Talmud for Proverbs 3:35

Rebbi Jeremiah said that Rebbi Samuel bar Rav Isaac asked: Justice protects the one on the straight path but sin destroys the sinner¹⁴Prov. 13:6.. Evil deeds will pursue the sinner but He will reward the just¹⁵Prov. 13:21.. While He makes scoffers targets of scoffing, He will bestow grace on the meek¹⁶Prov. 3:34.. He will watch over the feet of his pious ones, but evildoers will be silent in the darkness¹⁷1 Sam.. 2:9.. The wise will inherit honor, but shame will mark the stupid ones¹⁸Prov. 3:35.. Fences are made fences and doors doors. Is it so that fences make fences and doors doors? But so it is: Rebbi Jeremiah in the name of Rebbi Samuel ben Rav Isaac: If a person is careful the first, second, and third times not to commit a sin, then in the future the Holy One, praise to Him, will watch over him. What is the reason? All this God will do twice, three times with a man¹⁹Job 33:29.. Rebbi Zeˋira said, but only if the person does not revert [to sin]. What is the reason? It does not say the triple thread “will never snap” but rather will not quickly snap²⁰Eccl. 4:12.. If you work on it, it will split.

Whoever learns from his fellow a single chapter, a single rule, even a single verse or even a single small letter¹⁸The spelling of a word. Cf. the Gemara below. must treat him with honour; for so we find with David, king of Israel, who learnt from Ahitophel only two things,¹⁹For the two lessons, cf. Aboth, Sonc. ed., p. 81, n. 6. yet he treated him as his teacher and guide, as it is stated, But it was thou, a man mine equal, my companion, and my familiar friend.²⁰Ps. 55, 14. Now is there not an argument from minor to major? If David, king of Israel, who learnt from Ahitophel only two things called him his teacher and guide, how much more so must one who learns from his fellow-man a chapter, a rule, a verse, a word or even one letter treat him with honour! And ‘honour’ means nothing but Torah, as it is stated, The wise shall inherit honour;²¹Prov. 3, 35. [it is also stated,] The whole-hearted shall inherit good,²²ibid. XXVIII, 10. and good is nothing else than Torah, as it is stated For I give you good doctrine; forsake ye not my teaching.²³ibid. IV, 2.

Rebbi⁶⁶⁹For chronological reasons, this title from פן is the only correct one. Jeremiah said that Rebbi Samuel bar Rav Isaac asked about: “Justice watches over the one ambling in simplicity but evil falsifies sin⁶⁷⁰Prov. 13:6. This and the following verses seem to imply that a person is just not by his own merit but only by God’s grace, whereas the wicked are destined to be wicked. This kind of predestination certainly contradicts the doctrine of personal responsibility which rabbinic interpretation finds in Deut. 11:26–28, 30:15–20..” “Evil pursues the sinners but He well rewards the just.”⁶⁷⁰Prov. 13:21. “He watches over the feet of His pious, but the wicked will be silenced in darkness, etc.⁶⁷¹1S. 2:9. This and the following verses are not in the Genizah fragment. In Peah, the order of the verses is slightly different.” “If He scoffs with the scoffers, but to the meek He gives kindness.⁶⁷²Prov. 3:34.” “Sages inherit honor, but shame lifts the silly.⁶⁷³Prov. 3:35.” Fencing makes a fence, and doors entry⁶⁷⁴A popular adage to the effect that a good fence warns away potential trespassers but an open door invites thieves. If the just are fenced in from the start but the wicked left open to sin, there is no personal merit in good behavior.. And so it is, fencing makes a fence and a door entry. But Rebbi Jeremiah asked in the name of Rebbi Samuel bar Rav Isaac: If somebody guards himself once, twice, and three times from a sin, from then on the Holy One, praise to Him, will guard him⁶⁷⁵If a person from personal initiative guards himself a few times from sinning in a particular way, then it becomes an automatic habit and in the future will not require additional will power. In the Babli, Yoma 86b, the Tanna R. Yose ben R. Jehudah is quoted as inferring that the same kind of sin is forgiven by the Heavenly Court a maximum of three times. Šabbat 104a, Yoma 38b, R. Simeon ben Laqish quotes Prov. 3:34 to the effect that Heaven will make it easy for the just to be just, for the wicked to be wicked.. What is the reason? “Lo, all this God will work, twice or three times with a man.”