Musar zu Mischlej 4:31

And it is written (Mishlei 4:2): "For a good taking have I given you; My Torah shall you not forsake." The intent of "good," "My Torah," is as follows: It is known that something that is so significant to a poor man that he calls it "good" may not be significant to one who is not poor; and that something which is significant to him may not be significant to one who is very wealthy; and that something which is significant to him, may not be significant to a king; and that something which is significant to him, (like the conquering of a country) may not be significant to an angel [(It is known that the size of some angels is several thousand parasangs, as stated in Chullin 91b)]. Therefore, the verse comes to say: "For a good taking, etc." That is, see and reflect upon the greatness of its [Torah's] good, to the point that it is called "good" by Me, who have created all of the worlds, all of which are insignificant to Me — notwithstanding which I have called Torah "good." And it is the secreted treasure with which the Holy One Blessed be He disports Himself at all times, as it is written (Mishlei 8:30): "and I [Torah] was His plaything every day." And it is "My Torah." Therefore, "do not forsake it."

And in Sifrei, Parshath Ekev we find (Mishlei 5:16): "'Then your springs [of Torah] will spread outwards': Words of Torah are compared to water. Just as water lives forever, so, words of Torah live forever, as it is written (Ibid. 4:2): 'For they are life to him who finds them, and to all of his flesh, healing.' And just as water raises the unclean one from his uncleanliness, so, words of Torah raise one from uncleanliness to purity, as it is written (Psalms 19:10): 'The fear of the L-rd is pure.' [And, just as water purifies a man, though the uncleanliness has spread through all of his limbs, so, Torah purifies a man from the uncleanliness of his sins, even if it has spread throughout him, from the soul of his foot until his head. And just as a man is not purified until the water rises over all of his limbs, and there be nothing intervening between his limbs and the water, so, he must subject all of his body and his limbs, in truth, to Torah, with nothing intervening, as it is written (Devarim 6:6): 'And these words shall be … upon your heart']. And just as water restores a man's soul, so do words of Torah restore a man's soul from the way of evil to the way of good, as it is written (Psalms 19:8): 'The Torah of the L-rd is complete, restoring the soul,.' And just as water is free for the world, so is Torah free for the world, as it is written (Isaiah 55:1): "Ho! all who are thirsty, go to the water [of Torah]." Lest you say: 'Just as water has no valuation, so, Torah has no valuation; it is, therefore, written [to negate this] (Mishlei 3:15): 'It is more precious than pearls and all of your desires cannot be compared to it.'"

Thus the simpletons walk confidently, fall and are lost without having felt any prior fear. This is what scripture refers to: "the way of the wicked is as darkness; they know not at what they stumble" (Prov. 4:19), and "the clever one foresees the evil and hides himself, but the foolish commits transgression and is punished" (Prov. 22:3), and "[a wise one fears and departs from evil], but the fool transgresses and feels confident" (Prov 14:16). For they feel as secure as an edifice, and they fall before having any knowledge whatsoever of the stumbling block.

The summary of all the matter is that a man must contemplate with his intellect always, at all times, and also during the fixed appointed time of solitude, what is the true path according to the Torah that man must walk upon. And afterwards, to come to reflect on his own deeds to ascertain if they are traveling in this path or not. For through this certainly it will be easy for him to purify himself of all evil, and to correct all of his ways as scripture says: "Weigh the path of your feet, and all your ways will be established" (Prov. 4:26) and "Let us search and examine our ways, and we will return to G-d" (Eicha 3:40).

For after this has become clear to them and likewise after it has become clear to them that the means to perfection are good deeds and traits, they will certainly never consent to diminish these means or be lenient in them. Since, it has already become clear to them that if they diminish in these means or are weak in these means, not employing the full force necessary, they will not attain the true perfection. Rather, it will be reduced in proportion to their reduction in exerting themselves to the necessary extent, leaving them lacking in perfection which is a great calamity and great evil to them.

The pinnacle of this level called "fear of sin", one of the greatest levels, is when a man is constantly afraid and worried lest he have in his hand some trace of sin which obstructs him from the perfection that he is under duty to strive for.

Regarding this our Sages of blessed memory said: "this teaches each person is burned from the Chupa (canopy) of his fellow" (Bava Basra 75a). This [burning] does not refer to jealousy which falls only to people lacking in understanding as I will explain with G-d's help. Rather, it is due to seeing oneself lacking from the perfection that he was capable of attaining just as his fellow had attained it.

Through this contemplation certainly one of wholeness of understanding will not refrain from being watchful of his deeds.

For it is evident to every man of faith, that the various levels in the world of truth, i.e., the world to come, are according to one's level of deeds and that one is only elevated over his fellow if his deeds are greater than his fellow's, but one who is of few deeds will be the lower one.

If so, how could a man hide his eye from his deeds or slacken his striving in attaining this? For afterwards, certainly he will suffer at the time he can no longer rectify what he made crooked.

The reason is obvious: Speech is not a specific part of a man as his other limbs are, each one being of benefit in itself. But it is the generality of man and his completeness. And that is why, when he perfects himself by occupying himself with Torah, all of his limbs are amended. For it reposes upon them a spirit of holiness to vivify them and to sustain them in this world and the next. As Chazal have said: "If one's head ails him, let him study Torah, as it is written, etc. If his throat ails him, let him study Torah, etc. If his whole body ails him, let him study Torah, as it is written (Mishlei 4:22): 'And to all his flesh it is healing.'" And the opposite, G-d forbid — by forbidden speech, he harms and defiles all of his limbs, and each and every limb falls from its eminence through this. And what advantage is it to them that their master lives and speaks if only to render din and accounting!

נפש כי תחטא וגומר או הודע אליו חטאתו . Both in the Zohar and in the Tzror HaMor much has been written about these verses (4,22-23). The words או הודע אליו חטאתו are understood to refer to pre-natal knowledge, information given to the soul of the person in question prior to his being born. These commentators compare the situation to Jeremiah 1,5: "Before I created you in the womb I selected you, etc." This proves that communication with man commences before he is born. His soul is exhorted to behave in a certain way once he is on earth. The subject is explained by Rabbi Simlai in Nidah 30: "While the embryo is in the womb of its mother it may be compared to a writing book folded over, his two hands at his sides, etc.. A light is lit near his head enabling him to view every corner of the globe. He is taught the entire Torah as we know from ויורני ויאמר לי יתמך דברי לבך, "He also taught me and said to me: 'let your heart retain my words'" (Proverbs 4,4). Another verse from scripture along similar lines is Job 29,4: ואומר בסוד אלוקה עלי אהלי, "When the secrets of G–d were in my tent," i.e. I was privy to the mystical aspects of Torah while still in the womb. The baby is not born until it has been made to swear to be a צדיק not a רשע. He is told that even though the whole world may describe him as a צדיק, he must still consider himself a רשע. He should remain aware of the purity of G–d and his angels, as well as of the purity of the soul he has been equipped with. He is warned that as long as he preserves the purity of his soul all is well and good, but should he fail to so preserve its purity, his soul will be removed from him. This is the gist of Rabbi Simlai's statement.

A piece of good advice for guarding the tongue: Even if he has already become habituated to it [(i.e., to a certain kind of lashon hara)], G-d forbid, and his yetzer has overcome him in this area, so that he himself does not "feel" the lashon hara that issues from his mouth, still he should not despair, but he should rest assured that by reviewing the din several times, a transformation will take place and the thing [i.e., the din] will become fixed in his nature, and, in the end he will "feel" [i.e., he will be sensitive to] every [article of] speech that leaves his mouth; and even if it be only the "dust" of lashon hara, he will feel it with his tongue at that time. For the Holy One Blessed be He has implanted in a man the faculty of "feeling" [i.e., sensitivity]. And He has done it in such a way that he feels it more when the "thing" comes in contact with his tongue. (This is similar to what Chazal have said (Chullin 17b): "The master examined it [(the slaughtering knife for kashruth)] with his mouth.,") And this faculty is of great avail in the learning of Torah, so that when one brings the thing [(what he is learning)] from his mouth to his tongue, its correctness is "tested." As Chazal have said (Eruvin 54a) on Mishlei 4:22: "For they [(words of Torah)] are life lemotzeihem"… to those who utter them ['lemotzi'eihem'], with their mouths." And the same [phenomenon] holds true for all aspects of speech; but it is only because of his great habituation to superfluous speech and [his tendency] to pay no heed to it that this faculty of his has become greatly weakened. But if he follows our advice (And he certainly will be attentive to what he says from that time on), this faculty of feeling will gradually strengthen itself in him, little by little until it reaches ifs full development.

The subject of the three gifts the Jewish people received must be understood on two levels. One level is the manifest one, i.e. נגלה, a gift which everyone can see as having been received. The other level is what we call the נסתר the hidden aspect of these gifts. We find that the word Tov is spelled with different vowels on different occasions. Most of the time it is spelled with the vowel חולם i.e. Tov, whereas sometimes it is spelled with the vowel שורוק i.e. Tuv.

There is yet another dimension, which, if properly understood also explains the words of Shemot Rabbah 21,4 on the question מה תצעק אלי. The Midrash quotes Psalms 65,3: שומע תפלה עדיך כל בשר יבואו, "All mankind comes to You, You who hear prayer;" Rabbi Pinchas, quoting a number of sages, says that the Jewish people do not offer their prayers at one and the same time or from one and the same location, but stagger the times of their prayers. Once all congregations have concluded, the angel in charge of prayers gathers them all up, forms them into "crowns," and places the crowns on the head of G–d. We know this because of the verse quoted from Psalm 65. The word עדיך means "crown," as per Isaiah 49,18: כלם כעדי תלבשי, "You don them all like jewels." We have a similar verse a few lines earlier (49,3) in the same chapter: "Israel I glory in you!" This refers to G–d putting on the phylacteries of Israel as: עטרת תפארת בראשך, "a beautiful diadem will crown Your head" (Proverbs 4,9). Thus far the Midrash.

Whenever it is spelled as Tov the reference is to the manifest good. When it is spelled Tuv the reference is to the hidden good. [The author discussed this in Parshat Ba'halotecha, in connection with Moses' offer to Yitro to join the Jewish people. Ed.] In connection with Torah we find the word spelled טוב with both the vowels חולם such as in Proverbs 4,2: כי לקח טוב נתתי לכם, as well as in Psalms 119,72: טוב לי תורת פיך. It is also spelled with a שורוק as in Psalms 119,66: טוב טעם ודעת למדני. In connection with ארץ ישראל we find ארץ טובה in Deut. 8,7 spelled with the vowel חולם, whereas in Isaiah 1,19 we are promised by the prophet "טוב הארץ תאכלו," spelled with the vowel שורוק. With respect to עולם הבא, we find in Deut. 5,16: למען ייטב לך, which our sages (Kidushin 39b) explain as a reference to a world which is totally good.

[And this is the intent of Mishlei 4:7: "The beginning of wisdom is to acquire wisdom," and, the end of the verse: "and with all of your acquisitions, acquire understanding." This is self-explanatory: "Wisdom" connotes what is apparent, first principles, what one learns from others; and "understanding," what one reflects upon thereafter by himself, to understand one thing from another. Therefore, he says that first one must acquire wisdom, and then he must strengthen himself to understand one thing from another. As they said (Shabbath 31a): "At the time of judgment they ask a man: 'Did you discourse in wisdom? Did you understand one thing from another?''' As to "and with all your acquisitions, acquire understanding," this is understood according to Midrash Shir Hashirim 8 in the episode of R. Chiyya b. Abba and R. Yochanan, who were walking on the way and came upon a field, at which R. Yochanan said: "This was mine, but I sold it to toil in Torah," and thus, until the last field. At this, R. Chiyya began to cry, and said to him: "What will you leave over for your old age?" R. Yochanan answered: "Why does this disturb you? I sold something that was created in six days, as it is written (Shemoth 20:11): 'For six days the L-rd made, etc.', and I bought something which was learned in forty days, as it is written (Ibid. 39:28): 'And he was there with the L-rd for forty days.'" And this is what Scripture intimates to us in "and with all of your acquisitions acquire understanding." It is right that one give all he possesses to acquire understanding. That is, that he grow wise in all matters of Torah in order to understand one thing from another.]

So, in our case. If one's mouth is perpetually open, and he takes no care [of what he says], then even if he has learned all six orders of the Mishnah and the entire Shas several times, when he comes on high [for judgment], he will find not even one Gemara that will defend him. For each one will be overlaid with the spirit of uncleanliness and will be disgusting to look at. Therefore, the wise man, whose eyes are in his head, before he begins to grow wise in Torah and to fulfill "The beginning of wisdom is to acquire wisdom" must fulfill "The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the L-rd." And then he will be happy and it will be good for him in this world and in the next. For his Torah will be much beloved by the Blessed L-rd, their being no blemish in it. A man like this must bestir himself and heap up as much wisdom as he can. And if he wastes one moment of Torah, this is a great loss. For "a servant who does needlework cannot be compared to one who strings pearls."

We view the number 7 as corresponding to the 7 days that are called by the Kabbalists the seven days of בנין, the days of Creation. Jacob, whose attribute is represented by the emanation תפארת, embodies within himself all seven stages of that בנין. Joseph, who was the direct continuation of Jacob, i.e. תפארת, also embodied all seven stages of the בנין. This is why there were in Pharaoh's dream twice seven cows and twice seven ears of corn. Together that makes 14 cows, corresponding to the 14 tribes. The ones that rose "on one stalk," symbolise the בנין in the "upper" regions above the emanation of תפארת, the region made up of the emanations חכמה, בינה. Here we come to the mystical dimension of the word אז whenever it is used in the Torah. The letters ז are perceived figuratively as "entering” the main stem of the letter א. This is possible because that letter is rooted in the emanation בינה. That emanation forms part of the three highest emanations which are one unit (in certain respects). When Solomon advises in Proverbs 4, 5: קנה חכמה קנה בינה, "acquire wisdom, acquire discernment,” the repetition of the word קנה, alludes to its dual meaning, i.e. its meaning is also Kaneh, stem, shaft. There is a single shaft to which the emanations חכמה, בינה, דעת are attached, and we may view this as similar to the shape of the letter א. The number "seven” as represented by the letter ז, is attached to that main shaft of the א from either side, hence we have the number 14.

The general rule is that whenever a person has the opportunity to do perform deed he must reflect well whether or not it will bring pleasure to our Heavenly Father. And if it involves any trace of transgression, Heaven forbid, he can be certain that it will not find favor before the Holy One Blessed is He. The Zohar continues: A person must examine his iniquities every day, for when he arises from his bed, two witnesses stand before him to accompany him throughout the day. When he wishes to rise, the two witnesses say to him as he opens his eyes, “Let your eyes look straight ahead” (Mishlei 4:25) …When he stands up and prepares to walk they say, “Make straight the path of your foot” (ibid. 26)… Therefore as a man goes about he must guard himself against iniquity the entire day. And every day when evening comes he must reflect and examine everything he did that day in order to repent of whatever was improper. He must contemplate them continually in order that he will repent.

The reason that the Midrash also quoted the verse from Proverbs 4,9 describing the crown on G–d's head as His תפארת, glory, is, that it wishes to alert us to the fact that there are times -such as when Israel is on its own land- when G–d actively desires our prayers. At such a time the prayers are both עטרת and תפארת. During such times G–d is perceived as courting כנסת ישראל, the spiritual equivalent of the people of Israel, much as a groom courts a bride. This is understood in kabbalistic circles as the union of the emanation תפארת and מלכות.

What all this has to do with Samael injuring the כף ירך יעקב, the thigh joint of Jacob, is simple. Our sages say on 32,26: וירא כי לא יוכל לו, ויגע בכף ירכו ותקע כך ירך יעקב, that the thigh joint of Jacob refers to the later descendants who experienced the harsh decrees by the various nations who were their hosts in exile. When the Hasmoneans overcame the Greeks, they reversed this injury, i.e. the כף became a פך a cruse of oil. What had been a vulnerable part of Jacob's ירך now became the solid basis of the candelabra, ירך מנורה.