잠언 3:34의 인용 해설

And "scoffers" (letzim) derives from the same root as "interpreter" (melitz) in (Genesis 42:23): "for the interpreter (ha-melitz) was between them"—implying [negatively, in the context of letzim] one who reveals Reuben's secret to Simeon [i.e., a gossip or talebearer]. The letzim are the opposite of the humble/meek (anavim), as in (Proverbs 3:34): "Surely He scorns the scoffers, but He gives grace (chen) unto the humble." The humble are the modest/bashful who refrain from: speaking slander (dibah), finding fault (dofi), and revealing secrets [which the scoffers engage in]. In the recitation of the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:7), there are four postures/conditions of the body: "when you sit" (be-shivtekha) and its opposite "when you walk" (be-lekhtekha)—for movement is the opposite of rest—and "when you lie down" (u-ve-shokhbekha) and its opposite "when you rise up" (u-vekumekha). In (Psalms 1:1), "sat" (yashav) is written, corresponding to "when you sit"; "walked" (halakh) corresponding to "when you walk"; and "stood" (amad) corresponding to "rise up" (u-vekumekha). It did not mention lying down (shekhivah), because a person is mostly asleep [when lying down and thus less actively engaged in these negative associations]. It is a convention of the Holy Tongue (Hebrew) [regarding verb tenses]: While the future tense is typically formed by adding a prefix letter (e.g., yif'al from the root p-'-l), when wishing to describe a present, continuous state or characteristic (zeman omed), they often use the past tense (leshon avar, as used here: lo halakh, lo amad, lo yashav). Sometimes the future/imperfect tense form is also used for ongoing description, as in (Isaiah 6:4): "And the posts of the door were moving (va-yanu'u - wayyiqtol form), and the house was filling (yimaleh - imperfect form) with smoke." Therefore, [the past tense verbs like] "has not walked" (lo halakh) [etc., in verse 1 describe the ongoing character of the man whose positive nature is described in verse 2]: "and in His Torah he meditates" (u-ve-torato yehegeh). This means he has no involvement or desire (esek ve-chefetz) in the vanities (havlei) of the world; rather, his entire desire (kol chefetzo) is in the Torah of the Lord, to perform the commandments (la'asot ha-mitzvot).

Rabbi Chananya ben Teradyon says: Two who are sitting together and there are no words of Torah [spoken] between them, this is a session of scorners, as it is said (Psalms 1:1): “[Happy is the man who has]... not sat in the session of the scorners”: Two things are called scorning (leitsanut). One is evil speech: one who speaks badly about his fellow, to disgrace him and to debase him among people - that he be considered scornful in their eyes. And this is from the great sins 'that a man commits and is guilty.' And this trait is only [found] among those that act wickedly. And about it Shlomo, peace be upon him, stated in his wisdom (Proverbs 21:24), "The malevolent, conceited man - scorner is his name - acts in a frenzy of malevolence." He meant to say that these two evil traits - malevolence and conceit - both them or are included in the scorner. And a malevolent man is one who speaks about his fellow and debases him in the eyes of the world; [whereas] conceit is in thought, such that [another] person is not thought of as anything in front of him. And one 'crowned' with these two things - his name is scorner. And lest you say, he [may] not watch his tongue, but his hands are tied, he does not sin with them; about this he said, "he acts in a frenzy of malevolence" - when this man that "scorner is his name" comes to action, it will be with anger and cruelty. This is because scorning indicates about him the sin of being one who commits evil deeds. And Shlomo, peace be upon him, would console those that hear the insult of the scorners but do not respond and stated (Proverbs 3:34), "At scorners He scorns, but to the lowly He shows grace." He meant to say [that] God scorns those that scorn you and they will lose more with their scorn than you - the listener. "But to the lowly" that are silent and endure them and don't respond, the Holy One, blessed be He, "shows grace." But the verse that he [cited in the mishnah], "not sat in the session of the scorners," is not speaking about the scorners that we discussed - as that is [already] either in the category of sinners or in the category of evildoers that are stated in the beginning of the verse. Rather, it called "the session of the scorners" the opposite of what is written after it: "Rather, in the Torah of the Lord is his desire, and he meditates upon His Torah day and night.' [That is] those that purposely establish sessions to speak about empty words, and forsake words of Torah. As they remove the yoke of Torah from upon [them], since during the time that they don't have work [and] they also don't have to speak about their affairs, they establish a session for their idle words - hence it is called a session of scorners. And this thing is spoken concerning the refraining from Torah [study], since this chapter is speaking about the topic of refraining from Torah [study].

AND I WILL HARDEN PHARAOH’S HEART. The Rabbis said in Midrash Rabbah:⁹⁴Shemoth Rabbah 5:6. “G-d revealed to Moses that He was destined to harden Pharaoh’s heart in order to bring judgment upon him for he caused them to work in cruel bondage.” It is also stated there [in Midrash Rabbah]:⁹⁵Ibid., 13:4. “For I have hardened his heart.⁹⁶Further, 10:1. Rabbi Yochanan said, ‘This provides a pretext for the heretics to say that G-d did not allow Pharaoh to repent.’ Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said, ‘The mouths of the heretics be closed! Only, if it concerneth the scorners, He scorneth them.⁹⁷Proverbs 3:34. When He warns one on three occasions and he does not turn from his ways, He closes the door of repentance on him in order to punish him for his sin. Such was the case with wicked Pharaoh. After the Holy One, blessed be He, sent him five times⁹⁸“In the case of the first five plagues, it is not stated, ‘The Eternal hardened Pharaoh’s heart,’ but ‘Pharaoh’s heart was hardened’” (Rashi). That is, it was hardened by his own stubborness. [the request to let His people go] and he paid no attention to His words, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: You have stiffened your neck and hardened your heart; I will double your defilement.’”⁹⁹Literally: “I will add defilement to your defilement.”
The Rabbis [in the above Midrash] have thus discussed the question which all ask:¹⁰⁰See Ibn Ezra here, and Rambam in his Shemonah Perakim, Chapter 8, and in his Mishneh Torah, Hilchoth Teshubah 6:3, where this problem is discussed. “If G-d hardened his heart, what then was Pharaoh’s sin?” For this there are two explanations, and both of them are true. One is that Pharaoh in his wickedness had unjustifiably perpetrated such great evils against Israel that justice required that the ways of repentance be withheld from him, as is so indicated in many places in the Torah and in the Writings.¹⁰¹See Rambam in Mishneh Torah, ibid., where he quotes from the Prophets and Writings to substantiate this point. He was judged according to his wickedness which he had originally committed of his own will. The second explanation is that half of the plagues came upon him because of his transgressions, for in connection with them it is only said: And Pharaoh’s heart was hardened;¹⁰²Further, Verses 13 and 22, and 8:15. And Pharaoh hardened his heart.¹⁰³Ibid., 8:28 and 9:7. Thus Pharaoh refused to let the children of Israel go for the glory of G-d. But when the plagues began bearing down upon him and he became weary to suffer them, his heart softened and he bethought himself to send them out on account of the onslaught of the plagues, not in order to do the will of his Creator. Then G-d hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate,¹⁰⁴Deuteronomy 2:30. so that His name may be declared [throughout all the earth].¹⁰⁵Further, 9:16. Similar in meaning is the verse, Thus will I magnify Myself, and sanctify Myself, and I will make Myself known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the Eternal.¹⁰⁶Ezekiel 38:23. And that which He said before the plagues, And I will harden his heart, and he will not let the people go,¹⁰⁷Above, 4:21. was merely His warning to Moses of that which He was destined to do to Pharaoh in the last [five] plagues, it being similar to that which He said, And I know that the king of Egypt will not give you leave to go.¹⁰⁸Ibid., 3:19. This then is the meaning of the verse [before us], And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply My signs. That is to say, “I will harden his heart so that My wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt,”¹⁰⁹Further, 11:9. since in the last five plagues, as well as at the drowning in the sea, it is said, And the Eternal hardened the heart of Pharaoh,¹¹⁰Ibid., 14:8. for the king’s heart is in the hand of the Eternal; He turneth it whithersoever He will.¹¹¹Proverbs 21:1.