MORAL GUIDANCE (Including discussions between friends on spiritual matters) The Sages who offer guidance and criticism to their contemporaries in order to improve them sweeten the harsh judgements and cause peace to spread throughout the world. But when people’s wickedness is so great that it spoils the very guidance and criticism themselves, the cause of peace is ruined and instability and strife become rampant throughout the world (22:1).
תּוֹכָחָה
וּבוֹ כָּלוּל מַה שֶּׁצָּרִיךְ כָּל אֶחָד לְדַבֵּר עִם חֲבֵרוֹ בְּיִרְאַת שָׁמַיִם
[א]. מוֹכִיחֵי הַדּוֹר שֶׁהוֹלְכִים וּמוֹכִיחִים הַדּוֹר כְּדֵי לְהַחֲזִירָם לַמּוּטָב, הֵם מַמְתִּיקִין הַדִּינִים וּמַרְבִּים שָׁלוֹם בָּעוֹלָם. אֲבָל כְּשֶׁחַ"ו הָרָע שֶׁל הַדּוֹר גּוֹבֵר, עַד שֶׁמְּקַלְקֵל אֶת הַתּוֹכָחָה וְהַמּוּסָר, מִזֶּה נִתְקַלְקֵל שְׁלוֹם הָעוֹלָם וְעַל־יְדֵי זֶה נַעֲשָׂה גֵּרוּשׁ חַ"ו, וְנַעֲשָׂה מַחֲלֹקֶת בָּעוֹלָם: (לק"א סי' כ"ב אות א')
MORAL GUIDANCE (Including discussions between friends on spiritual matters)
The Sages who offer guidance and criticism to their contemporaries in order to improve them sweeten the harsh judgements and cause peace to spread throughout the world. But when people’s wickedness is so great that it spoils the very guidance and criticism themselves, the cause of peace is ruined and instability and strife become rampant throughout the world (22:1).