Citazione Commento su Proverbi 9:1

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. The reason the Torah begins with the letter bet is because throughout the book of Ecclesiastes, King Solomon compares the Torah to the sun, whose path only traverses three directions, like the shape of the letter bet which is open to the north (referring to the left side of the letter, which in classical cartography was used for north, as opposed to maps today which have the left side on the map represent west). And its giving [of the Torah] was through Moses, whose face was like the sun. Perhaps the reason is because the evil inclination, which opposes the Torah, comes from the north and breaks through the fence of the Torah, as it is written: And I will distance the northern one from you (Joel 2:20). Similarly, the gold that comes from the north opposes the Torah. And for the most part, they [wealth and Torah] flee from each other, as it is written: It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn Your statutes (Psalms 119:71). This is not the place to elaborate further on this matter. It can be further explained according to what is said: Wisdom has built her house (Proverbs 9:1), therefore the wisdom of the Torah begins with bet, as it [this wisdom] is the mistress of the general house.

“Wisdom built her house” [Proverbs, 9:1]. King Solomon, of blessed memory, said that our faith is compared to a wise woman, and the faith of the gentiles is compared to a foolish woman. Therefore, the verse began with “wisdom.” That is to say, our Torah contains only wisdom. It is compared to a clever woman who builds her house on many good pillars. She forbids her household many things. She finds ways to cook good food herself and to drink good drinks, and she prepares the table by herself. She works together with others. She calls her good friends to herself. So too is our holy Torah. It is prepared with all kinds of wisdom, like a table that is prepared with all sorts of good food. She invites all the people. She says: whoever is a fool and has no understanding, I will teach him wisdom. As the verse says, “come, eat my food and drink the wine that I have mixed” [Proverbs, 9:5]. Come to me and eat with me and drink my wine. Throw away your ways and accept wisdom. Thus, you will live long. He compares the faith of the gentiles to a foolish woman who talks about everything and causes many to stumble with her words, with her evil advice and her evil deeds. As the verse says, “the stupid woman bustles about; she is simple and knows nothing. She sits in the doorway of her house” [Proverbs, 9:13–14]. This means, the foolish woman is the opposite of the first, clever, woman that we mentioned above. The first one is clever and this one is foolish. She keeps talking and does not know about what she is talking. She is always looking out her door at the street. She has nothing prepared in the house. Therefore, she sits in the street. There is nothing to eat in the house, nothing to drink. So too is the faith of the gentiles. They left the shadow of the Holy One and they do not sit under the authority of the Holy One, like the foolish woman sits in the street before her door. The Midrash says about the verse, “she has hewn her seven pillars” [Proverbs, 9:1]. The wisdom of the Torah came from the seven heavens. If the person is worthy, he will inherit the world that has seven parts. That is to say, there are seven corners in the world. The Midrash says specifically that the Torah rests on seven pillars, since the number seven alludes to the heaven and also alludes to the creatures on the earth. The number seven is included in many commandments. The Sabbath is after seven days and the sabbatical year [shemitah] is after seven years. The Jubilee year is the fiftieth year after seven sabbatical years, and is after seven days. Sukkot is also seven days. The etrog has seven parts. The etrog is one; the lulav is the second. Then there are three myrtle branches. This is five all together, and there are two willow branches. All together this is seven. Mourning is seven days, and the wedding celebration is seven. Therefore, it is also shown here in the Torah portion that sacrifices were brought for seven days through the hand of Moses and through this he dedicated the altar. After the seventh day, Aaron and his children began to bring sacrifices on the eighth day. This was the first day of Nisan, when it was said.¹Bahya, Shemini, Introduction.