Midrash Mishlei Reader

(Proverbs 6:30): "Men do not despise a thief if he steals" — if you have seen an unlearned person (am ha'aretz) who has worn himself out [exerted himself to ruin] over words of Torah, do not despise him, and do not say to him, "Yesterday an unlearned man and today a scholar (chaver)?!" Why? "To fill his soul when he is hungry" (Proverbs 6:30) — there is no hunger but Torah, as it is said (Amos 8:11): "Not a hunger for bread, nor a thirst for water, but to hear the words of the LORD." Another interpretation of "Men do not despise a thief, etc." — if you have seen a wicked thief who has turned from his wickedness and done repentance, do not despise him. Why? "To fill his soul when he is hungry." What is written after it? (Proverbs 6:31): "And if he is found he shall repay sevenfold" — this is the unlearned person who learned Torah and returned to his former corruption; the Holy One, blessed be He, completes [his punishment] in the fourteen compartments of Gehinnom. And it is not enough that he brings it upon himself, but upon himself and his household and his wealth, as it is said, "he shall give all the substance of his house." Another interpretation of "And if he is found he shall repay sevenfold" — this is the judge who was appointed over the public: if he does not judge truthfully and does not render the verdict according to its truth, the Holy One, blessed be He, completes [his punishment] in the fourteen compartments of Gehinnom. And it is not enough that he brings it upon himself, but upon himself and his household and his wealth, as it is said, "he shall give all the substance of his house."

"He who commits adultery with a woman lacks a heart" (Proverbs 6:32). Rabbi Zavda said: What is "lacks a heart"? That the Omnipresent removes wisdom from his heart, and "wisdom" means nothing other than Torah, as you say (Psalms 19:8): "The Torah of the LORD is perfect... making wise the simple." And not only that, but they change the radiance of his face away from wisdom. And from where do we know that a person's radiance is wisdom? As you say (Ecclesiastes 8:1): "A person's wisdom lights up his face, and the boldness of his face is changed." And not only that, but that bad name is never wiped away from him, as it is said (Proverbs 6:33): "He shall get a wound and dishonor, and his reproach shall not be wiped away." And when he comes to the day of judgment, the Holy One, blessed be He, does not pardon him; rather, the Holy One, blessed be He, is filled with wrath against him. A parable: to what is the matter like? To a certain legion that rebelled against the king. What did the king do? He took his weapons of war and went out against it. As soon as he reached it, out of the jealousy that was in him, he began striking and advancing, as you say (Proverbs 6:34): "For jealousy is the rage of a man." So too in the time to come, the Holy One, blessed be He, is filled with wrath against those guilty of transgression; therefore it is said, "he will not spare in the day of vengeance." And it is written after it (Proverbs 6:35): "He will not regard any ransom." Rabbi Abbahu said: This teaches you that the way of the Holy One, blessed be He, is not like the measure of flesh and blood. The measure of flesh and blood: when one is filled with wrath against his fellow, he can appease him with words; but the Holy One, blessed be He, is not so, "he will not regard any ransom." Flesh and blood: if you cannot appease him with words, you can appease him with money; but the Holy One, blessed be He, is not so, "nor will he be content though you give many gifts" (Proverbs 6:35). From here you learn how severe is the punishment of transgression; and not only that, but concerning it Solomon prophesies...

... From here you learn how severe is the punishment of transgression; and not only that, but concerning it Solomon prophesies (Proverbs 7:25): "Let not your heart turn aside to her ways." Why? "For she has cast down many wounded." What is written after it (Proverbs 7:26): "Her house is the way to Sheol," and so on. From here Rabbi Meir used to say: Happy is the one who keeps his heart far from a married woman and from transgression, and who calls to wisdom; for because he calls to wisdom, he is answered with understanding.

... Rabbi Meir used to say: Happy is the one who keeps his heart far from another man's wife and from transgression, and who calls to wisdom; for because he calls to wisdom, he is answered with understanding: "Doth not wisdom cry, and understanding put forth her voice?" (Prov. 8:1). From where does she put forth her voice? From on high, from the height of the world. This is what is written: "She standeth in the top of high places, by the way; the house of the paths she taketh her stand" (Prov. 8:2). What is written after it? "She crieth beside the gates, at the entrance of the town" (Prov. 8:3) — because you call to wisdom, she stands at your gates; therefore it is said "beside the gates." "At the coming in at the doors she singeth" (Prov. 8:3) — because you sit and sing out the words of Torah, she too sings out at your doorways; therefore it is said "at the coming in at the doors she singeth."

Come and see how great is the wisdom of Solomon, king of Israel, concerning which he cried out and said: "Unto you, O men (ishim), I call, and my voice is to the sons of man (benei adam)" (Prov. 8:4). If he calls them "men," why "sons of man"? Rabbi Shimon ben Chalafta said: If you have merited and upheld the Torah, you are called "men," like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who upheld the Torah; but if not, you are called "sons of man," like Adam, the first man, who did not uphold the Torah and was driven out of the Garden of Eden. Another interpretation: "Unto you, O men, I call" — if you have merited and upheld the Torah, you are called "men" like the ministering angels; but if not, "sons of man." What is written after it? "O ye simple, understand prudence" (Prov. 8:5).

"Hear, for I will speak excellent things (negidim)" (Prov. 8:6) — what are "excellent things" (negidim)? Words that declare (maggidim) the distinction between the impure and the pure, and between the forbidden and the permitted. "And the opening of my lips shall be right things" (Prov. 8:6) — words that open up for you the innermost chambers on high. "For my mouth shall utter truth" (Prov. 8:7) — this is for the person who sits and occupies himself with the words of Torah; but when a person inclines his ear and his lips to words of scoffing, then at once "and wickedness is an abomination to my lips" (Prov. 8:7). "All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing twisted or crooked in them" (Prov. 8:8) — this teaches you that as long as one occupies himself with righteousness, he never stumbles: "They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge" (Prov. 8:9).

Rabbi Chanina said: Come and see how good a thing the Holy One, blessed be He, created in His world before the world was created — and what is it? The Torah. There we learned: "Seven things were created before the creation of the world, and these are they: the Torah, the Throne of Glory, the Temple, repentance, the Garden of Eden, Gehinnom, and the name of the Messiah." The Throne of Glory — from where? As it is said, "Thy throne is established from of old" (Ps. 93:2). The Temple — from where? As it is said, "A throne of glory, exalted from the beginning, is the place of our sanctuary" (Jer. 17:12). The Garden of Eden — from where? As it is said, "And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, from aforetime" (Gen. 2:8). Gehinnom — from where? As it is said, "For Tophet is ordained from of old" (Isa. 30:33). Repentance — from where? As it is said, "Before the mountains were brought forth" (Ps. 90:2), and it is written after it, "Thou turnest man back to contrition, and sayest, Return, ye children of men" (Ps. 90:3). The name of the Messiah — from where? As it is said, "May his name endure for ever; before the sun, may his name flourish" (Ps. 72:17). The Torah — from where? As it is said, "The LORD possessed me as the beginning of His way, before His works of old" (Prov. 8:22). What is written above it? "That I may cause those that love me to inherit yesh (substance), and I will fill their treasuries" (Prov. 8:21). In the time to come the Holy One, blessed be He, will cause every single righteous person to inherit three hundred and ten worlds [the word yesh has the numerical value of 310, by gematria; hence "to inherit yesh" is read as three hundred and ten]; therefore it is said "that I may cause those that love me to inherit yesh." In the beginning the Torah was in the heavens, as it is said, "Then I was beside Him as a nursling (amon), and I was His delight day by day" (Prov. 8:30); and afterward Moses went up and brought her down to the earth and gave her to humankind, as it is said, "Rejoicing (mesacheket) in His habitable earth, and my delights were with the sons of man" (Prov. 8:31). Rabbi Alexandri said: What is "rejoicing in His habitable earth"? From this you learn that ten names were given to the earth, and these are they: eretz, adamah, charvah, yabbashah, arka, tevel, cheled, reshit, gei, sadeh — eretz ["earth"], because the sons of man run (ratzim) upon it; adamah ["ground"], because from it Adam (Adam ha-Rishon, the first man) was created; charvah ["dry land"], because the waters lay it waste (macharivin); yabbashah ["dry land"], from the time it received (kibblah) the blood of Abel [reading it as the earth that drank the spilled blood]; arka ["earth," Aramaic], because it fled (barchah) before the Holy One, blessed be He, when He wished to give Israel the Torah on Mount Sinai; tevel ["world"], because it is seasoned (metabbelet) with its fruits; cheled ["world," "duration"], because the sons of man are transient (chaludim) upon it; reshit ["beginning"], because it is the beginning of all the work of creation (ma'aseh bereshit); gei ["valley"], because it is made with hills (geva'ot); sadeh ["field"], because it is made into fields (sadot).

"Now therefore, O sons, hearken unto me" (Prov. 8:32) — the Holy One, blessed be He, said: I ask nothing of you but this listening alone; if you listen to Me, I will fulfill for you what Isaiah prophesied, "If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land" (Isa. 1:19). "Happy is the man that heareth me" (Prov. 8:34) — the Holy One, blessed be He, said: Happy is the one who listens to Me. "Watching at my doors day by day" (Prov. 8:34) — why is "day by day" stated twice? Corresponding to the two worlds, this world and the World to Come. "Keeping the doorposts of my doors" (Prov. 8:34) — these are the gates of prayer. Another interpretation: Rabbi Tanchuma said: A person is obligated to put a mezuzah upon the doorways of his house, as it is said, "And thou shalt write them upon the doorposts (mezuzot) of thy house and upon thy gates" (Deut. 6:9). Rabbi Levi says: two mezuzot. Rabbi Yishmael says: one mezuzah. And the Sages say: the law follows Rabbi Yishmael.

"For whoso findeth me findeth life" (Prov. 8:35) — the one who is found (matzui) constantly among the words of Torah, the Holy One, blessed be He, said: I am found (matzui) for him in every place. "And shall obtain favor from the LORD" (Prov. 8:35) — everyone who brings forth (mefik) words of Torah in public brings forth favor from HaShem, blessed be He. "But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul" (Prov. 8:36) — the Holy One, blessed be He, said to the wicked: If you sin before Me, do you suppose that I lose anything? It is your own souls that you ruin. And not only that, but you suppose that you are bringing life upon yourselves, whereas you are bringing upon yourselves nothing but death, as it is said, "All they that hate me love death" (Prov. 8:36): do not read mesan'ai (those who hate Me) but masni'ai (those who cause others to hate [the Torah]) (Prov. 8:36).

Wisdoms have built her house (Proverbs 9:1): This is the Torah that has created all of the worlds; it hewed out pillars seven which is hewed from the seven firmaments and given to people. Another [understanding] - Wisdoms have built her house: The Holy One, blessed be He said, "If a man merits and studies Torah and wisdom, he is considered in front of Me as if he stood up entirely all of the world; it hewed out pillars seven these are seven lands - if a man merits and sustains it, he inherits seven lands, and if not, he is divided among seven lands. She prepared her meat, she mingled her wine (Proverbs 9:2): Rabbi Abahu said, "This is Esther the Queen, as at the time that trouble came to Israel in the days of Mordekhai, what did she do? She set up a meal for Achashverosh and Haman the evildoer and she got him very drunk with wine, and the evildoer thought to himself that she was granting him honor and he did not know that she opened a trap for him - from that which she got him drunk with wine, she acquired her people forever; she even prepared her table that she set herself up a table in this world and in the world to come. And what is that? That is the good name that she acquired in this world and in the world to come; since all of the holidays are to be nullified in the future but the days of Purim will not be nullified, as it is stated (Esther 9:28), 'And these days of Purim will not be rescinded from the Jews.'" Rabbi Elazar said, "Also Yom Kippur will forever not be nullified, as it is stated, 'And it will be to you for an everlasting statute to atone for the Children of Israel from all of their sins once a year.'" Another [understanding]: she even prepared her table: This is the Torah, that sets up a table for one who is involved with it, in this world and in the next world, as it is stated (Ezekiel 41:22), "and He spoke to me, 'This is the table that is in front of the Lord.'" Another [understanding]: she even prepared her table: It once happened that Rabbi Akiva was imprisoned in jail and Rabbi Yehoshua the Garsi, his student, was serving him. [On] the eve of the holiday, [the latter] departed from him and went to his house. Eliyahu came and stood at the entrance of his house. He said to him, "Peace be unto you, my teacher." He said [back] to him, "Peace be unto you, my teacher and master." He said to him, "Is there nothing that you require? He said to him, "I am a priest and I have come to tell you that Rabbi Akiva has died in jail." Immediately they both went to the jail and found the opening of the gate of the jail open and the minister of the jail was sleeping and all of the people that were in the jail were [also] sleeping; and they lay Rabbi Akiva on the bed and went out [with him]. Immediately Eliyahu, may he be remembered for the good, attended to him and took him on his shoulders. And when Rabbi Yehoshua the Garsi saw this, he said to Eliyahu, "My teacher, did you not say to me, I am Eliyahu [the] priest, and a priest is forbidden to become impure through [contact with a dead [body]!" He said [back] to him, "It is enough for you, Rabbi Yehoshua, my son, God forbid - as there is no impurity from the righteous, and also not from their students." And they carried him the whole night until they reached the mansion house of Caesarea. And when they reached there, they went up three steps and went down inclines and a cave opened in front of them and there they saw a chair and a bench and a candelabra. And they laid down Rabbi Akiva on the bed and left. And when they went out, the cave sealed and the lamp on the candelabra became lit. And when Eliyahu saw this, he opened and said, "Happy are the righteous and happy are those that toil in the Torah and happy are those that fear God - as covered and hidden and reserved for you is a place in the Garden of Eden in the future to come. Happy are you Rabbi Akiva, that you should find a resting place prepared for you at the time of your death. That is why it is stated, 'she even prepared her table.'" And it also once happened with Rabban Gamliel, that the elders were reclining [to eat] with him and Tabi, his servant, was standing to serve him. Rabbi Elazar ben Azariya said, "Woe is to you Canaan that you obligated your children [to servitude], whether they be righteous or whether they be evil." Rabbi Yishmael said, "We have found greater than this - Avraham was the great one of the world who served the Canaanites." Rabbi Tarfon said, "We have found greater than this - the High priest serves Israel on Yom Kippur." Rabban Gamliel said to them, "You have left over the honor of the Holy One, blessed be He, and you are dealing with the honor of flesh and blood? The Holy One, blessed be He, created His world, makes the wind blow, makes the sun shine, brings down the rain, makes the due appear, makes the plants grow and sets up a table in front of each and every [person], as it is written, (Psalms 23:5), 'Set a table in front of me.' And why [does He do] so much? In the merit of Torah. Therefore Shlomo prophesied and said, 'she even prepared her table.'" Rabbi Nechemiah said, "Come and see how great is the honor of Torah: It is not enough for them, for the sages, that He prepares a table for them, but it [even] adds wisdom to their wisdom. This is what is written (Proverbs 9:9), 'Give to a wise man, and he will become even wiser; inform a righteous one, and he will increase in teaching' - If you see a Torah scholar for whom words of Torah are beloved, give him wisdom and he will become even wiser; 'inform a righteous one, and he will increase in teaching' - that since he destroys his soul to hear words of Torah, it also adds fear [of God] to him."

"The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the LORD" (Proverbs 9:10) -- this is the Torah, whose fear is upon the whole world entire. "And the knowledge of the holy ones is understanding" (Proverbs 9:10) -- these are the masters of Talmud, for at the hour when they sit and understand each and every matter that is in it, they resemble the ministering angels, who are called holy, as it is said (Daniel 7:27): "and judgment was given to the holy ones of the Most High." And from where do we know that the sages are called holy? As it is said (Psalms 16:3): "As for the holy ones that are in the earth, they are the mighty in whom is all my delight." Four are called "mighty," and these are they: the Holy One, blessed be He; and Israel; and the waters; and Egypt. The Holy One, blessed be He -- as it is said (Psalms 93:4): "The LORD on high is mighty." Israel, from where? As it is said (Psalms 16:3): "they are the mighty in whom is all my delight." The waters, from where? As it is said (Psalms 93:4): "above the voices of many waters, the mighty breakers of the sea." Egypt -- as it is said (Ezekiel 32:18): "Son of man, wail for the multitude of Egypt, and cast them down, her and the daughters of the mighty nations, to the nether parts of the earth, with them that go down into the pit." Let the Holy One, blessed be He, who is called mighty, come by means of Israel who are called mighty, to take vengeance upon the Egyptians who are called mighty, by the waters that are called mighty, as it is written (Exodus 15:10): "they sank like lead in the mighty waters." Another interpretation of "the mighty in whom is all my delight": these are the sages, who know the delights of the Torah. Another interpretation: these are Israel, who delight in the commandments of the Torah. Another interpretation of "the mighty in whom is all my delight": the Holy One, blessed be He, said: As long as Israel do my delight, I too will do their delight. There we learned in a Mishnah: Rabbi Eliezer says (Mishnah Avot 2:4): "Do His will as your own will, so that He may do your will as His will. Nullify your will before His will, so that He may nullify the will of others before your will." For so David says (1 Chronicles 29:14): "For all things come from You, and of Your own have we given You." If you have done so, He lengthens your days and adds to you years, as it is said (Proverbs 9:11): "For by me your days shall be multiplied, and years of life shall be added to you."

"If you are wise, you are wise for yourself; and if you scoff, you alone shall bear it" (Proverbs 9:12). A parable: to two people, one rich and one poor. Each day the rich one would say to the poor one, "How much property I have, how much silver and gold I have, how many gardens and orchards I have." And the poor one would answer him and say, "Even though you have all this wealth, I get no benefit from it; everything you have acquired, you have acquired for yourself." So the Holy One, blessed be He, answers the sages and says to them, "My children, even though you have acquired wisdom, you have acquired it for yourselves"; therefore it is said, "If you are wise, you are wise for yourself." Rabbi Eliezer used to expound: "If you are wise, you are wise for yourself" -- if you have become wise in Torah, do you suppose you are bringing joy to the Holy One, blessed be He, who gave you the wisdom?! As it is said, "If you are wise, you are wise for yourself" -- not for the One who gave you the wisdom! "And if you scoff, you alone shall bear it": if you have built yourself up with words of scoffing, you alone shall bear it, and not others. Another interpretation of "If you are wise": this is said to disciples of the sages. There we learned in a Mishnah (Mishnah Avot 4:10): "If you have toiled in Torah, He has much reward to give you; and if you have idled from the Torah, there are many idle things set against you."

"The woman of folly is clamorous" (Proverbs 9:13) -- the fool is found to be like a harlot woman. Just as the fool exalts himself and is clamorous in his folly, so the harlot woman exalts herself and is clamorous in her harlotry; and just as the fool does not know what will be at the end of his folly, so the harlot woman does not know what will be at the end of her harlotry, as it is said, "The woman of folly is clamorous; she is simple and knows nothing." Another interpretation: "the woman of folly" -- this is Eve, who listened to the serpent and transgressed the command of the Holy One, blessed be He; and not only that, but she made Adam, the first man, sin along with her. What is written after it (Proverbs 9:14)? "And she sits at the door of her house..." (Proverbs 9:15): "to call to those who pass by the way, who make their paths straight" -- this teaches that she gave a response for the generations, and said, "Happy is the one who makes his paths straight and does not sin as I sinned, and woe to the one who does not make his paths straight and incurs guilt as I incurred guilt." (Proverbs 9:16): "Whoever is simple, let him turn in here, and to him who lacks a heart she says" -- whoever lacks understanding, let him learn from me, for I stole the will of the Holy One, blessed be He, and the understanding of Adam, the first man, and I found it sweet for an hour, and afterward it was bitter, as it is said (Proverbs 5:4): "her end is bitter as wormwood." (Proverbs 9:17): "Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant" -- and from where do we know that her end was bitter? As it is written (Proverbs 9:18): "And he knows not that the shades are there; that her guests are in the depths of Sheol." ["Stolen waters are sweet"] -- even a man who comes to a married woman finds the sin sweet for an hour, and does not know that its end is bitter, as it is written (Proverbs 5:4): "and her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword." "And bread eaten in secret is pleasant" -- even a man who sins with a married woman in secret, and says, "There is no one who sees me," does not know that there are watchers with him in every place, who go and report his deeds to the Holy One, blessed be He, for the day of judgment, as it is said, "And he knows not that the shades are there," and so on. From here Rabbi Ishmael used to expound: Happy is the person who keeps himself far from transgression and cleaves to the ways of the Holy One, blessed be He, and to His Torah, to teach you that when a person speaks words of Torah he brings joy to his Creator; therefore Solomon said... (continued in chapter 10).

... Rabbi Ishmael used to expound: Happy is the person who keeps himself far from transgression and cleaves to the ways of the Holy One, blessed be He, and to His Torah, to teach you that when a person speaks words of Torah he brings joy to his Creator; therefore Solomon said (Proverbs 10:1): "A wise son makes a glad father" -- this is the Holy One, blessed be He, who is father to the whole world entire, as it is said (Psalms 68:6): "a father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows." Another interpretation: "A wise son makes a glad father" -- this is Solomon, who was exceedingly wise, and who gladdened the Holy One, blessed be He, with his wisdom. "But a foolish son is the grief of his mother" -- this is the wicked Haman, who listened to his wife and was hanged on the tree, as it is said (Esther 5:14): "Then Zeresh his wife and all his friends said to him, Let a tree be made," and so on. And from where do we know that he was hanged on his own tree? As it is said (Esther 7:10): "So they hanged Haman on the tree that he had prepared for Mordecai." Rabbi Nehemiah said: Out of all the wealth that he had, could he not redeem himself?! Rather, it is to teach you that once the time of the wicked one's downfall arrives, his wealth avails him nothing: (Proverbs 10:2): "Treasures of wickedness profit nothing, but righteousness delivers from death." And another text says (Psalms 89:49): "What man is he who lives and shall not see death, who shall deliver his soul from the hand of Sheol? Selah." How can these two texts both stand? Say from now: "What man is he who lives and shall not see death" -- this is death in the way of all the earth; "righteousness delivers from death" -- it delivers those who do it from an unnatural death. One text says (Exodus 34:7): "clearing," and one text says (Exodus 34:7): "He will not clear." It is impossible to say "clearing," since it has already been said "He will not clear"; and it is impossible to say "He will not clear," since it has already been said "clearing." So how can these two texts both stand? He clears for those who repent, and He does not clear for those who do not repent. There we learned in a Mishnah: concerning the four divisions of atonement, Rabbi Matya ben Charash asked Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah in Rome: Have you heard of the four divisions of atonement that Rabbi Ishmael used to expound? He said to him: They are three, and repentance goes with each and every one of them. If a person transgressed a positive commandment and repented, he does not move from the place before they pardon him at once, as it is written (Jeremiah 3:22): "Return, you backsliding children, I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we have come to you, for you are the LORD our God." If a person transgressed a negative commandment and repented, repentance suspends and the Day of Atonement atones, as it is written (Leviticus 16:30): "For on this day He shall make atonement for you." If he transgressed offenses punishable by excision or by death at the hand of the court and repented, repentance and the Day of Atonement suspend, and sufferings scour clean, as it is said (Psalms 89:33): "Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with strokes." But one who has profanation of the Name in his hand -- there is no power in repentance to suspend, nor in the Day of Atonement to atone, nor in sufferings to scour; rather, they suspend and death scours clean, as it is said (Isaiah 22:14): "And it was revealed in my ears by the LORD of hosts: Surely this iniquity shall not be expiated by you until you die, says the Lord GOD of hosts." Rabbi Eliezer asked Rabbi Yehoshua, saying to him: This verse, of what does it speak? He said to him: Of those who die outside the Land. He said to him: And of those who die in the Land of Israel what does it say? He said to him: Their soil atones for them, as it is said (Deuteronomy 32:43): "and He makes atonement for His land, His people." He said to him: My teacher, do you say that for the righteous, and even for sinners, it likewise atones for them? He said to him: My son, for the wicked it atones; how much more so for the righteous. Come and see what Solomon said in his wisdom, that the righteous do not depart from the world until the Omnipresent pardons them all their iniquities, as it is said (Proverbs 10:3): "The LORD will not let the soul of the righteous go hungry, but He thrusts away the desire of the wicked." Another interpretation: "The LORD will not let the soul of the righteous go hungry" -- that he departs to his eternal home without sin; "but He thrusts away the desire of the wicked" -- that He thrusts them off to the day of judgment. Another interpretation: "The LORD will not let the soul of the righteous go hungry" -- this is a disciple of the sages: all the while that he is occupied during life with words of Torah, if even one matter or one chapter of his learning was hidden from him, at the hour of his departure from the world he does not depart from his world until the ministering angels come and arrange it before him, so that he will not have shame of face in the time to come before the Holy One, blessed be He; therefore it is said, "The LORD will not let the soul of the righteous go hungry." Another interpretation: "The LORD will not let the soul of the righteous go hungry" -- Rabbi Simon said: these are the righteous, for even in their lifetime the Holy One, blessed be He, does not make them dependent on other creatures. "But He thrusts away the desire of the wicked" -- these are the wicked, whose sentence the Holy One, blessed be He, seals until the hour of the day of judgment, in order to exact payment from them at the hour of their judgment in the judgment of Gehinnom; therefore it is said, "He thrusts away the desire of the wicked," for He thrusts them off to the prince of Gehinnom. Another interpretation: "The LORD will not let the soul of the righteous go hungry" -- at the hour that he guards the path of life, and "life" means nothing other than Torah, as it is said (Proverbs 3:18): "It is a tree of life to those who lay hold of it." And from where do we know that a disciple of the sages must guard? As it is said (Proverbs 10:17): "He is on the path to life who heeds correction, but he who forsakes reproof leads astray." Rabbi Alexandri said: Every disciple of the sages who forsakes words of Torah, it is reckoned upon him as if he leads astray the One who spoke and the world came into being. And not only that, but since he forsakes words of Torah in this world, the Holy One, blessed be He, also forsakes him in the world to come; therefore it is said, "he who forsakes reproof leads astray." Rabbi Ishmael said: Come and see how severe is the day of judgment, when the Holy One, blessed be He, is destined to judge the whole world entire in the Valley of Yehoshafat. At the time when disciples of the sages come before Him, He says to each one of them: Did you occupy yourself with Torah? He says to Him: Yes. The Holy One, blessed be He, says to him: Since you have acknowledged it, recite before me what you read, and what you studied in the academy, and what you heard in the academy. From here they said: All that a person has read should be held fast in his hand, and likewise what he has studied, so that shame will not overtake him on the day of judgment. From here Rabbi Ishmael used to say: Woe to that one for that shame, woe to that one for that disgrace. And concerning this David, king of Israel, asked in prayer and supplication before the Omnipresent and said (Psalms 5:4): "O LORD, in the morning You will hear my voice; in the morning I will set it in order before You, and will look out." One comes before Him who has Scripture in his hand but does not have Mishnah in his hand: the Holy One, blessed be He, turns His face from him, and the princes of Gehinnom prevail over him like the wolves of evening, and they take him and cast him into it. One comes before Him who has two orders or three in his hand; then the Holy One, blessed be He, says to him: My son, why did you not study all the laws? And if the Holy One, blessed be He, says, Leave him be, it is well; and if not, they do to him as in the measure of the first. One comes before Him who has the laws in his hand; the Holy One, blessed be He, says to him: My son, why did you not study Torat Kohanim? For in it are impurity and purity, the impurity of creeping things and the purity of creeping things, the impurity of plagues and the purity of plagues, the impurity of scalls and houses and the purity of scalls and houses, the impurity of those with discharge and of childbirth and the purity of those with discharge and of childbirth, the impurity of the leper and his purification, the order of confession of the Day of Atonement, and the laws derived by verbal analogy, and the laws of valuations; and every law that Israel judged, they judged only out of it. One comes before Him who has Torat Kohanim in his hand; the Holy One, blessed be He, says to him: My son, why did you not study the five fifths of the Torah? For in them are the recitation of the Shema, and tefillin, and mezuzah. One comes before Him who has the five fifths of the Torah in his hand; He says to him: My son, why did you not learn and study Aggadah? For at the hour that a sage sits and expounds, I pardon and atone the iniquities of Israel; and not only that, but at the hour when they answer "May His great Name be blessed," even if their sentence has been sealed, I pardon and atone for them their iniquities. One comes before Him who has Aggadah in his hand; the Holy One, blessed be He, says to him: My son, why did you not study Talmud? For (Ecclesiastes 1:7): "All the rivers run to the sea, yet the sea is not full" -- this is the Talmud, in which there are many wisdoms. One comes who has Talmud in his hand; the Holy One, blessed be He, says to him: My son, since you have occupied yourself with Talmud, did you gaze upon the Chariot, did you gaze upon the majesty? For there is no delight in My world except at the hour when disciples of the sages sit and occupy themselves with Torah, peering and looking and seeing and meditating upon all this profusion of Talmud: My throne of glory, how does it stand; the first leg, by what does it serve; the second, by what does it serve; the third, by what does it serve; the fourth, by what does it serve; the chashmal, how does it stand, and in how many faces does it turn about in a single hour, to which wind does it serve; the lightning, how does it stand, how many faces of radiance are seen between its shoulders, to which wind does it serve; the cherub, how does it stand, to which wind does it serve. Greater than all of them: the contemplation of the throne of glory, how it stands -- it is round like a kind of frame, and it is set in order; how many bridges are in it, how much interval between bridge and bridge, and when I pass over, by which bridge do I pass, and by which bridge do the Ophanim pass, and by which bridge do the wheels pass. Greater than all of them: from my nail to my crown, how do I stand, how great is the measure of the palm of my hand, and how great is the measure of the toes of my foot. Greater than all of them: my throne of glory, how does it stand, to which wind does it serve -- on the first day of the week to which wind does it serve, on the second day of the week to which wind does it serve, on the third day of the week to which wind does it serve, on the fourth of the week, on the fifth of the week, on the sixth of the week to which wind do they serve. Is this not My splendor, this My greatness, this the glory of my beauty, that my children recognize my glory by this measure? And concerning him David said (Psalms 104:24): "How manifold are Your works, O LORD! In wisdom You have made them all; the earth is full of Your possessions." From here Rabbi Ishmael used to say: Happy is the disciple of the sages who guards his learning in his hand, so that he may have an opening of the mouth to answer on the day of judgment before his Creator; therefore it is said, "He is on the path to life who heeds correction." But if he forsook his learning and abandoned it, shame and disgrace overtake him on the day of judgment; therefore it is said, "but he who forsakes reproof leads astray." Rabbi Banaah said: that the Holy One, blessed be He, keeps him far from before Him. Another interpretation: "He is on the path to life who heeds correction" -- that a person should not say: Since I occupied myself with Torah at first, I will go and occupy myself from now on with money and property; and he does not know that they avail him nothing, as it is said...

... A person should not say: Since I occupied myself with Torah at first, I will go and occupy myself from now on with money and property; and he does not know that they avail him nothing, as it is said (Proverbs 11:4): "Wealth does not profit in the day of wrath." And what will profit him? Words of Torah, which are likened to life, as it is said (Proverbs 5:6): "Lest you ponder the path of life." "But righteousness delivers from death" -- from the judgment of Gehinnom. There is a person who gives it to one who is worthy of it and to one who is not worthy of it; could it be that if he gives it to one who is not worthy of it, it will deliver him? You must say to him: "Righteousness" means nothing other than Torah, as it is said (Deuteronomy 6:25): "And it shall be righteousness for us, if we take care to do," and so on. Whoever wishes, let him learn it from here, for Rabbi Yose said: May my portion be with the collectors of charity and not with the distributors of charity, for the one who receives it knows from whom he receives it, but the one who gives it does not know to whom he gives it. Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa said: There is no charity that delivers a person from the judgment of Gehinnom except Torah alone; therefore it is said, "and righteousness delivers from death," for it has the power to deliver from the day of judgment. Could it be that even if a person became liable for a matter of transgression, it delivers him on the day of judgment? Scripture teaches (Proverbs 11:8): "The righteous one is delivered from trouble, and the wicked comes in his place." Here we have, from this, the case of a disciple of the sages who transgresses in a matter, that it delivers him on the day of judgment. The wholly righteous one, from where? Rabbi Akiva said: You need not say it; rather, their deeds themselves deliver them, as it is said (Proverbs 11:6): "The righteousness of the upright delivers them." And all this, why? On account of the merit of the Torah, which is likened to charity, and is likened to life, as it is said (Proverbs 11:19): "So righteousness tends to life, and he who pursues evil pursues it to his own death." And is there a person who pursues evil and death?! Rather, this is one who lengthens his days without Torah. Rabbi Abbahu said: This is one who lengthens his days in scoffing. Rabbi Ze'ira said: This is one who makes himself great in a matter of transgression, as it is said (Proverbs 12:11): "and he who pursues empty things lacks a heart." It is said here "lacks a heart," and it is said elsewhere, regarding a matter of transgression, "lacks a heart," as it is said (Proverbs 6:32): "He who commits adultery with a woman lacks a heart; he who would destroy his own soul, he does it." And not only that, but he brings evil upon himself at the hour of his death; therefore it is said, "and he who pursues evil pursues it to his own death." What is written after it (Proverbs 11:20)? "Those of perverse heart are an abomination to the LORD, but the upright in their way are His delight." Rabbi Yochanan said: This is one who hardens his heart against doing repentance, and the Holy One, blessed be He, calls him an abomination; therefore it is said, "Those of perverse heart are an abomination to the LORD, but the upright in their way are His delight," for if he turns back and does repentance, He calls him upright. Happy is the one who is made whole of his iniquities and does repentance. Another interpretation: "but the upright in their way are His delight" -- Rabbi Tanchuma said: Come and see the greatness and the wisdom of Solomon, that all that his father prophesied, Solomon prophesied. Of David it says (Psalms 101:4): "A perverse heart shall depart from me," and Solomon said, "Those of perverse heart are an abomination to the LORD." David said (Psalms 119:1): "Happy are those upright in the way," and Solomon said, "but the upright in their way are His delight." Rabbi Zevida said: The Holy One, blessed be He, said: Whoever walks in wholeness before me, it is as if he did my will, as it is written, "but the upright in their way are His delight."

"Hand to hand, the evil one will not go unpunished" (Proverbs 11:21). Come and see: a person has two hands. If he steals with one and gives charity with the other, he will not go unpunished. So too, in the time to come the Holy One, blessed be He, says to the wicked: Two worlds I created for you, one in which to do good deeds, and one in which to receive reward. Now, since you did not do good deeds in this world in which you were, do you ask for reward?! Just as a person whom I created with two hands -- with one he does a transgression and with one he does charity -- it is written, "Hand to hand, the evil one will not go unpunished," and yet you suppose to be saved from the judgment of Gehinnom?! The evil one will not go unpunished! Rabbi Yochanan said: A parable to a certain man who went and committed a transgression and gave the harlot her fee, and he had not managed to get out of the doorway of her house before a poor man met him. He said to him: Give me charity. He gave to him and went on his way, and that man said, "Were it not that the Holy One, blessed be He, wished to atone for my iniquities, He would not have sent me that poor man, that I might give him charity and it would atone for me for what I have done." The Holy One, blessed be He, says to him: Wicked one! Do not think so; rather, go and learn from the wisdom of Solomon, who explained and said, "Hand to hand, the evil one will not go unpunished." Another interpretation: "Hand to hand, the evil one will not go unpunished" -- Rabbi Eliezer asked Rabbi Yehoshua: What is "hand to hand, the evil one will not go unpunished"? Just as this hand, which feeds its fellow -- if a person does a commandment with one and becomes liable with one, this does not atone for that, as it is written, "hand to hand, the evil one will not go unpunished." A person who has a matter between himself and his fellow, and he swears with his mouth and nullifies it in his heart -- would you say that he is cleared? Scripture teaches, "hand to hand." It is said here "will not go unpunished," and it is said in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:7): "for He will not clear" -- just as the saying there is about an oath, so too here it is about an oath. Rabbi Elazar said: Not so; rather, the end of the verse is explicit, "but the seed of the righteous shall escape." If you saw a righteous person who is the son of forefathers -- he does not sin quickly. Why? Because he reckons and says: I will deny my impulse for an hour and not lose my world for an hour, and thus he is found to escape from the judgment of Gehinnom; therefore it is said, "but the seed of the righteous shall escape." But the wicked one does not say so; rather, he goes to a harlot and makes her swear an oath in order to satisfy the desire of his soul and his impulse, and afterward he transgresses the oath, and the Holy Spirit swears at him and says: Is it not enough for you that you committed a transgression, but you also mentioned my Name over a matter of falsehood?! By your life, you shall not go unpunished from the judgment of Gehinnom! Rabbi Simon said: Why does it call him "evil"? Because of the evil impulse, which is called "evil," as it is said (Genesis 8:21): "for the impulse of a person's heart is evil from his youth," and it is evil, as it is said, "the evil one will not go unpunished." And it is written, "but the seed of the righteous shall escape," for the Holy One, blessed be He, puts into the hearts of the righteous that they should not sin, so that they may be saved from the judgment of Gehinnom. Another interpretation: "but the seed of the righteous shall escape" -- these are the sons of Noah, who escaped from the Flood by the merit of Noah.

"A ring of gold in the snout of a pig" (Proverbs 11:22) -- if you put any silver in the snout of a pig, it goes and dirties it in mud and dung, and if it does not rinse it off, it smears it. So too, if a disciple of the sages goes to a harlot and does his needs with her, he ruins his Torah; therefore it is said, "a ring of gold in the snout of a pig." "A beautiful woman who turns aside discernment" (Proverbs 11:22). Rabbi Alexandri said: that she turns Torah aside from him. But anyone who passes by the doorway of her house and does not lust after her beauty, the Holy One, blessed be He, calls him righteous, as it is said (Proverbs 11:23): "The desire of the righteous is only good, but the hope of the wicked is wrath" -- what is "wrath"? Rabbi Yochanan said: that the hope of the wicked passed away in that very transgression which he transgressed.

(Proverbs 11:24): "There is one who scatters, yet gains even more" - Rabbi Abahu said: If you have seen a person scattering his money for charity, know that it is added to him, for he increases, as it is said, "There is one who scatters, yet gains even more." "And one who withholds from what is fitting, only to want" - Rabbi Shemuel bar Nachman said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan: If you have seen a person who holds himself back from charity, know that he becomes diminished, as it is said: "And one who withholds from what is fitting, only to want." Another interpretation: "There is one who scatters, yet gains even more" - if you have seen a generation to whom the Torah is precious, scatter Torah to them. "And one who withholds from what is fitting, only to want" - if you have seen a generation that seeks the Torah and you do not teach them, in the end the Torah is diminished from you. Why? Because through teaching you learn, as it is said (Proverbs 11:25): "The soul that blesses shall be made fat, and he who waters shall himself be watered." And not only that, but anyone who withholds from teaching Torah in this world, the ministering angels are destined in the time to come to pierce him through like a sieve. Ulla said: Even the unborn in their mothers' wombs curse him, as it is said (Proverbs 11:26): "He who withholds grain [bar], the people [le'om] shall curse him [yikkevuhu], but blessing shall be upon the head of him who sells it." "Bar" means nothing but Torah, as it is said (Psalms 2:12): "Pay homage to the bar [Torah], lest He be angry." And "yikkov" means nothing but a curse, as it is said (Leviticus 24:11): "And the son of the Israelite woman pronounced [va-yikkov] the Name and cursed." And "le'om" means nothing but the unborn, as it is said (Genesis 25:23): "And one people [le'om] shall be stronger than the other people [le'om]." "But blessing shall be upon the head of him who sells it" - Rabbi Tanchuma said: If a person teaches Torah in this world, in the time to come it is destined to be a crown upon his head, as it is written (Proverbs 4:9): "A crown of glory shall it bestow upon you," and further: "But blessing shall be upon the head of him who sells it."

(Proverbs 11:27): "He who earnestly seeks good seeks favor" - if you have seen a person who speaks well of his fellow, the ministering angels speak well of him before the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is said (Exodus 33:19): "And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious." "But he who searches after evil, it shall come upon him" - this is the wicked Haman, who was searching out evil against Mordecai, and it was turned upon himself. What is written after it? (Proverbs 11:28): "He who trusts in his riches shall fall" - this is Haman; "but the righteous shall flourish like foliage" - this is Mordecai and Esther. Another interpretation: "He who trusts in his riches shall fall" - this is Korach; "but the righteous shall flourish like foliage" - this is Moses and the Sanhedrin. Rabbi Levi said: There were two great rich men in the world, one in Israel and one among the nations of the world, Korach in Israel and Haman among the nations; and both of them listened to their wives, and both of them fell. Korach listened to his wife and fell. How so? When he came from the study house, his wife said to him: What law did Moses renew for you in the study house? He said to her: He explained to us the matter of the blue thread. She said to him: What is this matter of the blue thread? He said to her: Thus he expounded and said: It was told to me from the mouth of the Almighty that you shall make for yourselves fringes upon the corners of your garments, and that one thread shall be of blue, as it is said (Numbers 15:38): "And they shall put upon the fringe of each corner a thread of blue." At that moment she was laughing and saying to him: See how he sits and makes sport of you. Know that it is so, for he says "upon the corners of your garments." If I make for you a cloak that is entirely blue - what then? What did she do? She arose and made for him a cloak that was entirely blue. He wrapped himself in it and stood before Moses. He said to him: This garment that you have made, what of it? He said to him: You said a little and I have done much. Moses answered and said to him: It is written (Deuteronomy 6:9): "And you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house and on your gates" - a house that is full of Torah scrolls, does it require a mezuzah or not? He said to him: Yes! He said to him: Let your ears hear what your mouth brings forth! Moses said to him: Korach, you have transgressed the commandments of the Holy One, blessed be He, and grown proud in your riches! At that moment he stood before the Holy One, blessed be He, in anger and said before Him: Master of the universe! If the words of Your Torah stand firm, bring upon them a decree, as it is said (Numbers 16:30): "But if the LORD creates a new creation, and the earth opens its mouth" - and which is this? This is the mouth of Gehinnom, that it should be created in that place. Rabbi Levi said: Why was his name called Korach? Because he made a baldness [korchah] in Israel. "Son of Yitzhar" - a son who heated [she-hirtiach] the whole world like noon [tzohorayim]. "Son of Kehat" - a son who set on edge [she-kihah] the teeth of those who bore him. "Son of Levi" - that he became an escort [levayah] to Gehinnom. What caused this for him? Because he trusted in his riches, therefore it is said "He who trusts in his riches shall fall." The wicked Haman - from where do we know that he listened to the counsel of his wife and fell? As it is said (Esther 5:14): "Then Zeresh his wife and all his friends said to him: Let them make a gallows," and so on. Rabbi Levi said: This teaches that they were all of one counsel. He rose in the morning to speak evil against Mordecai before Achashverosh. As soon as he stood before Achashverosh, he said to him: Come and feast with me today at the banquet. The wicked one said in his heart: When I sit before the king at the banquet, I will say to hang Mordecai upon the gallows. The Holy Spirit answers him and says to him: Wicked one! Let your scheme return upon your head! And so it was done to him, as it is said (Esther 7:10): "And they hanged Haman upon the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai." As the proverb says: "Woe to the guilty, woe to him who shuts himself up in his own song." And all this why? Because he trusted in his riches, as it is written "He who trusts in his riches shall fall." And whatever he was scheming, the Holy Spirit would answer him and say: Not according to the thought that you have thought, but according to the thought that I have thought, as it is said (Isaiah 55:8): "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor your ways My ways, says the LORD."

(Proverbs 12:20): "Deceit is in the heart of those who plot evil, but those who counsel peace have joy" - Rabbi Chama bar Chanina said: Anyone who speaks with his fellow, and eats and drinks with him, and tells slander about him - the Holy One, blessed be He, calls him evil, as it is written: "Deceit is in the heart of those who plot evil." But anyone who does not eat and drink with his fellow, and does no business dealing with him, yet speaks good things about him - the Holy One, blessed be He, calls him peace, as it is said "but those who counsel peace have joy." Rabbi Zeira understood it in another aspect: Anyone who lies upon his bed at night and considers in his heart, saying "I will rise early tomorrow and do good with so-and-so," he is destined to rejoice with the righteous in the Garden of Eden in the time to come, as it is said "but those who counsel peace - have joy." Rav Huna said: What did Scripture see to say "counselors" [in the plural] and not say "counselor"? Rabbi Levi said: These are the two kidneys that counsel a person, one toward good and one toward evil, the right one toward good and the left one toward evil, as it is written (Ecclesiastes 10:2): "The heart of a wise man is at his right, but the heart of a fool is at his left." And so David said (Psalms 7:10): "And the righteous God tries the hearts and the kidneys." Now does a person have two hearts? You must say: one is the good inclination and one is the evil inclination; and the kidneys - these are the two kidneys of a person, which counsel him, as it is said "those who counsel peace have joy." And not only that, but they are called righteous - when? At the time when they counsel a person toward good, as it is written (Psalms 32:11): "Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright of heart." (Proverbs 12:21): "No iniquity shall befall the righteous" - at the time when he walks in his innocence; "but the wicked are filled with evil" - this is one who speaks one thing with the mouth and another in the heart. And not only that, but the Holy One, blessed be He, calls him an abomination, as it is said (Proverbs 12:22): "Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD." "But those who deal faithfully are His delight" - this is one who conducts his business dealings in good faith. (Proverbs 12:23): "A prudent man conceals knowledge" - this is one who does not grow proud in his Torah; "but the heart of fools proclaims folly" - this is one who grows proud in his Torah. Rabbi Zeira understood it in another aspect: [text uncertain]

(Proverbs 13:16): "Every prudent man acts with knowledge" - this is one who does not grow proud in his Torah; "but a fool spreads out folly" - this is one who grows proud in his Torah. And likewise it says (Proverbs 13:20): "He who walks with the wise becomes wise." A parable: like one who enters the shop of a perfumer; even though he sells him nothing and buys nothing from him, he goes out and his scent wafts, and the scent of his garments is perfumed, and his scent does not depart from him all day long. Of him it says, "He who walks with the wise becomes wise." "But the companion of fools shall suffer harm" - a parable: like one who enters the shop of a tanner; even though he sells him nothing and buys nothing from him, he goes out, and his scent and the scent of his garments are foul, and the scent and the scent of his garments do not depart from him all day long. Of him it says, "But the companion of fools shall suffer harm." So too, anyone who walks with a wise man - whoever sees him says, "Were this man not wise, he would not be walking with a wise man like that one." And anyone who walks with a fool - whoever sees him says, "Were he not a fool, he would not be walking with the fool." Therefore it is said "But the companion of fools shall suffer harm."

(Proverbs 13:21): "Evil pursues sinners" - evil shall pursue them, and their children, and their children's children, until the end of all generations. "But the righteous shall be repaid with good" - that He repays reward to them, and to their children, until the end of all generations. What is written after it? (Proverbs 13:22): "A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children." From here you learn that he bequeaths good things to his children and to his children's children.

(Proverbs 13:23): "Much food is in the tillage of the poor [nir rashim]" - Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai said: In this world the rich man devours the poor man, but in the world to come, the Holy One, blessed be He, demands it from him, as it is said (Psalms 12:6): "Because of the plundering of the poor, because of the groaning of the needy, now I will arise," and so on. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: The time has come for Me to demand from you the plundering of the poor and the groaning of the needy - what you robbed and what you caused to suffer. Rabbi Yose the Galilean says: Not so, but rather, even though a person robs and plunders in this world, he does not depart from his world until others plunder him. From where do we learn this? From the end of the verse, as it is said "and there is one swept away without justice" - thus they do to him without justice.

(Proverbs 13:24): "He who spares his rod hates his son." Now is there really a man who hates his son?! Rather, because he does not rebuke him concerning matters of wisdom and proper conduct, he is called one who hates; but the one who rebukes his son concerning wisdom and proper conduct, he is called one who loves him, as it is said, "But he who loves him disciplines him early" (Proverbs 13:24). Rabbi Eliezer says: Because the Holy One, blessed be He, loves Israel, He chastises them in this world through subjugation to the kingdoms, so that there may be atonement for them in the time to come. This is the meaning of what is written, "But he who loves him disciplines him early."

(Proverbs 13:25): "The righteous eats to the satisfaction of his soul" - this is one who fills his soul with words of Torah. "But the belly of the wicked shall want" - this is one who has no words of Torah in him. Another interpretation: "The righteous eats to the satisfaction of his soul" - that if a man learned in his youth, he should not abandon it in the days of his old age, but all his days he should fill his soul with words of Torah. "But the belly of the wicked shall want" - that if a man learned Torah in his youth and forgot it, if he does not return to it, the Holy One, blessed be He, deprives him of the goodness of the Garden of Eden in the time to come, and says to him, 'Since you deprived your soul of words of Torah in this world, I too will deprive you of the goodness that I have hidden away for the righteous in the time to come,' as it is said (Psalms 31:20): "How great is Your goodness which You have hidden away for those who fear You, which You have wrought for those who take refuge in You, before the sons of men." It does not say here "between themselves," but rather "before the sons of men," before all the people of the world. Rabbi Yochanan says: Not so, but rather they show the eye what it is able to see and let the ear hear what it is able to hear; but what He has prepared for the righteous in the time to come, no eye is able to see and no ear is able to hear, as it is said (Isaiah 64:3): "No eye has seen, O God, beside You, what He will do for the one who waits for Him." Another interpretation: "The righteous eats to the satisfaction of his soul" - this is Eliezer the servant of Abraham, who said to our mother Rebecca (Genesis 24:17): "Let me sip, I pray you, a little water from your jar," a single sip; "but the belly of the wicked shall want" - this is Esau the wicked, who said to Jacob (Genesis 25:30): "Let me gulp down, I pray you, some of that red red stuff," that wicked one opened his mouth wide like a camel and said, 'Please, open it into my mouth and let it pour and go down,' as we have learned there (Mishnah Shabbat 24:3): "One may not stuff a camel nor force-feed it, but one may pour food into its mouth." Another interpretation: "The righteous eats to the satisfaction of his soul" - this is Ruth the Moabite, of whom it is written (Ruth 2:14): "And she ate and was satisfied and left over." You may understand from it two things: either a blessing rested on the hand of the righteous one [Boaz], or a blessing rested in the belly of that righteous woman; but from what is written, "And she ate and was satisfied and left over," it appears that a blessing rested in the belly of that righteous woman. "But the belly of the wicked shall want" - these are the nations of the world. Rabbi Meir said: Rabbi Dostai of Bei Yeshev asked me: What is the meaning of "but the belly of the wicked shall want"? I said to him: There was a certain gentile in our city, and he made a feast for all the people of the city, and he invited me along with them, and they brought before us everything that the Holy One, blessed be He, created in His world during the six days of creation, and his table lacked nothing but cracked nuts alone. What did he do? He took the tray from before them, which was worth six talents of gold, and he smashed it. I said to him: Why did you do this? He said to me: You [Israel] say that this world is ours and the world to come is theirs; if we do not eat now, when shall we eat?! And I applied to him, "but the belly of the wicked shall want." Another interpretation: "The righteous eats to the satisfaction of his soul" - this is Hezekiah king of Judah, who would eat two bundles of vegetables, and one pound of meat would be brought before him each day, and Israel mocked him behind his back and said, 'This is a king?! Rezin son of Remaliah is a king, and the kingdom is fit for Rezin son of Remaliah,' as is the meaning of what is written (Isaiah 8:6): "Because this people has rejected the waters of Shiloah that flow gently, and rejoices in Rezin and the son of Remaliah." What is "gently"? Rather, this is Hezekiah king of Judah, who would purify Israel in a ritual bath of forty se'ah, from where comes the [numerical value of] "gently." The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: You eat and are satisfied, (Isaiah 8:7): "therefore, behold, the Lord brings up over them the mighty and abundant waters of the River." "But the belly of the wicked shall want" - this is Mesha king of Moab, who was a sheep-breeder, as it is said (II Kings 3:4): "And Mesha king of Moab was a sheep-breeder." What is a sheep-breeder - a shepherd. Another interpretation: "The righteous eats to the satisfaction of his soul" - this is the Holy One, blessed be He, who said to Israel: My children, of all the offerings that you offer before Me, do I derive any benefit from them except the fragrance? as it is said (Numbers 28:2): "My pleasing fragrance you shall be careful to offer to Me at its appointed time." "But the belly of the wicked shall want" - these are the nations of the world, who are deprived of the goodness stored away for the righteous, as it is said (Isaiah 65:13): "Behold, My servants shall eat, but you shall be hungry."

(Proverbs 14:1): "The wisest of women builds her house" - this is Jochebed, who raised up three righteous ones, Moses and Aaron and Miriam, and the three of them were privileged to serve Israel: Moses through the manna, Aaron through the clouds of glory, and Miriam through the well; and the three of them were prophets: Moses, from where? as it is said (Deuteronomy 34:10): "And there arose no prophet again in Israel like Moses"; Aaron, from where? as it is said (Exodus 7:1): "And Aaron your brother shall be your prophet"; Miriam, from where? as it is said (Exodus 15:20): "And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took." Rav Huna said: What prophecy did she prophesy? She said to her father: My mother is destined to bear a son who will deliver Israel. And when he was born, the whole house was filled with light, and her father arose and kissed her on her head and said to her: My daughter, your prophecy has been fulfilled! And when they cast him into the Nile, her mother arose and struck her on her head and said to her: Where is your prophecy now? Yet still she held firm in her prophecy, as it is said (Exodus 2:4): "And his sister stationed herself at a distance to know what would be done to him." And "stationing" is nothing other than the Holy Spirit, as it is said (Amos 9:1): "I saw the LORD stationed upon the altar"; and "his sister" is nothing other than the Holy Spirit, as it is said (Proverbs 7:4): "Say to wisdom, you are my sister"; and "at a distance" is nothing other than the Holy Spirit, as it is said (Jeremiah 31:3): "From a distance the LORD appeared to me"; and "to know" is nothing other than the Holy Spirit, as it is said (I Samuel 2:3): "For a God of knowledge is the LORD"; and "what" is nothing other than the Holy Spirit, as it is said (Deuteronomy 10:12): "And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you"; and "would be done" is nothing other than the Holy Spirit, as it is said (Amos 3:7): "For the Lord GOD does nothing unless He has revealed His secret"; and "to him" is nothing other than the Holy Spirit, as it is said (Judges 6:24): "And he called it the LORD is peace." Rabbi Elazar said: Just as Moses spoke a song, so Miriam spoke a song: Moses, from where? as it is said (Exodus 15:1): "Then Moses and the children of Israel sang"; Miriam, from where? as it is said (Exodus 15:21): "And Miriam answered them, Sing to the LORD." "But folly tears it down with her own hands" - this is Zeresh the wicked, wife of Haman the wicked. Another interpretation: "The wisest of women builds her house" - Rabbi Abbahu said: Anyone who acquires wisdom for himself in this world may be assured that he acquires wisdom for the world to come. "But folly tears it down with her own hands" - anyone who has not acquired wisdom in this world may be assured that he has acquired for himself Gehinnom in the time to come. Another interpretation: "The wisest of women builds her house" - because a person conducts himself in the fear of Heaven, the Holy One, blessed be He, gives him wisdom: (Proverbs 14:2): "He who walks in his uprightness fears the LORD, but he whose ways are crooked despises Him" - because a person merits the fear [of Heaven], he merits length of days, as it is said (Proverbs 14:27): "The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life," at the time when he distances himself from sin so that he will not be ensnared on the day of judgment, as it is said, "to turn away from the snares of death."

(Proverbs 14:28): "In the multitude of the people is the glory of the king, but in the lack of a nation is the ruin of a prince" - Rabbi Chama bar Chanina said: Come and see the praise and greatness of the Holy One, blessed be He, for even though there are before Him a thousand thousands of thousands and myriads of myriads of companies of ministering angels to serve Him and praise Him, He does not desire the praise of all of them, but rather the praise of Israel, as it is said, "In the multitude of the people is the glory of the king," and "people" is nothing other than Israel, as it is said (Isaiah 43:21): "This people I formed for Myself, they shall declare My praise," so that they would proclaim My praise in the world. And so it says (Psalms 47:10): "The nobles of the peoples are gathered, the people of the God of Abraham, for the shields of the earth belong to God, He is greatly exalted." Rabbi Simon said: When is the Holy One, blessed be He, exalted in His world? At the time when Israel gather in synagogues and study houses and give praise and adoration before their Creator. Rabbi Ishmael says: At the time when Israel gather in study houses and hear aggadah from the mouth of a sage, and afterward answer, "May His great name be blessed," at that time the Holy One, blessed be He, rejoices and is exalted in His world, and says to the ministering angels, "Come and see this people that I formed in My world, how greatly they praise Me." At that time they clothe Him in majesty and splendor, therefore it is said, "In the multitude of the people is the glory of the king." "But in the lack of a nation is the ruin of a prince" - if they cease for themselves from words of Torah, I too will cease from them words of Torah. (Proverbs 14:33): "In the heart of the understanding rests wisdom" - Rav Huna said: this is a scholar son of a scholar; "but in the midst of fools it is made known" - this is a scholar son of an unlearned man.

(Proverbs 14:34): "Righteousness exalts a nation" - Rabbi Yochanan said: these are Israel. "But the kindness of peoples is sin" - these are the nations of the world; their acts of kindness are sins for the idolaters, because they are arrogant. Another interpretation: "Righteousness exalts a nation" - these are Israel, "but the kindness of peoples is sin" - it is a benefit to the nations of the world when Israel sin, for they turn back and subjugate them. Another interpretation: "But the kindness of peoples is sin" - just as a sin-offering atones for Israel, so charity atones for the nations of the world in this world. Another interpretation: "Righteousness exalts a nation" - Rabbi Yochanan said: Come and see how great is the power of charity, for it is placed in the right hand of the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is said (Psalms 48:11): "Your right hand is full of righteousness." Great is charity, for through it the Holy One, blessed be He, is praised when He brings deliverance to Israel, as it is said (Isaiah 63:1): "I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save." Great is charity, for it bequeaths honor to those who do it, as it is said (Proverbs 21:21): "He who pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness and honor" - he who pursues righteousness and kindness in this world will find life, righteousness, and honor on the day of judgment. And because he pursues charity he finds charity?! Rather, the Holy One, blessed be He, provides him with money so that he may do charity with it for worthy people, in order to receive reward from them. Great is charity, by which Abraham our father was praised, as it is said (Genesis 15:6): "And he believed in the LORD, and He reckoned it to him as righteousness," and it says (Genesis 18:19): "For I have known him... to do righteousness...". Great is charity, by which David king of Israel was praised, as it is said (II Samuel 8:15): "And David did justice and righteousness for all his people." Great is charity, by which King Solomon was praised, as it is said (I Kings 10:9): "May the LORD your God be blessed, who delighted in you to set you on the throne of Israel; because the LORD loves Israel forever, He has made you king to do justice and righteousness." Great is charity, for it reaches up to the Throne of Glory, as it is said (Psalms 89:15): "Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne." Great is charity, by which Israel were praised, as it is said (Deuteronomy 6:25): "And it shall be righteousness for us." Great is charity, by which the Holy One, blessed be He, is destined to be praised on the day of judgment, as it is said (Isaiah 5:16): "And the LORD of hosts is exalted in justice, and the holy God is sanctified in righteousness." Great is charity, for it accompanies those who do it at the time of their departure from the world, as it is said (Isaiah 58:8): "And your righteousness shall go before you, the glory of the LORD shall gather you in." Rabbi Simon said: This verse was said only concerning the death of Moses, as it is said (Deuteronomy 33:21): "And he saw the first part for himself, for there the portion of the lawgiver was reserved, and he came at the head of the people, the righteousness of the LORD he did, and His judgments with Israel." Rabbi Abbahu said: Come and see how hard was the hour of Moses' departure from the world. For at the time when the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, the time has come for you to depart from the world, he began to cry out and weep before the Holy One, blessed be He, and said: 'Master of all the worlds! In vain did I labor, in vain did I run like a horse before Your children, and now my end is to be buried and my finish is dust?! But if You will, it is better for me that You chastise me with afflictions and not hand me over into the hand of the angel of death.' Concerning him David said (Psalms 118:18): "The LORD has chastened me severely, but He has not given me over to death." The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, 'Moses, it is an oath before Me that no reign encroaches upon its fellow by even a handbreadth or even a hairsbreadth; until now you were king over Israel, and now the hour of Joshua has come for him to be king over Israel.' Moses answered and said, 'Master of the universe! Until now I was master to Joshua, and he was a disciple to me; now I will be the disciple and he will be the master to me, and I shall not die.' The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, 'If you are able to do this - do it.' Immediately Moses went to the door of Joshua, and he stood over the head of Joshua, his stature bent and his two hands folded, and it was hidden from the eyes of Joshua that Moses our master was standing over him. Israel rose early to the door of Moses as they were accustomed each and every day, and they did not find him, they said, 'Where is Moses?' They said, 'He rose early to the door of Joshua.' They went and found Joshua sitting, and Moses our master standing over him. They said to him, 'Joshua, what is this you have done? Moses your master stands over you with his stature bent and his hands folded!' And the eyes of Joshua were opened, and he saw Moses our master standing over him. At that moment Joshua prostrated himself before him, wept, and said, 'My father, my father! My master, my master! My father who raised me from my youth, and my master who taught me wisdom!' The sons of Aaron on his right, Joshua on his left, said to him, 'Our master Moses, what is this you have done?' He said to them, 'Leave me, thus said the Holy One, blessed be He, to me, do this for Joshua and you shall not die.' Rabbi Ishmael said: At that moment all Israel sought to stone Joshua with stones, were it not that the pillar of cloud descended and made a separation between him and Israel. Israel said to Moses, 'Conclude the Torah for us!' The traditions were forgotten from Moses, and he did not know what to answer, and Moses stumbled and fell on his face and said, 'Master of the universe! My death is better than my life.' When the Holy One, blessed be He, saw that he had reconciled his soul to death, He fixed a lament over him, as it is said (Psalms 94:16): "Who will rise up for me against the evildoers" - who will rise up for Israel in the hour of My wrath? and who will stand in the battle of My children? and who will seek mercy for them? "and who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity" - at the time when Israel sin before Me? At that moment Michael came and prostrated himself before the Holy One, blessed be He, and said, 'Master of the worlds, in his life he is Yours, and in his death he is Yours!' He said to him, 'It is not for Moses that I weep, but for Israel that I weep, for how many times did Israel sin before Me, and Moses stood in prayer and turned away My fierce anger,' as it is written (Psalms 106:23): "And He said He would destroy them, had not Moses His chosen one stood in the breach before Him to turn away His wrath from destroying." They said to Moses, 'The moment has come in which you depart from the world.' He said to Israel, 'Forgive me for all the distress that I caused you.' They said to him, 'Our master, you are forgiven!' And they said to him, 'Our master, forgive us for every anger and anger with which we angered you!' He said to them, 'My children, you are forgiven.' They came and said to him, 'The half-moment has come in which you depart from the world.' He took his two hands and placed them upon his heart, and he was weeping and saying, 'Surely, my two hands, which received the Torah from the Almighty, are falling into the grave!' They came and said to him, 'The end of the moment has come in which you depart from the world.' At that moment he cried out a great cry before the Holy One, blessed be He, and said, 'Master of the worlds! If You take my soul from me in this world, will You perhaps return it to me in the time to come?' The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: Just as you were head over all of them in this world, so you are destined to be head over all of them in the time to come. And why all this? Because he did charity with Israel, as it is said (Deuteronomy 33:21): "And he came at the head of the people, the righteousness of the LORD he did, and His judgments with Israel." Rabbi Nehemiah said: What did he do? That he taught them Torah, laws, and charity: Torah, from where? as it is said (Malachi 3:22): "Remember the Torah of Moses My servant, which I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel, statutes and judgments." Laws, from where? as it is written (Deuteronomy 4:5): "See, I have taught you statutes and judgments." Charity, from where? as it is said (Deuteronomy 16:20): "Righteousness, righteousness you shall pursue." Therefore Solomon praises Israel for charity, as it is said, "Righteousness exalts a nation, but the kindness of peoples is sin," for every kindness that the utterly wicked do is a sin for them.

(Proverbs 15:17): "Better is a meal of herbs where there is love than a fatted ox with hatred in it." Rabbi Levi said: Concerning whom did Solomon say this verse? Concerning two men who met him at the time when he had been brought down from his kingship and was going around to the doors begging for his sustenance. Two men who recognized him met him: one of them came, prostrated himself before him, and said to him, 'My lord the king! If it please you, dine with me today.' Immediately he went with him, and he brought him up to an upper chamber and slaughtered an ox, brought before him many delicacies, and began to recount to him matters of his kingship, and said to him, 'Do you remember that you did such and such on a certain day when you were king?' Immediately, since he reminded him of the days of his kingship, he began to weep and wail, and so it was throughout that entire meal, until he rose from there sated with his weeping. The next day his companion met him, began to prostrate himself before him and said to him, 'My lord the king, will you dine with me today?' He said to him, 'Perhaps you wish to do to me as your companion did yesterday?' He said to him, 'My lord the king, I am a poor man, but if it please you, dine with me today on the little bit of vegetables that I have.' At that moment he went to his house, washed his hands and feet for him, and brought him a little bit of vegetables, and that man began to comfort him, and said to him, 'My lord the king, the Holy One, blessed be He, swore to your father that He would not cut off kingship from his offspring, as it is said (Psalms 132:11): "The LORD swore to David in truth, He will not turn back from it, of the fruit of your body I will set upon your throne"; rather, such is the way of the Holy One, blessed be He, He reproves and then reproves again, as it is said (Proverbs 3:12): "For whom the LORD loves He reproves, as a father the son in whom he delights," but the Holy One, blessed be He, will return you to your kingship.' When Solomon heard this, immediately his mind was set at ease, and he rejoiced in that meal of vegetables, and he rose from there sated. Rabbi Chiya bar Abba said in the name of Rabbi Avun ben Benjamin in the name of Rabbi Yose ben Zimra: When Solomon returned to his kingship, he wrote in his wisdom, "Better is a meal of herbs where there is love" that I ate at the house of the poor man, "than a fatted ox with hatred in it" that the rich man fed me, who reminded me of my distress.

"A wrathful man stirs up strife" (Proverbs 15:18). Rabbi Nehemiah said: This is one whose patience is short with him [whose temper is short]. "But one who is slow to anger calms a quarrel" (Proverbs 15:18) - this is one whose patience is long with him [who is long-suffering]. There we learned (Mishnah Avot 4:1): "Who is mighty? One who conquers his impulse," as it is said (Proverbs 16:32): "Better is one slow to anger than a mighty man, and one who rules his spirit than one who captures a city."

"A wise son makes a father glad" (Proverbs 15:20) - at the hour when he studies Torah. "But a foolish man despises his mother" (Proverbs 15:20) - this is one who goes out to bad ways [evil culture].

"The LORD is far from the wicked" (Proverbs 15:29). Rabbi Aha bar Hanina said: Come and see how much harder the wisdom of Solomon is than the wisdom of his father. David said (Psalms 145:18): "The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth," while Solomon said "The LORD is far from the wicked" (Proverbs 15:29) - these are the ones who do not repent at all. "But the prayer of the righteous He hears" (Proverbs 15:29) - at the hour when they pray together with the congregation.

"The light of the eyes gladdens the heart" (Proverbs 15:30) - these are the masters of Torah, who light up a person's eyes and gladden his heart, as it is said (Psalms 19:9): "The commandment of the LORD is clear, lighting up the eyes." A good report too gladdens a person's heart, as it is said: "a good report fattens the bone" (Proverbs 15:30). There was an incident with the emperor Vespasian, who came to destroy Jerusalem in the days of Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai. He said to the people of Jerusalem: "Send out to me a single bow or a single arrow, and I will go away from you." He said this to them a first time and a second time, and they would not accept it. At that hour Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai said to them: "You are causing this city to be destroyed and this House to be burned!" They said to him: "Just as we went out against the earlier officers and killed them, so will we go out against this one and kill him." Every single thing that Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai said to them, there were pious and worthy men there who would write them on documents, and wrap them around arrows, and shoot them outside the wall, saying "Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai is a lover of the king." When Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai saw that they would not accept his words, he said to his disciples: "Rise and take me out of here." They placed him in a coffin and carried him, Rabbi Eliezer at his head and Rabbi Joshua at his feet, and they went on attending to him until they reached the gate of the city. When they reached the gate of the city the gatekeepers said to them: "Halt!" They said: "Open for us so that we may go out and bury him." The gatekeepers said to them: "We will not open until we first stab him, to know whether he is alive or dead." They said to them: "You are causing a bad name to go out upon your city, for people will say, 'They even stabbed the master.'" In the end they rose and opened for them. When Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai saw that he had gone outside the gate of the city, he went and inquired after the welfare of Vespasian in the manner one inquires after the welfare of royalty. Rabbah said: "[he greeted him as] 'My lord, king of the kingdom.'" He said to him: "Are you Ben Zakkai?" He said to him: "Yes." He said to him: "You have killed me!" He said to him: "Do not fear, for it is written in our possession that this House will not be destroyed by the hand of a commoner, but by the hand of the king," as it is said (Isaiah 10:34): "And the Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one." He handed him over to two officials. After three days letters came to him from Rome. They said to him: "Nero the king has died, and the men of Rome have made you king." At that hour, when the letters came to him from Rome, he was sitting in the bathhouse. He came to put on his shoes; he put on the first, he came to put on the second and it would not go on. Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai was standing there. He said to him: "What is the meaning of this?" He said to him: "Because of the good report that you have heard, your flesh has swelled upon you; but if you have an enemy, pass him before you, and at once your flesh will relax and the shoe will go on." He did so and it went on. He said to him: "Ben Zakkai, from where comes all this wisdom?" He said to him: "From the wisdom of Solomon, for so he explains in his wisdom and says, 'a good report fattens the bone.'" He said to him: "Ask a request for yourself." He said to him: "I ask of you Yavneh, that I may study Torah there, and make ritual fringes there, and fulfill all the commandments of the Torah there." He said to him: "Behold, it is given to you as a gift."

"An ear that listens to the reproof of life lodges among the wise" (Proverbs 15:31). But if he did not incline his heart to the reproof of life - "one who refuses correction despises his own soul, but one who listens to reproof acquires a heart" (Proverbs 15:32). If he ruined his soul - through words of Torah he acquires a heart, this is the wisdom that is set in the heart, so that through this he merits honor and humility, as it is said - "the fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom, and before honor is humility" (Proverbs 15:33). There we learned (Song of Songs Rabbah 1:1:9): "Rabbi Pinhas ben Yair says: Diligence leads to cleanliness, cleanliness leads to purity, purity leads to holiness, holiness leads to humility, humility leads to fear of sin, fear of sin leads to piety, piety leads to the holy spirit, the holy spirit leads to the resurrection of the dead, and the resurrection of the dead leads to Elijah, remembered for good. Diligence to cleanliness - as it is said, 'And he shall finish atoning for the holy place' (Leviticus 16:20). Cleanliness to purity - as it is said, 'And the priest shall make atonement for her, and she shall be pure' (Leviticus 12:8). Purity to holiness - as it is said, 'And he shall purify it and sanctify it from the impurities of the children of Israel' (Leviticus 16:19). Holiness to humility - as it is said, 'For thus says the high and exalted One who dwells forever, and holy is His name: I dwell on high and in holiness, and also with the contrite and lowly of spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite' (Isaiah 57:15). Humility to fear of sin - as it is said, 'The reward of humility is the fear of the LORD' (Proverbs 22:4). Fear of sin to piety - as it is said, 'Then You spoke in a vision to Your pious ones' (Psalms 89:20). Piety to the holy spirit - as it is said, 'Then you will understand the fear of the LORD' (Proverbs 2:5). The holy spirit to the resurrection of the dead - as it is said, 'And I will put My spirit in you and you shall live' (Ezekiel 37:14). The resurrection of the dead comes through Elijah, remembered for good, as it is said, 'Behold, I send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD, and he shall turn the heart of fathers to children' (Malachi 3:24)." Rabbi Isaac bar Eleazar said: What wisdom made a crown for its head, humility made a sandal for its heel. A crown for its head - as it is said (Psalms 111:10): "The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the LORD." A sandal for its heel - as it is said (Proverbs 22:4): "The reward of humility is the fear of the LORD." Therefore it is said: "The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom."

"To man belong the arrangements of the heart, but from the LORD comes the answer of the tongue" (Proverbs 16:1) - to inform you that everything is from the hand of the LORD and not from man: neither the thought of the heart nor the speech of the tongue, as it is said "and from the LORD comes the answer of the tongue." Another interpretation: "and from the LORD comes the answer of the tongue" - every person who pours out his supplication before the Holy One, blessed be He, He gives him an answer of the tongue. "All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the spirits" (Proverbs 16:2) - this is the fool, who makes himself wise in his own eyes, and he does not know that the LORD weighs the spirits. But one who casts the thoughts of his heart upon the Holy One, blessed be He, He sets his thoughts in order, as it is said (Proverbs 16:3): "Roll your deeds upon the LORD, and your thoughts will be established." "The LORD has made everything for His purpose" (Proverbs 16:4) - these are the doers of Torah; "and even the wicked for the day of evil" (Proverbs 16:4) - for if he does not repent, he is prepared for the judgment of Gehinnom. "Every haughty heart is an abomination to the LORD" (Proverbs 16:5) - this is one who raises his heart up before his Creator. "Hand to hand, he shall not go unpunished" (Proverbs 16:5) - he shall not be cleared from the judgment of Gehinnom. Rabbi Simon said: Every person who is lowly of spirit, and considers in his heart to walk in the ways of the Holy One, blessed be He, may be assured that He establishes his step, as it is said (Proverbs 16:9): "The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his step."

"A divine sentence is on the lips of the king; in judgment his mouth does not transgress" (Proverbs 16:10). Rabbi Alexandrai said: How fitting was the wisdom of Solomon, for he taught wisdom to others out of his own self. How so? Solomon said: I call heaven and earth to witness against me, that of all the wisdom which the Holy One, blessed be He, gave to me, I never brought forth from my mouth a word of falsehood, but everything was spoken in justice. Therefore it is said, "in judgment his mouth does not transgress" (Proverbs 16:10).

"A just balance and scales are the LORD's; all the weights of the bag are His work" (Proverbs 16:11). "A balance" is Scripture; "scales of judgment" are the legal rulings; "the LORD's" are the laws (halakhot); "all the weights of the bag are His work" is the Talmud. And all who perform these are destined to receive their reward in the time to come. Rabbi Yose the Galilean said: A parable of a king of flesh and blood who had a great orchard, and built within it a high tower, walling it so that his garden was within it. He hired laborers and appointed them to be occupied in their work. The king arose and went up to the top of the tower, and he could see them, but they could not see him. Toward the close of day the king came and stood over them in judgment. He said: Let the hoers come and take their wages; let the weeders come and take their wages; let the gatherers of stones come and take their wages. And there remained among them laborers who had not been occupied in their work. The king said: What are these doing? They said to him: They move things from full houses into empty houses. The king said: And what benefit do I have from them? The king said: Let these who were occupied in my work take their wages, and let these who were not occupied in my work be led out to execution, for they rebelled against my words. So too the Holy One, blessed be He, created His world and placed human beings within it, and commanded them to be occupied in Torah and commandments and good deeds, and He caused His Presence to dwell among them; He sees them, but they do not see Him, as it is said, "and the LORD is in His holy Temple" (Psalms 11:4). In the time to come, the Holy One, blessed be He, is destined to sit over them in judgment, and He will place a Torah scroll upon His lap and say: Whoever was occupied in this, let him come and take his reward, as it is said, "Where is the scribe? Where is the weigher? Where is the counter of the towers?" (Isaiah 33:18): "Where is the scribe" - these are the teachers of children for the sake of Heaven; let them come and take their reward. "Where is the weigher" - these are those who weigh the lenient and the stringent cases; let them come and take their reward. "Where is the counter of the towers" - these are the students of laws and aggadot; let them come and take their reward. Rabbi Ze'ira said: As for the wicked, what is the Holy One, blessed be He, destined to do with them? He is destined to say to them: Wicked ones, in vain did you wear out your strength, since you did not occupy yourselves in Torah and good deeds, but were in My world like an empty vessel that has no use in it. I have no use for you. Might one think they would be released and go free? No, but first they shall see the joy of the righteous, and afterward they are judged in Gehinnom. A parable of a king who made a banquet and invited everyone, but did not fix for them a set time. Those who were careful about the king's word went and washed and anointed themselves and laundered their garments and made themselves ready for the banquet, while those who were not careful about the king's word went and did their work. When the time of the banquet arrived, the king said: Let them all come at once. These came in their honor, and those came in their filth. The king said: Let these who made themselves ready for the banquet eat of my banquet, and let those who did not make themselves ready for the banquet not eat of my banquet. Might one think they would be released and go off? The king said: No, but these shall eat and drink and rejoice, while those shall stand on their feet and watch and be punished and be grieved, as it is said, "Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, My servants shall eat, but you shall be hungry; behold, My servants shall drink, but you shall be thirsty; behold, My servants shall rejoice, but you shall be ashamed; behold, My servants shall sing for gladness of heart, but you shall cry out for sorrow of heart and shall wail for breaking of spirit" (Isaiah 65:13). What caused this for them? Because they were not careful about the king's word. Concerning them Solomon explained in his wisdom and said: "There is a way that seems right before a man, but its end is the ways of death" (Proverbs 16:25). "A way that seems right before a man" - these are those who are careful about the words of the Holy One, blessed be He; "but its end is the ways of death" - these are those who are not careful about the words of the Holy One, blessed be He.

"The crown of glory is gray hair; it is found on the path of righteousness" (Proverbs 16:31). If you see a person who occupies himself with Torah and good deeds and acts of lovingkindness, he is destined to merit the crown of gray hair; therefore it is said, "it is found on the path of righteousness." Come and learn from Abraham: because he apportioned honor to the ministering angels, he merited the crown of gray hair, as it is said, "And Abraham was old, advanced in days" (Genesis 24:1). And why all this? "It is found on the path of righteousness." And where do we find that he performed righteousness? As it is written, "And he believed in the LORD, and He counted it to him as righteousness" (Genesis 15:6). Come and learn from Joseph the Righteous, who, because he stood firm and strengthened the honor of his father in Egypt, merited the crown of gray hair, as it is said, "And Joseph saw Ephraim's children of the third generation; the children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were born upon Joseph's knees" (Genesis 50:23). And where do we find that he performed righteousness? As it is said, "And Joseph sustained his father and his brothers" (Genesis 47:12). And likewise in David: "And David executed justice and righteousness for all his people" (2 Samuel 8:15), and it is written, "And king David was old, advanced in days" (1 Kings 1:1). We have learned that old age is found only on the path of righteousness, as it is said, "it is found on the path of righteousness" (Proverbs 16:31).

"Better a dry crust with quiet in it than a house full of feasting with strife" (Proverbs 17:1). Rabbi Yohanan said: This is the Land of Israel, for even if a person eats bread and salt and dwells within it, he is assured that he is a child of the world to come. "Than a house full of feasting with strife" - this is the land outside the Land, which is full of robbery and plunder. Rabbi Yohanan said: Whoever walks four cubits in the Land of Israel is assured that he is a child of the world to come. Rabbi Levi said: Whoever dwells in the Land of Israel even a single hour and dies within it is assured that he is a child of the world to come. What is the reason? "And His land shall atone for His people" (Deuteronomy 32:43). Rabbi Nehemiah said: The Land of Israel atones for the sins of those who die in it. Rabbi Zevida said: As for all the righteous who died outside the Land, what do you do for them? Rather, you must say that the Land of Israel atones for those who die within it; but as for the righteous who are outside the Land, the Holy One, blessed be He, is destined to command the ministering angels, and they bring them through tunnels from outside the Land to the Land of Israel, and there atonement is made for them, as it is said, "and I will cleanse them upon their own land" (Ezekiel 36:25, as read). Rabbi Abbahu said: Shall one say that even the wicked in the Land of Israel are granted atonement? Scripture teaches, "and the wicked are shaken out of it" (Job 38:13). To where does He shake them out? Rabbi Levi said: From the Land to outside the Land. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: He does not let them stand, so that they may know that there is judgment and a Judge. And to where does He shake them out? To Gehinnom, as it is said, "The leech has two daughters: Give, give" (Proverbs 30:15). Gehinnom is destined in the time to come to demand before the Holy One, blessed be He, and say, "Give me the wicked." There we have learned: The judgment of the wicked in Gehinnom is twelve months. Rabbi Eliezer asked Rabbi Yehoshua, saying to him: What shall a person do to be saved from the judgment of Gehinnom? He said to him: Let him go and occupy himself with good deeds. He said to him: If so, even the nations of the world would perform commandments and good deeds; might they too be exempted from the judgment of Gehinnom? He said to him: My son, the Torah spoke not of the dead but of the living. Rabbi Eliezer said to him: I will tell you a reason from what you have taught me. He said to him: Speak. He said to him: Once I heard you, while you were expounding in the house of study, and saying... (the discussion continues in chapter 19).

There we have learned: The judgment of the wicked in Gehinnom is twelve months. Rabbi Eliezer asked Rabbi Yehoshua, saying to him: What shall a person do to be saved from the judgment of Gehinnom? He said to him: Let him go and occupy himself with good deeds. He said to him: If so, even the nations of the world would perform commandments and good deeds; might they be exempted from the judgment of Gehinnom? He said to him: My son, the Torah spoke not of the dead but of the living. Rabbi Eliezer said to him: I will tell you a reason from what you have taught me. He said to him: Speak. He said to him: Once I heard you, while you were expounding in the house of study, and saying: "Better a poor man who walks in his integrity than one perverse of lips, and he is a fool" (Proverbs 19:1) - whoever walks in his integrity in this world before his Creator is destined to be saved from the judgment of Gehinnom in the time to come. For thus we find with Noah, who walked in his integrity and was called righteous, as it is said, "Noah was a righteous man, wholehearted" (Genesis 6:9). And thus we find with Abraham, who walked in integrity and was called wholehearted, as it is said, "Walk before Me and be wholehearted" (Genesis 17:1), and he merited to acquire heaven and earth, as it is said, "Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Maker of heaven and earth" (Genesis 14:19): "heaven" - that his children merited to inherit the Torah that was given from heaven; "earth" - that his children merited to be fruitful and multiply like the dust of the earth. And why all this? Because of the wholeheartedness that was in him. And thus you find that whoever fully walks in integrity, the Holy One, blessed be He, provides for him a portion like himself: for thus we find with Abraham, that because he walked in integrity Sarah was provided for him, and likewise with Isaac, who walked in integrity, Rebecca was provided for him, and likewise with Jacob, who walked in integrity, Rachel and Leah, Bilhah and Zilpah were provided for him - all one family and one inheritance. And concerning them Solomon explained in his wisdom: "House and wealth are an inheritance from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the LORD" (Proverbs 19:14). And why all this? Because of the righteousness they do with the poor in integrity, and the Holy One, blessed be He, accounts it to them as though they do righteousness with Him, as it is said, "He who is gracious to the poor lends to the LORD" (Proverbs 19:17) - the Holy One, blessed be He, said: Lend Me righteousness in this world, "and his deed He will repay him" (Proverbs 19:17) - and I will pay you the reward in the world to come. Rabbi Yishmael said: Such is the way of the Torah: bread with salt you shall eat, and water by measure you shall drink, and upon the ground you shall sleep, and a life of hardship you shall live, and in the Torah you shall labor; and if you do so, "happy are you, and it shall be well with you" (Psalms 128:2) - happy are you in this world, and it shall be well with you in the world to come. And do not crave the table of kings, for your table is greater than their table, and your crown is greater than their crown, and faithful is the Master of your work to pay you the reward of your labor, as it is said, "and his deed He will repay him" (Proverbs 19:17).