Halakhah su Ecclesiaste 7:9

“For anger resteth in the bosom of fools” (Eccl. 7:9). Anger is very bad and of necessity one must remove himself from it to the opposite extreme. Hourly, one must discipline himself not to be angered, even in matters where it is fitting to become angry.¹Taanith 4a. If he wishes to cast awe upon his household or the congregation, if Le be a leader of the community, let him appear angry before them but let his mind be settled upon him, as a person who shows anger outwardly but in his heart he is calm.²J. T. Taanith 3:11. For anger leads to mistakes. Our scholars said, “ He who angers, if he is a wise man, his wisdom departs from him.” Men of anger, their lives are not lives,³Pesahim 113b. moreover they die before their time,⁴Nedarim 22a. and so he says “For anger killeth a foolish man” (Job 5:2). Therefore it is proper to withdraw from anger and to discipline oneself not to feel even those matters that anger him, and this is the good path. An ill-tempered man does not achieve but ill-temperedness,⁵Kiddushin 41a. and is drawn to say things unbecoming and even blasphemous.⁶Nedarim 22b. Departing from anger leads him to the path of humility. Go and learn from Hillel, the Elder,⁷Shabbath 30b. never had there been a person so humble as he, and his humility caused proselytes to come under the wing of Glory. Let a man not cast excessive fear upon his household lest his servants feed him forbidden foods.⁸Gittin 6b. There might arise an occasion when a dish is not quite ready, or some other matter, but out of fear his servants will go and serve him forbidden things and he will not know. He who casts excessive fear upon his household ultimately comes to three transgressions: incest, desecration of the Sabbath, and murder. Because of her fear for him, he will engage in coitus with his wife during menstruation or she will cook for him on the Sabbath. If he is accustomed to have a light kindled in his night-chamber before the Sabbath and she forgets to put it there, out of fear she will kindle it on the Sabbath. His wife or one of his children may flee in the darkness of night and fall into a pit, behold, here is murder. Similarly, a leader of the community should implant fear in the community only for the sake of heaven.⁹Rosh ha-Shanah 17a. If it be for personal benefit he should not dominate, oppress, and coerce them so that they fear him. How great is their (the leaders) punishment, for they are equated with infidels and apostates;¹⁰Maimonides, Hilkhoth Teshuvah, 3:6. also informers who turn over their neighbor’s money to gentiles, all the more so, those who deliver others bodily to gentiles; those who despise the scholars; those who deny the resurrection of the dead; those, who depart from the paths of the community; even though they do not sin, but are only separated from the community of Israel and do not participate with them in performing commandments; those who do not join them (Jews) in their troubles or in their fasts, not because of accident or illness, but because they go their way as gentiles of the land and as if they were not one of them; (also they) “Who caused their terror in the land of the living” (Ezek. 32:23), refers to those who put their fear upon the congregation not for the sake of heaven; they go down to the bottomless pit and never depart from there, Gehenna comes to an end, but their trials do not. For it is said, “And their form shall be for the nether-world” (Ps. 49:15), but fire issues from their bones and they are consumed.

However according to what it seems, it is not understood that if an Israelite came and began to be wicked to pain his fellow with his bad words, that the listener should not answer him. For it is not possible for a man to be 'like a stone that cannot be overturned' - moreover, that he will be in his silence like one who concedes to the insults. And in truth, the Torah did not command for a man to be like a stone, silent to those who insult him and to those who bless him alike. Rather it commands us to distance ourselves from this trait and that we should not begin to quarrel and insult people. And like this, every man will be saved from all this - since one who doesn't quarrel will not be insulted by people, except for [by] complete fools; and we should not pay attention to fools. And if perhaps some insulting person will force him to answer his words, it is fitting for a wise person to reply to him in a roundabout and pleasant way, and not become very angry; as 'anger rests on the bosom of fools.' And he will [so] save himself before those who listen to his insults, and he will cast the burden upon the one who insults [him]; and this is the way of the best among men. And we should learn this thing - that it is permitted to us to reply to a fool - according to what it seems from how the Torah permitted one who comes to rob secretly to be preceded and killed (Exodus 22:1). As there is no doubt that a man is not obligated to bear harm from his fellow; as he has permission to save himself from his hand - and similarly from the words of his mouth that are full of deceit and cunning - with anything that he is able to save himself from him. However there is a group of people the righteousness of which rises so much that they do not want to include themselves in this teaching - to reply something to those that insult them, lest anger will overpower them and they become involved in the matter more than is necessary. And about them they, may their memory be blessed, said (Shabbat 88b), "Those who are humiliated but do not humiliate [back], who hear their insult and do not reply - about them the verse states (Judges 5:31), 'but those who love Him are like the sun coming out in its strength.'"