In this part of the chapter, we transition from the warnings against co-signing and laziness to the very heart of the chapter: the relationship between Torah, mitzvot, and mussar, and from there to the severe warning against the ways of adultery and the alien philosophies that seduce a person. We will proceed through the verses following the commentary of the Malbim, adding the homilies of Chazal and the explanations of the Vilna Gaon.
כִּי נֵר מִצְוָה וְתוֹרָה אוֹר וְדֶרֶךְ חַיִּים תּוֹכְחוֹת מוּסָר׃ (כג) - "For a mitzvah is a lamp, the Torah is light, and reproofs of instruction are the way of life." (23)
A mitzvah has the quality of a lamp. Where are mitzvot performed? In this world, as long as a person possesses a physical body. In the World to Come, one can no longer perform mitzvot. Light, however, shines of its own accord; similarly, the light of Torah clings to the human soul, for man's soul is Divine. Even after the soul separates from the body, what remains attached to it? The Torah one studied. This is the meaning of the statement of Chazal: "The righteous sit in Gan Eden with their crowns on their heads." What is that crown? The Torah one engaged in here in this world.
Furthermore: just as a lamp shines by means of light, so too through the study of Torah a person observes mitzvot. An ignorant person cannot be pious (lo am ha'aretz chasid). How can someone observe the mitzvot if he has not learned Torah? Engaging in Torah is what leads to the fulfillment of mitzvot, for through it one knows what must be done and how it must be done.
People often ask: What good is it for me to study Halachah if I do not remember it anyway? They say this rule, and in such a case that rule, and if one did this he should do that, yet one walks out of the shiur remembering nothing! The response to this is: First, a person always remembers something; it is never true that one remembers nothing at all. Second, there is a tremendous advantage over someone who never studied at all, aside from the reward for the study of Torah itself. The advantage is that when you encounter a problem, you realize: wait, there is an issue here. What is the exact halachah? You might not remember, but you know that a question exists. Now you can take a book, open it up and check, or go and ask.
In contrast, for someone who never studied at all, the world seems entirely level and smooth. Everything is simple to him: he finds a lost object and thinks, what is the problem? He lost it, he should have watched his belongings better; I found it, so it is mine. He does not even know there is a mitzvah of returning lost property; he is completely unaware that an issue exists. The same applies to every area of Halachah. Someone who studied the laws of insect infestation knows there is something to investigate, and begins checking even if he does not recall all the details. But someone completely unaware says: nonsense, do I eat worms? Meanwhile, he is entirely unaware of how many insects he is consuming, simply because he never learned. Therefore, a person must learn, and even if he does not remember everything, the mere awareness of where a problem lies helps him guard himself. This is the meaning of "For a mitzvah is a lamp, and Torah is light": the Torah, which is the light, illuminates the lamp, and through the Torah one can properly observe the mitzvot. The observance of mitzvot stems from the power of Torah study, and an ignorant person cannot be pious - for if he has not learned, how can he act with piety toward his Creator?
There is another difference: light comes from above, while a lamp is lit from below. So too, the light of Torah is, as it were, from Above, bestowed directly from Hashem, whereas the lamp of the mitzvah is below, what one performs here on earth: binding tefillin on the arm, placing them on the head, wrapping oneself in tzitzit. The mitzvah is performed within the physical, material realm of man, like oil and a wick, and within them shines the spiritual component, which is the light.
Even when a person possesses both a lamp and light, he still needs to walk along the way of life. Consider a parable: a blind man who sets out on a journey stumbles, falls, and injures himself. A sighted man walking in total darkness will likewise fall into pits and hazards and be harmed. What can be done? Give him a lamp, or even better, provide him with light. Will he now reach his destination? If he does not travel on the right road, he will never arrive. He has a lamp and he has light, but if he does not walk with them along the correct path, he will not reach where he needs to go. He is certainly better off than the blind man and better off than someone walking in the dark, yet a lamp and light alone are not enough; one must also know the route.
This is the meaning of "and reproofs of instruction are the way of life." It is possible for someone to have mitzvot, and it is possible for him to have studied Torah, yet despite all this, he is not walking along the way of life - meaning, he is not truly doing the will of Hashem. And what will help him fulfill the will of Hashem? The moral dimension of man. He might possess extensive Torah knowledge and yet be a "donkey carrying books"; he might perform many mitzvot, yet his interpersonal conduct, his character traits, and his temperament remain harsh, unrefined, and unpolished. What guides him along the way of life? Reproofs of mussar. One must accept reproof from reason and intellect, which is the fear of Heaven (yirat Shamayim). It will not avail a person to perform numerous mitzvot or learn a vast amount of Torah if he lacks fear of Heaven, and fear of Heaven is attained through the path of mussar.
Therefore, every person - whether a great Torah scholar or someone abundant in mitzvot - is obligated to study mussar. Mussar is what disciplines a person and guides him on the path of life; it ensures that his service of Hashem is internal rather than superficial, and that his Torah study is for the sake of Heaven rather than for self-aggrandizement or reward. Everything can be done purely outwardly. What ensures that one walks along the path of life? Neither Torah alone nor mitzvot alone, but having them accompanied by the reproofs of mussar.
And this is what the Gemara meant: Woe to him who has no courtyard, yet makes a gate for a courtyard. He has no dwelling, having purchased only an empty lot, and what did he build? A beautiful fence and a magnificent, majestic gate. And what is inside? Nothing, only thorns and thistles. Woe to one who does this! The Torah is like a gateway through which to attain fear of Heaven (yirat Shamayim), as it says: "What does Hashem your God ask of you, but to fear." This is the ultimate purpose of man. The Torah and the mitzvot are meant to lead to fear of God, and if one has Torah and mitzvot without fear of God, it is worth nothing. But when one walks in the way of life through reproofs of mussar, then the lamp, which is the mitzvah, and the Torah, which is the light, shine with a brilliant glow.
Yet do not mistakenly conclude that mussar alone is sufficient. Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin writes in the fourth section of Nefesh HaChaim that there are places and towns where, because they spoke so extensively about mussar and fear of Hashem, you arrive there and cannot find a single complete Shas; you cannot find a Shulchan Aruch; you cannot find halachic works. What do you find there? Only mussar books. Mussar is essential, just as the Gemara says regarding stored grain, that one must mix in a kav of chumton (salty preservative earth). They ask him: Did you store the grain, did you bring it into the storehouse, and did you add a kav of chumton? If you did not add it, you achieved nothing, for everything will rot. In the allegory, the Torah is the grain, and mussar is the kav of chumton - the preservative. But notice the ratio: a kav of chumton compared to a kor of grain. A vast quantity of grain, and one small kav of preservative. That is the ratio that must be maintained: mussar should occupy a portion of one's time - certainly an important one - but not that a person should study mussar all day long and neglect the study of Torah.
And the study of Torah means the study of Halachah and the study of Gemara, so that a person knows how to conduct himself. Otherwise, one might possess abundant mussar and fear of Heaven, yet remain unaware that every Shabbat he is violating the prohibition of borer (selecting). What good did fear do him? Fear helped him be vigilant against sins, but he does not even know that this is a sin! Therefore, all three elements are necessary together: a mitzvah is a lamp, Torah is light, and reproofs of mussar preserve all of this and guide you on the path of life. If one settles for reproofs of mussar alone, he walks in darkness, having neither a lamp nor light.
לִשְׁמׇרְךָ מֵאֵשֶׁת רָע מֵחֶלְקַת לָשׁוֹן נׇכְרִיָּה׃ (כד) - To guard you from an evil woman, from the smooth tongue of a foreign woman.
Through Torah, mitzvot, and mussar, you will be saved from all sin. As is well known, Sefer Mishlei frequently compares sin to an evil woman, a harlot, a promiscuous woman who seduces a person. Generally, this serves as an allegory for corrupt ideologies and all kinds of philosophical notions that distance a person from pure, simple faith in the Creator of the universe.
On the level of peshat (simple meaning), an "evil woman" (eshet ra) refers to an immoral Jewish woman, a harlot. "The smooth tongue of a foreign woman" (chelkat lashon nochriyah) refers to a gentile harlot, an idolater. And how does one come to her? Through smooth speech, as she entices him with her smooth tongue. In the allegorical sense (melitzah), "evil woman" represents the secular disciplines and philosophies that lead man to deny God's existence and deny the reality of the Torah and its commandments. "The smooth tongue of a foreign woman" refers to the ways of idolaters, who possess all kinds of philosophical teachings and logical syllogisms. This is why the text specifies "tongue" (lashon), for the tongue indicates binah (understanding, analytical deduction), as we explained earlier, as opposed to the mouth (peh) which indicates chochmah (received wisdom). The tongue represents what a person analyzes and probes deeply. As is known, in the Middle Ages and even earlier, much of the study of wisdom was pursued through philosophy, through which they advanced numerous proofs. The verse warns: do not follow this approach, where the "smooth tongue" says to you, "Come, let me show you proof; think logically: if X is so, then Y must be so, and if not, how could it be?" - proving its corrupted path through all kinds of philosophical deductions. This is the smooth tongue of the foreign, idolatrous philosophies by which they entice a person.
אַל־תַּחְמֹד יׇפְיָהּ בִּלְבָבֶךָ וְאַל־תִּקָּחֲךָ בְּעַפְעַפֶּֽיהָ׃ (כה) - Do not lust after her beauty in your heart, nor let her captivate you with her eyelids.
Beware of being ensnared by her. First, do not covet her beauty, for beauty arouses desire in a person. Second, do not be seduced by her when she hints to you with her eyelids and winks at you with her eyes to entice you.
The allegory teaches: do not covet their methods of speculation and rational inquiry, and do not be drawn after their proofs. We have already discussed in earlier verses that some thinkers used philosophical methods to prove the truth of the Torah. A person might then say: "For this reason, I need to study philosophical methodology - the ways to prove arguments, debate, and bring proofs." Concerning this, the verse says: "Do not lust after her beauty in your heart." In their day, this was extremely alluring and attractive, because philosophy accords immense power to the human intellect: "I will prove it to you through logical deductions, and convince you by the sheer force of intellect." A person is drawn to this wisdom and says, "I will use it to prove the existence of the Creator and establish the truth of the Torah and mitzvot, all through logical syllogisms." The verse responds: it may look beautiful and alluring, but do not be ensnared by its beauty. "Nor let her captivate you with her eyelids" - this refers to that which winks at you and entices you to study these speculations, even if your intention is not to follow their beliefs. Realize that initially you are drawn to the wisdom in it, but eventually you will be drawn to their beliefs. For to study the method, you must study their writings; and you will not only learn the method, you will also be swayed by their rationales, ultimately remaining attached to that evil woman and the smooth tongue of the foreign woman.
כִּי בְעַד־אִשָּׁה זוֹנָה עַד־כִּכַּר־לָחֶם וְאֵשֶׁת אִישׁ נֶפֶשׁ יְקָרָה תָצוּד׃ (כו) - For on account of a harlot, one is brought to a loaf of bread, but an adulteress hunts for a precious soul.
"On account of a harlot" - referring to an unmarried prostitute - "a man is brought to a loaf of bread": you will lose your wealth, you will lose your livelihood, all on account of a harlot. As is well known, "one who keeps company with harlots wastes his wealth" (Mishlei 29:3); there are those who spend all their money supporting such an immoral woman, Heaven spare us, until he does not even have a loaf of bread left to eat.
"And a married woman hunts for a precious soul": but if it is a married woman, may Hashem protect us - which is among the most severe sins - then even a precious soul is hunted down by her. Even if he is an illustrious and great individual, an officer, a giant in Israel, or a prophet, a married woman hunts even a precious soul. The downfall and devastation are immense, for even a precious soul is ensnared by this.
הֲיַחְתֶּה אִישׁ אֵשׁ בְּחֵיקוֹ וּבְגָדָיו לֹא תִשָּׂרַפְנָה׃ (כז) אִם־יְהַלֵּךְ אִישׁ עַל־הַגֶּחָלִים וְרַגְלָיו לֹא תִכָּוֶֽינָה׃ (כח) - Can a man scoop up fire into his bosom and his clothes not be burned? (27) Or can a man walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched? (28)
There are two parables here. The first parable: a person takes glowing coals and places them in his bosom, meaning close to him, pressing them against his body, and there he kindles a fire. Will his clothes not burn? Surely his garments will be consumed completely! The second parable: even if he does not scoop fire into his bosom, but there are merely hot coals lying on the floor and he simply walks across them, will his feet not be scorched?
כֵּן הַבָּא אֶל־אֵשֶׁת רֵעֵהוּ לֹא יִנָּקֶה כׇּל־הַנֹּגֵעַ בָּהּ׃ (כט) - So is he who goes in to his neighbor's wife; whoever touches her shall not go unpunished. (29)
So one who goes in to his neighbor's wife is compared to someone who scoops fire into his bosom, where his clothes are not merely scorched but entirely burned up. And "whoever touches her shall not go unpunished": even if a person does not commit adultery with her, God forbid, but merely touches her, he is like one who walks on hot coals - he too will not escape unpunished; his feet will be scorched, and he will suffer damage, being burned at the very least. Now Scripture proceeds to demonstrate the sheer disgrace and degradation of one who violates a married woman.
לֹא־יָבוּזוּ לַגַּנָּב כִּי יִגְנוֹב לְמַלֵּא נַפְשׁוֹ כִּי יִרְעָב׃ (ל) וְנִמְצָא יְשַׁלֵּם שִׁבְעָתָיִם אֶת־כׇּל־הוֹן בֵּיתוֹ יִתֵּן׃ (לא) - Men do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his appetite when he is starving; (30) Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold; he must give up all the wealth of his house. (31)
A thief has an advantage over an adulterer in two respects. First, at times the thief steals to satisfy his appetite because he is starving. He may have reached the depths of starvation, having no alternative, and felt compelled to resort to this line of "work" because he had nothing to eat. Such a thief is not despised. Certainly, he committed an improper act, and this act does not become legitimate; the Torah utterly rejects the Robin Hood concept. In secular thinking, a person who steals from the wealthy to give to the poor is deemed heroic, but in Judaism theft is never tolerated. According to the Torah, one cannot perform acts of kindness at someone else's expense. If you want to do chesed, do it out of your own pocket - do not be generous with another person's wallet! Still, if he stole out of genuine hunger, while the deed remains wrong, nevertheless, "men do not despise a thief if he steals."
The second point: "Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold; he must give up all the wealth of his house" - there is a limit to his punishment. This seems puzzling at first glance: How much does a thief pay? Double (kefel). And if he stole an ox? Fourfold. And if he stole a sheep? Fivefold. How then does he arrive at paying sevenfold? There are several explanations for this, and the Malbim offers a wonderful insight. If a person stole both an ox and a sheep, how much must he pay? Nine. But how much of that is merely returning the stolen goods? The items themselves, which amount to two: he stole an ox and a sheep, and he returns the ox and the sheep, which did not belong to him anyway. And how much does he pay out of his own pocket as a penalty? Seven - four additional animals for the ox, and three for the sheep. Thus, all told, one who stole an ox and a sheep pays nine, but the two are not counted as a fine since he is merely returning what he took. "He shall pay" here refers to the fine imposed upon him; therefore, "he must pay sevenfold" means he is fined sevenfold. He gives up all the wealth of his house, but he clears his liability through monetary payment. Thus, a thief first of all often acted out of dire necessity, and second of all there is a definitive limit to his penalty: he pays, and the matter is settled.
נֹאֵף אִשָּׁה חֲסַר־לֵב מַשְׁחִית נַפְשׁוֹ הוּא יַעֲשֶֽׂנָּה׃ (לב) - One who commits adultery with a woman lacks sense; whoever does so destroys his own soul. (32)
All this applies to the thief, who has two points in his favor. But one who commits adultery with a woman is senseless; he is nothing like a thief. The thief went to steal to satisfy his hunger, but why does this man do what he does? "He who destroys his own soul does it." There is no satisfying of hunger here at all. When the thief stole, he filled his soul - he was hungry and satisfied his hunger. But the adulterer - did he satisfy his soul? Quite the contrary. There is a small organ in man: satisfy it and it hungers; starve it and it is satisfied. Do you imagine you can satisfy it with a married woman? You have satisfied nothing; on the contrary, he destroys his own soul, for from now on his soul will hunger even more for sin and iniquity.
נֶגַע־וְקָלוֹן יִמְצָא וְחֶרְפָּתוֹ לֹא תִמָּחֶֽה׃ (לג) - Affliction and disgrace he will find, and his reproach will not be wiped away. (33)
The thief is discharged through monetary payment, but the adulterer will find affliction. Concerning the thief, we said, "Men do not despise him," whereas concerning the adulterer, it says, "disgrace he will find," and disgrace (kalon) is far worse than contempt (buz). The thief's reproach is wiped away the moment he restores what he took, but the adulterer's reproach will never be wiped away. For the thief, once he pays, the matter is finished; for the adulterer, his reproach endures forever.
Rashi cites the derashah of Chazal here: "'Men do not despise a thief if he steals' - this refers to one who steals away from his companion and goes to the beit midrash to engage in Torah study." He parts from his companion: "Where are you going?" "I cannot stay; I must go now." And where does he run? To the beit midrash, to immerse himself in Torah. "'And if he is found, he shall pay sevenfold' - in the end, he will be appointed a dayan and halachic authority, for 'sevenfold' refers to Torah, as it is said, 'refined sevenfold.' That person who stole every spare moment for Torah will ultimately be found and recognized, and he will become a great man, a dayan and halachic authority.
There is also an explanation by the Vilna Gaon that is worth noting. The Gra wrote a commentary on Sefer Mishlei, a truly wondrous work across many topics, which will be cited from time to time. The Gra explains that from this point forward, the verses begin to enumerate the punishments a person faces after his passing. The holy Zohar in Parashat Naso lists seven punishments; let us outline them first, and then see how they are hinted at in the verses.
The first judgment: immediately prior to his death, three angels arrive. One calculates all the moments the person lived in this world and takes an accounting of what he did with them: what did you do in this moment, and what in that moment? The second calculates the sins he committed. And the third, who taught him Torah in his mother's womb, comes to see whether the words of Torah learned with him are still in his possession, or if they slipped away because he failed to review them. The second judgment, after death: as they carry him to the grave, an announcement is made before him, "Woe to so-and-so who rebelled against the King," and he is judged then. The third: when they place him in the grave, he is judged by the Heavenly Court. The fourth: Chibut HaKever (the beating of the grave), where every single limb that experienced pleasure in this world outside the realm of a mitzvah is judged. The fifth: Dina DeTola'ata (the judgment of worms), where worms consume his flesh - and maggots are as painful to the deceased as a needle in living flesh, and his soul mourns for him. The sixth: Kaf HaKela (the sling of the soul), where he becomes a spirit and the ministering angels sling him from one end of the world to the other. And the seventh: Gehinnom.
According to this, "Affliction and disgrace he will find": the affliction (nega) refers to Gehinnom, and the letters of nega (נגע) are an anagram of oneg (עונג, pleasure). Because a person took pleasure in sin here in this world, that pleasure must now be purged from him; this is why rectifications exist in this world through fasting and self-denial, and if not, Heaven forbid, it takes place in Gehinnom - and that is the nega. "And disgrace" (kalon) refers to Kaf HaKela; it is possible that kalon is related to kela (slinging), for he becomes a spirit and they sling him, or from kal (light), as he becomes like a weightless object hurled from place to place. "And his reproach will not be wiped away" refers to the worms consuming his flesh while his soul mourns over him; his degradation is immense, and this is a great reproach. After all, no one can bear to remain even a moment beside a corpse that has begun to decay, and this is an enormous reproach, showing the depths of humiliation to which this creature of clay descends. "His reproach will not be wiped away," just as it is written, "their worm shall not die."
כִּי־קִנְאָה חֲמַת־גָּבֶר וְלֹא־יַחְמוֹל בְּיוֹם נָקָם׃ (לד) - For jealousy is the rage of a man, and he will not spare on the day of vengeance. (34)
Continuing with the Malbim: "The rage of a man" refers to the husband of that woman with whom the senseless adulterer sinned. Driven by jealousy, out of zeal for his own honor - because they took his wife and desecrated the honor of his household - "he will not spare on the day of vengeance." The vengeance born of jealousy knows no mercy. This stands in stark contrast to the thief, who, as explained, pays and the debt is settled, whereas here there is no payment that can ever settle the debt.
And in the Vilna Gaon's commentary: "For jealousy is the rage of a man" refers to the moment when he is led to the grave, and they proclaim about him that this person committed such-and-such transgressions and angered the King. Then the Satan dons the zealous vengeance of Hashem Tzva'ot because he turned away from Hashem's commandments, and this arouses jealousy, fury, and a day of vengeance upon that soul, heaven forbid. And "he will not spare" refers to the time of Chibut HaKever (the ordeal of the grave). Thus, "for jealousy is the rage of a man" is the moment he is led to the grave, and "he will not spare" is Chibut HaKever.
לֹא־יִשָּׂא פְּנֵי כׇל־כֹּפֶר וְלֹא־יֹאבֶה כִּי תַרְבֶּה־שֹּֽׁחַד׃ (לה) - He will not accept any ransom, nor will he be appeased though you multiply bribes. (35)
According to the Malbim: You may want to offer the husband whose wife you committed adultery with a ransom and compensation, but he will not accept any ransom from you. Why? Because his wife has now become forbidden to him and his children have been stigmatized. People will say: "His wife is an adulteress; who knows whether his children are his or not?" And from the very moment his wife committed adultery, she is already forbidden to him. So [the adulterer] might say to him: "Fine, I will compensate you." With what could you possibly compensate him? "He will not accept any ransom" - no ransom you give him will he agree to take, and this matter cannot be atoned for through money, unlike the thief who pays money and is absolved. "Nor will he be appeased though you multiply bribes" - even if you multiply bribes to the judges to rule that the woman is permitted to her husband and there is no issue, so that his jealousy would subside, he will not agree. This will not pacify him, and he will still burn with jealousy to take vengeance upon him.
And in the Vilna Gaon's commentary, which judgments are being spoken of here? "He will not accept any ransom" applies when a person is ill and it has been decreed that he will die; if a man were to give all the wealth of his house, it would not avail him. Only if it was decreed that he is capable of redeeming himself do acts of tzedakah avail him. Yet there are situations where it is decreed that no tzedakah will help, and then the Holy One, blessed be He, accepts no ransom. A person may say: "Master of the Universe, I am pledging tzedakah now!" - but if it was not decreed that tzedakah will avail him, no ransom will help him at all.
"Nor will he be appeased though you multiply bribes": At the time of reckoning before the King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He, Hashem does not consent to take a bribe from him. And what is this bribe? To calculate the mitzvot against the aveirot and say: "Master of the Universe, behold You see that I performed many mitzvot, is this not enough?" No. There, when they lower him into the grave, he is judged for each and every aveirah individually, and for the mitzvot he will receive reward. There are no offsets in the World of Truth. It is not a scale where one merely sees which side outweighs the other. Even if there is one aveirah and a billion mitzvot, for that single aveirah, if he did not do teshuvah for it, he must be purified from it through suffering and punishment according to the magnitude of the sin - and we have no grasp or calculation in such matters. But the mitzvot he performed cannot serve as a substitute or a bribe for the aveirot; rather, for these he receives reward, and for those he receives punishment.
The chapter teaches us three indispensable elements: the candle of the mitzvah, which is the person's deed down here with his physical body; the light of the Torah, which comes from Above and cleaves to the soul forever, illuminating for a person how to fulfill the mitzvot; and the reproofs of mussar, which are the way of life that guides a person in the fear of Heaven and makes his divine service inward. Upholding all three together is the salvation from the evil woman and the smooth tongue of the foreign woman - from the transgression itself and from the corrupt ideologies that entice with their worldly wisdom. Conversely, the chapter shows the degradation of the adulterer: the thief has points in his favor, having stolen due to hunger and being absolved through monetary payment; whereas the adulterer lacks understanding, not satisfying his soul but destroying it. He has neither ransom nor bribe, and will find not only plague and disgrace, but also a reproach that cannot be wiped away, both in this world and in the World to Come.