בש"ס דתענית פרק קמא (ד"ח ע"א) וא"ר אמי מאי דכתיב (קהלת י׳:י״א) אם ישוך הנחש בלא לחש כו' אם השמים נעצרין וכו' מאי תקנתיה ילך אצל חסיד שבדור ויתפלל וכו', ואם לחש ונענה והגיס דעתו מביא אף לעולם, שנאמר (איוב ל״ו:ל״ג) מקנה אף על עולה וכו', והקשה מורי אם הוא חטא והגיס דעתו, העולם מה חטאו, וביאר כי מהראוי שמי שאמר לשמן וידליק הוא יאמר לחומץ וידליק כרבי חנינא בן דוסא (תענית דכ"ה ע"א) ואם היו כל בני עולם נוהגין בחסידות לא היה פלא על אחד שאמר לחומץ וידליק וכך היה, כי כולם עושים כך, מה שאין כן מחמת שבני עולם הולכין בשרירות לבם הרע, ואין עולה להם זה, כי אם ליחיד בדורו, שאם נענה בתפלה הוא דבר נפלא בעיניהם, לכך מגיס זה דעתו, ואם כן הוא בסיבת דורו ובני עולם, לכך מביא אף בעולם ודפח"ח: (תוי"י ויצא דכ"ח ע"א, חקת דקס"ב ע"א, רשפי אש פ' בראשית אות י"ד).
Rabbi Ami said: “What is the meaning of, ‘If the serpent bites because it was not charmed,1Literally, “whispered to.” then the master of speech has no advantage” (Ecclesiastes 10:11)? If you see a generation in which the sky is as rust-colored as copper, from not precipitating dew and rain, it is because the generation lacks those who pray softly.2Literally, “those who whisper” (as in the Amidah prayer). The Sages use the same word as in the verse from Ecclesiastes – lochashi lechishos. What is the solution? They should go to one who knows how to whisper, as it is written: “His colleague should speak on his behalf” (Job 36:33)…. And if he whispers and succeeded [in bringing rain], and then becomes haughty, he brings Divine anger to the world, as it is said: “He acquires wrath, one who swells up with pride”3This is a homiletic interpretation of the verse, and not the literal meaning. (ibid).4Ta’anis 8a. If he sinned and become haughty,5The one whose prayers were answered. what did the world do wrong [to deserve punishment]? In the ideal state, “the One who makes oil burn can also make vinegar burn,” as in the story of R. Chanina ben Dosa.6Ibid. 25a. The Talmud relates that one Friday afternoon close to sunset, the daughter of Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa accidentally put vinegar in the Shabbos lamps, rather than oil. When she told her father, he remarked: “The One who tells oil to burn can tell vinegar to burn.” The Talmud relates that the candles lit and burned until the end of Shabbos. Now, if all the people in the world were truly pious, this would not be such an amazing feat, for everyone could do it. But when the whole world is debased, so that only a single individual can accomplish this, it is amazing to witness how his prayers are answered. However, if he then becomes proud due to the other people, this brings [Divine] fury upon the world.7That is, he feels pride because he is unique among other men. This creates an accusing force against the rest of the world for not being on a higher level themselves. Toldos Yaakov Yosef, p. 28a, 162a8See also Rishpei Eish, Bereishis 14.
בש"ס דתענית פרק קמא (ד"ח ע"א) וא"ר אמי מאי דכתיב (קהלת י׳:י״א) אם ישוך הנחש בלא לחש כו' אם השמים נעצרין וכו' מאי תקנתיה ילך אצל חסיד שבדור ויתפלל וכו', ואם לחש ונענה והגיס דעתו מביא אף לעולם, שנאמר (איוב ל״ו:ל״ג) מקנה אף על עולה וכו', והקשה מורי אם הוא חטא והגיס דעתו, העולם מה חטאו, וביאר כי מהראוי שמי שאמר לשמן וידליק הוא יאמר לחומץ וידליק כרבי חנינא בן דוסא (תענית דכ"ה ע"א) ואם היו כל בני עולם נוהגין בחסידות לא היה פלא על אחד שאמר לחומץ וידליק וכך היה, כי כולם עושים כך, מה שאין כן מחמת שבני עולם הולכין בשרירות לבם הרע, ואין עולה להם זה, כי אם ליחיד בדורו, שאם נענה בתפלה הוא דבר נפלא בעיניהם, לכך מגיס זה דעתו, ואם כן הוא בסיבת דורו ובני עולם, לכך מביא אף בעולם ודפח"ח:
(תוי"י ויצא דכ"ח ע"א, חקת דקס"ב ע"א, רשפי אש פ' בראשית אות י"ד).
Rabbi Ami said: “What is the meaning of, ‘If the serpent bites because it was not charmed,1Literally, “whispered to.” then the master of speech has no advantage” (Ecclesiastes 10:11)? If you see a generation in which the sky is as rust-colored as copper, from not precipitating dew and rain, it is because the generation lacks those who pray softly.2Literally, “those who whisper” (as in the Amidah prayer). The Sages use the same word as in the verse from Ecclesiastes – lochashi lechishos. What is the solution? They should go to one who knows how to whisper, as it is written: “His colleague should speak on his behalf” (Job 36:33)…. And if he whispers and succeeded [in bringing rain], and then becomes haughty, he brings Divine anger to the world, as it is said: “He acquires wrath, one who swells up with pride”3This is a homiletic interpretation of the verse, and not the literal meaning. (ibid).4Ta’anis 8a.
If he sinned and become haughty,5The one whose prayers were answered. what did the world do wrong [to deserve punishment]?
In the ideal state, “the One who makes oil burn can also make vinegar burn,” as in the story of R. Chanina ben Dosa.6Ibid. 25a. The Talmud relates that one Friday afternoon close to sunset, the daughter of Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa accidentally put vinegar in the Shabbos lamps, rather than oil. When she told her father, he remarked: “The One who tells oil to burn can tell vinegar to burn.” The Talmud relates that the candles lit and burned until the end of Shabbos. Now, if all the people in the world were truly pious, this would not be such an amazing feat, for everyone could do it. But when the whole world is debased, so that only a single individual can accomplish this, it is amazing to witness how his prayers are answered. However, if he then becomes proud due to the other people, this brings [Divine] fury upon the world.7That is, he feels pride because he is unique among other men. This creates an accusing force against the rest of the world for not being on a higher level themselves.
Toldos Yaakov Yosef, p. 28a, 162a8See also Rishpei Eish, Bereishis 14.