Five persons are not granted forgiveness:1The meaning is not that the doors of forgiveness are for ever shut against them, but that they are so hardened in sinning that they will not manifest any desire to repent. On this passage, cf. above XXIX, 5, p. 141f. he who repents repeatedly, he who sins repeatedly, he who sins in a sinless generation, he who sins with the intention of repenting, and he who is guilty of profaning the Name.2GRA alters the number at the opening to six, so bringing it into conformity with the other sayings of ‘six’ enumerated at the end of this chapter. He deletes ‘he who sins with the intention of repenting’, and in its place inserts the following two persons: ‘he who sins with the intention of the Day of Atonement affording him atonement, and he who causes the many to sin’.Because of his sinfulness3Some commentators attach בעונו, ‘in his sin’, to the preceding which would then read: ‘he who has among his sins the guilt of profaning the Name’. man has not the power to comprehend the Form on high;4Probably the principles of theosophy and metaphysics. otherwise he would have been entrusted with the keys [of the unknown] and discover how heaven and earth had been created.He used to say: ALL IS FORESEEN and all is revealed, but everything is according to man’s inclination.5i.e. freedom of choice is in man’s hand. Cf. Aboth 3:19 (Sonc. ed., III, 15, p. 38) where an analogous maxim is ascribed to R. ‘Aḳiba. The other anonymous statements given here belong most probably to him.He used to say: EVERYTHING IS GIVEN ON PLEDGE, AND A NET IS SPREAD FOR ALL THE LIVING, etc.6Cf. Aboth 3:20 (Sonc. ed., III, 16, p. 39) for the complete text.The repentance of the wicked delays [punishment], but their decree is sealed.7Since for certain transgressions repentance is not sufficient and something more is required to annul the decree; cf. above XXIX, 5, p. 141f. In Yoma 86b (Sonc. ed., p. 432) the text reads: ‘The repentance of confirmed sinners delays punishment even though the decree of punishment has already been sealed’. The well-being of the wicked ends in calamity. Power buries them who wield it.8Cf. Ber. 55a (Sonc. ed., p. 335). [In some cases] repentance suspends [punishment] and the Day of Atonement effects atonement; [in others] repentance atones until the day of death, but the day of death together with repentance [cleanses completely].9Cf. above XXIX, 5, p. 141f.The wicked are paid outright, while the righteous are given credit. ‘The wicked are paid outright’: they are those who performed the precepts of the Torah with ill grace, and otherwise no good deed is found with them.10These ‘are paid outright’, i.e. they will enjoy the reward of their grudging fulfilment of the precepts of the Torah on earth, while their punishment lies in store for them in the world to come. ‘With ill grace’ is lit. ‘with an evil eye’. ‘The righteous are given credit’: these are they who fulfilled the precepts of the Torah with good grace and with whom no evil deed is found.11These righteous men are punished during their lifetime for their few shortcomings and lapses, but a full reward for their good deeds is ‘credited’ to them to be enjoyed in the hereafter. Both kinds are paid a little [here], but the remainder is held over for them [for the hereafter].He used to say: All depart and leave [the world] naked [as they came into it]. Would that that man’s exit were like his entrance!12That man should leave this life as sinless as when he was born into it.R. Meir said: BELOVED IS MAN FOR HE WAS CREATED IN THE IMAGE OF GOD,13Cf. the fuller form of this saying in Aboth 3:18 (Sonc. ed., III, 14, pp. 37f), where it is ascribed to R. ‘Aḳiba. AS IT IS STATED, FOR IN THE IMAGE OF GOD MADE HE MAN.14Gen. 9, 6. BELOVED ARE ISRAEL FOR THEY WERE CALLED CHILDREN OF GOD, AS IT IS STATED, YE ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE LORD YOUR GOD.15Deut. 14, 1. BELOVED ARE ISRAEL FOR TO THEM WAS GIVEN THE PRECIOUS INSTRUMENT BY WHICH THE WORLD WAS CREATED, AS IT IS STATED, FOR I GIVE YOU GOOD DOCTRINE, FORSAKE YE NOT MY TEACHING.16Prov. 4, 2.R. Eleazar b. Zadok said: To what are the righteous like in this world? To a tree which stands in a clean place, but one of its boughs overhangs an unclean place. What do people say? ‘Lop off that bough from the tree, and then the whole of it will stand according to its natural growth in a clean place.’17Cf. Ḳid. 40b (Sonc. ed., p. 201) where the exposition of the parable is given in the text. The single bough which overhangs an unclean place represents the few and minor failings of the righteous on earth, and the act of lopping off suggests the punishment they suffer in this world whereby they are purged of their sins. And to what are the wicked like in this world? To a tree which stands in an unclean place, but one of its boughs overhangs a clean place. What do people say? ‘Lop off that bough from the tree, and then the whole of it will stand according to its natural growth in an unclean place.’18Here the bough overhangs a clean place and represents the few good deeds of the wicked on earth, and the lopping off suggests the prosperity they enjoy in this world whereby they are paid off for the little good they did, so that in the hereafter they suffer for their misdeeds.
The lion is designated by six words,19Cf. Sanh. 95a (Sonc. ed., p. 639). viz. ’aryeh,20This word, as well as its variant ’ari, is the usual Heb. for ‘lion’, as in Gen. 49, 9; Prov. 22, 13. kefir,21Strictly ‘a young lion’; cf. Judg. 14, 5; Amos 3, 4. labi’,22Is. 30, 6. laish,23ibid. shaḥal24Ps. 91, 13. and shaḥaẓ.25lit. ‘the proud one’; cf. Job 28, 8.
The snake is designated by six words, viz. naḥash,26e.g. Gen. 3, 1. saraf,27Deut. 8, 15. tannin,28Ex. 7, 9. ẓif ‘oni,29Is. 11, 8. ’ef‘eh30ibid. XXX, 6. and ‘akshub.31Ps. 140, 4, but not found elsewhere.
Solomon is called by six names, viz. Solomon,32Meaning ‘the peaceful one’; cf. 2 Sam. 12, 24, 1 Chron. 22, 9. Jedidiah,33‘The beloved of the Lord’, the name given to Solomon by God through the prophet Nathan; cf. 2 Sam. 12, 25. Ḳoheleth,34‘The Preacher, or Convener’ (Eccles. 1, 1). According to Rabbinic tradition Solomon was also named Ḳoheleth because his words were spoken in ‘the assembly’ (kahal); cf. Midrash Rabbah, Ecclesiastes, I, 1, §2 (Sonc. ed., p. 3). Bin Jaḳeh,35Cf. Prov. 30, 1, where the superscription reads, The words of Agur the son of Jakeh. In view of the Rabbinic tradition that Solomon was the author of the Book of Proverbs, the names in this verse are interpreted as descriptive of him. ‘He was called Agur because he stored up (הקיא) knowledge of the Torah, and the son of Jakeh because he spewed it out (hiḳḳi’) in that he ignored the warning against multiplying wives. Another interpretation: He was called Agur because he girded (ḥagar) his loins to acquire wisdom, and the son of Jakeh because he was free (naḳi) from sin’ (Yalḳuṭ Prov. ad loc.). See also Midrash to Eccles. loc. cit. ’Agur35Cf. Prov. 30, 1, where the superscription reads, The words of Agur the son of Jakeh. In view of the Rabbinic tradition that Solomon was the author of the Book of Proverbs, the names in this verse are interpreted as descriptive of him. ‘He was called Agur because he stored up (הקיא) knowledge of the Torah, and the son of Jakeh because he spewed it out (hiḳḳi’) in that he ignored the warning against multiplying wives. Another interpretation: He was called Agur because he girded (ḥagar) his loins to acquire wisdom, and the son of Jakeh because he was free (naḳi) from sin’ (Yalḳuṭ Prov. ad loc.). See also Midrash to Eccles. loc. cit. and Lemuel.36Cf. Prov. 31, 1. The word Lemuel is explained as ‘towards (למו) God (אל)’, and is regarded as an epithet of Solomon who was dedicated to God; or ‘against God’ when he multiplied wives (Midrash to Eccles. loc. cit.). [33b]