מדרש אויף משלי 6:3

"You have established strength from the mouths of babes and sucklings, etc." This is what the scripture says (Proverbs 6:1), "My son, if you have become surety for your neighbor, if you have struck your hand for a stranger." Regarding scholars of the wise, the scripture speaks of the moment when an elder is appointed, and the Lord says to him, "Before you were appointed, you were not a guarantor for the community, but now that you have been appointed, you are a guarantor," as it is said, "If you have become surety for your neighbor." This is the Lord, as it is said (Song of Songs 3:3), "This is my beloved and this is my friend," and it is said (Proverbs 27:10), "Do not forsake your friend or your father's friend." It is also said (Psalm 122:8), "For the sake of my brothers and my friends." What should you do so that you will not say that the impure is pure, and the pure is impure, that the forbidden is permitted, and the permitted is forbidden, and you will be obligated to the words of your mouth? You should be occupied with the Torah, as it is said (Proverbs 6:3), "Do this now, my son, and deliver yourself, etc." This is only referring to the Torah, as it is said (Numbers 19:14), "This is the Torah: a man who dies." (Proverbs 6:3) "Go humble yourself, and importune your neighbor." Make for yourself a teacher and acquire for yourself a friend, and let his honor be as dear to you as your own, as it is said, "Importune your neighbor." This is only referring to royalty, as it is said (Psalm 87:4), "I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon." If you do this, you will be delivered like a gazelle from the hunter's hand. Another interpretation of "My son, if you have become surety for your neighbor" is regarding the time when the Torah was given to Israel, and they became guarantors for one another. When the Lord sought to give the Torah to Israel, He said to them, "Give me guarantors who will uphold the Torah." They said to Him, "Our fathers were guarantors for us." He said to them, "They are already obligated to me, but I wish for them to stand on their own." This can be compared to a person who goes to borrow money and says, "Bring me a guarantor." He went and brought someone who was already indebted to him. He said to him, "I wish that he could stand on his own and bring me someone who is not indebted to me." Thus spoke the Lord to Israel: "You brought me guarantors and how many obligations do I have over them? Give me guarantors who are not obligated to me at all." And so it is said (Deuteronomy 5:3), "Not with our ancestors did the Lord make this covenant." They asked him who are those who are not obligated to you? He said to them, "The infants." Immediately the infants were brought to him, measuring their cubits and the circumferences of their heads, and they stood like a brick of an artisan, like the appearance of glass, and they saw the Lord from within the brick and spoke with him, as it is said (Psalms 8:3), "From the mouths of babes and sucklings hast Thou founded strength." And it is written (Job 3:16), "As infants who never saw light." The Lord said to them, "You are responsible for your ancestors, for if they do not uphold the Torah, you are held accountable for their actions." They said to him, "Yes." He said to them (Exodus 20:2), "I am the Lord your God." They said to him, "Yes." He said to them (Exodus 20:3), "You shall have no other gods before me." They said to him, "Yes." And on every word and commandment they responded to him with "yes" and "yes indeed." He said to them, "From your mouths I give the Torah to them," as it is said (Psalms 8:3), "From the mouths of babes and sucklings hast Thou founded strength." "And there is no strength except in Torah, as it is said (Psalms 29:11) 'The Lord gives strength to His people.' Therefore, when Israel neglects the Torah, they are held accountable, as it is said (Hosea 4:6) 'My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge,' and it is also said (Deuteronomy 32:20) 'And I will hide My face from them, and see what their end shall be, for they are a very perverse generation, children in whom is no faithfulness.' What does it mean by 'children in whom is no faithfulness'? I am sorry for them, for they deprive themselves and do not uphold the Torah. Another interpretation of 'children in whom is no faithfulness' is that even I forget that infants bless me, as it is said 'also I.' Who are the 'infants'? Rabbi Yitzhak said, 'They are the ones outside,' as it is said (Lamentations 4:4) 'The tongue of the suckling cleaves to its palate for thirst; young children ask for bread, but no one breaks it for them.' 'The sucklings' are those in the womb, and 'young children' are those outside. Rabbi Yitzhak said that the 'young children' are those inside, as it is said (Job 3:16) 'Or as an untimely birth, I had not been, as infants that never saw light.' 'The sucklings' are those in the womb, and 'young children' are those outside. Rav and Levi differ on the interpretation of this verse. Rav said that the children became like the beams of a palace, shining like the brightness of the firmament. Immediately, the infants left their swaddling cloths, and the young children left their graves. Levi said that the last miracle was greater than the first, as the beams of their palaces returned to their original length, and the infants returned to their swaddling cloths, and the young children returned to their graves. Both groups opened their mouths and sang a song, as it is written (Psalms 8:3) 'From the mouths of babes and sucklings You have founded strength, because of Your enemies, to make the enemy and the avenger cease.' Behold, there are four kingdoms. Another interpretation is for your enemies, so that they will give you the Torah."

R. Jeremiah had not been on quite intimate terms with R. Abba: he went to appease him. He sat down on the threshold. The servant-maid came out to empty dirty water, and bespattered R. Jeremiah. He said: I was made like unto mud, and applied unto himself the passage (Ps. 113, 7) From the dunghill he lifieth up the needy. He abandoned hope and began to walk away. When R. Abba heard about this, he came out and followed him. Meanwhile R. Jeremiah, noticing that R. Abba pursued him, returned in the desire to approach and appease R. Abba, when R. Abba said to him: "Now, I have to ask forgiveness of thee, as it is written (Pr. 6, 3) Go, humble thyself, and urge thy neighbor." When R. Zera was on bad terms with any person, he passed him repeatedly, in order that the other might recollect and [try to] appease him.

Another matter, “Yitro…heard,” that is what is written: “Heed the word of the Lord, house of Jacob” (Jeremiah 2:4). That is what the verse said: “My son, if you have become a guarantor for your friend” (Proverbs 6:1). Rabbi Neḥemya said: It is stated regarding Torah scholars. As long as a person is a Torah scholar, he is indifferent to the public and is not punished on their account. When a person is appointed as a leader and dons the cloak of leadership, he can no longer say: ‘I tend only to my own benefit; I do not care about the public.’ Rather, all the travail of the public is upon him. If he sees a person performing injustice to another, or performing a transgression, and he does not admonish him, he will be punished for it. The Divine Spirit screams: “My son, if you became a guarantor for your friend,” you are responsible for them. “If you have given your handshake for a stranger” (Proverbs 6:1); the Holy One blessed be He says to him: ‘You introduced yourself into the arena. One who introduces himself into the arena either prevails or is vanquished.’ The Holy One blessed be He says to him: ‘You and I are standing in the arena, either you prevail or I prevail.’²²The leader may be successful in averting Divine punishment from afflicting the community; if not, the Divine attribute of justice will prevail (Etz Yosef).
“You have been snared by the sayings of your mouth” (Proverbs 6:2). “Sayings” means nothing other than giving instruction regarding Torah, as it is stated: “My son, observe my sayings” (Proverbs 7:1), and likewise, “incline your ears to my sayings” (Proverbs 4:20).²³Thus, another danger of leadership is that one may issue incorrect rulings and be held accountable (Etz Yosef). “Do this, then, my son, and be delivered, as you have come into the hand of your friend” (Proverbs 6:3); apply yourself to know what to do, since you introduced yourself into this responsibility to become a leader. “Go, ingratiate yourself” (Proverbs 6:3) in the dust of the feet of princes who are greater than you. That is what is written: “And exalt [urhav] your friend” (Proverbs 6:3). Rehav means nothing other than royalty, as it is stated: “I mention Rahav” (Psalms 87:4).²⁴The midrash may understand this as a reference to the kingdom of Egypt. Some commentaries fail to see the relevance of this verse and suggest others that the midrash could have cited (see Maharzu). If not, your blood is on your own head, like the blood of a gazelle and a deer. That is what is written: “Be delivered like a gazelle from the hand” (Proverbs 6:5) Bereshit Rabba Parashat Vayigash 93:1>.
The Rabbis say: “My son, if you have become a guarantor for your friend,” this is Israel, who are guarantors between themselves and the Holy One blessed be He.²⁵This means that each member of Israel is responsible for the conduct of the others. Israel is beloved as they are called friends, as it is stated: “For the sake of my brothers and friends” (Psalms 122:8). What was their guarantee? When the Holy One blessed be He came to give the Torah, none of the nations accepted it other than Israel. This is analogous to a king who had a field and he sought to entrust it to sharecroppers. He called the first and said to him: ‘Will you accept this field?’ He said to him: ‘I do not have the strength; it is too hard for me.’ Likewise, [he offered it] to a second, third, and fourth, but they did not accept it from him. He called the fifth and said to him: ‘Will you accept this field?’ He said to him: ‘Yes.’ ‘In order to work it?’ He said to him: ‘Yes.’ When he received it, he left it fallow. With whom would the king be angry, with those who said: ‘We are unable to accept it,’ or with the one who accepted it, but after he accepted it, he received it and left it fallow? Is it not with the one who accepted it? So too, when the Holy One blessed be He revealed Himself on Mount Sinai, He did not leave any nation that He did not knock on their door, but they did not accept upon themselves to observe it. When He came to Israel, they said: “Everything that the Lord spoke we will perform and we will heed” (Exodus 24:7). By right they should have heeded. That is, “heed the word of the Lord, house of Jacob” (Jeremiah 2:4). If not, you will be punished due to the guarantee. That is, “my son, if you have become a guarantor for your friend.”
Another matter, “heed the word of the Lord,” this is analogous to a king who said to his servants: ‘Guard these two goblets for me,’ and they were made of fine glass. He said to him: ‘Be careful with them.’ When [the servant] was entering the palace, there was a calf at the palace entrance. It butted the servant and one of them broke. The servant was standing and trembling before the king. He said to him: ‘Why are you trembling?’ He said: ‘Because a calf butted me and broke one of the two goblets.’ The king said to him: ‘If so, make certain to be careful with the second.’ So too, the Holy One blessed be He said: ‘You crafted two goblets in Sinai, “we will perform and we will heed.” You violated “we shall perform,” as you made a calf before Me. Be careful with “we will heed.”’ That is, “heed the word of the Lord, house of Jacob.”
Another matter, “heed the word of the Lord.” That is what is written: “Heed and your soul will live (Isaiah 55:3). See how beloved is Israel, for He entices them. He said to them: ‘If a person falls from a rooftop, his entire body is hurt. The doctor enters to him and gives him a bandage on his head, as well as on his arms, on his legs, and on all his limbs. The result is that he is covered with bandages. I am not so. Rather, there are two hundred and forty-eight limbs in a person, and the ear is one of them. The entire body is contaminated with transgressions. When the ear heeds, the entire body is enlivened. “Heed, and your soul will live.”’ That is why it says: “Heed the word of the Lord, house of Jacob.” Likewise, you find that Yitro merited life by means of hearing. He heard and he converted, as it is stated: “Yitro, priest of Midian, father-in-law of Moses, heard everything that God had performed on behalf of Moses and Israel His people…” (Exodus 18:1).