Pensamiento judío sobre Jeremías 9:7

They are hypocritical in faith and in abstinence. They act in this manner in order that men should trust them, deposit their money with them, and reveal their secrets to them, so that they will be able to harm them. They are the worst class of all human beings, furthest removed from the truth and more disgraceful than anyone else. Of such people, scripture says: "Their tongue is a deadly arrow; It speaks deceit; With his mouth one speaks peace to his neighbor, But inwardly he sets an ambush for him" (Yirmiya 9:7).

Of the fourth degree are those in whose consciousness the genuineness of the Torah and the truthfulness of reward and punishment in the world to come are firmly established. But their disposition inclines them to love of the world and its lusts; and they use the practices of the service of G-d as snares with which to obtain worldly advantages. They accept the Torah outwardly but not inwardly, with their tongues and not with their hearts. Of such people it is said, "One speaks peaceably to his neighbor with his mouth, but in his heart he waits in ambush for him" (Yirmiya 9:7). Further, "With mouth and lips, they honor Me; but their heart is far from Me" (Yeshaya 29:13).

Rav Chisda said that Mar Ukva said: [With regard to] anyone who speaks malicious speech, the Holy One Blessed be He says about him to the ministering angel of Gehinnom, "I will be on him from above, and you will be on him from below, and we will punish him." As it is stated: Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of broom (Psalms 120:4), and arrow means nothing other than the tongue, as it is stated: Their tongue is a sharpened arrow (Jeremiah 9:7). And mighty means nothing other than the Holy One, Blessed be He, as it is stated: The Lord will go forth as a mighty man (Isaiah 42:13). And the coals of the broom tree are Gehinnom. To here [is the Gemara] (Arakhin 15b). This thing needs explanation: Why is the sin of malicious speech unique in this thing, that the Holy One, blessed be He, says, "I will be on him from above, and you will be on him from below?" However, you should know that this thing is relevant and fit for those who speak malicious speech. For other sinners are fit to be punished only in Gehinnom; since he sinned with something bodily, Gehinnom is fit for him. But speech, which is the speaking soul, such that he sinned with something spritual — that is why the Holy One, blessed be He, says, "I will be on him from above." As it is fit that his punishment be from God, may He be blessed, since he sinned with something spiritual, according to the level of speech. But because it is not completely spiritual, as explained above, since the action of speech is surely through a physical means, which is the tongue, that is why there are both of them with speech, meaning the spiritual and the physical. And that is why he said to the ministering angel of Gehinnom, "I will be on him from above, and you will be on him from below." And behold, it is written: They set their mouths against heaven, and their tongues range over the earth (Psalms 73:9). And that is why it is fit that he be punished by the Holy One, blessed be He, as is fitting for the spirit which is of the heavens; and also through the ministering angel of Gehinnom, which is fit for those who have physical lowliness, which is the earth. And you should understand this well, because it is a clear thing.