Talmud sobre Proverbios 2:25

What is the fence that the Writings made around their words? It says (Proverbs 5:8), “Keep your path far away from her, and do not go near the doorway of her house.” “Keep your path far away from her” – that is heresy. For they tell people: Do not go among heretics. Do not enter there, lest they cause you to stumble. And what if someone says: I trust myself, and even though I go there, they will not cause me to stumble. For maybe you will say: I will listen to what they have to say, but I will come back. But the verse (Proverbs 2:19) teaches, “All who go to her cannot return and find again the paths of life.”
It is written (Proverbs 9:2), “She has prepared the feast, mixed the wine, and also set the table.” These are the wicked who, when a person comes in and sits among them, feed him and give him drink, and dress him and cover him, and give him lots of money. But when he has become one of them, each one picks out what belongs them, and takes it back from him. About them it says (Proverbs 7:23), “[He follows her] until the arrow pierces his liver. He is like a bird rushing into a trap, unknowingly.”
Another interpretation of “Keep your path far away from her”: This is a prostitute. For they tell people: Do not go to that marketplace, and do not enter into that alleyway, for there is a beautiful and celebrated prostitute there. But he says: I trust myself, and even though I go there, she will not cause me to stumble. They say to him: Even though you trust yourself, do not go there, for maybe she will cause you to stumble. (For the sages said that a person should not accustom himself to passing by the door of a prostitute.) As it says (Proverbs 2:26), “For many are those she has struck dead, and numerous are her victims.”

What is the fence that the Writings made around their words? It says (Proverbs 5:8), “Keep your path far away from her, and do not go near the doorway of her house.” “Keep your path far away from her” – that is heresy. For they tell people: Do not go among heretics. Do not enter there, lest they cause you to stumble. And what if someone says: I trust myself, and even though I go there, they will not cause me to stumble. For maybe you will say: I will listen to what they have to say, but I will come back. But the verse (Proverbs 2:19) teaches, “All who go to her cannot return and find again the paths of life.”
It is written (Proverbs 9:2), “She has prepared the feast, mixed the wine, and also set the table.” These are the wicked who, when a person comes in and sits among them, feed him and give him drink, and dress him and cover him, and give him lots of money. But when he has become one of them, each one picks out what belongs them, and takes it back from him. About them it says (Proverbs 7:23), “[He follows her] until the arrow pierces his liver. He is like a bird rushing into a trap, unknowingly.”
Another interpretation of “Keep your path far away from her”: This is a prostitute. For they tell people: Do not go to that marketplace, and do not enter into that alleyway, for there is a beautiful and celebrated prostitute there. But he says: I trust myself, and even though I go there, she will not cause me to stumble. They say to him: Even though you trust yourself, do not go there, for maybe she will cause you to stumble. (For the sages said that a person should not accustom himself to passing by the door of a prostitute.) As it says (Proverbs 2:26), “For many are those she has struck dead, and numerous are her victims.”

BARAITHA. Inquire not about heresy lest you be drawn into Gehinnom.
GEMARA. Because if you associate with [heretics], they will ask you questions and you may not be able to answer them. Why [be found] among them?⁹⁵The word in brackets is supplied by H. Behold the world is large and it gives an opening to them who speak.⁹⁶The meaning seems to be, Why should one seek the company of heretics when there is no lack of worthy men with whom to hold conversation? And why is it different here⁹⁷In connection with heresy. in that the Baraitha mentions Gehinnom in connection with it? Because of heresy it is written, None that go unto her return.⁹⁸Prov. 2, 19, where the seductive woman is understood as typifying the lure of heretical ideas. You should therefore know that the Holy One, blessed be He, created both the Garden of Eden and Gehinnom; the Garden of Eden is incomplete without the righteous and Gehinnom is incomplete without the wicked.

²⁷⁴This baraita is the end of the Babylonian Mishnah Soṭah (quoted in Avodah zarah 20b); it is not in the Yerushalmi Mishnah. The entire paragraph appears in a slightly different version (adapted to the Babylonian Mishnah) in the hand of the first corrector in Šeqalim 3:4; the differences will be indicated in the Notes. The Šeqalim text, with the Babylonian version, consist- ently has the full form “a brings to b”.
There also exists a Genizah text edited by L. Ginzberg (op. cit. Note 25 p. 66ff.) which here is too fragmentary to be of much use.
The different version has the sequence cleanliness purity holiness meekness fear of sin piety Holy Spirit resurrection. In Yerushalmi sources it also is found in Cant. rabba 1(9) whereas the version in the text here is in the Munich ms. of the Babli Avodah zarah 20b. The Šeqalim text is reproduced in Midrash Prov. Chap. 15[32]. The different implications naturally require different verses.“From here did Rebbi Phineas ben Yair say, promptitude brings to cleanliness, cleanliness brings to purity, purity brings to holiness, holiness to meekness, meekness to fear of sin, fear of sin to the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit to piety, piety to the Resurrection of the Dead, the Resurrection of the Dead through Elijah, may his remembrance be a blessing.”“Promptitude to cleanliness,” he finishes, and he atones²⁷⁵It seems that the correct quote is given in Šeqalim: וְכִלָּה֙ מִכַּפֵּ֣ר he finishes to atone (Lev. 16:20). The High Priest, who has to perform all the rites of the day of Atonement unaided, has to be quick because only if he finishes all required ceremonies will there be atonement..“Cleanliness to purity,” the Cohen shall atone for her, then she will be pure²⁷⁶Lev. 12:8..“Purity to holiness,” he shall purify it and sanctify it²⁷⁷Lev. 16:19..“Holiness to meekness,” for so says the High and Elevated One, Who thrones eternally, His name is Holy, in sublimity and holiness I dwell, and the suppressed and of meek spirit²⁷⁸Is. 57:15. The verse is explained differently in the Babli, Megillah 31a..“Meekness to fear of sin,” the consequence of meekness is fear of the Eternal²⁷⁹Prov. 22:4. In the first quote, the implied meaning “consequence” is intended, in the second the original meaning “heel”.. Rebbi Isaac bar Eleazar said, what wisdom proclaimed as a crown to its head, meekness made a heel for its sandal²⁸⁰Latin solea, -ae f. “sandal”., for it is written, the head of wisdom is the fear of the Eternal²⁸¹Ps. 111:10. The usual meaning is the beginning of wisdom is …, but it is written, the heel of meekness is fear of the Eternal²⁷⁹Prov. 22:4. In the first quote, the implied meaning “consequence” is intended, in the second the original meaning “heel”..“Fear of sin to the Holy Spirit,” as it is written, then you will understand and knowledge of God you will find²⁸²Prov. 2:5..“The Holy Spirit to piety,” as it is written, then You spoke in a vision to Your pious²⁸³Ps. 89:20..“Piety to the Resurrection of the Dead,” as it is written, I shall give My Spirit into you and you will live²⁸⁴Ez. 37:14..“The Resurrection of the Dead through Elijah, may his remembrance be a blessing,” as it is written, behold I am sending to you Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Eternal, that he turn the fathers’ hearts to the sons and the sons’ hearts to their fathers²⁸⁵Mal. 3:23–24..It was stated in the name of Rebbi Meïr: Anybody permanently in the Land of Israel who eats his profane food in purity, speaks in the holy language, and recites the Shemaˋ mornings and evenings is assured to participate in the life of the World to Come²⁸⁶In Šeqalim: “… eats his produce in purity, …, may be told that …”..

Shimon the Righteous was one of the last surviving members of the Men of the Great Assembly. He would say: The world stands on three things: on the Torah, on the Temple service, and on acts of kindness.
On the Torah. How so? It says (Hosea 6:6), “I desire kindness, not a well-being offering (zevach), and the knowledge of God [which comes from studying Torah] more than burnt offerings (olot).” From here we learn that the burnt offering is more beloved than the well-being offering, because the burnt offering is entirely consumed in the fires, as it says (Leviticus 1:9), “The priest shall turn the whole thing into smoke on the altar.” And in another place (I Samuel 7:9), it says, “Samuel took one milking lamb, and offered it to be consumed, as a burnt offering to the Eternal.” And the study of Torah is more beloved before the Omnipresent God than offerings, for if a person studys Torah, he comes to have knowledge of the Omnipresent God, as it says (Proverbs 2:5), “Then you will understand the awe of the Eternal and you will discover the knowledge of God.” From here we learn that when a sage sits and expounds before the congregation, Scripture considers it as if he brought fat and blood upon the altar.
If two Torah scholars are sitting and laboring in the Torah, and a bridal or funeral procession passes by, if there are already enough people participating, these two should not leave their studying; but if not, they should get up and offer words of Torah and praise to the bride, or escort the dead.

If one was standing praying on the Sabbath; he forgot about the Sabbath and prayed for weekday. Rebbi Ḥuna said, Rav Naḥman bar Jacob¹⁹⁰He appears as Rav Naḥman in the Babli, a student of Samuel and of the Resh Galuta Rabba bar Abuh, who became his father-in-law and appointed Rav Naḥman as chief judge of the Jews in Babylonia. Hence, the opinions of Rav Naḥman have the weight of Supreme Court decisions in all money matters. He is reported in the Babli (21a) to require that the benediction that was started must be finished. The contrary opinion, which therefore must be attributed to Rav Sheshet, is not mentioned in the Babli. and Rav Sheshet¹⁹¹Rav Sheshet was a contemporary of Rav Naḥman, a student of Rav. He was blind and the greatest expert in Tannaïtic literature in his time. In the Babli, it is a Gaonic tradition that in disagreements between Rav Sheshet and Rav Naḥman, practice follows Rav Sheshet in all matters that do not involve money. Hence, it is clear that the Babli, which wants to establish the rule that one must finish the benediction, cannot mention Rav Sheshet. disagree, one says he cuts the benediction short and the other says, he finishes the benediction. All agree that he finishes “Gracious Giver of knowledge”¹⁹²The first of the weekday benedictions, a prayer for knowledge and insight.. This follows Rebbi, since Rebbi said: I wonder why they eliminated “Gracious Giver of knowledge” on Sabbath; if there is no knowledge, from where comes prayer? Rebbi Isaac said: Knowledge is great because it is in the middle between two mentions of divine names as it is said (1Samuel 2:3): “Certainly, a God of knowledge is the Eternal”. Some want to understand from here (Prov.2:5): “Then you will understand the fear of the Eternal and the knowledge of God you will find.”

[In the verses] And it came to pass when they⁶³Foreign princes or rulers. E.V. God. caused me to wander, God, etc.,⁶⁴Gen. 20, 13. Cf. Rule 6 above. and Which god⁶⁵E.V. who is a God. is like unto Thee⁶⁶Micah 7, 18. the first⁶⁷The pronoun ‘they’ in Gen. 20, 13 and god in Micah 7, 18. are sacred and the second⁶⁸God in Gen. and Thee in Micah. are secular. [The divine name in] Samaria shall bear her guilt, for she hath rebelled against her God⁶⁹Hos. 14, 1. is sacred. R. Nathan says: [In the phrase] in the house of his God⁷⁰ibid. IX, 8. it is sacred. In therefore turn thou to thy God⁷¹ibid. XII, 7. it is sacred. In God standeth in the congregation of God; in the midst of the judges⁷²The Heb. has the divine name. He judgeth⁷³Ps. 82, 1. it is used as sacred⁷⁴In God standeth. and secular.⁷⁵In the sense of ‘judges’. In God delivereth me to⁷⁶Heb. אל (to) which has the same consonants as the word for ‘God’. the ungodly⁷⁷Job 16, 11. the first is sacred and the second⁷⁸’el in the sense of ‘to’. is secular. In For hath any said unto God: I have borne⁷⁹ibid. XXXIV, 31. the first [’el] is secular and the second sacred.
R. Eleazar the son of R. Jose the Galilean said:⁸⁰So M. V and H read ‘and R. Eleazar … said’. [In the verses] And let my cry have no⁸¹Heb. ’al, the same consonants as for the name of God. resting-place;⁸²Job 16, 18. It is in the power⁸³Gen. 31, 29. The Heb. for power (’el) equals the divine name. of my hand; And there shall be nought in the power of thy hand;⁸⁴Deut. 28, 32. When it is in the power of thy hand;⁸⁵Prov. 3, 27. Unto death,⁸⁶ibid. II, 18; unto is ’el in Heb. all [the words whose consonants are the same as those for God] are secular. In God hath given command to speed me⁸⁷2 Chron. 35, 21. it is sacred. In Forbear thee from meddling with God, who is with me⁸⁸ibid. it is sacred according to R. Jose b. Judah. In O God, the proud are risen up against me⁸⁹Ps. 86, 14. it is sacred but the reader must pause in reading [after God]:⁹⁰In the absence of the pause, the adjective proud might erroneously be taken as qualifying God. God, the proud are risen up against me.
[The terms] merciful and gracious, long-suffering and abounding in lovingkindness, king, kings, exalted, great, Most High, righteous and upright, pious, perfect, mighty, may be erased.⁹¹Although attributed to God, they do not possess the sanctity of the divine name. He who curses himself or his neighbour by [any of] these⁹²Using any of these attributes instead of the divine name. incurs guilt. [If he curses] heathens or the dead no guilt⁹³So M and N.Y. V and H read ‘guilty of one [offence]’. is incurred. [If he curses] a judge or a prince he incurs twofold guilt;⁹⁴Since a judge or prince must not be cursed as any other person, and as men holding offices of responsibility. according to others he incurs threefold guilt for cursing a prince.⁹⁵The two mentioned in the preceding note, and a third because the Heb. word for ‘judge’ in the text is identical with the divine name. If a person curses his father or mother with the Tetragrammaton⁹⁶lit. ‘the distinguished name’. he is liable to the penalty of stoning,⁹⁷Cf. Lev. 24, 14. Stoning is one of the major penalties imposed by a court. but if only with the attributes he is liable to a warning.⁹⁸i.e. he is guilty of transgressing a negative commandment, the penalty of which is scourging with thirty-nine stripes.

HALAKHAH: “One who transports an amphora from place to place,” etc. It was stated⁸⁶Since R. Yose ben Ḥanina was a second generation Amora, this expression is inappropriate.: ⁸⁷In the Babli, 83a, the story is told about Rabba bar bar Ḥana and Rav. Its upshoot is that while the teamster who breaks something in transport is liable, if he is poor one should not insist on the letter of the law. Rebbi Nehemiah the potter gave his pots to a person who broke them. He⁸⁸R. Nehemiah the potter. The reading is confirmed by Kaftor wa-Peraḥ 44 (ed. Luncz, Jerusalem 1899, p. 615) against the opinion of S. Lieberman who here suspects a lacuna. confiscated his⁸⁹The transporter. coat. He⁸⁹The transporter. went to Rebbi Yose ben Ḥanina, who told him, go and tell him: ⁹⁰Prov. 2:20.“That you should go in the ways of good prople.” He⁸⁹The transporter. went and told him⁸⁸R. Nehemiah the potter. The reading is confirmed by Kaftor wa-Peraḥ 44 (ed. Luncz, Jerusalem 1899, p. 615) against the opinion of S. Lieberman who here suspects a lacuna. who then returned his coat. He⁹¹R. Yose ben Ḥanina. asked him, did he⁸⁸R. Nehemiah the potter. The reading is confirmed by Kaftor wa-Peraḥ 44 (ed. Luncz, Jerusalem 1899, p. 615) against the opinion of S. Lieberman who here suspects a lacuna. pay your wages? He⁸⁹The transporter. said, no. He⁹¹R. Yose ben Ḥanina. told him, go and tell him: “And to the paths of the just you shall keep.” He⁸⁹The transporter. went and told him⁸⁸R. Nehemiah the potter. The reading is confirmed by Kaftor wa-Peraḥ 44 (ed. Luncz, Jerusalem 1899, p. 615) against the opinion of S. Lieberman who here suspects a lacuna. who then paid his wages.

Further [R. ‘Aḳiba] sat on the bench [and taught]: Good things are brought about through the agency of good men.⁶⁷Cf. Shab. 32a (Sonc. ed., p. 146). Even if Moses and Aaron had not arisen, Israel would still have been worthy to be redeemed from Egypt,⁶⁸Because of the promise God made to Abraham. as it is stated, And afterward shall they come out with great substance.⁶⁹Gen. 15, 14. Had not Moses and Aaron and the Generation of the Wilderness arisen, Israel would still have been worthy to receive the Torah, as it is stated, He layeth up sound wisdom for the upright.⁷⁰Prov. 2, 7, sound wisdom being a synonym for the Torah and the upright for Israel. The section of ‘the judges’⁷¹Ex. 18, 21-23. would have been worthy to be promulgated even if Jethro had not arisen. The section of ‘the smaller Passover’⁷²Num. 9, 1-14, also known as the ‘second Passover’. would have been worthy to be promulgated even if the ‘unclean’ had not arisen, as it is stated, We are unclean by the dead body of a man; wherefore are we to be kept back, so as not to bring the offering of the Lord in its appointed season among the children of Israel?⁷³ibid. 7. The section of ‘inheritance’⁷⁴ibid.XXVII, 6-11. would have been worthy to be promulgated even if the daughters of Zelophehad⁷⁵ibid. 1-5. had not arisen. The Temple would have been worthy to be built even if David and Solomon had not arisen, as it is stated, The sanctuary, O Lord, which Thy hands have established.⁷⁶Ex. 15, 17. Israel would have been worthy to be redeemed in the days of Haman even it Mordecai and Esther had not arisen, as it is stated, And yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly,⁷⁷Lev. 26, 44. etc.
Israel were destined to be enslaved even if Pharaoh had not arisen in Egypt, as it is stated, And [they] shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years.⁷⁸Gen. 15, 13. Israel were destined to serve idols even if Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, had not arisen, as it is stated, And this people will rise up, and go astray after the foreign gods of the land.⁷⁹Deut. 31, 16. The section of ‘the blasphemer’⁸⁰Lev. 24, 10ff. and of ‘the gatherer of sticks’⁸¹Num. 15 32-36. would have been worthy to be promulgated even if the son of the Israelitish woman and the gatherer of sticks had not arisen. Israel would have been destined to be destroyed by the sword even if so and so⁸²i.e. nations hostile to Israel. They were so many that they are not specified. had not arisen, as it is stated, All the sinners of My people shall die by the sword;⁸³Amos.Cf. IX, 10. and it declares, By sword and famine shall they be consumed.⁸⁴Jer. 14, 15. Israel would have deserved to be destroyed even if Nebuchadnezzar and his companions had not arisen, as it is stated, Therefore shall Zion for your sake be ploughed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest.⁸⁵Micah 3, 12.