Musar para sa Jeremias 31:20

And now, if you have internalized our words up to here and want to hear further about the path that you will climb towards God and the means through which you will connect to Torah and divine service - then we can already hope that in the end, you will, God willing, reach the state in which it will be said about you, "You are a dear son to Me, a child that is dandled! For whenever I speak of him, I earnestly remember him still. I will surely have mercy on him" (see Jeremiah 31:19).

We must walk upon the road that our forefathers trod, as it is written (Jeremiah 31:20): "Place your heart upon the road that you [i.e., your forefathers] trod. As stated by Tanna d’bei Eliyahu Rabbah 23: "When Israel were in Egypt and in the desert, they were wholehearted, etc. And when they were in Egypt, they all gathered and dwelt together, because they were all together in one bond, and they made a covenant together that they would do lovingkindness with each other, and keep in their hearts the covenant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and serve their Father in Heaven alone and not forsake the language of the house of Jacob, their father, and not learn the language of Egypt so as [not to follow] the ways of the idolators. How [did this manifest itself]? When Israel served their Father alone in Egypt, and did not change their language, the Egyptians said to them: 'Why do you not serve the gods of Egypt, so that his [Pharaoh's] labor be lightened for you?' Israel answered: 'Now did our fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob forsake our Father in heaven that their children after them should forsake Him?' They answered: 'No, etc.' And they circumcised their sons in Egypt and the Egyptians said to them: 'If you do not keep [this practice] and do not circumcise, perhaps the hard labor will be lightened for you,.' And Israel said: 'Did our fathers forget the covenant of our G-d in heaven that their children after them should forget it?' The Egyptians: 'No.' And Israel: 'Just as our fathers, so we shall not forget forever.' A variant: When Israel circumcised their sons in Egypt, the Egyptians asked them: 'Why do you circumcise your sons? After a short time won't they be thrown into the river?' Israel: 'We will circumcise them, and afterwards, do with them as you like.' And when Israel would make the seven-day [wedding] feast, the Egyptians asked: 'Why… After a short time won't he be taken out to back-breaking labor?' Israel: 'We will make the… feast, and afterwards, do with us as you like. The dead will die and the killed will be killed and the born will live.' With all of this, the Egyptians would revile Israel, and smite them, and beat them, and intimidate them, and Israel could not flee from them, as it is written (Psalms 42:14): "You make us a shame to our neighbors, a mockery and a scorn to those around us… (18): All this has befallen us, but we have not forgotten You, and we have not belied Your covenant, etc."'"

And see, my brother, a wondrous thing in "the breath of the young students." Even though there is no holiness of thought or cleaving to the L-rd in their speech, the world endures by this breath of their mouths. To what may this be compared? To a poor man who found a rare, precious stone of uncommon powers, to be found only on the crowns of kings. His finding it becomes known to the king, who rewards him with great wealth. Now the poor man who found it, even though he cannot, with his wisdom, conceive of the special properties of the stone, notwithstanding this, the great good of the stone itself and the grandeur of its light bring him all this great good — that he acquires special distinction in the eyes of the king. The very same is true with the Torah of the living G-d. One who wishes to achieve holiness through it does not require great preparation in order to do so; for it itself is holy and exalted beyond measure. And when a man speaks in it, he cleaves to its holiness, as it is written (Jeremiah 31:20): "For whenever I speak in it [Torah], I remember Him even more" [see Nefesh Hachaim]. And a man must just take heed not to do the opposite; that is, not to dim its light by his [tainted] speech. This is the intent of R. Pappa's words to Abbaye: "What about mine and yours?" That is, our Torah in itself is holier than the Torah of the young students, for [in us] it is [accompanied] by holy thought. And Abbaye answered: "The breath of the mouth, etc.," i.e., the defect [of tainted speech] overrides the [holiness of Torah], as we explained.