Impudence, or shamelessness, is a most inferior trait in all of its manifestations. It is the opposite of modesty, for the one who is humble and has a sense of shame is generous, compassionate, forgiving and pardoning. But he who is impudent does not feel shame before any man, but stands rudely before all men, does every evil thing, without shame, but on the contrary, clings obstinately to his evil and grows harder in his transgressions. Concerning this type of person it is said: "They have made their faces harder than a rock! They have refused to repent" (Jer. 5:3). And it is said: "And the children are brazen-faced and hard-hearted" (Ezek. 2:4).
And the opposite of all good traits that appear in the modest person are found in the impudent. When a man persists in this quality and increases in impudence he becomes very disgusting in the eyes of all people, no matter how wise he is. Many evils follow in the train of impudence. He who deals impudently with others will not be free from quarrels, hatred and jealousy. And he who is of the impudent ones denies the uniqueness of God. Such a person cannot bear the presence of a great man and cannot be gracious to the old, and all the transgressions in the Torah are trivial in his eyes — all because of his great impudence. And of him it is said : "The impudent to Gehenna!" (Aboth 5:20).
The impudent person is called wicked, as it is said: "A wicked man hardens his face" (Prov. 21:29). And the wicked are ugly and despicable before the Lord, Blessed He be. And the name of the wicked is ugly, as it is written: "But the name of the wicked shall rot" (Prov. 10:7). On the quality of a sense of shame it is said: "And He teaches the humble His way" (Ps. 25:9). And concerning the wicked impudent it is said: "But the way of the wicked He makes crooked" (Ps. 146:9).
He who has the trait of impudence commits sins in great quantities and yet considers himself righteous. And it is in this vein that we confess our sins by declaring, "We are not impudent and stiff-necked to say before Thee O Lord our Lord 'We are altogether righteous and we have not sinned.' " And this is a very wretched and evil quality — one who is wicked and yet says "I have not sinned." And for this the Holy One, Blessed is He, judges him and has no mercy upon him, as it is written: "Behold I will enter into judgment with you because you say 'I have not sinned' " (Jer. 2:35). And He has said: "He that covers his transgressions shall not prosper, but who so confesses and forsakes them shall obtain mercy" (Prov. 28:13). And this path of the hard and impudent is far indeed from the paths of repentance. And of the harlot it is said in Proverbs 7:13: "With an impudent face she said to him…". This quality is very evil, for it brings man to shaming his companion and the poor, as it is said: "The poor pleads but the rich answer impudently" (Prov. 18:23). And how much more evil is it when he shames his teachers and acts impudently towards them, and hardens his neck to those who rebuke him because of his excessive rudeness — then this evil quality can remove him from the world. It is proper that a man should far remove any touch of impudence from his soul.
But this very quality of impudence is very praiseworthy in connection with the Torah and Service to God — to be impudent towards the wicked and stiffen the neck against them in order not to listen to their counsel, and not to accept their lies and abominations and not to flatter them. And a man should have a touch of impudence in observing the commandments if people laugh at him for doing so. He must "harden his face", be bold towards his teachers, to ask what he does not know and not be ashamed in doing this, and he must "harden his face" or be bold in rebuking people and in revealing to them their sins.
And a man should strengthen himself in connection with this quality — to subdue it where it would be shameful to assume it, and to strengthen himself over it according to his strength. For it is very difficult to completely escape from this evil quality if he does not pit the maximum of his strength and the very might of his power against it to conquer it and remove it from his presence in the place where it would be sinful to use it, and to set it up within him and in his face in such a place where he would receive a reward for his obstinance.
שַׁעַר הָרְבִיעִי – שַׁעַר הָעַזּוּת
Chapter Four: ON IMPUDENCE
הָעַזּוּת הִיא מִדָּה גְּרוּעָה בְּרוֹב פְּעֻלּוֹתֶיהָ, וְהִיא הִפּוּךְ מִמִּדַּת הַבּוּשָׁה. כִּי הַבַּיְשָׁן מַעֲבִיר עַל מִדּוֹתָיו, וְחוֹמֵל וְסוֹלֵחַ וּמוֹחֵל. אֲבָל מִי שֶׁהוּא עַז פָּנִים לֹא יִתְבַּיֵּשׁ מִפְּנֵי אִישׁ, אַךְ עוֹמֵד בְּעַזּוּת עִם כָּל אָדָם. וְעוֹשֶׂה כָּל מַעֲשֶׂה רַע וְלֹא יִתְבַּיֵּשׁ, אַךְ מִתְחַזֵּק בְּרָעָתוֹ וּמִתְקַשֶּׁה בָּעֲבֵרָה. וְעַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר (ירמיהו ה ג): ״חִזְּקוּ פְנֵיהֶם מִסֶּלַע״; וְנֶאֱמַר (יחזקאל ב ד): ״וְהַבָּנִים קְשֵׁי פָנִים וְחִזְקֵי לֵב״.
Impudence, or shamelessness, is a most inferior trait in all of its manifestations. It is the opposite of modesty, for the one who is humble and has a sense of shame is generous, compassionate, forgiving and pardoning. But he who is impudent does not feel shame before any man, but stands rudely before all men, does every evil thing, without shame, but on the contrary, clings obstinately to his evil and grows harder in his transgressions. Concerning this type of person it is said: "They have made their faces harder than a rock! They have refused to repent" (Jer. 5:3). And it is said: "And the children are brazen-faced and hard-hearted" (Ezek. 2:4).
וְכָל הַמַּעֲלוֹת הַטּוֹבוֹת הַנֶּאֱמָרוֹת עַל הַבּוּשָׁה הֵן הֵפֶךְ בָּעַזּוּת. וְכַאֲשֶׁר מִתְגַּבֵּר הָאָדָם בְּמִדָּה הַזֹּאת – נִבְזֶה הוּא מְאוֹד בְּעֵינֵי אָדָם, וַאֲפִלּוּ הוּא חָכָם. וְהַרְבֵּה רָעוֹת נִגְרָרוֹת אַחַר הָעַזּוּת, שֶׁהוּא מֵעֵז פָּנִים עִם בְּנֵי אָדָם – לֹא יִמָּלֵט מִן הַמַּחֲלֹקֶת וְשִׂנְאָה וְקִנְאָה. וּמִי שֶׁהוּא מֵעַזֵּי פָּנִים הוּא מַכְחִישׁ יִחוּסוֹ (יבמות עט א). וְהוּא לֹא יִשָּׂא פְּנֵי גָּדוֹל, וּפְנֵי זָקֵן לֹא יָחֹן, וְכָל עֲבֵרוֹת שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה הֵם קַלּוֹת בְּעֵינָיו לַעֲבֹר עֲלֵיהֶם, הַכֹּל לְפִי רֹב הָעַזּוּת שֶׁבּוֹ. וְעָלָיו נֶאֱמַר (אבות ה כ): ״עַז פָּנִים לְגֵיהִנֹּם״.
And the opposite of all good traits that appear in the modest person are found in the impudent. When a man persists in this quality and increases in impudence he becomes very disgusting in the eyes of all people, no matter how wise he is. Many evils follow in the train of impudence. He who deals impudently with others will not be free from quarrels, hatred and jealousy. And he who is of the impudent ones denies the uniqueness of God. Such a person cannot bear the presence of a great man and cannot be gracious to the old, and all the transgressions in the Torah are trivial in his eyes — all because of his great impudence. And of him it is said : "The impudent to Gehenna!" (Aboth 5:20).
הָעַז נִקְרָא ״רָשָׁע״, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (משלי כא כט): ״הֵעֵז אִישׁ רָשָׁע בְּפָנָיו״. וְהָרְשָׁעִים מְגֻנִּים וּמְאוּסִים לִפְנֵי הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, וְשֵׁם הָרְשָׁעִים מְגֻנֶּה, כְּדִכְתִיב (שם י ז): ״וְשֵׁם רְשָׁעִים יִרְקָב״. עַל הַבֹּשֶׁת נֶאֱמַר (תהלים כה ט): ״וִילַמֵּד עֲנָוִים דַּרְכּוֹ״; וְעַל הָעַז הָרָשָׁע נֶאֱמַר (שם קמו ט): ״וְדֶרֶךְ רְשָׁעִים יְעַוֵּת״.
The impudent person is called wicked, as it is said: "A wicked man hardens his face" (Prov. 21:29). And the wicked are ugly and despicable before the Lord, Blessed He be. And the name of the wicked is ugly, as it is written: "But the name of the wicked shall rot" (Prov. 10:7). On the quality of a sense of shame it is said: "And He teaches the humble His way" (Ps. 25:9). And concerning the wicked impudent it is said: "But the way of the wicked He makes crooked" (Ps. 146:9).
מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ מִדַּת הָעַזּוּת, עוֹשֶׂה עֲבֵרוֹת חֲבִילוֹת חֲבִילוֹת וְחוֹשֵׁב עַצְמוֹ צַדִּיק. וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ זֶה אָנוּ מִתְוַדִּים: אֵין אָנוּ עַזֵּי פָּנִים וּקְשֵׁי עֹרֶף לוֹמַר לְפָנֶיךָ יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ צַדִּיקִים אֲנַחְנוּ וְלֹא חָטָאנוּ, אֲבָל אֲנַחְנוּ וַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ חָטָאנוּ. וְזוֹ הִיא מִדָּה רָעָה חוֹלָה, מִי שֶׁהוּא רָשָׁע וְיֹאמַר ״לֹא חָטָאתִי״, וְעַל זֶה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שׁוֹפֵט וְאֵינוֹ מְרַחֵם עָלָיו, כְּדִכְתִיב (ירמיהו ב לה): ״הִנְנִי נִשְׁפָּט אוֹתָךְ עַל אָמְרֵךְ לֹא חָטָאתִי״; וּכְתִיב (משלי כח יג): ״וּמוֹדֶה וְעוֹזֵב יְרֻחָם״. וְזֶה הַדֶּרֶךְ הָעַז הוּא רָחוֹק מְאוֹד מִדַּרְכֵי הַתְּשׁוּבָה. וְעַל הַזּוֹנָה נֶאֱמַר (שם ז יג): ״הֵעֵזָה פָנֶיהָ וַתֹּאמַר לוֹ״. הַמִּדָּה הַזֹּאת הִיא רָעָה מְאוֹד, כִּי מְבִיאָה אֶת הָאָדָם לְבַיֵּשׁ אֶת חֲבֵרוֹ וְאֶת הָעֲנִיִּים, כְּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (משלי יח כג): ״תַּחֲנוּנִים יְדַבֶּר רָשׁ, וְעָשִׁיר יַעֲנֶה עַזּוֹת״. וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן אִם מְבַיֵּשׁ אֶת רַבּוֹתָיו וּמֵעֵז פָּנָיו נֶגְדָּם, וּמַקְשֶׁה עָרְפּוֹ נֶגֶד מוֹכִיחָיו מֵרֹב עַזּוּתוֹ – אָז הַמִּדָּה הַזֹּאת מוֹצִיאָתוֹ מִן הָעוֹלָם. וְרָאוּי לְהַרְחִיקָהּ מִנַּפְשׁוֹ.
He who has the trait of impudence commits sins in great quantities and yet considers himself righteous. And it is in this vein that we confess our sins by declaring, "We are not impudent and stiff-necked to say before Thee O Lord our Lord 'We are altogether righteous and we have not sinned.' " And this is a very wretched and evil quality — one who is wicked and yet says "I have not sinned." And for this the Holy One, Blessed is He, judges him and has no mercy upon him, as it is written: "Behold I will enter into judgment with you because you say 'I have not sinned' " (Jer. 2:35). And He has said: "He that covers his transgressions shall not prosper, but who so confesses and forsakes them shall obtain mercy" (Prov. 28:13). And this path of the hard and impudent is far indeed from the paths of repentance. And of the harlot it is said in Proverbs 7:13: "With an impudent face she said to him…". This quality is very evil, for it brings man to shaming his companion and the poor, as it is said: "The poor pleads but the rich answer impudently" (Prov. 18:23). And how much more evil is it when he shames his teachers and acts impudently towards them, and hardens his neck to those who rebuke him because of his excessive rudeness — then this evil quality can remove him from the world. It is proper that a man should far remove any touch of impudence from his soul.
אַךְ הַמִּדָּה הַזֹּאת מְשֻׁבַּחַת מְאוֹד בְּעַזּוּת הַתּוֹרָה וְהָעֲבוֹדָה: לְהָעֵז פָּנָיו נֶגֶד הָרְשָׁעִים, וּלְהַקְשׁוֹת עֹרֶף כְּנֶגְדָּם, שֶׁלֹּא לִשְׁמֹעַ לַעֲצָתָם, וְשֶׁלֹּא לְהוֹדוֹת עַל שִׁקְרֵיהֶם וְתוֹעֲבוֹתֵיהֶם, וְשֶׁלֹּא לְהַחֲנִיף לָהֶם. וְצָרִיךְ לְהָעֵז פָּנָיו אַף בְּקִיּוּם הַמִּצְווֹת, אַף אִם יִשְׂחֲקוּ בּוֹ בְּנֵי אָדָם. וְצָרִיךְ לְהָעֵז פָּנָיו נֶגֶד רַבּוֹתָיו לִשְׁאוֹל מָה שֶׁאֵינוֹ יוֹדֵעַ, וְלֹא יִתְבַּיֵּשׁ בָּזֶה (אבות ג ה). וְצָרִיךְ לְהָעֵז פָּנָיו לְהוֹכִיחַ בְּנֵי אָדָם, לְגַלּוֹת לָהֶם חַטֹּאתֵיהֶם.
But this very quality of impudence is very praiseworthy in connection with the Torah and Service to God — to be impudent towards the wicked and stiffen the neck against them in order not to listen to their counsel, and not to accept their lies and abominations and not to flatter them. And a man should have a touch of impudence in observing the commandments if people laugh at him for doing so. He must "harden his face", be bold towards his teachers, to ask what he does not know and not be ashamed in doing this, and he must "harden his face" or be bold in rebuking people and in revealing to them their sins.
וְצָרִיךְ הָאָדָם לְהַחֲזִיק עַל הַמִּדָּה הַזֹּאת: לְהַכְנִיעַ בְּמָקוֹם הַגְּנַאי, וּלְהִתְגַּבֵּר עָלֶיהָ כְּפִי כּוֹחוֹ. כִּי קָשֶׁה מְאוֹד לְהִמָּלֵט מִן הַמִּדָּה הָרָעָה הַזֹּאת, אִם לֹא שֶׁיָּשִׂים חֹזֶק כּוֹחוֹ וְעֹצֶם גְּבוּרָתוֹ, לְנַצְּחוֹ וּלְהַעֲבִירוֹ מִפָּנָיו בִּמְקוֹם הַחֵטְא, וּלְהַעֲמִידוֹ בְּקִרְבּוֹ וְעַל פָּנָיו בִּמְקוֹם אֲשֶׁר מְקַבֵּל שָׂכָר עַל קַשְׁיוּת עָרְפּוֹ.
And a man should strengthen himself in connection with this quality — to subdue it where it would be shameful to assume it, and to strengthen himself over it according to his strength. For it is very difficult to completely escape from this evil quality if he does not pit the maximum of his strength and the very might of his power against it to conquer it and remove it from his presence in the place where it would be sinful to use it, and to set it up within him and in his face in such a place where he would receive a reward for his obstinance.