Midrash sa Mga Kawikaan 25:22: Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Midrash Tanchuma & Midrash Tehillim

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.

And Bezalel made the ark (Exod. 37:1). You do not find Bezalel’s name associated with any vessel made for the Sanctuary other than the ark. All the other work and all the other implements were made at his suggestion and upon his advice. Why did he make an exception in the work of the ark by doing it himself? Because it was to be a shade for the Holy One, blessed be He, in which He would compress His Shekhinah. That is why He called Bezalel to make a shade for the Holy One, blessed He, between the cherubim, as it is said: And there I will meet with thee, and I will speak with thee from between the two cherubim (Exod. 25:22).

"God redeems the souls of his servants." Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani said (Proverbs 25:21), "If your enemy is hungry, feed him bread." What does the verse mean by this? If a person walks with his friend for an hour, he becomes his beloved, and the evil inclination is born with him and grows with him all his days, as it is said (Genesis 8:21), "for the inclination of man's heart is evil from his youth." If you find a place to defeat it, a son of twenty, or fifty, or eighty, or a hundred, can defeat it. There is no greater enemy than this. Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani said, "If the evil inclination stands against you, make war with it by studying Torah," as it is said (Proverbs 25:21), "if your enemy is hungry, feed him bread." And if it is thirsty, give it water from the well of Torah, as it is said (Isaiah 55:1), "Ho, every one that thirsts, come ye to the waters." Why (Proverbs 25:22), "for thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head." What is it? God will repay you. He will repay us with you. And it says (Proverbs 16:7), "When a man's ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him." Let all my bones say, "LORD, who is like unto Thee, Who delivers the poor from him that is too strong for him?" Rabbi Acha said, "He who saves the good inclination from the evil inclination, the poor and needy are rescued." There is a greater robbery than this (Ezekiel 18:24), "But when the righteous turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity." Rabbi Yitzhak said in the name of Rabbi Menachem, "Every righteous person has a world in himself and a paradise in himself," as it is said (Psalms 36:9), "For with Thee is the fountain of life; in Thy light do we see light."