Midrash sur Les Proverbes 7:3

R. Hiyya the son of Abba concluded from the verse Say unto wisdom: “Thou art my sister” (Prov. 7:4) that if the verdict is as clear to you as the fact that your sister is forbidden to you, announce it; but if it is not, do not announce it. R. Joshua the son of Levi said: If ten men sit in judgment, responsibility for the verdict rests upon the neck of each of them. And judge righteously (Deut. 1:16). R. Joshua the son of Levi interprets this verse to mean: One must confirm the justice of the decision before announcing it.

We are taught in a Baraitha (Deut. 30, 20) To love the Lord, thy God, to hearken to His voice, and to cleave unto Him. This means that a man should not say, "I will study the Scripture so that I may be called a wise man; I will study the Misnah that I may become a senior scholar occupying a seat in the college:" [This is not the proper way.] But one should study because of the love of literature and honor will come in due time, as it is said (Pr. 7, 3) Bind them round thy fingers, write them upon the table of thy heart; and it is also written (Ib., 6, 21) Bind them upon thy heart continually, tie them about thy throat; and again (Ib., 3, 17) Her way is a way of pleasantness, etc. And again, A tree of life is she to those that lay hold on her, and everyone that firmly graspeth her will be made happy. Elazar b. Zadok says: "Do things in the name of their Maker and converse in it (the Torah) for their own sake. Do not make them as a crown with which to exalt, neither shalt thou make them a spade to dig with." This can be inferred by applying a fortiori reasoning. If Belsazzar, who only made use of the sacred vessels (of the Temple) that afterwards became secular and was nevertheless punished by being uprooted from the world, how much more so will it occur with one who makes use of the crown of the Torah! Raba said: "It is permissible for a man to introduce himself with his title in a place where he is unknown, as it is said (I Kings 18, 12) But I thy servant have feared the Lord from my mouth." If so, then how will you explain the incident of R. Tarphon? [Why did he feel sorry for having informed him that he was a scholar?] It was because he was a very rich man and he should have appeased him with something.