Pensamento Judaico sobre Provérbios 3:27

So with the two traits, generosity and miserliness. The part of generosity is to assign to everything its proper place, and give to every good-charactered person of your money and of your wisdom, in a measure suitable to the recipient, as it is said: "Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do it" (Prov. 3:27); further, "Let your fountains be dispersed abroad" (Prov. 5:16).

I said to myself, I will not withhold good from its owners.²⁰Cf. Mishlei 3:27. Nor have I entered beyond my limits and positioned myself among the great,²¹Cf. Devarim Rabbah 2:7. for I have not taken upon myself to develop new concepts. I have only attempted to explain the words of the commentaries, since their intent was not to obscure, but to explain. My intent was to communicate their interpretation in a manner that is easy to comprehend. Thus no one can protest that I have sought a place to buttress²²Cf. Chulin 7a. This expression is often used in Rabbinic works to imply the development of a chidush, a novel insight. beyond my capacity.²³The literal meaning of the words is “the finger of one [who could do such a task] is thicker than my loins” (cf. I Melachim 12:10). Everything is clearly open before you. I know that there is no necessity for what I have done here, my handiwork was only for the youth of the Jewish people. No reader should think that I [undertook this project] for my honor or for the honor of my father’s house.²⁴Cf. Taanis 20a. I only undertook this project in response to the sincere requests of the friends who listen²⁵Cf. Shir HaShirim 8:13. to the reader’s voice asking to accept the truth from the one who utters it.²⁶Rambam, Shemoneh Perakim, Commentary on the Mishnah, Introduction to Tractate Avos.

The laws which relate to property include laws concerning inheritance. They are based on the sound principle that man must not “withhold good from those to whom it is due” (Prov. 3:27), and when he is about to die, he must not conceive ill-will against his heirs, by squandering his property, but leave it to the one who has the greatest claim on it, that is, to him who is his nearest relation, “unto his kinsman that is next to him of his family” (Num. 27:11). It is clearly stated that the son has the first claim, then comes the daughter, then the brother, and then the father’s brothers, as is well known. The father must leave the right of the first-born to his eldest son, because his love for this son came first: he must not be guided by his inclination. He may not make the son of the beloved firstborn before the son of the hated (Deut. 21:16). Thus our highly equitable Law preserves and strengthens the virtue of respecting all kinsmen, and doing well unto them, as the prophet says: “He that is cruel troubleth his own flesh” (Prov. 11:17). The Law correctly says, “Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, unto thy poor” (Deut. 15:11). Our Sages bestow much praise upon him who is kind to his relatives, and him who marries the daughter of his sister.