[Piska 48]
"For if you
keep,
keep, all of this mitzvah": What is the intent of this (repetition)? Scripture is hereby stressing that just as one must take care that his
sela (a coin) not go lost, so must he take care that his learning not go lost. And thus is it written
(Proverbs 2:4) "If you search for it (Torah) like silver, etc." Just as it is difficult to acquire silver, so it is difficult to acquire words of Torah. — But perhaps just as it is difficult to lose silver (i.e., silver is not readily broken), so it is difficult to lose Torah! It is, therefore, written
(Job 28:17) "Gold and fine glass cannot be compared to it." It is as difficult to acquire them (words of Torah) as gold, and as easy to lose them as vessels of glass.
R. Shimon was wont to say on
(Devarim 4:9) "Only take heed to yourself, and
heed your soul exceedingly": An analogy: A king hunted a bird and gave it to his servant, telling him "Take care (to watch) this bird for my son. If you lose it, let it not seem to you as if you have lost a bird worth an
issar, but as if you have lost your soul!" And thus is it written (
Ibid. 21:47) "For it is not an empty thing for you, for it is your life, etc."
R. Shimon b. Yochai says: An analogy: Two brothers are counting money after their father's (death). One exchanges a dinar (for food) and eats it; the other exchanges it and sets (the exchange) aside. The first remains with nothing; the other, after some time, finds himself wealthy. Thus with a Torah scholar: If he learns two or three things a day, two or three chapters a week, two or three sections a month, after some time he finds himself "wealthy." Of such a one it is written
(Proverbs 13:11) "… That (treasure) gathered with the hand will increase." And if one says "Today I will study (Torah)"; "Tomorrow I will study"; "Today I will learn (
Mishnah)"; "Tomorrow I will learn," in the end he remains with nothing. Of such a one it is written (
Ibid. 10:5) "One who sleeps in harvest time is a shameful son," and (
Ibid. 20:4) "Because of the (cold of) winter, the sluggard will not plow." And it is written (
Ibid. 24:30) "By the field of
a lazy man I passed": This is one who acquired a field in the past; "and by the vineyard of
a man lacking a heart": This is one who acquired a vineyard (in the past). Since he acquired a field and acquired a vineyard, and did not work in them, whence is it derived that he is bound to be called "lazy"? From "By the field of a lazy man I passed and by the vineyard of a man lacking a heart." Why is he called "lacking a heart"? Because he acquired a field and a vineyard and did not work in them. And whence is it derived that he (such a Torah scholar) is bound to leave (unlearned) two or three things in a section? From (
Ibid. 31) "and, behold, it was all grown over with thorns." And whence is it derived that he will seek the opening of a section and not find it? From "nettles had covered (i.e., concealed) its face ('opening')." And it is written further "and its stone wall was broken down." Because it ("its face") is not ready to hand, he sits and rules unclean what is clean, and clean what is unclean, and he breaks down the fences of the sages. What is the punishment of such a one? Solomon came and delineated it through the tradition (
kabbalah), (Koheleth 10:8) "and the breaker of a fence will be bitten by a snake." For all who break the fences of the sages are destined to be punished.
R. Shimon b. Yochai says: It is written
(Proverbs 27:7) "
The sated soul will tread down a honeycomb": This is a Torah scholar who did not learn from the beginning; "but to
the hungry soul all bitter is sweet": This is one who did learn (from the beginning). Variantly: "The sated soul will tread down a honeycomb (
nofeth)": Just as a sieve extracts flour by itself, bran flour by itself, and wheat flour by itself, so, a Torah scholar sits and scrutinizes words of Torah and weighs them — This sage forbids, this sage permits; this sage rules unclean; this sage rules clean.
R. Yehudah says: An exemplary Torah scholar is like a sponge, which soaks up everything. One second to him is like a cotton wad which soaks up only what he needs — one who says "What my teacher taught me is enough for me." R. Shimon b. Yochai says: It is written
(Proverbs 5:15) "Drink water (i.e., Torah)
from borecha": from him (a Torah sage [though not necessarily a great one]) who is with you in
your city ("
be'ircha," like "
borecha"), and afterwards from afar. And thus is it written (
Ibid. 31:14) "She ('the woman of valor') was like the merchant's ships, bringing her bread (Torah) from afar." R. Shimon b. Menassia says: Drink water from
borecha," from the waters (i.e., Torah) of
borecha ("your Creator"); and do not drink "sullied" waters, lest you be drawn after the words of the heretics. R. Akiva says: It is written: "Drink waters from your pit." A pit, in the beginning, is unable to supply a drop of water of its own, containing, as it does, only what is put into it. So, a Torah scholar, in the beginning, has learned and reviewed only what his teacher has taught him. (
Ibid.) "and flowing waters from your well": Just as a well flows living waters from all of its sides, so, disciples come and learn from him (the "flowing" Torah scholar). And thus is it written (
Ibid. 16) "Your fountains will spread abroad." Words of Torah are compared to water. Just as water is life for the world, so, words of Torah, as it is written (
Ibid. 4:22) "For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all of his flesh." And just as water raises a man from his uncleanliness, so, words of Torah raise a man from uncleanliness to cleanliness, as it is written
(Psalms 19:10) "The fear of the Lord is pure." And just as water restores a man's soul, so, words of Torah restore a man's soul from the path of evil to that of good, viz. (
Ibid. 8) "The Torah of the Lord is whole, restoring the soul." And just as water is free for the world, so words of Torah are free for the world, viz.
(Isaiah 55:1) "Ho! all who thirst, go to the waters!" — But perhaps, just as water has no value, so Torah has no value; it is, therefore, written
(Proverbs 3:15) "It is more precious than pearls, and all of your desires cannot be compared to it."
— But perhaps, just as water does not rejoice the heart of one who has learned, so words of Torah do not rejoice (the heart); it is, therefore, written
(Song of Songs 1:2) "for Your love is better than wine." Just as wine rejoices, so words of Torah rejoice, as it is written
(Psalms 18:9) "The statutes of the Lord are just, rejoicing the heart." And just as with wine, you taste the flavor of wine from the beginning, but the more it ages in the bottle, the more its flavor is enhanced, so, words of Torah — the older they grow in the body, the more their "flavor" is enhanced, viz.
(Job 12:12) "With the aged there is wisdom, and with length of days, understanding." And just as wine is not preserved in vessels of gold or in vessels of silver, but in the basest of vessels, those of clay, so, words of Torah are preserved only in one who lowers himself.
— But perhaps, just as wine is sometimes bad for the head and for the body, so, words of Torah; it is, therefore, written
(Song of Songs 1:3) "For fragrance Your oils are good; poured-forth oil is Your name." Just as oil is good for the head and good for the body, so, words of Torah, as it is written
(Proverbs 3:8) "It is healing for your navel and marrow for your bones," and (
Ibid. 4;9) "It will give your head an adornment of grace; a crown of glory will it accord you." Words of Torah are compared to oil and honey, viz.
(Psalms 19:11) "and they are sweeter than honey and the honeycomb."
Variantly
(Devarim 11:22) "For if you will keep, keep all of this mitzvah": Whence is it derived that if a man heard a word (i.e., a command) of the words of the Torah first and he fulfilled it, then just as the first was fulfilled by him, so, the others will be fulfilled by him? From "If you keep (the first), then you will keep all of this mitzvah." The same applies (conversely [i.e., that he will forget them]) to one who learned the first things and forgot them. — But perhaps (the intent is [not the above]), but because he learned the first ones and forgot them, then just as the first ones will not be fulfilled by him, then the later ones, too, will not be fulfilled by him; it is, therefore, written (
Ibid. 8:19) "And if you forget, you shall forget." You will not raise your eyes from it before it vanishes, as it is written
(Proverbs 23:5) "If you close your eyes over it, it will be gone. For it will make wings for itself like an eagle, and it will fly heavenwards." And it is written in
Megillath Chassidim: "If you forsake me for a day, I will forsake you for two days."
An analogy: Two men meet, and they do not separate from each other until one has walked a mil, and the other, a mil, at which time they are found to be at a distance of two mills from each other. Variantly: Lest you say: There are the sons of the elders, there are the sons of the great ones, there are the sons of the prophets (i.e., Let
them study the Torah!) It is, therefore, written "For if keep, you (plural [i.e., all of you]) shall keep all of this mitzvah." We are hereby taught that all are equal in (the mitzvah of studying) Torah. And thus is it written
(Devarim 33:4) "Torah was commanded to us by Moses, the inheritance of
the congregation of Jacob": It is not written "Cohanim, Levites, and Israelites," but "the
congregation of Jacob." And thus is it written (
Ibid. 29:9) "You are standing this day, all of you, before the Lord your G-d, your heads of your tribes, your elders and your officers, all the men of Israel." If not for (all of) these, who stood and fulfilled Torah in Israel, would Torah not have been forgotten in Israel? And if Shafan in his time (viz. II Kings 22) and
Ezra in his time and R. Akiva in his time had not stood up (on behalf of Torah), would Torah not have been forgotten in Israel? And it is written
(Proverbs 15:3) "A thing in its time — how good!" The thing that this one (i.e., each one of those in his time) said is over and against all! It is written
(Amos 8:12) "They will wander to seek the word of the Lord and they will not find it": As a tourist, who goes from city to city and from province to province, so is a woman destined to make the rounds of the houses of prayer and the houses of study about a
sheretz (a creeping thing) that had touched a loaf to determine whether (this is an instance of) first-degree or second-degree
tumah (uncleanliness). R. Shimon b. Yochai says: G-d forbid (to say) that Torah will be forgotten from Israel. Is it not written
(Devarim 31:21) "for it will not be forgotten from the mouth of their seed"? How, then, am I to understand "They will wander to seek the word of the Lord and they will not find it"? They will not find a clear
halachah in one place, but one man will forbid, and another permit; one man will rule unclean, and another, clean, and they will not find a clear thing.
Variantly: "For if you keep, keep, all of this mitzvah": Lest you say: I shall learn (only) this formidable section and leave this simple one, it is, therefore, written (
Ibid. 32:47) "For it is not an empty thing from you." Something that you call "empty" is empty only from (i.e., because of) you. What you are calling "empty" is (
Ibid.) "your lives" and length of days. Do not say "I have learned the
halachoth; that is enough for me." It is, therefore, written "if you keep, keep,
all of this mitzvah." Learn
all of the mitzvah —
midrash (
Sifra and
Sifrei),
halachoth, and
aggadoth. And thus is it written (
Ibid. 8:3) "to make it known to you that not through
bread alone shall a man live": "bread" is
midrash. (
Ibid.) "but by all that issues from the mouth of the Lord shall a man live": These are
halachoth and
aggadoth. And thus is it written
(Proverbs 27:11) "Grow wise, my son, and rejoice my heart, and I will answer my shamers in kind," and (
Ibid. 23:15) "My son, when your heart becomes wise, then my heart, too, will rejoice." R. Shimon b. Yochai says: This tells me only of his father on earth. Whence do I derive (that this holds true also for) his Father in heaven? From "my heart,
too, shall rejoice" — to include his Father in heaven.
"… that I command you to do": Why is this written? Because it is written (Ibid. 28:1) "And it shall be if you shall hear, etc." I might think that if one hears words of Torah, he may sit and do nothing; it is, therefore, written (Ibid. 11:22) "you shall keep … to do it" — you shall revert to doing it. If one learned Torah, he has one mitzvah. If he learned and kept, he has two. If he learned and kept and did, there is nothing higher than this.
"to love the Lord your G-d": Lest you say: I will learn in order to sit in sessions; so that I merit eternal life in the world to come; it is, therefore, written "to love the Lord your G-d" — Learn in any event; honor will come as a matter of course. And thus is it written
(Proverbs 4:12) "For they (words of Torah) are life to those who find them, and to all his flesh, healing," and (
Ibid. 3:18) "It (Torah) is a tree of life to those who hold fast to it, and happy are those who uphold it," and (
Ibid. 4:9) "It will give your head
an ornament of grace": in this world; "a crown of glory will it accord you": in the world to come. R. Eliezer b. R. Tzaddok says: "Do things (mitzvoth) for the sake of doing them, and speak of them for their own sakes." And thus does Hillel say: "One who makes use of the 'Crown' (for his own purposes) passes away" (from the world.) And thus was he wont to say: "Now if Belshazzar, who made use of the Temple vessels, which were
chol (i.e., mundane), was uprooted from this world and the world to come, how much more so, one who makes use of (i.e., exploits) the vessel (Torah) with which this world and the world to come were created!"
[End of Piska]
[Piska 49]
"to walk in His ways": Which are the ways of the Holy One Blessed be He?
(Shemot 34:6-7) "The Lord, the Lord, G-d of mercy and grace, slow to wrath and abundant in mercy and truth, keeping lovingkindness for thousands, forgiving transgression, offense, and sin, and cleansing …" And it is written
(Yoel 3:5) "All who will be called by the name of the Lord will escape": Now how is it possible for a man to be called by the name of the Holy One Blessed be He? But, (the intent is) just as the Lord is called "merciful and gracious," you, too, be merciful and gracious, and give gratuitously to all. Just as the Holy One Blessed be He is called "righteous," viz.
(Psalms 145:17) "Righteous is the Lord in all His ways and saintly in all His acts" — you, too, be righteous. Just as the Holy One Blessed be He is called "saintly," — you, too, be saintly. This is the intent of "All who will be called by the name of the Lord will escape." And it is written
(Isaiah 43:7) "… everyone that is called by My name. For My honor I have created him, and formed him, and fashioned him." And it is written
(Proverbs 16:4) "The Lord has created all for His sake." (Devarim,
Ibid.)
"and to cleave to Him": How is it possible for a man to ascend the heights and cleave to Him? Is it not written (
Ibid. 4:24) "For the Lord your G-d is a consuming fire"? and
(Daniel 8:9) "His throne was like a fiery flame and its wheels like burning fire"? But, (the intent is) cleave to the sages and to the disciples, and I will account it to you as if you had ascended the heights and had taken it (the Torah). And not as if you had taken it peacefully, but as if you had waged war and taken it. And thus is it written
(Psalms 68:19) "You ascended on high; you took spoils; you took gifts for man."
The expounders of metaphor say: Do you wish to recognize the One who spoke and brought the world into being? Learn
haggadah. For if you do so, you will come to recognize the Holy One Blessed be He and cleave to His ways. And if you do yours, then I will do Mine,
(Devarim 11:23) "and the Lord will drive out, etc."
[End of Piska]