Musar para sa Mga Kawikaan 14:28

[The Gemara (Chullin 89a) continues: "I might think even in respect to Torah study; it is, therefore, written (Psalms, Ibid.): 'righteousness [i.e., Torah] shall you speak.' I might think that [he could do so] even to the point of haughtiness; it is, therefore, written: 'with justness shall you judge the sons of men.'" On the face of it, this is to be wondered at: Why would it occur to us to say that he should be mute to words of Torah? Why was speech created in a man if not to speak in the Torah of the L-rd and of His exalted majesty? And also, the end of the apothegm — "I might think even to the point of haughtiness" — is to be wondered at. For what does this have to do with "muteness"? [The resolution would seem to be as follows:] It is known that one can study Torah in two ways: a) by himself; b) with others. Each way has an advantage and a disadvantage. The advantage of learning by oneself is being protected against forbidden speech — for there is no one to speak to. But there is a disadvantage, that the learning lacks the clarification [that comes from an interplay of minds.] And if he learns with others there is the disadvantage that their company sometimes leads to idle talk, lashon hara and levity. But, countering that, there is the great advantage of greater clarification. And this is the intent of the Gemara: "I might think even in respect to Torah study." That is, not that he not speak at all in Torah, but that he utilize the trait of "muteness," (which affords greater protection), even for words of Torah, that he not speak even Torah with other men at all, out of fear that he will be drawn by this in the end to forbidden speech, so that he should study only by himself. And, similarly, with other mitzvoth which involve speech, such as prayer and the like. [I might think that] he should not associate with any man, so as not to come to forbidden speech. And the Gemara answers: "It is, therefore, written: 'Righteousness [Torah] shall you [(plural) speak,' and not 'righteousness shall he speak,'" in the singular, as per the introduction ["eilem"] — to teach us that he should speak in Torah in company [chavurah]. As Chazal have said (Berachoth 63b): "A sword upon the 'loners'" — a sword upon 'the foes of Torah scholars' [a euphemism for 'Torah scholars'] who study Torah by themselves. And, what is more, they stupefy themselves." And the same is true of congregational prayer, viz. (Mishlei 14:28): "The multitude of people glorify the King." According to this, the "complete man" is on that exalted level where he must conduct himself as two opposites. That is, in the affairs of the world he must be like a mute and not speak even what is permitted, but only what is essential. And in the area of Torah and mitzvoth he must "expand" speech as far as he can, to study with many and to converse with them in matters of holiness. But, in any event, he must be on guard not to speak with them on any forbidden matter — wherefore the Gemara concludes: "I might think that [he could do so] even to the point of haughtiness." That is, when he sees others who are completely irresponsible in their speech and who sully their mouths with lashon hara, levity, and other [forms of] forbidden speech, [I might think that] he should hold them to be absolutely wicked, and himself, to he absolutely righteous," it is, therefore, written (Psalms, Ibid.): 'with justness shall you judge the sons of men.'" That is he must judge them equably and in [the scales of] merit, assuming that they do not [really] know what lashon hara is (and the like, with other [forms of] forbidden speech), and also that they do not know the severity of the sin of forbidden speech.]

Now that it has been made clear that the world was not created for any need of God, we can say that the world was created for a great reason and that that reason is the service of the Creator, blessed be He. For just as a king is not called king until he has a people, as it is said (Proverbs 14:28), “In the multitude of people is the king’s glory”, so similarly the name “Creator” cannot be applied to one unless there is something that He has created. He is not called “God’ until He has a people, as it is said (Leviticus 26:12), “And I will be your God and ye shall be My people.” Even though the Divine name does not lack anything⁸See Psalms 10:16, "The Lord is King for ever and ever; the nations are perished out of His land." M. L. Malbim in his commentary on the Psalms Kitbe Kodesh Psalms, (Vilna: Romm. 1911), p. 21 observed "although the nations are absent from His land, God is God with or without people." because of the lack of men nor does It gain by them , nevertheless, in the creation of the world, it was fitting that the name of the Creator should be “God.” For example, the smiter can smite, but he is not called “the smiter” until he has smitten something. Even if there is no smitten object, there may be nothing lacking in the strength of the smiter, yet only when there is a smitten object is it proper to call the smiter by that name. Thus with the Creator, nothing was lacking in His power before the world was created, but in the creation of the world His perfection increased. This is the cause for which the world was created. Thus we know and understand that the Creation of the world was the perfection of God’s name.

A third custom I have noticed is that the residents of one village often travel to another village far away to attend services. They do this in fulfillment of the verse, “in a multitude of subjects is the glory of the king” (Mishlei 14:28), the King of the Universe, the Holy One Blessed is He. But once they arrive they spend the entire time engaged in vanity. One of them relates how he bought a horse for a good price from a certain gentile and another how he bought a cow and other animals. Their entire conversation revolves around mundane matters. Yet the Sages have taught, based on the verse, “And honor it by refraining from doing your ways…or speaking of a matter” (Yeshayahu 58:13), that one’s conversation on the Shabbos should not be like that on a weekday (Shabbos 113b). Since these villagers do not see one another throughout the week but only on Shabbos, they engage in every manner of conversation, including worldly affairs and business. In such a situation it would be better if they remained at home asleep in bed so that they would not speak of mundane matters on the Shabbos. This stumbling block is very common, on account of our many sins, and is to be found among most villagers.