Introduction: Between the Extremes
We stand at the heart of Chapter 7 in Kohelet, in the series of verses where King Solomon teaches us the doctrine of balance: "Do not be overly righteous," "Do not be overly wicked," "It is good that you grasp this and also do not let go of that." These verses seem perplexing at first glance - is it permitted to be a little wicked? - and precisely from this perplexity, the commentators open a wide window into understanding character development and the service of Hashem.
"Do Not Be Overly Wicked" - If Something Is Lost, Do Not Lose More
אַל תִּרְשַׁע הַרְבֵּה וְאַל תְּהִי סָכָל לָמָּה תָמוּת בְּלֹא עִתֶּךָ׃ - Do not be overly wicked, and do not be a fool; why should you die before your time?
The first interpretation follows what we saw earlier: a person should not say, "I committed a transgression, I am already cast away, what do I have to lose - I might as well sin more." That is it, it is all over, I have lost my World to Come, so at least let me enjoy what is here. Regarding this, it is said: "Do not be overly wicked." Rashi writes similarly: even if you have done a little wickedness, do not add more wickedness. The yetzer hara has another method to deceive a person, along the lines of "if I am lost, I am lost" - everything is gone, so just do whatever you feel like. Concerning this, the verse continues: "and do not be a fool" by forgetting the mitzvot, "why should you die before your time?" - for through this, Heaven forbid, one will die prematurely.
There is also another explanation: "Do not be overly wicked, and do not be a fool" - do not tell yourself that you are beyond repair. And "why should you die before your time?" does not necessarily mean that Heaven will take you before your appointed time, but that the anxiety itself will kill you. You constantly worry about what you have done and about your sins, while continuing to commit more sins, and these worries will lead you to die before your time.
One Who Ate Garlic - Should He Eat More?
Our Sages in Shabbat 31a ask the obvious question: "Do not be overly wicked" - does that mean a little is permitted? Is King Solomon permitting one to be a small, medium, or junior rasha, and only being a great wicked person is forbidden? Chazal answer with the well-known adage: If someone ate garlic and his breath smells, should he go back and eat more garlic so that his breath smells even worse? If a person stumbled, the solution is not to keep on stumbling.
The Chafetz Chaim would illustrate this with the parable of the apples: A woman was selling apples at a market stall. A boy came along who craved an apple, and because he did not know how to take one discreetly, he knocked over the cart. Everyone began running and grabbing them, and he too snatched some and fled. The woman stood on the side crying out: "My apples, my apples!" A wise man passed by and said to her: "Madam, a few more screams and you will have nothing left. You had better start gathering them too - whatever you gather will remain yours, and whatever you don't will be lost as well. What good does screaming do?"
This is precisely the case with us. A person weeps over the past and says: That is it, it is over, there is nothing left to do but scream. Solomon tells him: Why scream? Gather what you can, repair what remains. One who has stumbled - let him see now how to make amends.
The Heavenly Voice That Called Out to Saul
Chazal also expounded: When Saul said to Doeg, "You turn and strike down the kohanim," a heavenly voice (bat kol) went forth and said, "Do not be overly wicked." And "why should you die before your time?" - this refers to Saul, who died before his time, as it says, "And Saul died for his unfaithfulness that he committed regarding Nov, the city of the kohanim, and regarding Amalek." We see that this was the cause of his death. When you act with great wickedness, Heaven forbid, you die before your time.
Ibn Ezra: Occupying Oneself Only with What Is Sufficient
The Ibn Ezra first explains that excessive wickedness brings a person into danger, and therefore "why should you die before your time?" - from a simple realistic perspective: someone who pursues transgressions often puts his life in danger. Then he adds: know that wickedness here refers to becoming preoccupied with worldly affairs. That is, it does not mean sins, but excessive immersion in the pursuits of this world. "Do not be overly wicked" - occupy yourself with what will suffice for you, with what is strictly necessary. After all, all preoccupation with worldly matters is part of the curse, "By the sweat of your brow shall you eat bread," so why be stringent and intensify the curse?
Notice the precise wording: regarding wickedness it says "overly" [much], but regarding foolishness it does not say "do not be overly foolish," but rather "and do not be a fool at all" - for foolishness causes a person to die before his time. One who acts without sense and discretion shortens his own life.
Rav Saadia Gaon: Do Not Cross the Boundary of What Was Permitted to You
Rabbeinu Saadia Gaon also grapples with the question and answers: in the areas where you were permitted to act wickedly, do not cross the boundary. Nevuchadnetzar was permitted to exile Israel, but he was punished because he crossed the line. Had he remained within the bounds of what was permitted to him, he would not have been punished, for "Assyria is the rod of My anger," and he was merely executing what had been decreed. But all these wicked individuals were extraordinarily stringent in carrying out the Holy One, blessed be He's decrees: they were not content with what was decreed, but added vastly more on top of it. This is "Do not be overly wicked," and this is what brought upon them "why should you die before your time?"
The same applies to Pharaoh. A famous question is asked: the Holy One, blessed be He, decreed, "and they shall serve them, and they shall afflict them" for four hundred years, so why did Pharaoh pay the price? One of the answers - and there are several - is precisely this: Pharaoh went too far. Did the Holy One, blessed be He, tell him to embed children into the walls of the buildings or drown them in the Nile? The Holy One, blessed be He, said that they would enslave them and afflict them with hard labor. But everything Pharaoh did of his own accord - slaughtering one hundred and fifty children in the morning and one hundred and fifty in the evening to bathe in their blood, along with many other horrors - because of all these, the full bill for everything was charged to his account.
The Parable of the Fence: One Who Fenced the Fourth Side
This is comparable to a scenario described by Chazal: a person whose field is enclosed within his neighbor's field, and the neighbor built a fence all around his own field - leaving the inner field surrounded by a fence on three sides. The outer owner approaches him and says, "Share the expenses with me." The halachah is that he is not obligated to pay, for he can say, "I did not ask you to do this; if you wish, take your fence away." However, if the owner of the inner field builds a fence himself on the fourth remaining side, the entire cost is attributed to him, and he is obligated to share in all the fences the neighbor built. Why? Because by building that additional fence, you proved that you truly wanted the enclosure. Even if you argue, "I only benefited after he had already built it," it makes no difference: it has been proven that the fences are beneficial to you, and for that you must pay.
So too with Nevuchadnetzar and Pharaoh: they added beyond what was decreed, and so the entire account was charged to them. For you proved that what you did was not out of obedience to the will of the Creator, blessed be He, for had that been the case, you would have maintained boundaries and acted with caution. If you breached the boundaries and afflicted far beyond what was commanded, you did so out of the wickedness of your own heart - and you will pay the full penalty.
Sforno: "Forty Lashes He May Give Him, He Shall Not Exceed"
The Sforno explains that here too, the verse refers to a situation where one is permitted to act severely toward someone. After all, it is written, "Forty lashes he may give him, he shall not exceed" - and about whom does this speak? A completely wicked person: he committed a transgression, ate unkosher meat, was duly warned, and insolently responded that it was delicious and continued eating. Two witnesses testified and brought him to beit din to receive lashes. One hears of this and says, "What insolence! Perhaps we should add one extra strike as a bonus, so he takes care next time. Does he deserve any less?" And if you say, "After receiving lashes, he is already considered righteous - so I will deliver the extra blow beforehand, while he is still wicked." What is the halachah? One violates a negative commandment: "he shall not exceed," "lest he exceed" - two negative prohibitions. Even though he is wicked, it makes no difference. This is "Do not be overly wicked": do what you were permitted to do, but acting even against the wicked in an "excessive" manner is forbidden.
"God Seeks the Pursued" - Even Regarding the Wicked
And as is known, the Gedolei Yisrael were cautious about this. There was an incident involving a Jew who was among the destroyers of religion, and people acted against him - and not only acted against him, but actively persecuted him. It is related that the Brisker Rov told them to desist. They asked him why, and he answered: one must be very careful that he not fall under the category of the pursued, for "God seeks the pursued" - even if he is wicked. That is, even when there is a genuine need to take retribution against someone and repay him according to his deeds, there must be boundaries. "Do not be overly wicked": even in a situation where it is permitted to act with severity, do not overdo it; keep within bounds and do not exceed them.
"Justice, justice shall you pursue" - Two Teachings from Rabbi Yisrael Salanter
It is told of Rabbi Yisrael Salanter that a person came before him who had entered into a fierce controversy against the wicked, and asked whether he had acted correctly. Rabbi Yisrael answered that he had indeed acted correctly, but added: It is written, "Justice, justice shall you pursue."
One explanation: Pursue justice justly. When one seeks to pursue justice and achieve fairness, it must not be done through manipulative schemes and deception. The means leading to justice must also be just. Do not arrive at righteousness and truth through deceitful ways, and do not tell fabricated stories in order to bring Jews back in teshuvah. A good deed is not performed through falsehood. The Torah is truth, and there is no need to propagate lies to convince people of its veracity. Only one who peddles falsehood must sell it with lies; one who holds the truth possesses the most powerful thing, and has no need for falsehood.
There was once a maggid who stood up to speak and said: Before I share stories with you during the derashah, you should know that I asked a rabbi whether one is permitted to fabricate stories to bring Jews back in teshuvah, and he answered that it is allowed. And he immediately added: And that was the first story... meaning, the first fabricated story. And as Rabbi Hillel Zaks ztz"l, grandson of the Chofetz Chaim and Rosh Yeshivah of Chevron, used to say about such tales: "An incident that almost happened."
Rabbi Yisrael Salanter offered that person another explanation of "Justice, justice shall you pursue": Many times a person enters a battle and starts justly - the war is righteous, the duty of protest rests upon him, and his actions are correct. But if you begin with justice, see to it that you also end with justice. Why? Because the moment you begin attacking him, he does not sit idly by; he strikes back vigorously, and you are soon responding to a personal offense. He opens a personal front against you, and you have already forgotten that you originally went out against him because of the sin he committed - now it has become personal, and you are already pursuing him unjustly. "Justice, justice shall you pursue": if you began with justice, make sure you remain just, and do not act in ways for which you no longer have any legitimacy. This is the intent of King Solomon: even when one must pursue the wicked, beware of becoming overly wicked, and do not exceed the boundaries of justice.
"It is good that you take hold of this" - Never Flee from a Mitzvah
טוֹב אֲשֶׁר תֶּאֱחֹז בָּזֶה וְגַם מִזֶּה אַל תַּנַּח אֶת יָדֶךָ כִּי יְרֵא אֱלֹהִים יֵצֵא אֶת כֻּלָּם׃ - It is good that you take hold of this, and also from that do not withhold your hand, for one who fears God shall fulfill them all.
The Pesikta states: "It is good that you take hold of this" - with one mitzvah; "and also from that do not withhold your hand" - if another mitzvah comes your way; "for one who fears God shall fulfill them all" - he will fulfill them all.
This is a reality a person frequently experiences: a mitzvah comes his way, and suddenly another mitzvah presents itself. If he is looking to exempt himself, he says: "One who is engaged in a mitzvah is exempt from another mitzvah; leave me be, I am busy with something else right now." Regarding this, the verse comes and says: wait a moment - I will immediately attend to this as well. He finishes here and goes on to fulfill that one as well, "and one who fears God shall fulfill them all."
And consider this: if it were a matter of money, would anyone speak this way? A person comes and starts counting bills for you, and another arrives to repay a debt of ten thousand dollars - would you say to him, "I cannot deal with you, sir, I am currently engaged in collecting a debt, and one who is engaged in a mitzvah is exempt from another mitzvah"? Surely not. You would tell him: Count it out as well, I will manage both of you! When it comes to money, we understand very well "from this, and also from that do not withhold your hand." Similarly, when the waiter asks, "What would you prefer: schnitzel, chicken, or spring chicken?" the response is: "The order doesn't matter..." He has a verse: "It is good that you take hold of this, and also from that do not withhold your hand," and he grabs it all.
And indeed, a person will ultimately have to give an accounting for this, for everything his eyes saw and he did not enjoy, as the Yerushalmi states. A person is deeply concerned with certain halachot where he is uncompromising, and he is passionate about fulfilling the Torah and mitzvot in those areas - yet why, when it comes to a mitzvah that requires dedication, does he look for a way out? Solomon tells him: Take hold of this, and also from that do not withhold your hand. If another mitzvah comes your way, do not seek to exempt yourself from it. Fulfill it as well, find a way to fit it in too, "for one who fears God shall fulfill them all."
Completing Oneself in All Parts of the Torah
The Pesikta Zutarta further expounds: "It is good that you grasp the one" - this refers to Mikra (Scripture); "and also from the other do not withdraw your hand" - this refers to Mishnah and the words of the Sages; "for one who fears God will fulfill them all" - such as Rabbi Abbahu in Caesarea, who was learned in Scripture, Torah, and Talmud. This is the meaning of "one who fears God will fulfill them all" - that there should be nothing he neglects.
And this is truly the definition of the complete scholar: that a person perfect himself in every branch of wisdom. He should not say, "I have learned this, that is enough for me," "I do not occupy myself with this," or "I do not study that." Rather, learn everything. Do not confine yourself to certain tractates alone; learn the entire Shas. There are people who have finished Daf Yomi but have not finished Shas, since Shas also includes the six orders of the Mishnah. For this reason, Rav Elyashiv, Rav Chaim Kanievsky, and others instructed people to incorporate Seder Zeraim into their study as well, so that one does not assume he has finished Shas when he has not - having learned only Berachot from the entire Seder Zeraim, while Seder Zeraim is extensive and contains an entire order of Mishnayot. A person must perfect himself in everything: in Scripture, Mishnah, Talmud, and Halachic authorities (Poskim), as much as possible. Naturally, our capacities and time are limited, but whatever a person can add brings additional blessing upon himself.
Rashi: Holding Fast Even to What Appears to Be Wickedness
Rashi explains: "It is good that you grasp the one" - hold fast to righteousness and to wickedness. But how can one hold fast to wickedness? Rashi explains: If the righteous prophet instructs you to do something that appears in your eyes to be wicked, hold fast to it. The example is Shmuel instructing Shaul to strike down Amalek, "from infant to suckling." In Shaul's eyes, this seemed like an injustice: if an Eglah Arufah (decapitated calf) is brought over a single murdered individual whose killer is unknown, should so many people be killed here? And if man sinned, how did the animals sin? Because of this, he questioned the divine command. Regarding this, the verse says: Hold fast to righteousness, and even if you are required to do something that seems to you like wickedness, if the prophet commanded you to do so, from this as well do not withdraw your hand.
We have already seen that a person's primary test lies precisely in what runs contrary to his nature. With Yaakov, the main test was whether he could deceive his father - "and I will be in his eyes as a deceiver," I cannot, I am incapable. The question is whether you act according to what you are comfortable and capable of doing, or according to the divine will. Avraham, the paragon of chessed (loving-kindness), was commanded, "Drive out this handmaid and her son" - I am a man of chessed, I welcome into my home nomadic Arabs who bow to the dust on their feet, and now I should banish my wife and my son to their deaths? Was that easy for him? "And the matter was very distressing in Avraham's eyes." Nevertheless, "whatever Sarah tells you, listen to her voice," and he complied, because so God had commanded. The test is specifically in the difficult place, where the deed contradicts human nature - that is where it becomes clear how much one truly serves Hashem.
And this is the meaning of "for one who fears God will fulfill them all": one who is truly God-fearing will perform both righteousness and that which appears to him as wicked - such as the destruction of an Ir HaNidachat (an apostate city) and other examples that seem harsh to us - for everything is done in accordance with Hashem's command. He will do everything Hashem commands, both what he naturally identifies with and what he does not, because such is the will of God.
The Doctrine of Character Traits: Why the Torah Contains No Negative Commandments Against Anger and Pride
אַל תְּהִי צַדִּיק הַרְבֵּה וְאַל תִּתְחַכַּם יוֹתֵר לָמָּה תִּשּׁוֹמֵם׃ - Do not be overly righteous, nor be overly wise; why should you desolate yourself?
Another commentator connects these three verses together - "Do not be overly righteous," "Do not be overly wicked," and "It is good that you grasp the one" - and derives from them a fundamental principle regarding character traits (middot).
Now, a person possesses very harmful character traits: anger, arrogance, cruelty, and the like, and one must distance himself from them to the utmost degree. And yet, we do not find explicit commandments and prohibitions in the Torah regarding character traits. Although the Sages expounded, "From where is there a warning against the haughty? ... 'and your heart will become haughty,'" that is not the plain meaning of the verse, nor is it a formal negative commandment. By contrast, regarding actions there are explicit prohibitions: you shall not steal, you shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not eat any carcass, and you shall not eat anything unclean. Why is this so?
The difference lies between the Torah's prohibitions and character traits. Middot (traits) are called middot (measures) because they must be exercised in measure and moderation, gauging how much to employ each of them. Therefore, bad traits cannot be eliminated completely; rather, they must be utilized in their proper place. Arrogance is completely flawed and negative, yet it is written: "And his heart was lifted up in the ways of Hashem." A person who acts with humility where it is uncalled for may come to great failure. This was the case with Shaul: he was meant to reign, yet he acted with modesty and humility, "hidden among the baggage" - and as a result, when he needed to stand up, shout, and prevent the nation from doing evil, he failed to do so. His humility ran counter to his duty at that moment.
The same applies to cruelty. Cruelty is a very negative character trait, but when dealing with a wicked person, on the contrary: "Whoever shows mercy to the cruel ultimately becomes cruel to the merciful." In such a situation, one must display cruelty, and anyone who displays mercy there will ultimately cause great harm to the merciful. That is precisely what happened with the Convoy of the Thirty-Five (the Lamed-Heh), a convoy of Jews who were all slaughtered. How were they ambushed? An Arab shepherd spotted them, and when the soldiers realized they had been seen, they said he must be killed, otherwise he would betray their location. But there were bleeding hearts among them - leftists existed even back then - who said: Heaven forbid, he has done no wrong, why kill him? That same shepherd hurried off and brought the armed Arab irregulars, and the outcome is well known. You showed mercy to a wicked gentile shepherd, and in the end you acted cruelly toward thirty-five precious young Jewish men who died in the prime of their youth. It took years until Rabbi Aryeh Levin brought them to Jewish burial, after identifying each of them one by one through the Goral HaGra.
This teaches you that regarding a negative trait such as cruelty, sometimes the one who refuses to employ it is the truly cruel one. In this respect, character traits differ fundamentally from Torah prohibitions: "You shall not eat any carcass" means one may never eat a non-kosher carcass (and saving a life is a different category, where the entire Torah is overridden except for the three cardinal sins). But "do not be cruel" does not mean never. "The hands of compassionate women have boiled their children" - a mother who is overly compassionate with her child and cannot bring herself to say "no" harms him, damages him, and ruins his upbringing. Sometimes a person must show cruelty and hardness of heart, because that is what the moment requires. That is why the character traits are not recorded in the Torah as negative commandments: the Torah specifies what is forbidden for all time, whereas regarding character traits, there are times when one must use a given trait, and times when one must use its exact opposite.
The reverse is equally true: sometimes the use of a good trait is negative. Misplaced mercy, as seen with King Saul, caused him to lose his kingdom and led to his death and the death of his sons - immense tragedy born of that single trait. The virtue of character traits lies in their proper balance, in knowing how to apply each trait in its fitting place. One who masters this is a tzaddik and a true servant of Hashem; one who does not is swept toward the extremes - overly cruel where mercy is required, or overly merciful where cruelty is called for, and similarly across all character traits.
The Righteous and the Wicked versus the Wise and the Foolish
That same commentator adds a further distinction: there are traits where one who embodies them is called a tzaddik (righteous) and one who lacks them is called a rasha (wicked); and there are traits where one who embodies them is called a chacham (wise) and one who lacks them is called a sechel (fool). Arrogant versus humble, quick-tempered versus patient, cruel versus merciful, tyrannical and hard-hearted versus gracious - the possessor of the good trait is called a tzaddik, and the possessor of the bad trait is called a rasha. By contrast, diligent versus lazy: we do not say that the lazy person is wicked and the diligent person is righteous; rather, the diligent person acts wisely, utilizing his time properly and accomplishing what is required of him, whereas the lazy person fails to act wisely in any area. The same applies to generous versus miserly, and other traits where we characterize their possessors as wise or foolish.
With this introduction, the words of Shlomo are clearly understood: "Do not be overly righteous" refers to the first category, traits framed as righteous and wicked, such as arrogance and humility, patience and anger; "and do not make yourself overly wise" refers to the second category, traits framed as wise and foolish, such as laziness and diligence. "Overly wise" means exercising excessive diligence where it is not needed. For diligence and laziness also require proper measure: when the evil inclination incites a person toward sin, he should be lazy and not diligent; but when an opportunity for a mitzvah presents itself, he should be diligent and not lazy. There are places where one should not rush at all, but quite the contrary - one must proceed with deliberate restraint.
Regarding this, Shlomo says, "Why should you be devastated?" - meaning that through this, a person will become ruined and utterly confused in his conduct: from being righteous he will turn wicked, and from being wise he will turn foolish, because he does not employ the proper trait in the proper place. "Overly righteous" means being righteous out of place, like the Heavenly voice that rebuked Saul; "overly wise" means applying wisdom where it is uncalled for, where the opposite trait is what was actually needed.
Correspondingly: "Do not be overly wicked" applies to the first category, such as being arrogant, cruel, and tyrannical. Even when such traits are necessary, do not be overly wicked. "And do not be a fool" applies to the second category, the lazy person and the miser, who cannot be called wicked, but rather foolish; here too, do not carry it too far. And the reason: "Why should you die before your time?" If a person clings to the extremes rather than the middle path, applying each trait only where it belongs, the evil inclination ensnares him. This is what happened to Saul, who died before his time because he grasped the extreme of mercy in a place where he should not have grasped it. That is an extreme example, but it is certainly true that bad character traits can bring a person to premature death, as we see with Bilam: "Men of blood and deceit shall not live out half their days."
"Grasp this" - But from "that," Just Do Not Withdraw Your Hand
Therefore, the counsel is: "It is good that you grasp the one, and also from the other do not withdraw your hand." "Grasp the one" means that one's primary hold must be on the first category, the positive traits: humble, patient, merciful, and gracious. That is where your firm grip should be. On the other hand, at times the opposite is also necessary - but only occasionally, and in small measures. That is why Shlomo did not say "grasp the other as well," but rather "and also from the other do not withdraw your hand." One should not maintain a permanent hold on the negative traits, yet one must not refrain from employing them when necessary, when circumstances truly demand it.
"For he who fears God shall fulfill them all" - when a God-fearing person goes out to battle, he goes out with his entire arsenal at the ready. When mercy is required, he draws forth the trait of mercy and acts mercifully; when cruelty is required, he acts with the trait of cruelty. A God-fearing person applies the trait appropriate to each matter and each moment, thereby serving Hashem continuously with all of his character traits.
The Seven Character Traits and the Traits Within Them
Rav Dessler elaborated on this subject, as explained in the teachings on Michtav Me-Eliyahu: character traits correspond to the seven lower *middot*, the seven building blocks that govern the world, known among the Kabbalists by the acronym *ChaGaT NeHYM* - *Chesed*, *Gevurah*, *Tiferet*, *Netzach*, *Hod*, *Yesod*, and *Malchut*. The three upper *sefirot* - *Keter*, *Chokhmah*, and *Binah*, or *Chokhmah*, *Binah*, and *Da'at* - belong to the realm of exalted spirituality, the realm of the World to Come, and do not govern the world directly; from them, divine bounty cascades down to the lower realm. But this lower world is governed by the seven lower *sefirot* (the *Zayin Tachtonot*). Therefore, all matters of this world are bound to the number seven: the seven days of the week, "You shall count seven weeks of years," seven years, seven times, cycles of forty-nine - everything is tied to seven, because everything depends on those seven lower *sefirot*.
Avraham Avinu was anchored in the trait of *Chesed* (lovingkindness). And as anyone who pays attention during Sefirat HaOmer realizes, each trait subdivides into seven: *Chesed shebeChesed*, *Gevurah shebeChesed*, *Tiferet shebeChesed*, *Netzach*, *Hod*, *Yesod*, and *Malchut shebeChesed*. The same is true of *Gevurah* - *Chesed shebiGevurah*, *Gevurah shebiGevurah*, *Tiferet shebiGevurah*, and so on, all within the dimension of *Gevurah*. When a person attains completeness, he does not possess only the trait of *Chesed*, but also the aspect of *Gevurah* within *Chesed* - for otherwise, his kindness is not complete. *Chesed shebeChesed* alone is not perfected kindness; kindness is complete only when it also contains *Gevurah shebeChesed*, *Tiferet shebeChesed*, and *Netzach*, *Hod*, *Yesod*, and *Malchut shebeChesed*. Therefore, Avraham's trial was specifically in the realm of *Gevurah*, which was contrary to his nature, as we have explained.
This is the meaning of "one who fears God fulfills them all" - all the internal *sefirot* within each *sefirah*. A person must not hold onto the trait of *Chesed* alone, but also to the *Gevurah* within *Chesed*, for otherwise his kindness is incomplete, as *Chesed* itself is composed of the seven inner structures of the *sefirot* within it.
Along similar lines: the trait of pride is inherently negative, yet the Sages taught that a Torah scholar must possess an eighth of an eighth of it. Similarly, taking revenge and bearing a grudge are negative traits, yet they said, "Any Torah scholar who does not avenge and bear a grudge like a serpent is not a Torah scholar." This teaches us that even a trait perceived as negative - in a specific place, a specific situation, and for specific people - is precisely the one that must be used. But it must not be employed constantly. Therefore, Shlomo said, "do not let go your hand" - do not cast it aside or abandon it entirely, but one's primary hold should remain firmly in the conventional good virtues.
In summary:
"Do not be overly wicked" is not a license for a little wickedness, but a three-fold warning: that a person should not say, "If we are lost, we are lost," and multiply his sin, but rather gather himself and repair what remains; that he must not exceed what has been permitted to him even when he is authorized to act harshly - like Nevuchadnezzar and Pharaoh, who added cruelty of their own accord and were held fully accountable, or like lashes, to which one may not add even a single stroke; and that he must know to pursue justice justly, from beginning to end. And "It is good that you take hold of this, and also from that do not let go your hand" teaches that we should not discard one mitzvah for the sake of another, that we must make ourselves complete in all parts of the Torah, and that we must perform even what seems difficult to us when God so commands. At its depth, this encompasses the entire discipline of character refinement: maintaining a primary hold on virtuous traits, while employing a measured and precise use of severe traits when the circumstance demands it. "For one who fears God fulfills them all" - he steps forward into God's service with all his character traits, each in its proper measure and rightful place.