Responsa sobre Provérbios 23:36

They responded: "Do not disdain your mother of old" (Proverbs 23:22) "and take the customs of your fathers in your hands" (Beitzah 4b). For these blessings were originally instituted in order to complete the 100 blessings that one is required to recite daily³This statement about the requirement to recite one hundred blessings is brought immediately after the list of morning blessings in Rif Berakhot 44b:2, perhaps the impetus for this association, and there is no need to be meticulous to say the blessing before the action they refer to. We are not meticulous about the exact timing of the blessing for sitting in the Sukkah, which is required over a cup of wine. Similarly, if one did not hear the rooster or one slept in their clothes, they say the blessing anyway. The proof is from the daily Amida blessings. Even if one doesn't have a sick person in their household, they are required to say the blessing "Who heals the sick, etc." And even one who is rich and has no need for income says the blessing for the prosperity of the year.

They responded: "Do not disdain your mother of old." (Proverbs 23:22) For these correct customs were instituted by wise and pious sages, and they have a reason even when it is not apparent. They gave the reason for this practice: in the evening, one recites the blessing for having arrived at the time of the Megillah reading. In the morning however, we say the blessing on having arrived at the time of feasting and exchanging gifts of food, for the rabbis said (Megillah 7b): "One who eats their Purim feast in the evening has not fulfilled their obligation." If you ask why then we do not recite the blessing at the time of the feast itself, it is lest one transgresses, because of the engagements of the day, and forgets to recite it. Therefore, they instituted its recitation in the morning, at the time of the Megillah reading.

They responded: it is a well-known halacha that something is only considered 'wine' once the liquid begins to flow to the mouth of the winepress (Avoda Zara 55b:3). But the squeezing of grapes inside a vessel is no different to packing a sack of wheat in order that it hold as much wheat as possible. So too, the squeezing of the grapes here is only to pack them in tightly, and there is no hint of transgression. Somebody who purposefully refrains from doing something permitted is considered vulgar. But as for you, "Do not disdain your mother of old," (Proverbs 23:22), and those who are stringent in this regard will be blessed, while those who are lenient, [Heaven is] lenient with the length of their days and years. All this they responded to me.^*The Talmud (Avodah Zarah 75a:6) seems to say that vessels that carried grapes need to be rinsed, and while this line is omitted by the Rif, Rabbeinu Tam (cited in Beit Yosef Yoreh Deah 138) requires it too. Perhaps this is the source for the discrepancy of customs being discussed here. As usual, the heavenly response gives great importance to local custom.

Regarding the fourth matter, they responded: We have learned in a Mishnah (Shabbat 16:6): "A non-Jew who comes to extinguish a fire on Shabbat is neither told to extinguish not not to extinguish." To avoid monetary loss, the sage instructed that they should not be prevented from extinguishing a fire. This is similar to this shepherd who milks and curdles on his own accord, we have no obligation to prevent him from doing so, on account of monetary loss and the suffering of the animals. You could argue that it is similar to that which was taught (Shabbat 16:8): "If a non-Jew lights a lamp, a Jew may benefit from the light. But if it was lit for the Jew, they may not benefit from it. If the non-Jew draws water for his own animal, a Jew may have his animal drink from it. If it was drawn for the Jew, this is forbidden." It would seem from this that the results of labour done by non-Jews are forbidden for Jews when done for their sake, even if it was not asked for. Similarly, the shepherd milks and curdles for the Jew, how then should it be permitted? "Consider well what is before you." (Proverbs 23:1) For when it was taught that the results of actions done for the sake of Jews are forbidden, they are only forbidden for that same day: the animal is forbidden to drink from the water filled for it until the night after Shabbat. So too with the shepherd who milks and curdles - certainly, the milk is forbidden on Shabbat itself, but after Shabbat it becomes permitted. However, in the case of a Jew who bought the yearly milk supply of a non-Jew's flock, then anything the non-Jew added would now be done for the Jew - it is forbidden to keep these cheeses and milk produced on Shabbat. For we know the tale (Shabbat 139b:8) of one scholar who went to sleep on a ferry, and thus crossed the river and inspected the fruits of his orchard, while claiming that he just intended to sleep. We ruled there that a Torah scholar who will not come to transgress biblical violations of Shabbat is allowed to use such tricks to get around rabbinic prohibitions. From this we learn that common people are not.

They responded: "My son, do not envy sinners in your heart," (Proverbs 23:15-17) "Happy are those who abide by His laws," (Psalms 119:2) "Lift your hands towards the sacred," (Psalms 134:2) "Blessed is God day by day," (Psalms 68:20) "Test Me by this, if I do not pour down blessings upon you ceaselessly." (Malachi 3:10). Some time later, they responded: "Any passage stated and then repeated is only repeated to teach something new." (Sotah 3b:2) - and the sages did not come to take away, but only to add and to encourage. "One who is vigilant is praiseworthy," (Yoma 84b:8) "And then you shall find delight in God," (Isaiah 58:14) "And He shall grant you the desires of your heart." (Psalms 37:4) ^*Perhaps this answer follows the line of reasoning of Eleazar of Worms (Sefer Haroke'ach 369, quoted by Beit Yosef Orach Chaim 38), whereby the meaning of the sentence 'One who wears tefillin is like one who reads from the Torah, etc.' is understood to give those who do both the reward of both commandments.

They responded:"Why do you ask this, it is unknowable!" (Judges 13:18) "Leave Israel alone, it is better that they sin without intention than with." (Beitzah 30a:9) "But put a knife into your jaw if you are given to appetite." (Proverbs 23:2)³Perhaps a play on the double meaning of 'baal nefesh', a man with appetite or master of a soul. In the second, positive, sense, it would imply that a pious person should refrain from such food - it is used in this sense in the Talmud Chullin 6a:2 .