Comentários de Citação sobre Provérbios 1:5

ואם לא תשמעו לי, "And if you will fail to hearken to Me, etc." We need to know where obedience to G'd ever was something optional at the beginning of our portion so that the Torah would be justified in introducing this paragraph with the conditional "if." The paragraph should simply have commenced with the words: "If you despise My statutes, etc." Apparently, the wording of the Torah in this verse shows that the meaning of the opening paragraph of the portion "if you will walk in My statutes" refers to precoccupation with Torah study and not to performance of any specific commandmments. This is why the Torah is able to consider the alternative in our verse as something which is related to one's hearing. It is similar to Isaiah 55,3: "listen so that you will live," or Proverbs 1,5 "the wise will listen and increase learning." Inasmuch as the Torah intended to convey so many different lessons with the words אם בחקתי תלכו as I have demonstrated, the failure to exercise these options are at the root of all the misfortunes which will befall the Jewish people if they ignore such glorious opportunities as offered by the Torah in the opening verse of our portion.

Wise individuals who are committed to Jewish continuity should soberly reflect on this well-established pattern. As Mishlei 1:5 teaches, “Yishma Chacham, VeYosef Lekach,” let the wise reflect and learn a profoundly important lesson.

The third group, they are the officials, the kings of Israel and the leaders of each generation and their guides, to them he said that their hearts should not be lifted up, but rather they should walk in the plain, on level ground and not on mountains and hills, not to pursue big things and extravagances, but rather on a middle path, just as the plain is intermediate between mountain and lowland. And although this entire verse speaks literally about travelers, for the Scripture never departs from its simple meaning, and as Rashi explained, that he commanded them to go by way of the Canaanites because it is a level and settled land, as he had first shown them. Nevertheless, Moses did not needlessly repeat and encourage them a second time about the conduct of the journey, but rather so that they would learn from this general path about the way to conduct themselves on God’s path in Torah and commandments, through which they would merit the blessings mentioned on Mount Gerizim in this world, and to the reward of the world to come, which comes after the setting of the sun, after the setting of a person’s sun in this world, where they will shine with eternal light. And even if all this is by way of homiletical interpretation, nevertheless, the matter itself is correct and reasonable to hear; the wise will hear and increase learning (Proverbs 1:5).