Hassidout sur Les Proverbes 17:16

It is written in the Zohar, Parshat Shlach (166a): "Rabbi Shimon opened the discussion and said, “Better is the man who is lightly esteemed and has a servant than one who primps himself and lacks bread.” (Mishlei, 12:9) One who lacks bread, lacks faith, as it is written (Vayikra, 21:22), ‘the bread of God.’”"²²¹Interestingly enough, this verse is mentioned in the Torah’s discussion of the blemished Cohen, who, though he may not offer sacrifices in the Temple, may nevertheless eat of the sacrifices, the “bread of God.” Deficiency does not prevent man from the connection of faith, to the contrary, it can strengthen it. If a person is whole in his emunah, then his fear and love of God are also whole.²²²We explained above that one who fears God becomes whole in his character traits. Here, we see the reverse: wholeness of faith leads to wholeness of fear. On the other hand, a deficiency in faith would lead to fallen fear, or idolatry. On the other hand, deficiency in emunah is called “heartless.” Of this, the Zohar writes (Kedoshim, 80a): "What is “heartless?” It is one who lacks faith. One who does not learn the Torah has no faith and is thoroughly blemished." Shlomo HaMelech had this in mind when he asked (Mishlei, 17:16), “What is the value of wisdom in the hands of a fool, seeing as he lacks a heart?” Emunah contains the fear of God. When a man has emunah that God is the source and root of all, he then possesses the knowledge that was expressed by the members of the Great Assembly in the prayer, “You, God, existed before the world was created, and You exist after the world was created.”²²³This prayer is found in the introduction to the morning service, in the Adon Olam prayer. That is, from God’s point of view there is no difference between before the world was created and afterward.²²⁴That is, faith is that which transcends the limited vessels with which God created the world, as discussed above.

Just as the effects of physical rain become apparent in trees after a third of the year, when the sap rises and the fruits begin to bud, so too, from Rosh Hashanah onward, the righteous—who are immediately inscribed and sealed for life—or from Yom Kippur and the first day of Sukkot onward, which represents "kindness within kindness," when even those undeserving according to strict judgment are drawn closer, receive divine illumination and spiritual awakening day by day, as mentioned above. A person who is not foolish—one who does not waste what is given to them—experiences an increase in vitality and emotional sensitivity. By the time a third of the year has passed, the aspect of the heart in a person is completed, as explained in the Midrash on Parashat Shemot, which states that the heart is positioned in the upper third of the human body. This is analogous to the sap rising in trees, causing the fruit to begin forming. In this regard, the verse states: **"Why is there a price in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, when he has no heart?"** (Proverbs 17:16). However, after a third of the year has passed and the aspect of the heart has been completed within a person, a clearer period begins for Torah study and divine service. Having passed through the "months of Esau," they now prepare themselves for the four special Torah portions of Adar, Purim, Nissan, Pesach, the Counting of the Omer, and Shavuot. During this time, the days elevate themselves more and more, day by day, becoming periods of spiritual labor in Torah and mitzvot at a higher level than the rest of the year, with greater vitality, emotional sensitivity, and inspiration of the heart. Just as there is a **"New Year for Trees"** (Tu BiShvat), connecting to the above concept, so too for a person—who is compared to a tree—this marks the beginning of a new stage of heightened emotional inspiration beyond what was experienced before. Even for those who have been lax in their divine service until now and do not feel this inspiration, the divine illumination has undoubtedly influenced them in a concealed manner, at the very least. As a result, they have been granted the **aspect of the heart**, and if they take time to reflect, they will find within themselves a deeper sense of heart and spiritual sensitivity than they had before.

The verse "Why is there a price in the hand of a fool to acquire wisdom, since he has no heart?" (Proverbs 17:16) means that even if a person knows the words of the Torah, they're considered a fool if their heart isn't engaged. The verse says they don't even have wisdom, for true wisdom doesn't reside in the mind alone; it must also be in the heart. This is like what was said about Do'eg (Sanhedrin 106b), that "all his Torah was from his lips outward," meaning it wasn't absorbed into his heart, similar to the verse, "To the wicked, God says... 'for you recite My statutes with your mouth'" (Psalm 50:16), which means it's only in their mouth.