Musar do Przysłów 26:6

Know thou that all the qualities of man, of the possession of which he gives evidence at the period of his youth and manhood, are in him during his infancy and boyhood: though it be not in his power to manifest them, they are nevertheless within him in potential, (if) not in actu. Thou wilt observe that in some boys the quality of prudency manifests itself, and in others impudence; some incline to enjoyment, others aspire to virtue, and still others are disposed to vices; these qualities above mentioned and others similar to them being among those of the animal soul; and when men reach unto the stage of maturity, the strength of the rational soul displays its activity and it directs him that possesses it to a proper understanding with regard to the improvement of the qualities, since it is not the practice of the animal soul to improve these. Now in addition to this proposition being susceptible of proof, it has been handed down to us by tradition in the words of the Saint (Prov. xx. 11), "Even a child is known by his doings." As to the youths whom baseness overcomes, it is possible to transform them into a noble state as long as the limits of childhood have not been passed; but if they overstep the boundaries of youth and reach maturity, and continue to remain in this condition, it becomes difficult to set them along a good course, just as a sprig may be made to stand erect before it is full grown; but when it has become a tree, it is difficult to bend or move it. From this thou seest that most men when they have reached maturity cannot be turned aside from the course which in their youth they pursued, whereas most men can be directed between the periods of childhood and youth unto good habits.¹Rosin ("Maimonides," p. 5, note 4, and p. 65, note 3) suggests the following parallels: "Ueber die ethische Bildungsfahigkeit der Jugend," "Arist., N. E., ii. 2, im Xamen Plato's nach dessen De Leg. ii.; aber auch Aristot. ohne Nennung Plato's, N. E. ii. i. Schl. und x. 10; dazu vgl. Maim, zu Abot i. 14." This is the simple meaning of (Prov. xxii. 6), "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old," etc.

The Zohar continues: Rabbi Chizkiyah and Rabbi Yeisa came and kissed him, saying, “You possessed so much content and we did not know it! Fortunate was the moment that we met you…” Then they asked, “Would you like to join with us?” He replied, “If I did so the Torah would call me a ‘fool.’ Moreover, I would be worthy of death!” “But why?” they asked. “Because I am an emissary dispatched on a mission. King Shlomo says, ‘One who sends things by the hand of a fool [who will fail to complete his mission] wears out his feet [i.e., he will have to go himself] and drinks in violence [i.e., the wrath of the intended recipient]’ (Mishlei 26:6). Come and see that the spies incurred guilt in this world and the next only because they were not faithful emissaries.” So he kissed them and departed.