Provérbios 3:12 Midrash: Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition), Midrash Tanchuma, Midrash Tehillim & Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael

R. Simon b. Lakish said: "Whoever studies the Torah will prevent affliction from coming upon him, for it is said (Job 5, 7.), And the sons of fire take up their flight. By Uf (flight) is meant nothing else but the Torah, as it is said (Pr. 23, 5.) When thou letteth merely thine eye fly over it (i.e., if you study the Torah by merely glancing over it with your eyes), it is no more, (you will easily forget it). And Reshef (fire) means nothing else but affliction, as it is said (Deu. 32, 24.) Devoured with evil spirits." "Aye." exclaimed R. Jochanan, "even the school children know this! for it is said, (Ex. 15. 2.5.) And he said, if thou wilt deligently hearken unto the voice of the Lord and wilt do what is riqht in His eyes, etc. But it means thus: Upon him who is capable of studying the Torah, but does not do so the Holy One, praised be He! will bring repulsive suffering which will greatly disturb him; for it is said (Ps. 39, 3.) I was dumb in deep silence, I was quite still even from speaking good, but my pain greatly disturbed me. By tob (good) is meant nothing else but the Torah, for it is said (Pr. 4, 2.) For good doctrine do I give, etc." R. Zeira, and some say, R. Chanina b. Papa, said: "Come and see that the custom of the Holy One. praised be He! is not like the custom of mortal men. The custom of mortal men is that if a man sell a valuable thing to his fellow-man, the seller is sorry and only the buyer is happy; but the custom of the Holy One, praised be He! is not so. He bestowed the Torah on Israel and He rejoiced, for it is said (Ib. 4, 2.) For good doctrine do I give thee." Raba, and according to others R. Chisda, said: "If a man see that troubles are coming unto him, let him search his deeds, for it is said, (Lam. 3, 40) Let us search through and examine our ways and let us return unto the Lord. If he has investigated and found nothing wrong, then let him attribute it to a neglect of the study of the Torah. for it is said (Ps. 94, 12.) Happy is the man whom Thou admonisheth, O Lord, and teacheth out of Thy Torah. But if he investigated and did not find [neglect of the study of the Torah] then it is known that his affliction is the cause of God's love, for it is said (Pr. 3, 12.) Because whomsoever the Lord loveth He admonisheth." Raba, in the name of R. Sechorah, who quoted R. Huna, said: "Whomsover the Holy One, praised be He! loveth. He afflicteth, for it is said (Is. 53, 10.) But the Lord was pleased to crush him through disease. We might think that, even if he does not accept the affliction with resignation. It is therefore said (Ib.) When his soul hath brought the trespass-offering, i. e., just as a guilt offering must come with his acknowledgement, so also must this be accepted with resignation. And if he accept it with love what will be his reward? Then shall he see (his) seed live many days, (Ib.) and moreover his learning shall endure with him, as is said (Ib.) And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand." As to affliction, there is a difference of opinion between R. Jacob b. Ide and R. Acha b. Chanina. One holds that all such affliction which does not prevent one from studying the Torah is one of love, for it is said (Ps. 94, 12.) Happy is the man whom Thou admonisheth, O Lord, and teacheth from Thy Torah; and the other holds that such affliction which does not prevent one from praying is one which comes from love, for it is said (Ps. 66, 20.) Blessed he God who hath not removed my prayer nor His kindness from me. R. Abba, the son of R. Chiya b. Abba, said: "Thus said my father (R. Chiya) in the name of R. Jochanan; 'Both of these afflictions are the kind which come from love, for it is written (Pr. 3, 12.) Because whomsoever the Lord loveth He admonisheth; But what do we learn [from the passage] Thou teacheth him of the Torah. Do not read Tlamdenu (that he should be able to study the Torah); but read it Tlamdainu (Out of Thy Torah, Thou teacheth us) i. e., we learn from thine Torah [that one who is punished by God should be happy] namely, through the rule of a fortiori concerning the tooth and the eye; that if the loss of a tooth or an eye [stricken out by the master] which affects only one member of the human body, frees the slave, how much more then are afflictions, which affect the whole human body, capable of cleaning one of evil.'" And that is meant by R. Simon b. Lakish, for he said: "It is said Convenant (Brith) in connection with the word salt, and it is said Convenant (Brith) in connection with the word affliction. Covenant by salt — as it is written (Lev. 2, 13.) Thou shalt not suffer the salt of the covenant (Brith)! Covenant by affliction — as it is written (Deu. 28, 49.) These are the words of the covenant. (Brith) Just as the covenant of the salt was made to sweeten meat, so the covenant of affliction was made to cleanse man of all iniquities."

(Deut. 22:6-7), “You come across a bird nest, [….] You must surely let the mother go.” This text is related (to Prov. 4:23), “More than any observance preserve your heart, for out of it comes life.” R. Abba said, “There are two hundred and forty-eight positive commandments in the Torah corresponding to the organs that are in a human being; for each and every day they cry out at the person, ‘Perform a commandment with me so that we may live through its merit and you may lengthen your life.’ There are also three hundred and sixty-five negative commandments like the number of the solar days. So on each and every day while the sun rises until it sets, it speaks and cries out at a person, ‘Decree me upon yourself by the One who has brought your days up to this day. Do not commit this transgression against me, and do not tilt yourself and the whole world toward the scale of guilt.’” Here are six hundred and thirteen commandments. Moreover, for each and every commandment there is a recorded reward. For example honoring father and mother (in Exod. 20:12 // Deut. 5:16) and leaving a nest alone (in Deut. 22:7) about which it is written, a lengthening of life. There are also commandments with children as the reward; as, for example, Sarah, who hosted guests (in Gen. 18:6-14), and the Shunammite woman, who received Elisha (II Kings. 4:8-17). There is [also] a transgression, [which may] require stoning, burning, slaying (with the sword),⁸Hereg. See Sanh. 7:3, for the interpretation of hereg as beheading with a sword. or strangulation.⁹For details on all four types of execution, see ibid., 6:4; 7:1–3. Of all the commandments, none is as easy as leaving a nest alone. And what it its remuneration (according to Deut. 22:7)? “In order that it may be well with you and you may lengthen your life.” A parable: To what is the matter comparable? To a king who brought laborers into his field to plant it but did not reveal to them the remuneration for their planting. At evening he gave one gold coin to whoever planted a tree. They all began to be amazed and say, “Now if the one who has only planted a light and small tree [has received] one gold coin, how much the more will there be for us who have planted many [of them].”¹⁰Cf. Deut. R. 6:2. So if the remuneration for leaving a nest alone has a lengthening of life as its remuneration, how much more will be the remuneration for a commandment in which there is material loss, hardship, and [the need to] preserve one's life? For this reason the Holy One, blessed be He, did not explain the remuneration for the commandments which are in the Torah, so that Israel of its own accord would fulfill them and thereby increase the remuneration. Thus we have learned (in Avot 1:3), “Do not be like servants who serve the master for the sake of receiving a reward […].” It is therefore written (in Prov. 4:23), “More than any observance preserve your heart, [for out of it comes life].” There is a story about someone who went up to the top of a tree to fulfill the commandment of leaving a nest alone, and he fell and died. [This is] because it is stated (Deut. 22:7), “When you come across a bird nest on the way,” and not that you see it at the top of the trees and go up after it. The verse (Ps. 94:12) states, “Happy is the man whom You discipline, O Lord, the man You instruct in Your Torah.” Rabbi Elazar ben Yaakov said, “A man must remember gratitude to the Holy One, blessed be He, at a time when afflictions come upon him. Why? Because afflictions draw a man to the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is stated (Prov. 3:12), ‘For whom the Lord loves, He rebukes, as a father the son whom he favors.’” R. Shimon bar Yochai said, “If a man’s son dies, he should not voice a complaint, as the son causes him to be acceptable to the Holy One, blessed be He.” There is a parable: To what is the matter comparable? To a king who became angry with the son of his daughter, and someone else came and made this son of his acceptable in front of the king. That son of the daughter says, “Do [I] not need to remember gratitude to the one that made [me] acceptable?” So [too] if a man’s son dies, he should remember gratitude to the Holy One, blessed be He, as the son made the father acceptable to his Creator. Why? (As in Prov. 3:12), “For whom the Lord loves, He rebukes, [as a father the son whom he favors].” Therefore David said in (Ps. 94:12), “Happy is the man whom You discipline, O Lord.” If afflictions come to a person, he should stand firm and accept them. Why? As there is no end to its remuneration. And from where (in Scripture) do you learn [this]? From the tooth and the eye [that is injured], through which a gentile slave goes out to freedom. Is it not [then] fitting that afflictions that scour the entire body of man atone? R. Chiya bar Abba said, “Since it is stated about the one that fulfills the commandment of leaving the nest alone, ‘in order that it may be well with you,’ all the more so will the death of a man’s child atone for him.” (Deut. 22:7:) “And the young (literally, children) take for yourself.” If you do not have children, I will give you children as the reward for this commandment. Another interpretation of (Deut. 22:7), “You must surely let [the mother] go.” If you let them go, (as in Is. 59:18) “According to their deeds, so shall He repay.” [See] what is written (in Jer. 50:33-34), “The children of Israel are oppressed […] they refuse to let them go. Their redeemer is mighty, [His name is] the Lord of hosts; He shall surely fight their fight.” [It also says (in Is. 16:2),] “For it shall be that the daughters of Moab at the fords of the Arnon shall be like a migrating bird, an abandoned nest.” This text is related (to Jer. 17:11), “As a partridge hatches without laying, so is one who makes money apart from justice….” What is written after that (in vs. 12)? “A glorious throne exalted from the beginning, our sacred shrine.” What is the connection between the two [verses]? Whoever says a partridge hatches is [really] saying a glorious throne. [This is] to teach you that a partridge brings eggs from other birds and sits on them until [the young] emerge from their shells and become fledglings. Then they rise up over it and pluck its wings. When it goes out to fly, it is unable [to do so] because its wings are plucked. So a wild beast or reptile finds it and eats it. And what caused its [destruction]? [It happened] because it had raised eggs that were not its own. So it shall be with the peoples of the world and the Moabites and the Ammonites that stretched their hands against (according to Jer. 17:12) His glorious throne, destroyed His sacred shrine, burned His Temple, and carried Israel into exile. The Holy One, blessed be He, shall destroy their memory, as the matter is stated (in Zeph. 2:9), “Therefore, as I live, says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, surely Moab shall become like Sodom, [and the children of Ammon like Gomorrah].”

Another interpretation of the eighth [day of Passover] is in regards to the four kingdoms that are eight, and Edom is the eighth. This is what is written (Daniel 2:32-33): "Its head was of fine gold, its breast and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet part iron and part clay." There are thus eight, which are four: Babylon & Chaldea, Media & Persia, Greece & Macedonia, and Edom & Yishmael. There are thus eight kingdoms, which is why [the eighth day] is mentioned. Rabbi Ibu said: The Assembly of Israel said before the Holy One, blessed be He, "Master of the Universe, we praise You at the time when You save us from the eight kingdoms, as it is said (Isaiah 11:11), 'And it shall come to pass on that day that the Lord shall set His hand again the second time to acquire the remnant of His people.'” This is why [the eighth day] is mentioned. Rabbi Yudan said in the name of Rabbi Ami: The Assembly of Israel said before the Holy One, blessed be He, "Even though it is written about me (Proverbs 3:12), 'For whom the Lord loves He reproves, even as a father the son in whom he delights,' still, 'Do not discipline me in Your anger' (Psalm 38:2). Even though it is said (Psalm 94:12), 'Happy is the man whom You chasten, O Lord,' 'Do not discipline me in Your wrath.'” Rabbi Yochanan gave a parable: It is like a king who had two evil advisors, and whenever any province rebelled against him, he would send them to suppress it. Once his own province rebelled against him, and he wanted to send those advisors to suppress it. They began to beg him, "Our master the king, in everything that you want, we will do, except for this." So too did Israel say to the Holy One, blessed be He, "Do not discipline me in Your anger, and do not chasten me in Your wrath." He said to them, "If so, why do I need anger and wrath?" They said to him, "You have to whom to send [Your anger and wrath]." As it is written (Micah 5:14), "I will execute vengeance in anger and wrath upon the nations." But regarding Israel, what is written? (Hosea 11:9) "I will not execute the fierceness of My anger." Rabbi Elazar said a parable about a king who was angry with his son, and he had a drawn sword in his hand and swore that he would kill him for making him angry. The king said, "If I kill my son, then he will have no one to inherit my kingdom after me, and also, I cannot revoke my decree." What did the king do? He put the sword in its sheath and passed it over his own head. In this way, he did not harm his son, and also, he did not revoke his decree. Rabbi Chanina said a parable about a king who was angry with his son, and there was a large stone before him, and he swore that he would throw it at him. The king said, "If I throw the stone at him, he will be killed." What did the king do? He broke the stone into small pieces and threw them one by one. In this way, he did not harm his son, and also, he did not revoke his decree. The sages said a parable about a king who was angry with his son, and he swore that he would strike him with a hundred lashes. The king said, "If I strike him, he will be killed." What did the king do? He took the rope and put it around his own neck. Therefore, it says, "In your anger, you chastised me." (Psalms 38:2)