Musar su Proverbi 27:35

Pride in Wisdom and Good Deeds may be divided into two types — one good and the other bad. The pride that is bad is when a man despises others in his heart and with his mouth, and when all people aside from himself are small and lacking in his eyes, and he constantly praises himself that he is all wise and is therefore often tempted to deny a truth because he is too conceited to admit that he could be wrong. Such a person always believes that his words, advice and deeds are better than the words, advice and deeds of his friends and companions. Such a one boasts constantly of his wisdom and deeds for he desires praise and honor for all the good things he does. And covering this sort of person, Solomon says, "Let a stranger praise you and not your own mouth!" (Prov. 27:2).

THOU shouldst know that he who hates men is hated by them, and when this quality takes firm hold of the soul, it destroys it, because it leads to the hatred of the very food and drink with which man sustains life. Besides, he suffers injury through the hostility of men. When excessive love is expended on other than divine things, it is changed into the most violent hatred. As thou knowest from the expression (II Sam. xiii. 15), "Then Amnon hated her exceedingly." He who loves thee for some reason will turn his back, simultaneously with its disappearance and ending. Thou must not trust in the counsel of the enemy, the "Hater." Thus it is written (Prov. xxvii. 6), "The kisses of an enemy are deceitful." From this quality there branches out fretfulness. Thou knowest how the prevalence of fretfulness has been censured, the blameworthiness which attaches to its use and the repugnance the soul feels therefor.

It has been said that the fretful cannot abide by one state; he has not a friend; his circumstances are always disturbed, and misery never parts company with him. He is like one of whom it is said (Prov. xii. 27), "The slothful (listless) man roasteth not that which he took in hunting." Thou knowest that many men make a show of friendship in their speech and yet frequently are enemies at heart. Do not trust them, as it is written (id., xxvi. 24), "He that hateth, dissembleth with his lips." Even though he be gentle in discourse with thee, do not associate with him, as it is written (id., 25), "When he speaketh fair, believe him not." Thus Joab also made a show of kind-heartedness and affection for Abner and Amasa before killing them. So also did Ismael favor Guedaliah ben Achikam ere he killed him. It is said, "He who sows hatred will reap regret." He who is of this character is ill-disposed to his fellow-man in matters concerning himself and another. So much the more will he be so in those affecting him and his Lord. He acts as though he were praying, but his secret thoughts are quite different. Thus it is written of them (Ps. Ixxviii. 36), "Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth and they did lie unto him with their tongues," and so forth. The divine Socrates spake unto his disciples, bidding them "Beware of whomsoever your heart hate, for the hearts of men are like a mirror." Thus the sage said (Prov. xxvii. 19), "As in water, face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man." Souls are alike, and the most harmful and persistent form of hatred is that caused by envy. The poet saith, "Thou canst cure all manner of enmity except the enmity which comes to thee through envy." In the book of al-Kuti (it is said), "The very best that thou canst look forward to in regard to thy enemies is that thou bring them back to the love of thee, if that be possible."

And a man is obligated to think thoughts that will bring up proper and coherent advice for this fellow. And this is one of the main types of acts of lovingkindness, as it is stated (Proverbs 27:9), “Oil and incense gladden the heart, and the sweetness of a friend is better than one’s own counsel.”

Behold these are honorable reasons - strong as a mirror of cast metal. But there is another honorable reason above them all - and we hinted to it in the introduction to our words about the matters of the evil groups mentioned: As it is known that among the ways to sanctify His name, may He be blessed, is to make known - with every expression of the lips, with every hint of the eyes and with every practice and movement of the hands - that the foundation of man’s soul and his glorious adornment, and the good and the essence, and the purpose and the preciousness in it, is the service of God, may He be blessed, and fear of Him; as it is written (Ecclesiastes 12:13), “for this is all of man.” And this thing is the glory of God, may He be blessed. And the ones that spurn Torah scholars and fear of Him are nullifying this knowledge and showing the opposite with their behavior. And it is as if they are saying, the service of [God] is not the essence; and the root of the matter is found somewhere besides the service of God, may He be blessed. So they are profaning the Torah - therefore they shall be lost from among the congregation. And it will cease (vayikhlu) in their mouths. (It appears to me that it should say, vayiratsu with their mouths - like the usage [in Psalms 49:14], “the end of those pleased yirtsu with their mouths,” which according to some commentators is an expression of speaking. Or maybe it should say, “and they will be able to say [vayokhlu leimor] with their mouths” - meaning to say that they will be able to say, by way of an excuse) [On my opinion, it should say, express (vayibateu) with their mouths - Y. B.] As they are serving God without involvement in Torah study.
Is it not a well known thing that the service does not survive without those that study Torah, who meditate upon it day and night? For they instruct knowledge and bear understanding of the times, to know what the Israelites should do. And they hold up [the Torah] in Israel, so that it will not be forgotten from the mouth of their seed. And in a place where there is no one involved with Torah, the snares grow and there is no upright person. Therefore the servants of God, may He be blessed, honor the sages of the Torah for [the sake of] God’s honor; and to make known that only His service is the essence of existence.
And since it has been clarified that God, may He be blessed, created everything for His glory - a man is obligated to pay attention at all times, to honor God and sanctify Him with all of his words; to exult Him, to praise Him and to always bless Him, as it is stated (Psalms 34:2), “I bless the Lord at all times; praise of Him is ever in my mouth.” And whenever he stands among the people and speaks with his friends, he should reflect with understanding, be exacting and supervise everything that comes out of his mouth; to sanctify God with his words; to speak in praise of His service and in glorification of His fear; and to praise His (works) [servants] and those that fear Him. And through this, he will merit - with the meditation of his heart and with the expression of his lips, [and] without exertion or the actions of his hands - great merit [that reach] to the heavens. For this is from the essence of man’s creation. And it is stated, (Proverbs 27:21), “For silver, the crucible; for gold, the furnace; and a man is tested by his praise.” And its explanation is that the virtues of a man are according to what he praises: If he praises good deeds, the sages and the righteous ones - know that you have tested that he is a good man and the root of justice is found within him. For he would not find it in his heart to praise the good and good people with all of his words - and to detest sins and spurn their masters - without being disgusted by evil and choosing the good. And even if it is possible that he has some hidden iniquities in his hand, he is nevertheless among the lovers of justice. So his root is from [the right] choice and he is from the congregation of those that honor God. But one who praises detestable acts or praises evildoers is a complete evildoer and profanes the service of God.

Chapter 5 - How a person can accustom himself with the trait of kindness (chesed): [Its] essence is love of God - the main entrance for a person to the secret of kindness is to love God with the fullest love, such that he will not leave His service for any reason. [This is] on account of there being nothing at all as beloved to him, relative to his love of Him, may He be blessed. And so, he [should] first fix all the needs of His service; and what remains afterwards will be for other needs. And this love [should] be fixed in his heart. Whether he receives goodnesses from the Holy One, blessed be He, or whether he receives afflictions and upbraidings, he [should] consider them [to be products of His] love for him, as it is written (Proverbs 27:6), "Faithful are the wounds of a friend." And it is as it is [also] written (Deuteronomy 6:5), "and with all your might (meodecah)" - and they explained (Berakhot 54a), "With each and every trait (midah), etc., so as to include all of the traits in Kindness. And it comes out that the secret of His governance is from Kingship (Malkhut); and even as it acts with judgement, it is connected to Kindness. And this is the trait of Nachum, the man of Gamzo, who would say, "This too (Gam zo) is for the good." He wanted to always connect [occurrences] to the side of Kindness that is called good, and [so] he would say, "This too," that appears to be with the 'left' that is connected to Severity (Gevurah), "is" nothing but "for the good," [which is] connected to Kindness. And he would put his mind to the side of the good with this trait and hide its judgments. And this is a great practice, always to connect with Kindness.

The explanation of the second [phrase], "lay apples below me" is to connect Her between Victory (Netsach) and Majesty (Hod). As Her couch is there, in Her being white and red - like those apples the colors of which are mixed - from the side of Kindness. And he needs to visit Her, remember Her and to beseech Her countenance, that She accept food and drink from the Highest flow, which She prevents from Herself and [accordingly] makes Her soul pine for the travail of Israel. In the way that it is with physical patients, so is it with Highest Patients, as She is sick, like we said. And He is [also] sick, as He is 'wandering' from His place - the world to come, Understanding - 'and roaming' from Her in this World; as it is written (Proverbs 27:8), "As a bird roaming from its nest" - which is the Divine Presence - "so is a man roaming from his place." And He waits for Her and swears to her that He will not return to His place until He brings Her back to Her place. Behold, He is also 'wounded because of our sins, willingly crushed because of our iniquities.' And the healing of both of Them is in our hands. And it is fitting to visit Them and to procure Their needs through Torah [study] and through [fulfillment of] the commandments.

Do not believe the counsel of one who hates and is inimical, as it is said: "But the kisses of an enemy are importunate" (Prov. 27:6). And know that many people express love with their words but it is possible that they are total enemies in their heart, and it is necessary that you recognize them and do not put your faith in them as it is said: "He that hates dissembles with his lips while he lays up treachery within him" (Ibid. 26:24). And even though he speaks to you with a smooth tongue and speaks tender words, do not incline your heart to him as it is said: "When he speaks graciously, do not believe him for there are seven abominations in his heart" (Prov. 26:25). And this is the type of conduct that Joab showed to Abner, son of Ner (II Sam. 3:27) and to Amasa, son of Yeter (II Sam. 20:9-10) (peace and love) until he killed them, and as Ishmael son of Nethaniah did with Gedaliah, son of Ahikam until he slew him (Jer. 41:1-2). One of the Sages said: "The best plan of those you can plot against your enemy is to turn him to your love (to make a friend of him) if you can."

For the cruel person feels no pain at the troubles of his companions, as you see in contrast with David who said: "As for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth, I afflicted my soul with fasting, and as for my prayer for them — may it return to my own bosom" (Ps. 35:13). And in the Book of Job it is written: "If I have not wept for him that was in trouble and if my soul grieved not for the needy" (Job 30:25). And all this is very far from the cruel man. This trait of cruelty is found only in people whose natures are like the nature of lions that prey and violently rend. When the spirit of wrath takes strong hold of a man then the quality of mercy flees, and Cruelty grows powerful to ruin and destroy as it is written: "Wrath is cruel and anger is overwhelming" (Prov. 27:4). There is no wrath like the anger of Cruelty. In the attributes of the Creator, may He be Blessed, you will find : "In wrath remember Compassion" (Hab. 3:2). But this is far from man's ability — to have mercy in the midst of his anger. And there is this aspect of the quality of Cruelty in the soul of man — to avenge himself on his enemies as it is written: "And he will not spare in the day of vengeance" (Prov. 6:14). The meaning of this verse is that where there is the desire for vengeance there is no compassion, only cruelty. And Scripture says: "You shall not avenge nor bear a grudge" (Lev 19:18). We are warned not to bear a grudge even in our heart — all the more so not to do any deed with the hands to hurt a companion. Even when your enemy has fallen through no fault of yours, you must not rejoice as it is written: "Rejoice not when your enemy falls and when he stumbles let not your heart be glad" (Prov. 24:17). The avenger or the grudge-holder never overlooks a grievance and never forgives his companions who have wronged him, and this attitude drags after it quarrels and hatred, and you already know how good and how pleasant is the quality of peace.

Concerning solitude, the main thing is to remain at home. Even your visit to the synagogue should be very short. In fact, it is better to pray at home, for it is impossible to be spared from jealousy or from hearing idle talk or lashon hara in the synagogue. And one receives punishment for this, as we find (Shabbos 33a), "Also one who hears and is silent...." This is even the more so on Shabbos and Yom Tov when they gather to talk - It is then better that you don't pray at all. Refrain also from going to the cemetery (especially women), as it leads to all kinds of sorrow and sin. It is also advisable that your daughter not go to the synagogue, because she'll see beautiful clothes there, become jealous and talk about it at home. This will lead to lashon hara, etc. She should rather cling to Mussar and not become jealous of anything in this world, where everything is vanity and illusions, appearing and disappearing overnight (Yonah 4:10). "Though he grows as high as the sky, his head reaching the clouds, he perishes forever..." (Iyov 20:6,7). "For property does not last forever, or a crown for all generations" (Mishlei 27:24). And even while it exists it is worthless, loathsome and disdained by any sensible person. Woe to him who is impressed by it. Envy only the fear of Hashem (ib. 23:17). She should not say, "How can I earn a share in the World-to-Come? - I can't do it!" For we have learned (Berachos 17a): "One may do much or one may do little, provided he directs his heart to heaven."

Now we understand the meaning of Proverbs 27,6: "Wounds inflicted by a loved one are long lasting; the kisses of an enemy are profuse." Taanit 20a explains this verse by saying that the curse that Achiyah Hashiloni cursed Israel with (Kings I 14,15), was better (more beneficial) than all the blessings that Bileam conferred upon it. Achiyah cursed Israel by referring to it as a "reed in water." Just as such a reed can stand in water, its stem can grow back and develop many roots, so that all the winds of the world will not uproot it, but it will bend in the direction the wind blows until the wind has stopped blowing and resume its original posture, so Israel will recover from such storms. Not so the blessings of Bileam the wicked. He compares Israel to the cedar (24,6). A cedar cannot survive in water, its roots are few, its trunk does not grow back once it has been cut. Even though it is strong enough to resist all the storms in the world, a South wind will dislocate it immediately. Comparing Israel to a cedar was not really a blessing. Not only this, but if need be, one can make a quill from the reed to write a ספר תורה, which cannot be done with the remains of a cedar. So far the Talmud on our subject.

The fourteenth thing a man should remember is how a person tends to love one who is friendly towards him, as it is written : "As in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man" (Prov. 27:19). All the more so, if a man sees that a king receives him with a friendly countenance and shows him that he loves him, how much will the man love him and praise him and extol him for this. All the more so are we obliged to love with all our hearts the Creator, Blessed be He, who has informed us that He loves us and has assured us that He will continue to love us in every generation. As it is said, "And yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly, and to break My covenant with them" (Lev. 26:44).

But there are times when the Sages permitted one to lie, for example, in order to make peace between one man and another (Yebamoth 65b). Similarly, one may praise a bride in the presence of the bridegroom and say that she is lovely and charming, even though she really is not (Kethuboth 17a). A guest (Arakin 16a) who has been well treated by the master of the house should not to say in front of many people, "How good that man is in whose house I was a guest, how much honor he paid me," lest many come to that host who are not worthy to be his guests, and concerning this it is said, "He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted as a curse to him" (Prov. 27:14).

The "winds" mentioned in the Midrash are references to the dispersal of Israel among the nations. We know this from Zecharyah 2,10: "For I have scattered you like the four winds." Rashi on Genesis 25,21, explains the word ויעתר to mean repeating, multiplying; he cites Proverbs 27,26: "the kisses of the enemy are profuse," in support of this. We already said that this verse in Proverbs alludes to the curses turning into blessings, i.e. the "enemy" showers you with kisses. Another thoroughly treacherous aspect of Bileam comparing Israel to cedars prior to adding the words עלי מים, is that the ארזים are always a symbol for the Patriarchs. The merit of the Patriarchs has always stood by Israel and saved it from destruction. Bileam wanted them to rely on that merit, thus make them feel they did not have to repent while in exile. This is why he emphasizes "there is no harm in sight for Jacob, no woe in view for Israel" (23,21). By lulling Israel into complacency with these flattering comments he hoped to prevent Israel from returning to G–d in penitence. If someone truly loves a person, has his real interests at heart, he will reprove him rather than flatter him, and will draw attention to any blemish such a person may suffer from. The word ארזים, cedars, also has a connotation of stubbornness as we know from Taanit 20b, that "a person should strive to be soft as a reed and not hard like a cedar. The remedy to such hardness lies in one's humbling oneself." Words of Torah are compared to water, since just as water starts in a high place and flows downwards, i.e. water is content to "lower" itself, so words of Torah which originate in high places cannot be fulfilled except by people who are first prepared to humble themselves (Taanit 7a). In light of the foregoing, the comparison to "cedars" is a great blessing indeed. It means that we ourselves are now comparable to the Patriarchs who in turn had been compared to the "cedars of Lebanon."

And there is another wrong which smacks of gossip — for example, where a person says, "Oh, better be silent about so and so; I don't want to say what I know about him!" — and so in all similar cases. And our Sages further said, "Let no man ever talk in praise of his neighbor, for through his praise he will come to disparage him" (Arakin 16a, and see Baba Bathra 164b). The meaning of this is: if you praise a man to his enemy, he will retort, "How can you praise him so much when he does this and this." And concerning this it is said, "He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted a curse to him" (Prov. 27:14). But to praise a man before his friends is permitted, as we have learned, "Rabban Johanan the son of Zakkai had five (outstanding) disciples, and he used to recount their praises" (Aboth 2:8). Then, there is the one who speaks gossip by way of a joke or by way of frivolity (that is, he is not speaking out of hatred), and that is what Solomon said in his wisdom, "As a madman who casteth firebrands, arrows and death; so is the man that deceiveth his neighbour and saith: "Am not I in sport?" (Prov. 26:18—19).

I have already given a reason for the importance and nature of the incense offering earlier. Rekanati comments on this as follows: "Incense is an allusion to the attribute of Justice, as we know from Deut. 33,10: ישימו קטורה באפיך וכליל על מזבחך, 'They place incense (on the Golden Altar) when You are angry, and total offferings on Your (copper) Altar.' Aaron did this and succeeded in arresting the plague that was consuming the lives of the Israelites (Numbers 17,12-14). We know from Psalms 45,14 that Aaron offered that incense on the Golden Altar: ממשבצות זהב לבושה. To assure the effectiveness of such an offering of incense he had to concentrate on the Ineffable Name while doing so, wishing the incense to become ריח ניחוח, a fragrance pleasing to G–d. We also have a tradition based on Proverbs 27,9: "Oil and incense gladdens the heart." This is because the incense offering as a rule, does not represent an effort to achieve forgiveness for some sin committed, but is an expression of man trying to place a crown on the head of its rightful owner, G–d in this instance. It is an attempt to insure that G–d relates to us in a constantly happy frame of mind. The emanation מלכות is regarded as the heart, לב, of heaven. The Torah writes in Exodus 30,8: "When Aaron lights up the lamps he shall burn it, an incense offering before the Lord." It is interesting that the offering up of the incense offering is made dependent on the performance of the lighting-up ceremony of the candlestick. This is in order to achieve the mystical union with the emanations representing the בנין. We have pointed out in our commentary on פרשת תרומה that the candlestick with its seven lamps symbolised the process of creation, or בנין. At the same time it symbolised the original light which illuminated the universe during the first seven days of its existence, as I demonstrated when I described how everything in connection with the construction of the Tabernacle was a re-enactment of the work of creation. Aaron was the rehabilitation of Adam. All existence is bound up with this תקון, rehabilitation. The incense offering is the clearest indication that the rehabilitation has indeed been completed. The lighting of the candlestick symbolises that the rehabilitation will endure, i.e. that the universe will endure, that the seven days of creation have been found justified.

And now I will cause you to know that wisdom which treats of life, the spirit, and the soul, in order that you may acquire the quality of reverence for the Holy One, Blessed be He. The seat of life is in the liver, for blood is life, and it longs to eat and drink and it loves dominion and the attainment of its desires, because the liver is filled with blood and longs for delights and pleasures. And this is "the full soul loatheth a honeycomb" (Prov. 27:7). The spirit is the heart, and it seeks power, greatness, and royalty; it is in the heart of people to chase after honor. Therefore the pride of the heart is called arrogance, and it is this spirit which prompts the minds of people to try to obtain mastery over others and to make themselves great. The soul is wisdom, and it dwells in the mind like a king at the head of his troops. It is similar to the glory of its Creator, and it rejects the pleasures of men and the vanity of their delights. The soul imparts wisdom and intelligence, and all of its thoughts are to serve the Holy One, Blessed be He, in reverence. And it ponders, what will be the end when the body dies and withers away? How will she, the soul, return in purity to Him who Created her and caused her to enter the body?

The Torah next exhorts us not to bottle up our hatred against a fellow jew in our heart (19,17), but to tell him openly if we wish to criticize his conduct, i.e. הוכח תוכיח. Proverbs 27,5 provides the rationale, namely that a rebuke reveals loving concern for the person so rebuked. This is a virtue as explained by Rashi on Genesis 37,4 that Joseph's brothers, rather than concealing their dislike of Joseph and flattering him, spoke out about it. One must not contrast this with the statement of our sages who condemned Naval for saying what was in his heart. They even changed the reading of the name of his ancestor from נבל to כלבו so as to emphasize that every evil thing in his heart he expressed with his lips (Samuel 25, Jerusalem Talmud Sanhedrin 2,3). His was a special case; he should not have spoken at all instead of using his power of speech only to denigrate others. Joseph's brothers, on the other hand, had to maintain relations with him. Rather than pretend to like him they chose to say what was on their minds.

When the latter describes this verse as speaking about man's soul, what he means is that the words שלמת רעך "the garment of your רע," refer to the elevated soul, נשמה הנאצלת that originates with G–d, which is also known as רע, seeing that it says (Proverbs 27,10) רעך as well as ורע אביך אל תעזוב, "do not abandon the רע of your "father," i.e. see to it that you return it to Him in a state of purity," i.e. when your personal sun sets (when you die). The "widow" then is perceived as having been bereft of her "husband," i.e. G–d, once already, since her soul had to return to earth to inhabit another body. The object of existence is to see to it that you do not need a second round of life on this earth. All this is alluded to when the Torah says that you have to return it to G–d "every night," i.e. after death (night is equated with death).

The Zohar then explains at length how the saintly innkeeper gathered his companions, all of whom were scholars, to spend the night immersed in study. We should do the same on the night before a circumcision, for Torah study protects and saves from all injury and from every type of harm in the world. Afterwards the innkeeper said, “I request that each of you reveal a novel insight.” So each of them revealed a novel insight about circumcision. He made this request because he knew these words of Torah would be of great benefit in the protection of both infant and mother. The Zohar also relates that engaging in study during the night of the vein nacht causes Eliyahu to appear, accompanied by great lights of Divine favor, which in turn cause Israel much benefits and numerous salvations. Afterwards Rabbi Aba said to his host and to that elder, “Since you are such great scholars, why do you remain here?” The host said, “If the birds were to abandon their place they would not know where to go, as it is stated, “Like a bird wandering from its nest, so is a man who wanders from his place” (Mishlei 27:8). Similarly, if we were to abandon this place, which is prepared for us to study in, we do not know where we would find a place to settle where we would be able to study. For this place is suited for us to study in and it has caused us to merit Torah.