“An unfulfilled promise makes the heart sick, but fulfilled desire comes from the tree of life.” (Mishlei, 13:12) “The tree of life” teaches of one who studies the Torah for the sake of Heaven. One who studies Torah for the sake of Heaven will see that no deferment of his longings. To the contrary, they will come immediately. THe verse writes “Desire comes” in the present tense, because it will always come to him immediately. This is as it is written (Bereshit, 29:6), “and his daughter Rachel comes.”
“Good understanding will give grace ….” (Mishlei, 13:15) Indeed, understanding refers to a place where the judgment of one’s own understanding necessitates action. If so, what does grace have to do with this? God grants grace when one is forgiving! However, “good understanding will give grace” means that with good understanding and judgment one can actually sway the opinion of his fellow man, even if compared to his own understanding his fellow’s understanding seems to him to be the opposite. If a person is not good in his own mind, then when he sees that his fellow man objects to his understanding, he will not sway his heart to understand as he does, and so too his fellow man will not find his understanding acceptable.
“… and the way of the iniquitous is difficult.” (Mishlei, 13:15) “Difficult,” eitan in Hebrew, denotes brazenness and stubbornness, the opposite of good attributes. This is because his intellect objects to the characteristics of truth. In this way he strengthens himself in his brazenness and stubbornly continues to try to win over his fellow man.
“A righteous one eats to satisfy his soul, but the belly of the evil ones will be lacking.” (Mishlei, 13:25) “A righteous one” is expressed in the singular, and “the evil ones” is expressed in the plural. This means that the tsaddik (righteous one) is very careful in how he eats, and finds it difficult to eat in a gathering that is not for the purpose of a mitzvah (i.e., Shabbat, a wedding, etc.). This is as it is said in the Gemara (Sanhedrin, 23a), “the pure-minded of Jerusalem would not sit down to a meal unless they knew with whom they were dining.” “The belly of the evil ones is lacking” means that the desire of the evil ones is to eat together in the company of the other such miscreants, but not at a gathering for a mitzvah. Therefore it reads (Mishlei, 12:26), “the righteous seek to cultivate others,” meaning if the gathering is for the purpose of a mitzvah then the tsaddik’s goodness is increased from the company of his friends. This is as our sages have said (Berachot, 63b), “a sword is on the enemies of the sages who sit alone and study Torah separately.”8This is an interpretation of Yirmiya 50:36, “a sword is on the lying sorcerers and they will become foolish.” “Sorcerers” badim, is like bad bevad, meaning “alone.”
תּוֹחֶלֶת מְמֻשָּׁכָה מַחֲלָה לֵב וְעֵץ חַיִּים תַּאֲוָה בָאָה. "עֵץ חַיִּים" מוֹרֶה לְמִי שֶׁעוֹסֵק בַּתּוֹרָה לִשְׁמָהּ, הַיְינוּ מִי שֶׁעוֹסֵק בַּתּוֹרָה לִשְׁמָהּ רוֹאֶה שֶׁאֵין לוֹ שׁוּם מְמֻשָּׁכָה לַאֲשֶׁר יָחִיל, רַק יָבֹא תֵּיכֶף וּמִיָּד, וּ"בָאָה" לְשׁוֹן הוֹוֶה שֶׁתָּמִיד יָבֹא אֵלָיו מִיָּד, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (בראשית כ"ט,ו') "וְרָחֵל בִּתּוֹ בָּאָה" כוּ׳.
“An unfulfilled promise makes the heart sick, but fulfilled desire comes from the tree of life.” (Mishlei, 13:12)
“The tree of life” teaches of one who studies the Torah for the sake of Heaven. One who studies Torah for the sake of Heaven will see that no deferment of his longings. To the contrary, they will come immediately. THe verse writes “Desire comes” in the present tense, because it will always come to him immediately. This is as it is written (Bereshit, 29:6), “and his daughter Rachel comes.”
שֵׂכֶל טוֹב יִתֶּן חֵן. הָאָמְנָם שֶׁשֵּׂכֶל הַיְינוּ בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁמִּשְׁפַּט הַשֵּׂכֶל יְחַיֵּיב לַעֲשׂוֹת, וְאִם כֵּן מַה חֵן שַׁיָּיךְ בָּזֶה כִּי עִיקַּר הַחֵן הוּא רַק בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁהָאָדָם יַעֲבֹר עַל מִדּוֹתָיו, אַךְ "שֵׂכֶל טוֹב יִתֶּן חֵן" הוּא, שֶׁבַּשֵּׂכֶל הַטּוֹב יוּכַל הָאָדָם לְהַטּוֹת אֶת דַּעַת חֲבֵירוֹ אַף כִּי נֶגֶד דַּעַת חֲבֵירוֹ יִרְאֶה לְהֵיפֶךְ, וּבְאִם אֵין הָאָדָם טוֹב בְּדַעְתּוֹ אָז כְּשֶׁיִּרְאֶה שֶׁחֲבֵירוֹ מִתְנַגֵּד לְשִׂכְלוֹ לֹא יַטֶּה לִבּוֹ לְהָבִין לַחֲבֵירוֹ וּמִמֵּילָא גַּם חֲבֵירוֹ לֹא יֹאבֶה לוֹ.
“Good understanding will give grace ….” (Mishlei, 13:15)
Indeed, understanding refers to a place where the judgment of one’s own understanding necessitates action. If so, what does grace have to do with this? God grants grace when one is forgiving! However, “good understanding will give grace” means that with good understanding and judgment one can actually sway the opinion of his fellow man, even if compared to his own understanding his fellow’s understanding seems to him to be the opposite. If a person is not good in his own mind, then when he sees that his fellow man objects to his understanding, he will not sway his heart to understand as he does, and so too his fellow man will not find his understanding acceptable.
וְדֶרֶךְ בּוֹגְדִים אֵיתָן. אֵיתָן הוּא לְשׁוֹן תַּקּוּפוּת וְעִקְּשׁוּת הֵיפֶךְ מִמִּדּוֹת הַטּוֹב, מֵחֲמַת שֶׁהַשֵּׂכֶל שֶׁלּוֹ מִתְנַגֵּד לְמִדּוֹת הָאֱמֶת וְהוּא מִתְחַזֵּק עַצְמוֹ בְּתַקּוּפוּת וּמִתְעַקֵּשׁ לְנַצֵּחַ אֶת חֲבֵירוֹ.
“… and the way of the iniquitous is difficult.” (Mishlei, 13:15)
“Difficult,” eitan in Hebrew, denotes brazenness and stubbornness, the opposite of good attributes. This is because his intellect objects to the characteristics of truth. In this way he strengthens himself in his brazenness and stubbornly continues to try to win over his fellow man.
צַדִּיק אֹכֵל לְשֹׂבַע נַפְשׁוֹ. לְשׁוֹן יָחִיד "וּבֶטֶן רְשָׁעִים" כוּ׳ לְשׁוֹן רַבִּים, הַיְינוּ שֶׁהַצַּדִּיק זָהִיר בָּאֲכִילָה וְקָשֶׁה אֶצְלוֹ לֶאֱכוֹל בַּחֲבוּרָה שֶׁאֵינוֹ שֶׁל מִצְוָה כְּמַאֲמַר חֲזַ"ל (סנהדרין כ"ג.) נְקִיֵּי הַדַּעַת שֶׁבִּירוּשָׁלַיִם לֹא הָיוּ אוֹכְלִים כוּ׳. "וּבֶטֶן רְשָׁעִים" כוּ׳ הַיְינוּ תַּאֲוַת רָשָׁע הוּא רַק לֶאֱכוֹל בַּחֲבוּרַת רְשָׁעִים, לֹא בְּשֶׁל מִצְוָה, לָכֵן נֶאֱמַר אַחַר כָּךְ "יָתֵר מֵרֵעֵהוּ צַדִּיק". הַיְינוּ אִם הוּא חֲבוּרָה שֶׁל מִצְוָה וְאָז הַצַּדִּיק מְיַתֵּר הַרְבֵּה מֵרֵעֵהוּ כְּמַאֲמַר חֲזַ"ל (ברכות ס"ג:) שְׁנַיִם שֶׁשּׁוֹנִים וְלֹא בַּד בְּבַד.
“A righteous one eats to satisfy his soul, but the belly of the evil ones will be lacking.” (Mishlei, 13:25)
“A righteous one” is expressed in the singular, and “the evil ones” is expressed in the plural. This means that the tsaddik (righteous one) is very careful in how he eats, and finds it difficult to eat in a gathering that is not for the purpose of a mitzvah (i.e., Shabbat, a wedding, etc.). This is as it is said in the Gemara (Sanhedrin, 23a), “the pure-minded of Jerusalem would not sit down to a meal unless they knew with whom they were dining.” “The belly of the evil ones is lacking” means that the desire of the evil ones is to eat together in the company of the other such miscreants, but not at a gathering for a mitzvah. Therefore it reads (Mishlei, 12:26), “the righteous seek to cultivate others,” meaning if the gathering is for the purpose of a mitzvah then the tsaddik’s goodness is increased from the company of his friends. This is as our sages have said (Berachot, 63b), “a sword is on the enemies of the sages who sit alone and study Torah separately.”8This is an interpretation of Yirmiya 50:36, “a sword is on the lying sorcerers and they will become foolish.” “Sorcerers” badim, is like bad bevad, meaning “alone.”