Halakha Amsal 9:12: Sefer Chasidim & Sefer HaChinukh

Of what manner is the root of piety? When a man’s heart inclines toward qualities of piety and it is made difficult for him because all mock him and shame him and say things to torment him and recall his former evil deeds, let him not leave his piety because of the scorners, but let him acquire good qualities little by little, day after day: “he that gathereth little by little shall increase” (Prov. 13:11). Concerning this it is stated, “If thou art wise, thou art wise for thyself” (Prov. 9:12). Concerning the scorners it is written “They make a man an offender by words” (Isa. 29:21), i.e., they (the scorners) speak badly about those who perform the commandments. It is a great sin to say to a penitent, “Remember thy former deeds”¹Baba Metzia 58b. after he has evidenced through good deeds his desire to acquire the qualities of piety. He is not disturbed by the laughter of the scorners. Those that recall his former deeds are regarded as if closing the door to the penitent. And let him say to himself that his being shamed will be counted for him as a great merit and as righteousness.²Berakoth 12b. And the pure fear of God enters his heart and purifies his heart and body of all evil because he will be aided from heaven to be strengthened in the fear of God. And so they said, “He who comes to be purified is assisted from heaven.”³Shabbath 104a. And they prepare for him to make full repentance, for the doors of repentance are not shut.⁴Midrash Tehillim, ed. Solomon Buber (Wilna: Romm Publisher, 1891), p. 313. And precept leads to precept,⁵Aboth 4:2. and now as the man enters through the doors of repentance he will pray day and night before his Creator that He rescue him from Divine Justice and there occur no stumbling through himself. And to the extent that a man treads in his piety and has no inclination to turn aside from his meritorious way—for it is upright in his sight—so the Master of Uprightness will lead him in the upright path. And thus David said, “Good and upright is the Lord; therefore doth He instruct sinners in the way. He guideth the humble in justice; and He teacheth the humble His way” (Ps. 25:8). And as he enters piety with difficulty so will it be the more difficult for him to leave his good way because of shame, because people might say, thus is it now known that this man strives for outward appearances only⁶Samuel 16:7. and in order to deceive people he has feigned piety, and it is forbidden to deceive people, even a gentile.⁷Hullin 94a. And because piety is difficult to achieve initially it is good to start during youth, as it is written, “Remember then thy Creator in the days of thy youth” (Eccl. 12:1); “and even when he is old he will not depart from it” (Prov. 22:6). For the repentance of an old man, when he is aged and the desires are gone, resembles a man indulging in slander with his tongue gone and he speaks no more. But when a man returns while yet in his strength and might and his passion threatens to make itself master over him and he subdues it, this sort of repentance is the most praiseworthy. And a mighty act he performs indeed through controlling his intense and strong passion. Concerning this it is said, “and he that ruleth his spirit (rather) than he that taketh a city” (Prov. 16:32). And for each matter which is difficult for the individual but which he nevertheless accomplishes, his reward is very great.⁸Aboth 5:26.

Behold, they explained that the deterrent to our [understanding of] the explanations of the commandments is only from the blindness of our intellects; and that the explanation of the most difficult one of them was already revealed to the sages of Israel. And there are many such statements in their words — and in the Torah and in Scripture, very many. And Rambam, may his memory be blessed, mentioned some of them. But [as far as] those homiletic teachings (aggadot) with which the Teacher was challenged, according to [Ramban’s] opinion, they are about a different matter: that they wanted to say that there is no benefit in the commandments to the Holy One, blessed be He, Himself, may He be blessed. Rather, the benefit is for the person, himself, to deter him from harm or a bad belief or an ugly trait or to remember wonders of the Creator, may He be blessed, [so as] to remember God. And this is [what was meant by] “to refine them with them” — that they should be like refined silver. As the action of the one who refines silver is not without explanation, but [rather] to remove all the dross. So too are the commandments to remove from him any bad belief and to inform him of the truth and to always remind him. And the language of the aggadah itself in Yilamdenu in the section, “This is the animal” (Midrash Tanchuma, Shemini 8) is “And for what would the Holy One, blessed be He, care if one slaughters a beast and eats or stabs [it] and eats? Does it help Him or hurt Him at all? Or what would He care whether one would eat pure foods or eat carcasses? ‘And if you have been wise, you have been wise for yourself.’ Behold, the commandments were only given to refine the creatures with them, as it states (Psalms 12:7), ‘The words of the Lord are pure words’; ‘The word of the Lord is refined’ (Psalms 18:31). Why? So that it will be a shield for you.”