רֵ֘אשִׁ֤ית חָכְמָ֨ה ׀ יִרְאַ֬ת יְהוָ֗ה שֵׂ֣כֶל ט֭וֹב לְכָל־עֹשֵׂיהֶ֑ם תְּ֝הִלָּת֗וֹ עֹמֶ֥דֶת לָעַֽד׃
여호와를 경외함이 곧 지혜의 근본이라 그 계명을 지키는 자는 다 좋은 지각이 있나니 여호와를 찬송함이 영원히 있으리로다
Rabbeinu Bahya
A Midrashic approach (Song of Songs Rabbah 1:1:9): the words עקב ענוה יראת ה' mean that whereas wisdom is considered the crown, humility is considered the heel of one’s shoe. On the one hand, we are told by David (Psalms 111,10) ראשית חכמה יראת ה', normally translated as “the beginning of all wisdom is fear of the Lord,” on the other hand, Solomon (his son) told us that עקב ענוה יראת ה', that the fear of the Lord is a product of humility. The author wanted to teach us by using the word עקב in connection with humility that this virtue is greater than wisdom as it is the product of fear of the Lord. A product is the result of something more primitive preceding it, hence it is more advanced, superior to the ingredients which contributed to it.
It is well known that all virtues manifest themselves in opposite extremes. [If I understand the author correctly he means that one can be described as “the most humble,” or as “the least humble;” “the wisest” or “the one most lacking in wisdom,” etc. I suppose that the word “virtue” must then be divided between “positive” virtues and “negative” virtues. The correct translation of the word מדה used by the author then is not “virtue,” but “characteristic.” Ed.] However, in addition to possessing any such characteristic (virtue) in either of these extremes one may also possess it in a degree which is ממוצע, “average,” i.e. somewhere between the extremes we mentioned. The characteristic (virtue) of humility is such a virtue. The reason that this is so is that it is somewhere in between pride and self-abasement. As a general rule, man should strive to possess these characteristics which are at neither end of the extremes as everything that is extreme is usually something negative. (compare Maimonides Hilchot Deyot 2,2). Concerning this subject Solomon said (Proverbs 4,26) “survey the course your feet will take so that all your ways will be prosperous.” With this warning Solomon wanted to exhort man to pursue paths which lie between two extremes. The very word פלס which he used and which we translated as “survey” is derived from the noun peless, meaning “ balance,” as in the balance of a set of scales. It is in the centre. When keeping this advice in mind, a person will be able to plan his activities properly, giving due weight to all the pros and cons of a situation. Solomon made this crystal clear in the verse following where he said: “do not turn to the right or the left; remove your feet from evil.” The message is that he who veers neither to the right nor to the left of the true path will avoid evil.
The exception to all this is the manner in which the virtue of humility is to be practiced (compare Maimonides HiIchot Deyot 2,3). When training oneself to acquire this virtue one must endeavour to practice it to the greatest extreme possible. In fact, the extreme of the virtue ענוה is called שפלות, “a kind of debasement practiced relative to one’s posture in the presence of one’s king.” Any attempt to practice the virtue of humility by applying the yardstick of sticking to the middle of the road might give rise to people thinking that one is somewhat overbearing, arrogant. Seeing that arrogance is the very worst of all negative virtues it is clear that one has to make every effort to steer clear of that characteristic. People guilty of arrogance put their afterlife at risk . Concerning this whole subject our sages in Avot 4,4 said: “be exceedingly humble in spirit.” The reason they repeated the word מאד, i.e. “very much,” was to teach the people to practice this virtue in the extreme, as opposed to the other virtues. The reason is also that this is the greatest virtue and it is one which is evident to people with whom one comes into contact. This is why David described himself as possessing לב נשבר ונדכה, “a contrite and crushed heart” (Psalms 51,19), in spite of the fact that he was a powerful king as well as a prophet. He was also the head of the seventy elders who were the Supreme Court of his generation. (this is based on Samuel II 23,8: where our sages (Moed Katan 16) interpret the words יושב בשבת תחכמוני, to mean that when David took his seat amongst the sages he did not sit on a cushion but on the ground. G’d said to him: “seeing you have humbled yourself you are like Me,” a play on the second part of the word תח-כמוני). Moses also, although the most outstanding of the prophets who ever lived, is described by G’d as the “most humble person” (Numbers 12,3). [This editor has always felt that the virtue of humility is reserved for outstanding people as these have something to be proud of. If the likes of us appear humble it only reflects the fact that we have nothing to boast about. This is hardly a positive virtue.] When the Torah also used the adjective מאד to describe the level of Moses’ humility, this was to tell us that he deliberately tried to practice this virtue in the extreme. Anyone who contents himself with practicing the virtue of humility just as he practices other virtues, i.e. following the middle path between arrogance and total self abasement, may quality for the description ענו, but not for the description ענו מאד.
Seeing that Moses was so humble, he did not want to enter the Tabernacle until G’d had invited him to do so seeing the Tabernacle was still enveloped in a cloud housing G’d’s attribute כבוד. Even though Moses had been told by G’d that He would meet with him in that Tent and speak to him inside from above the kapporet, from “between the cherubs” (Exodus 25,22), he was afraid to enter; he was afraid to prophecy inside, to pray inside, or to offer sacrifices inside until G’d would give him express permission by calling him and inviting him inside. This invitation was tendered when the Torah writes: “He called to Moses and Hashem spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting, to say.”
It is well known that all virtues manifest themselves in opposite extremes. [If I understand the author correctly he means that one can be described as “the most humble,” or as “the least humble;” “the wisest” or “the one most lacking in wisdom,” etc. I suppose that the word “virtue” must then be divided between “positive” virtues and “negative” virtues. The correct translation of the word מדה used by the author then is not “virtue,” but “characteristic.” Ed.] However, in addition to possessing any such characteristic (virtue) in either of these extremes one may also possess it in a degree which is ממוצע, “average,” i.e. somewhere between the extremes we mentioned. The characteristic (virtue) of humility is such a virtue. The reason that this is so is that it is somewhere in between pride and self-abasement. As a general rule, man should strive to possess these characteristics which are at neither end of the extremes as everything that is extreme is usually something negative. (compare Maimonides Hilchot Deyot 2,2). Concerning this subject Solomon said (Proverbs 4,26) “survey the course your feet will take so that all your ways will be prosperous.” With this warning Solomon wanted to exhort man to pursue paths which lie between two extremes. The very word פלס which he used and which we translated as “survey” is derived from the noun peless, meaning “ balance,” as in the balance of a set of scales. It is in the centre. When keeping this advice in mind, a person will be able to plan his activities properly, giving due weight to all the pros and cons of a situation. Solomon made this crystal clear in the verse following where he said: “do not turn to the right or the left; remove your feet from evil.” The message is that he who veers neither to the right nor to the left of the true path will avoid evil.
The exception to all this is the manner in which the virtue of humility is to be practiced (compare Maimonides HiIchot Deyot 2,3). When training oneself to acquire this virtue one must endeavour to practice it to the greatest extreme possible. In fact, the extreme of the virtue ענוה is called שפלות, “a kind of debasement practiced relative to one’s posture in the presence of one’s king.” Any attempt to practice the virtue of humility by applying the yardstick of sticking to the middle of the road might give rise to people thinking that one is somewhat overbearing, arrogant. Seeing that arrogance is the very worst of all negative virtues it is clear that one has to make every effort to steer clear of that characteristic. People guilty of arrogance put their afterlife at risk . Concerning this whole subject our sages in Avot 4,4 said: “be exceedingly humble in spirit.” The reason they repeated the word מאד, i.e. “very much,” was to teach the people to practice this virtue in the extreme, as opposed to the other virtues. The reason is also that this is the greatest virtue and it is one which is evident to people with whom one comes into contact. This is why David described himself as possessing לב נשבר ונדכה, “a contrite and crushed heart” (Psalms 51,19), in spite of the fact that he was a powerful king as well as a prophet. He was also the head of the seventy elders who were the Supreme Court of his generation. (this is based on Samuel II 23,8: where our sages (Moed Katan 16) interpret the words יושב בשבת תחכמוני, to mean that when David took his seat amongst the sages he did not sit on a cushion but on the ground. G’d said to him: “seeing you have humbled yourself you are like Me,” a play on the second part of the word תח-כמוני). Moses also, although the most outstanding of the prophets who ever lived, is described by G’d as the “most humble person” (Numbers 12,3). [This editor has always felt that the virtue of humility is reserved for outstanding people as these have something to be proud of. If the likes of us appear humble it only reflects the fact that we have nothing to boast about. This is hardly a positive virtue.] When the Torah also used the adjective מאד to describe the level of Moses’ humility, this was to tell us that he deliberately tried to practice this virtue in the extreme. Anyone who contents himself with practicing the virtue of humility just as he practices other virtues, i.e. following the middle path between arrogance and total self abasement, may quality for the description ענו, but not for the description ענו מאד.
Seeing that Moses was so humble, he did not want to enter the Tabernacle until G’d had invited him to do so seeing the Tabernacle was still enveloped in a cloud housing G’d’s attribute כבוד. Even though Moses had been told by G’d that He would meet with him in that Tent and speak to him inside from above the kapporet, from “between the cherubs” (Exodus 25,22), he was afraid to enter; he was afraid to prophecy inside, to pray inside, or to offer sacrifices inside until G’d would give him express permission by calling him and inviting him inside. This invitation was tendered when the Torah writes: “He called to Moses and Hashem spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting, to say.”
Or HaChaim
And by way of hint, the Rabbis, of blessed memory, expounded (Bereishit Rabbah 1:4) [that by the] word bereishit (In the beginning), He, may He be blessed, intended to say, [that He created the world] for the sake of the Torah, which is called reishit; and the explanation of the [letter] bet (which is the first letter in bereishit) is that it is a bet [that indicates] causation. And from this [is implied that] anyone who merits [to know the] Torah, merits the whole world and anyone who does not merit [to know the] Torah should not benefit from this world - even for him to set foot on it - unless he provides assistance to those who toil in [the study of] Torah. And they also said (Vayikra Rabbah 36:4) [that He created the world] for the sake of Israel, which is called reishit, as it is written [about Israel] (Jeremiah 2:3), "reishit tevuato" ("the first of His produce"). And this statement does not contradict the first, since the very reason that Israel is called, first is from the angle that they accepted the Torah; and through this were they separated from the [other] nations for fame and praise. And they also said (Bereishit Rabbah 1:4), [that He created the world] for the sake of Avraham and (Vayikra Rabbah 36:4) for the sake of Ya'akov; and it all follows the first reason [for creating the world], 'because Avraham listened to my voice, etc.' They also said (Shabbat 36b) [that He created the world] for the sake of [the] awe [of God], which is called reishit, as it is written (Psalms 111:10), "reishit chocmah, yirat, etc." ("the beginning of wisdom is the awe of God, etc."); since it too is a fundamental principle of the Torah, since if there is no wisdom, there is no awe, and if there is no awe of God, there is no Torah, for [awe of God] is a beautiful storehouse for the Torah.
Radak
"Reishit chochmah yirat Hashem, seichel tov lechol oseihem, tehillato omedet la'ad." (The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they who do his commandments: his praise endures forever.) (Psalm 111:10) King David, peace be upon him, said: Whoever prepares his heart to engage in wisdom should first engage in the fear of Hashem and make it the foundation and principal element. All his ways should be conducted with wisdom, as our Rabbis of blessed memory said, "Whoever's fear of sin precedes his wisdom, his wisdom endures, and whoever's wisdom precedes his fear of sin, his wisdom does not endure." The fear of Hashem refers to the Torah and the mitzvot, the words of the prophets, and the tradition of the sages in the Oral Torah. Wisdom refers to the wisdom of philosophy.And if a person studies the wisdom of philosophy first, he will become confused in his spirit and stubbornly deny the great signs and miracles found in the Holy Scriptures, for these are matters that wisdom cannot comprehend. However, when he first studies the Torah, which is the fear of Hashem, and sets his heart to believe everything written in it and in all the Holy Scriptures, he will find paths of wisdom in them. As it is written, "For it is your wisdom and understanding in the eyes of the nations, who will hear all these statutes and say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.'" It goes without saying that the Torah and the commandments are built on the way of reason, but even the statutes, which are said to have no reason, appear unreasonable to most people. However, the wise person who contemplates them will find their reason clear and evident. After the wise person has reflected on the ways of the Torah and established it as the foundation of wisdom, he will strive in his heart to bring distant matters closer to understanding. When he subsequently studies the wisdom of philosophy, his mind will not become confused, for the wisdom of the Torah he has learned first has already firmly secured his understanding. And he will bring the ways of wisdom closer to it with all his strength and capability, and his reward will be complete. The phrase 'seichel tov lechol oseihem' means that good intellect, good insight, and good supervision come to all who engage in both the fear of Hashem and wisdom. For even in the fear of Hashem, one will not be complete if one does not engage in wisdom. Alternatively, 'seichel tov' can mean good success, as in the verse 'And David was successful in all his ways,' indicating that one who engages in both will succeed in this world and in the world to come. And our Rabbis of blessed memory said: "It does not say 'to their learners' but 'to their doers,' teaching that action is greater." And even though they also said that study is greater because it leads to action, they only elevated the importance of study because it leads to action. Action cannot be proper without study, as they said, "An ignorant person cannot be pious, and an unlearned person cannot fear sin." Indeed, action is truly greater, as the scripture says, "You shall teach them and observe to do them"—learn so that you will do. And our Rabbis of blessed memory said: "Whoever is engaged in doing [the mitzvot] is also engaged in learning, and whoever is not engaged in doing is not engaged in learning." They also said: "Anyone who says, 'I have only Torah,' does not even have Torah." This means that one who says, "I have no involvement in performing the mitzvot, only in studying the Torah," does not even receive the reward for Torah study. As it says, "You shall teach them and observe to do them"—whoever is engaged in doing is engaged in learning, and whoever is not engaged in doing is not engaged in learning. They also said: "Anyone who occupies himself with Torah alone is like someone who has no God," as it is said, "without the true God and without Torah." This means that study without action is not beneficial, but rather it harms himself and others. Our sages of blessed memory compared study without action to someone who builds a house but does not set doors in it, for surely such a house would be open and abandoned like a wilderness. Some compared it to someone who has no house but builds doors for a house, for the effort spent on the doors is useless without the house. And our sages of blessed memory said: "Wisdom without action is the Creator's complaint against His creations." They also said: "One whose words do not match his actions shames himself." After explaining that action is the principal element, we say that action has two aspects, each of which is a major pillar for a person's reward in this world and the next. The first is the performance of the mitzvot, their observance, and the ways of ethics, where one finds favor in the eyes of God and man. The other type of action is the writing of wisdom and the explanation of the Torah and the mitzvot, to inscribe them in books so that they endure for many days. If the early sages had not written their words in books, wisdom would have already been lost, plans would have perished, and the Torah and mitzvot would have ceased. But through their writing and explanations in books, the sages and scholars leave a blessing behind them, and indeed, those sages did not truly die. And our Rabbis of blessed memory said: "The righteous are called alive even in their death," and they said, "Moses our teacher, peace be upon him, did not die." And the Blessed One said: "Come, write it on a tablet for them and inscribe it in a book, so that it will be a witness for the last day forever." Therefore, David, peace be upon him, concluded the verse we previously mentioned with "His praise endures forever." This can be interpreted regarding the first type of action we mentioned: the one who acts righteously, observes the Torah and the commandments, and engages in wisdom will be praised by people for many generations, and his soul will endure forever in the world to come. It can also be interpreted regarding the second type of action: the writer of books, whose praise endures forever among the readers and learners of those books. This is why the sages are called "masters of collections," because they collect their words and the words of others into books, making them a witness and a memorial forever. They have good reward for their labor, and their righteousness endures forever. Therefore, I, the young David, son of Rabbi Yosef Kimchi, of blessed memory, saw fit to write a commentary on the words of the Scriptures, according to what I have learned and received, and according to the capacity of my understanding, with the help of Hashem, who is worthy of praise. I ask for assistance to begin and complete this work, for He is the helper and supporter; blessed be His name. And I will write the verses that need to be explained and the words that need to be analyzed carefully. I will also provide the explanation for ketiv (written) and keri (read) and ketiv lo keri (written but not read) and keri lo ketiv (read but not written) when I can give a reason for each one in its place. It appears that these words were found in such a state because during the first exile, the books were lost and scattered, and the sages who knew the Torah died. When the Men of the Great Assembly restored the Torah to its original state, they found discrepancies in the books and followed the majority opinion according to their understanding. In places where they could not be certain, they wrote one version and did not vocalize it, or wrote one version outside (the text) and did not write it inside, and sometimes they wrote one version inside and another outside. I will also write, in some places, the Targum of Jonathan ben Uzziel, which contains good and beautiful interpretations. I will bring the words of our Rabbis, of blessed memory, in places where we need their explanations and acceptance, and I will also bring some of the midrashim for those who love midrash. And now I will begin, with the help of the One who teaches knowledge to man.