Мидраш к Мишлей 16:7

(Fol. 16) It once happened that Rabbi ordered that disciples should not study in the public streets, for he expounded the passage (Songs 7, 2) The rounding of thy thighs; just as the thigh is concealed so also should the Torah be studied in a privacy. R. Chiya disregarded the order, and taught to Rab and Rabba b.b. Chama, his two nephews in the public street. When Rabbi heard of it, he became angry. Subsequently R. Chiya appeared before him, and Rabbi said to him: "lyya, see who is calling you outside." R. Chiya understood the hint, and he rebuked himself for thirty days. On the thirtieth day Rabbi sent a message to him to come; and a short while after he sent him another message not to come. What did he think at first and what was his final decision when he revoked the previous order? At first he thought that a part of a day is considered the whole [hence R. Chiya was called on the morning of the thirtieth day ] but his final decision was that a part of a day is not considered the whole and therefore ordered him not to come. R. Chiya finally came. Rabbi then asked him: "Why didst thou come?" "Because," replied R. Chiya, "the master sent for me." "But did I not subsequently send thee not to come?" Rabbi asked him. Whereupon he replied: "The first message I received, but the second one I did not." Rabbi then applied to him the following passage (Prov. 16, 7) When the Lord receiveth in favor a man's ways, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him. "Why did the master transgress my order?" Rabbi asked. "Because," answered R. Chiya, "it is written (Prov. 1, 20) Wisdom cries loudly without." Then Rabbi said to him: "If thou hast read (studied), thou hast not repeated it, and if thou hast repeated it, thou hast not reviewed it a third time, and if thou hast done so, then your teachers did not explain it to you, because the passage, Wisdom cries loudly without, means as Raba explained it; for Raba said: "Who studies the Torah inside (in privacy), him will the Torah proclaim [as a scholar] outside.'" But there is also another passage (Is. 48, 16) Never from the beginning have I spoken in secret?" R. Chiya rejoined. "This refers to lectures," explained Rabbi. But what will R. Chiya do with the above passage. The rounding of the thighs, [which indicates secret study]? R. Chiya explains that the last passage refers to charity and loving kindness.

Another interpretation (of Exod. 13:17): [NOW IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN PHARAOH HAD LET <THE PEOPLE> GO.] This text is related (to Prov. 16:7): WHEN THE LORD IS PLEASED WITH ONE'S WAYS, HE MAKES EVEN HIS ENEMIES TO BE AT PEACE WITH HIM.³Gen. R. 54:1; PRK 11:1. R. Joshua ben Levi said: About whom does it speak? About the evil drive, for is there <any> enemy of mine greater than this? It is customary that when one dwells in a city with a companion for one year, even if he hates him, he becomes his friend. The evil drive grows up with a person from his youth to his old age, and every day it wants to make him fall. So if it cannot make him fall within ten years, it makes him fall within twenty years. They said about Johanan the High Priest (i.e., John Hyrcanus) that he served in the High Priesthood for eighty years and in the end became a Sadducee.⁴Josephus, Ant. 12:293–298; Ber. 29a (Bar.); but cf. Qid. 66a, according to which it was, not John Hyrcanus (High Priest from 135/4 to 104 BCE), but Alexander Jannaeus (High Priest from 103 to 76) who turned from the Pharisees to heresy.

R. Berekhyah applies to <the evil drive> (Prov. 25:21): IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, GIVE HIM BREAD TO EAT.⁵See M. Pss. 34:2. This <ENEMY> is the evil drive. GIVE HIM BREAD TO EAT from the bread of Torah, just as it says (of wisdom in Prov. 9:5): COME AND EAT OF MY BREAD. (Prov. 25:21, cont.:) AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM WATER TO DRINK from the waters of Torah, just as it says (in Is. 55:1): HO, ALL WHO ARE THIRSTY, COME TO THE WATERS. For what reason? (Prov. 25:22:) BECAUSE YOU WILL BE HEAPING BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD. Ergo (in Prov. 16:7): WHEN THE LORD IS PLEASED WITH ONE'S WAYS. This refers to the good drive. (ibid., cont.:) HE MAKES EVEN HIS ENEMIES TO BE AT PEACE WITH HIM. This refers to the evil drive. David said (in Ps. 35:10): ALL MY BONES SHALL SAY: LORD, WHO IS LIKE YOU? YOU DELIVER THE POOR FROM ONE STRONGER THAN HE, <i.e.,> the good drive from the evil drive.

R. Samuel bar Nahmani said (Prov. 16:7): <WHEN THE LORD IS PLEASED WITH ONE'S WAYS,> HE MAKES EVEN HIS ENEMIES TO BE AT PEACE <WITH HIM>.⁶See also yTer. 8:7 (46a). This refers to the snake, of whom it is written (in Gen. 3:15): AND I WILL PUT ENMITY < BETWEEN YOU AND THE WOMAN, >…. Now when the Holy One is pleased with the ways of a person, he makes the one to be at peace with the other. There is a story about a certain snake who came hissing from the field. He entered someone's house on the Sabbath eve at nightfall, and saw a bowl of crushed garlic placed on the table. He put his mouth over it to eat the garlic. After he had eaten it, he vomited it into <the bowl>. Then he covered the bowl just as it had been at first. Another house snake saw it. What did he do? He went and uncovered the bowl. When they found it uncovered, they emptied it out. Who caused this householder not to die? The snake who uncovered <the bowl>. Ergo, (in Prov. 16:7): WHEN THE LORD IS PLEASED WITH ONE'S WAYS, <HE MAKES EVEN HIS ENEMIES TO BE AT PEACE WITH HIM>.

Another interpretation (of Prov. 16:7): WHEN THE LORD IS PLEASED <WITH ONE'S (ish) WAYS>. This refers to Israel, about which it is written (in Deut. 27:14): {AND} EACH ONE (ish) OF ISRAEL. <The verse from Proverbs refers to Israel, > while they were in Egypt, when the time had come for the redemption. (Prov. 16:7, cont.): HE MAKES EVEN HIS ENEMIES TO BE AT PEACE WITH HIM. This refers to Pharaoh of whom it is written (in Exod. 15:9): I WILL PURSUE, I WILL OVERTAKE, I WILL DIVIDE THE SPOIL. It is therefore stated (in Exod. 13:17:) NOW IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN PHARAOH HAD LET <THE PEOPLE > GO.