lend themselves to much elaboration.] And how many things there are in this world tougher than the yetzer hara and more bitter than it, yet you 'sweeten' them. There is nothing more bitter than lupine, yet you exert yourself to soak it and to season it in water seven times until it is sweet, and so with mustard and caper. Now, if the bitter things which I have created, you season to your needs, the yetzer hara, which is given into your hands, how much more so!"

But in honoring the wicked there is a profanation of the Torah and of God's service, and this is a transgression that wears away flesh and bone. Then again, many may be drawn to do similarly and they receive retribution, and in this vein the Sages said, "Woe to the wicked, woe to his neighbour" (Nega'im 2:6). Moreover, in honoring the wicked the honor of the righteous is brought low, and there is no honor to the righteous except after the degradation of the wicked. And since there is a stumbling block to the world in the honoring of the wicked one should guard himself against speaking good of the wicked, nor should one mention them for good, as it is said, "But the name of the wicked shall rot" (Prov. 10:7). And it is written, "An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous" (Prov. 29:26). And if a man does not want to speak of the wickedness of a wicked man let him not speak of his goodness.

If a man revealed your sin, do not say, "Just as he revealed my sin, I will now reveal his sin," As it is said, "Thou shalt not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge" (Lev. 19:18). Neither may you boast and say, "Even though he has revealed my sin, I will not reveal his," for by so speaking you have already revealed the half of it. And this matter is a very great principle in the whole concept of reverence of God. But if the one who sins does not fear God then he is as one who throws off the yoke of the kingdom of Heaven from upon him, and if he does not guard himself against a single transgression which all the people of the city know to be a sin, then one does well to speak evil of him and to reveal his sins and to cause the sinner, to be odious in the eyes of the people, in order that the people may hear and despise him and set themselves apart from transgressions, as it is said, "An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous" (Prov. 29:27). And it is said, "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil" (Prov. 8:13). And they said, a wicked man who is the son of a righteous man may be called "a wicked man, son of the wicked," while a righteous man who is the son of a wicked man may be called "a righteous man, son of the righteous" — and precisely in this way is it permitted to shame him for the sake of Heaven. But a man who quarrels with another and intends to shame him for his own satisfaction and not for the sake of Heaven, may not reveal his sin (Sanh. 52a). And similarly if the one who reveals the transgression of his companion is himself a sinner, he should not reveal the wrong of another sinner, for he certainly is not revealing the secrets of the sinner for a good purpose. "But the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury" (Prov. 14:23).

If a man revealed your sin, do not say, "Just as he revealed my sin, I will now reveal his sin," As it is said, "Thou shalt not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge" (Lev. 19:18). Neither may you boast and say, "Even though he has revealed my sin, I will not reveal his," for by so speaking you have already revealed the half of it. And this matter is a very great principle in the whole concept of reverence of God. But if the one who sins does not fear God then he is as one who throws off the yoke of the kingdom of Heaven from upon him, and if he does not guard himself against a single transgression which all the people of the city know to be a sin, then one does well to speak evil of him and to reveal his sins and to cause the sinner, to be odious in the eyes of the people, in order that the people may hear and despise him and set themselves apart from transgressions, as it is said, "An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous" (Prov. 29:27). And it is said, "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil" (Prov. 8:13). And they said, a wicked man who is the son of a righteous man may be called "a wicked man, son of the wicked," while a righteous man who is the son of a wicked man may be called "a righteous man, son of the righteous" — and precisely in this way is it permitted to shame him for the sake of Heaven. But a man who quarrels with another and intends to shame him for his own satisfaction and not for the sake of Heaven, may not reveal his sin (Sanh. 52a). And similarly if the one who reveals the transgression of his companion is himself a sinner, he should not reveal the wrong of another sinner, for he certainly is not revealing the secrets of the sinner for a good purpose. "But the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury" (Prov. 14:23).

The Mishnah quoted from Avot 4,4 concludes by reminding us that all we have to look forward to in the grave is רימה, i.e. worms. The editor of that Mishnah implies that this is so only when the person in question has not adopted the lifestyle suggested by the author of the Mishnah, and has instead adopted a high profile, i.e. רמה קרנו. In other words: Employing the wrong vowel in this world results in the wrong vowel becoming your destiny after death.

Shemot Rabbah 30,13, when explaining the verse in Proverbs 29,4, מלך במשפט יעמיד ארץ, ואיש תרומות יהרסנה, quotes Chronicles II 19,6, where Yehoshaphat tells his judges to remember that when they pronounce judgment they are not in the employ of man, but in the employ of G–d, and that G–d is with them (they need not be afraid). That same Midrash continues to explain that the meaning of the latter half of the verse quoted is that if a scholar who has mastered all the disciplines of Torah learning should be approached by a widow or orphan to adjudge their grievances and refuses, citing his pre-occupation with his studies, he is in fact destroying the fabric of G–ds world, instead of becoming a partner to G–d in His creation. The word תרומות then is understood to mean aloofness (derived from the heave offering which has to be "removed," or separated from the main body).