Pemikiran Yahudi Pengkhotbah 7:3: Duties & Derashot HaRan

If the motive is a pious one, proceeding from a longing for nearer and closer communion with G-d by asceticism, it is laudable and will be rewarded, as the sage said, "The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of merrymaking" (Koheles 7:4).

The answer: one who does not engage in Torah study does not shame the word of the L-rd, but one who does engage in it and is not watchful of his learning does shame the word of the L-rd and incurs the death penalty. We have thus shown that all who transgress words of Torah by way of scorning them incur the death penalty. And this is the intent of "All who transgress the words of the sages incur the death penalty." The words of the sages being the foundation of the quality of fear, one who transgresses their words demonstrates thereby that he has divested himself of fear of Heaven. For it is well known that the purpose of the entire Torah is to acquire the fear of Heaven and not to attain wisdom, for our perception of wisdom is extremely limited. We have already seen him [Solomon], of whom it is written (I Kings 5:11): "And he became wiser than all men," when confronted with the parshah of the red heifer, to have remarked (Ecclesiastes 7:3): "I said I would be wise, but it is beyond me." This theme is greatly dilated upon in Job. Our obligation to study in the beginning is only so that we may arrive at the deed, it being impossible for one who is not knowledgeable of a mitzvah to perform it as well as one who is. This is the intent of King Solomon, may peace be upon him, in (Proverbs 14:34-35): "Righteousness exalts a nation, and the lovingkindness of the peoples is as a sin-offering. But the King desires a wise servant and His wrath is against him who acts shamefully." That is, even though righteousness exalts the nations and their lovingkindnesses are as sin-offerings for them, still, their reward is not so great as that of the Jews who act likewise, for the gentiles are not expert in the details of the mitzvoth. But the end of Torah is to attain fear of Heaven. It is for this reason that all who transgress the words of the sages incur the death penalty, for they undermine the foundation. As King Solomon writes (Proverbs 1:7): "Fear of the L-rd is the beginning of knowledge. Fools despise wisdom and instruction." His intent is that the beginning and foundation of knowledge is fear of the L-rd. One who has a foundation can build upon it. The proof of this is that the fools, who do not take fear of the L-rd to heart, despise wisdom and instruction.