Musar do Psalmów 1:1

King David began the book of Tehillim with the words, “Fortunate is the man who has not walked in the counsil of the wicked … nor did he sit in a gathering of scoffers” (1:1). Similarly, our Rabbis have said in Pirkei Avos, “When two people sit together and there are no words of Torah between them, it is a ‘gathering of scoffers’” (3:2). Since, on account of our many sins, this is a very common circumstance a person must pay careful heed to this warning. Whenever he sits with his companions he must be certain that the discussion consists of words of Torah or character development or awe of Heaven. It goes without saying that he must avoid the company of scoffers and idlers who sit together engaging in frivolity. For in the course of their endless chatter they inevitably come to utter words of mockery and derogatory speech, thereby giving rise to harmful forces that inflict damage upon their souls. Therefore whoever fears the word of Hashem will distance himself from such company.

This is the intent of Shlomo's warning: "do not mingle with those who make changes" (Prov.24:21). If a man claims to you: "a person's mind should always be associated with his fellow men" (Ketuvot 17a), reply to him, "this refers to human beings who act like human beings. Not human beings who act like animals." Shlomo warns further: "Go from before a foolish man" (Prov. 14:7). And King David said: "Fortunate is the man that walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers" (Ps. 1:1). Our sages expounded this: "If he walks, he will eventually stand. If he stood, he will eventually sit" (Avodah Zara 18b). And "I did not sit with men of falsehood, neither did I go with hypocrites. I have hated the congregation of evil-doers, and will not sit with the wicked" (Ps. 26:4-5).

"it was all grown over with thorns" - refers to one who seeks the interpretation of a portion of the Torah and does not find it.

Do not make it your habit to hang around with mockers and lowlifes lest they draw you into sin.

The author tries to demonstrate at this point that the statement of our sages (Bereshit Rabbah 100,13) that Moses' blessings commenced with the words with which Jacob's blessings concluded, whereas David's blessings commenced with the words with which Moses' blessings ended indicate that David's blessings for the Jewish people were the most comprehensive.

And even if he does not scoff with them, but just sits in their company, this, too, is an absolute issur, as it is written (Psalms 1:1): "And in the seat of scoffers, he did not sit." And in Avoth d'R. Nathan 30:3, we find: "One who attaches himself to sinners, even though he does not do as they do, receives the same punishments as they do." Therefore, one must distance himself from their class and not sit in their place, so as not to learn from them. But he must sit in the seat of learning, and then he will be happy in this [world] and in [the world] to come.

As we find with the sons of Korach, that because they were not drawn after their father, even though this caused him great shame, they escaped his fate. As we find in Yalkut Parshath Korach: "This is as Scripture writes (Psalms 1:1): 'Happy is the man' — the sons of Korach; 'who did not walk in the counsel of the wicked' — who did not walk in the counsel of their father, as it is written (Numbers 16:26): 'Depart now from the tents of these wicked men'; 'and in the way of sinners they did not stand,' as it is written (Numbers 17:3): 'the censers of these sinners.'" And, in Yalkut: "What merit was there 'in the hands' of the sons of Korach that they were rescued [from his punishment]? When they were sitting with Korach, their father, they saw Moses and lowered their faces to the ground, saying: "If we stand up for Moses our teacher, we will be spurning our father, whom we have been commanded to honor. And if we do not stand, it is written (Vayikra 19:32): 'Before the hoary head shall you rise' — Better that we stand before Moses our teacher, even though we are thereby spurning our father.'" At that time, they moved their hearts to repentance. About them David said (Psalms 45:2): 'My heart has stirred with a good thing.'" From this we learn that if one is not drawn after his father's counsel in his machloketh, he will not be ensnared in his net.

The Yalkut Shimoni quotes a Midrash Tehillim 1,15, on Psalms 1,1, that the person who is praised there as not following in the footsteps of the wicked, refers to the sons of Korach who did not follow in the footsteps of their father, since the Torah said: סורו נא מעל אהלי אנשים הרשעים, "Please stand clear of the tents of these wicked people" (16,26). The next statement in that same Psalm, i.e. ובדרך חטאים לא עמד, "and he did not stand in the path of the sinners," is a reference to the מחתות החטאים האלה בנפשותם, "the censers of those sinners who had forfeited their souls" (17,3). The third statement in that verse in Psalms is supposed to refer to Korach himself, i.e. ובמושב לצים לא ישב, "he did not sit amongst the scoffers," i.e. he who did not sit amongst those scoffers is to be congratulated. The latter had been scoffing at Moses and Aaron. The Midrash here quotes an example of the apparently oppressive nature of Torah legislation which Korach is supposed to have used to show that Moses and Aaron were insensitive to the plight of widows and orphans. Verse two of that same Psalm in which it says such a praisewothy person took delight in the teaching of the Lord, is applied to the sons of Korach, who sang the praises of G–d, refusing to quarrel with Moses, etc. The remainder of that verse extolling people who study Torah day and night is also applied to the sons of Korach. Verse three, which describes such people as comparable to trees planted near an abundant supply of water, is applied to the sons of Korach who after they saw what had happened to Korach, Datan and Aviram were found standing tall like the mast of a ship, since the Torah says ויהיו לנס, "and the became like a flag." [another meaning of that word could be "mast", at any rate something compelling one's attention. Ed.] Verse 4 in that same Psalm continues: "not so the wicked," which is again applied by the Midrash to Korach and his companions. The statement following in the Psalm in verse 6: "for G–d knows the way of the righteous," is applied to the sons of Korach also, and finally the end of that verse "the path of the wicked is doomed," is another reference to Korach and his congregation. So far the Midrash.

It is in the nature of man to be influenced in his ideas and his deeds by his friends and his companions, and he usually conducts himself as the people of his country do, and what they do, he does also. Therefore a man ought to associate with righeous men and always sit among the wise so that he may learn from their deeds, and he should separate himself from the wicked, who walk in the darkness, so that he will not learn from their deeds. This is what King Solomon says, "He that walketh with wise men shall be wise, but the companion of fools shall smart for it" (Prov. 13:20). And he says, "Happy is the man that hath not walked in the counsel of the wicked" (Ps. 1:1).

Let us now explain our Parshah. There were three distinct groups of people involved in the quarrel. The central contender was Korach. He was the scoffer about whom the Psalmist had said that one should not sit in the company of scoffers, as we have explained earlier. Datan and Aviram were wicked people, as we know from Moses saying in Numbers 16,25/26: "Moses went to Datan and Aviram followed by the elders of Israel. He said to the congregation: "Please depart from around the tents of these wicked people, etc." Concerning Datan and Aviram, the Psalmist had said in the same verse: "Hail to whoever has not followed the counsel of the wicked people." The third group were the two hundred and fifty men who sinned against their souls, as we know from 17,3: "and take the censers of these people who have sinned against their souls, etc." Concerning those people our Psalm said "hail to whoever did not stand on the path of the sinful ones." The scoffer Korach, used matters connected with the soil as his subjects. Later, he made fun of Torah legislation involving sheep, etc., as mentioned in the Midrash quoted earlier. In all this he paralleled the behaviour of Cain, who had first brought a gift of פרי האדמה, the fruit of the earth. Abel, on the other hand, had brought an offering from the firstborn of his sheep. Cain had brought flax, Abel had brought wool. We know that there was a great deal of difference between the offering of Cain and the offering of Abel; G–d refused to accept the offering of Cain. This is why a mixture of wool and flax (linen), is considered כלאים, and is forbidden to be worn together in Jewish law (Leviticus 19,19). I have elaborated on this elsewhere.