Musar sobre Proverbios 4:7

[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."