Mei HaShiloach · Volume I, Writings, Proverbs, Chapter 19
1
גדל חמה נשא ענש. הכתוב הוא גרל חמה והוא מורה שאפילו נזרק חמה מפיו שלא בכוונה הוא ג"כ נושא עונש, ובזה המתיקו חז"ל מפני שחפצו בטובת ישראל ותקנו גדל חמה היינו מי שהוא מגדיל החמה בדעתו וכן בכל מקום הקרי ממתיק את הכתוב.
“One who is great in anger will take the punishment ….” (Mishlei, 19:19) “Great” godel as it is traditionally read, is actually written in the scroll of Mishlei as goral “fate,” by changing the reish to a dalet. The meaning of the way it is written is “it is the fate of one who gets angry to receive punishment.” Thus one who spits vitrol from his lips unintentionally will also have to accept his punishment. To this our sages, who desire the betterment of Israel, established the verse to read Godel Cheima, “one who is great in anger,” meaning one who exaggerates the anger in his mind (but does not bring it out). This is a principle in every case in the Torah where a word is traditionally read differently from how it is written; the way that it is read always sweetens the way in which it is written.
2
תאות אדם חסדו וטוב רש מאיש כזב. תאות אדם הוא התאוה שנמצא בלב האדם גם זה חסד מהש"י כי כל הגדול מחבירו יצרו גדול ממנו (סוכה נ"ב.), ואם יכניס את כח חשקו ותאותו לתוך הקדושה אז יגדל מעלתו ביותר, אך טוב רש מאיש כזב היינו אם מוציא את התאוה לפועל במקום זר זה נקרא איש כזב, היינו שמכזב בה, אז טוב ממנו הרש שלא נברא בכח תאוה כזה, מאחר שאינו משתמש בה כפי הצורך.
“The desire of man is his mercy, and a poor man is better than a liar.” (Mishlei, 19:22) The desire of man is the lust within his heart, and this is also from the kindness of God, for whoever is greater than his fellow, so too is his inclination to evil greater (Succa, 52a). If he enters the power of his lust and desire into Kedusha (holiness), then his greatness will increase all the more. So therefore, “a poor man is better than a liar,” because if he brings out his lusts into action in a strange place, he is then called “a liar,” for he is lying with his potential. Then the poor man, who was not created with such powerful lusts, is better than him, since he does not materialize it according to his needs.
גדל חמה נשא ענש. הכתוב הוא גרל חמה והוא מורה שאפילו נזרק חמה מפיו שלא בכוונה הוא ג"כ נושא עונש, ובזה המתיקו חז"ל מפני שחפצו בטובת ישראל ותקנו גדל חמה היינו מי שהוא מגדיל החמה בדעתו וכן בכל מקום הקרי ממתיק את הכתוב.
“One who is great in anger will take the punishment ….” (Mishlei, 19:19)
“Great” godel as it is traditionally read, is actually written in the scroll of Mishlei as goral “fate,” by changing the reish to a dalet. The meaning of the way it is written is “it is the fate of one who gets angry to receive punishment.” Thus one who spits vitrol from his lips unintentionally will also have to accept his punishment. To this our sages, who desire the betterment of Israel, established the verse to read Godel Cheima, “one who is great in anger,” meaning one who exaggerates the anger in his mind (but does not bring it out). This is a principle in every case in the Torah where a word is traditionally read differently from how it is written; the way that it is read always sweetens the way in which it is written.
תאות אדם חסדו וטוב רש מאיש כזב. תאות אדם הוא התאוה שנמצא בלב האדם גם זה חסד מהש"י כי כל הגדול מחבירו יצרו גדול ממנו (סוכה נ"ב.), ואם יכניס את כח חשקו ותאותו לתוך הקדושה אז יגדל מעלתו ביותר, אך טוב רש מאיש כזב היינו אם מוציא את התאוה לפועל במקום זר זה נקרא איש כזב, היינו שמכזב בה, אז טוב ממנו הרש שלא נברא בכח תאוה כזה, מאחר שאינו משתמש בה כפי הצורך.
“The desire of man is his mercy, and a poor man is better than a liar.” (Mishlei, 19:22)
The desire of man is the lust within his heart, and this is also from the kindness of God, for whoever is greater than his fellow, so too is his inclination to evil greater (Succa, 52a). If he enters the power of his lust and desire into Kedusha (holiness), then his greatness will increase all the more. So therefore, “a poor man is better than a liar,” because if he brings out his lusts into action in a strange place, he is then called “a liar,” for he is lying with his potential. Then the poor man, who was not created with such powerful lusts, is better than him, since he does not materialize it according to his needs.