Introduction: Wisdom Calling in Public
In the previous chapter, King Solomon dealt with the wayward woman who seeks to seduce man: "She swayed him with the multitude of her persuasion, with the smoothness of her lips she enticed him away," "Let not your heart turn toward her ways," "For she has cast down many wounded," "Her house is the ways to the grave." We have already explained the allegory: the wayward woman symbolizes alien wisdoms, philosophy ostensibly built on intellectual reasoning even though it is often devoid of truth. And here is her distinguishing mark: she comes in the darkness and obscurity, for one who does forbidden deeds usually acts under cover of darkness. In contrast, wisdom - the wisdom of truth - acts in public, openly, before the eyes of all.
הֲלֹא חָכְמָה תִקְרָא וּתְבוּנָה תִּתֵּן קוֹלָהּ׃ - Does not wisdom call out, and understanding sound her voice?
The Malbim notes a precise distinction: there is a difference between "calls out" (tikra) and "sounds her voice" (titen kolah). Sounding a voice is softer than calling out. Wisdom (chochmah) comes from Above; it is received by tradition from Hashem, Who is the Giver of wisdom. Therefore, it "calls out" to man from a distance, saying: Listen and pay heed to my words. Understanding (tevunah), on the other hand, does not come directly from Above. Once a person has received wisdom, he deduces one thing from another, contemplates, and draws further conclusions - this is tevunah. Therefore, it does not call from afar; rather, it "sounds her voice," as it is close at hand, within the person himself. This is a voice welling up from the depths of a person's soul, saying: Contemplate me, delve into me, study me, deduce one matter from another.
From the Great Highway to the Doorway of the Individual
בְּרֹאשׁ מְרֹמִים עֲלֵי דָרֶךְ בֵּית נְתִיבוֹת נִצָּבָה׃ - At the top of high places along the way, at the crossroads of pathways she stands.
In contrast to the wayward woman who leaves her house for the streets, wisdom does not come out from a house, but descends from on high. At first, she stands "at the top of high places along the way." We have already explained the difference between a derech (road) and netivot (paths): roads are large, while paths are smaller. First she stands "along the way" - on the broad highway, the public road; and afterward "at the crossroads of pathways she stands" - she stations herself upon the small paths, where individuals walk, each one alone.
לְיַד שְׁעָרִים לְפִי קָרֶת מְבוֹא פְתָחִים תָּרֹנָּה׃ - Beside gates, at the entry of the city, at the entrance of doorways she cries aloud.
From the paths she reaches the gates - the city gate (karet means city), the place of entry. And afterward "at the entrance of doorways she cries aloud" - she sings out at the doorways of individuals, private people. Here we see a precise gradation: first the main highway, then the paths, then the city gate, and finally the doorway of the individual's home.
The Allegory: Four Levels in the Torah
All of this is an allegory, but what does it illustrate? Initially, wisdom comes and explains ostensibly simple matters, laws handed down to the masses that everyone can understand - like a thoroughfare open to the public. This alludes to the straightforward aspects of Torah, the Torah narratives delivered to all the people: Korach challenges Moshe, Moshe tells him "take," Korach is swallowed up by the earth. These are the outer dimensions of the Torah, the main highway that everyone can comprehend.
"At the crossroads of pathways she stands" - a place where only individuals walk, not a public road. These are words of Torah that are not transmitted to the general public, but only to the wise, where each sage has his own unique path and his own approach in understanding the Torah. For example, the path of derush (homiletics), in-depth analysis (iyun), the pietistic dimensions of the mitzvot, and the reasons behind the commandments (ta'amei ha-mitzvot). Not every mind can bear this; not everyone is capable of entering into such complex expositions and dialectics.
"Beside the gates" - the gate is the seat of the Sanhedrin: "Judges and officers shall you appoint for yourself in all your gates", "who is within your gates", "sitting at the king's gate". These are the statutes of the Torah given over to the Sanhedrin, to the great wise-hearted scholars who received the entire Oral Torah and from whom instruction goes forth to the Jewish people; there they study the statutes and judgments in order to judge the nation.
"At the entrance of the portals she cries aloud" - here it refers to a private entrance, a private home. Wisdom reaches unique individuals in the place where they sit in secret, hinting at the secrets of the Torah: the Account of Creation (Maaseh Bereishit) and the Account of the Chariot (Maaseh Merkavah), which are not transmitted to just anyone or in public, but only to select individuals who understand from their own insight.
The Four Dimensions in the Midrash on "Amon"
These four elements are also hinted at in the Midrash. On the verse "Then I was beside Him, as an amon" (Mishlei 8:30), the Midrash says: amon pedagogue, amon rabati (magnified), amon mekhuseh (covered), amon mutzna (concealed). The Megaleh Amukot explains: the peshat (plain meaning) of the Torah is called "amon pedagogue" - a pedagogue is an educator, a teacher. The derash (homiletical exposition) of the Torah is "amon mekhuseh", for one cannot uncover it on his own; rather, one must expound the verse: "You shall not boil a kid in its mother's milk" - one mention for the prohibition of cooking, one for the prohibition of eating what was cooked, and one for the prohibition of deriving benefit from what was cooked. Where is this written in the verse? It requires the exposition (derashah) of Chazal, and therefore derash is covered. Remez (allusion) is "amon mutzna", and the secrets of the Torah (sod) are "amon rabati". Some say - and this is implied by the order the Malbim presents - the opposite: remez is "amon mekhuseh", derash is "amon rabati", and sod is "amon mutzna". Either way, these verses come to hint to us about the Torah, how it speaks to all levels - from the simplest folk to the sages to whom the secrets of the Chariot are conveyed in private.
A Private Call and a Public Voice
אֲלֵיכֶם אִישִׁים אֶקְרָא וְקוֹלִי אֶל בְּנֵי אָדָם׃ - To you, men of stature, I call, and my voice is to the sons of man.
"Ishim" (men of stature) refers to great individuals, and to them Wisdom calls out privately. "And my voice is to the sons of man" - the rest of humanity, the simpler and lesser people who are not prominent figures, hear the voice. What is the difference between a call (keri'ah) and a voice (kol)? A call is when one summons a person individually and speaks with him directly: go call Reuven for me. In contrast, raising a voice means speaking out loudly before everyone, not addressing any specific person - raising one's voice so that all may hear.
What does the verse come to teach? Wisdom resides with the one who seeks it, with the one who sanctifies and elevates himself, removing alien thoughts from his mind and corrupt deeds from his conduct - he is more worthy of wisdom, and to him Wisdom calls out with a personal call: "To you, men of stature, I call." But do not think that to one who has not prepared himself this way, Wisdom has nothing to say, or that the Torah makes no appeal to him. Concerning this it says: "and my voice is to the sons of man" - even to the rest of mankind who have not refined themselves and have not attained these levels, the Torah still has something to say, and it reaches out to them as well.
The Simple and the Foolish - To Them as Well
הָבִינוּ פְתָאיִם עָרְמָה וּכְסִילִים הָבִינוּ לֵב׃ - Understand shrewdness, you simple ones, and you fools, understand with your heart.
Not only this, but the Torah appeals even to the simple (peta'im) and the foolish (kesilim), asking contemplation of them as well. What is a peti (simpleton)? The opposite of the shrewd man (arum). The simpleton is easily seduced by everything, meaning he does not reflect or investigate - he is casual, goes with the flow; you tell him something and he immediately believes it, as "the simpleton believes everything." The shrewd man, by contrast, is one who analyzes: wait a moment, why so? Who says? Why? His mind is working and calculating - that is ormah (shrewdness, astuteness). Wisdom implants this shrewdness in a person's heart: one who studies Torah learns methods and analytical lines of reasoning, learns arguments a person can make, and sometimes even learns methods of deception - were one, God forbid, to misuse it. Therefore it says to the simple: come and study Torah, and through it you will understand shrewdness - a sharpness will enter you, not in a negative sense, but the shrewdness of wisdom.
And what is the difference between a fool (kesil) and a simpleton (peti)? The peti lacks shrewdness, meaning he lacks discernment. The kesil is not lacking in intellect; he may very well possess great wisdom, but he deviates from the paths of wisdom because his base desires rule over him. He is told: "There is proof that it is forbidden to do this; there is a Torah." And he replies: "No, nothing is proven, and that is not true." Why does he refute every proof? Because it interferes with his pursuit of his desires. He has no deficiency in his intellectual capacity, in logic; he understands perfectly well. But if he understands and accepts it, it will restrict him, and he has no desire to be restricted, so he refuses.
It turns out that the fool (kesil) is ruled by his desires. Instead of the heart governing him and conquering his passions so that he can properly understand wisdom, his desires rule over him. That is what prevents him from receiving wisdom, since wisdom restricts him from indulging his desires. Therefore, wisdom says to him: "Understand a heart" - rule over your spirit, so that the heart, which is the true ruler in man, will master your desires and cravings, and through this you will be able to attain wisdom properly.
A story is told about Rabbi Yisrael of Salant, whom a man approached claiming that the rabbis were not learned enough and not wise enough, heaping criticism upon the sages of Israel. Rabbi Yisrael said to him: "What do you want me to do? Should I go and teach discernment to all the sages of Israel? That is a very difficult task, and I do not know if there is any point in even starting it. But I have a way to fix the problem you pointed out in a single moment." The man's eyes lit up: "How, Rabbi?" He answered: "Simple - repent, do teshuvah, and you will immediately see that the sages of Israel are great, wise, learned, and understanding, and you will suddenly see wonders in them. The entire problem lies with you: because you follow the desires of your heart, the sages of Israel do not suit you and you seek flaws in them. Turn away from the desires of your heart, and you will see how much wisdom they possess." This is the meaning of "Fools, understand a heart": master your desires, and then you will see how wisdom and Torah are suddenly received. Suddenly you accept that it is true, that there is evidence for the reality of the Torah and its transmission, and everything becomes reasonable. Why? Because desire is out of the way. But as long as desire rules, it prevents a person from accepting anything that would restrict him from his lusts.
Four Dimensions of the Wisdom of Torah
שִׁמְעוּ כִּי נְגִידִים אֲדַבֵּר וּמִפְתַּח שְׂפָתַי מֵישָׁרִים׃ - Listen, for I will speak noble things, and the opening of my lips shall be right things.
From here onward, Shlomo comes to reveal how Hashem revealed this wisdom and gave it to mankind through the Torah He granted us at Mount Sinai, detailing four aspects. In every mitzvah, there is dibbur (speech) and there is amirah (saying). The amirah is the concise way the commandment was stated and written in the Written Torah, such as: "Do not cook a kid in its mother's milk." The dibbur is the elaboration of that statement - what is forbidden to cook and how; and this detail was not written down, but transmitted orally. There is another difference between dibbur and amirah: dibbur is lengthy and amirah is brief. "I told (amarti) you to take this" - a brief statement and it is done; but "I want to speak (ledaber) with you" - that implies a lengthy discussion. This is also the distinction between the Written Torah and the Oral Torah: the Written Torah delivers concise commandments - "Do not cook a kid in its mother's milk"; then the Oral Torah comes and asks: Which kid are we speaking of? What if it is not its mother? What if it is the milk of a slaughtered animal? What if it was already cooked? What if it is a tereifah or a neveilah? What if it is an unclean animal? What if it is in a kli sheni (secondary vessel)? Endless halachot on a single mitzvah - that is lengthy speech (dibbur), and that is the Oral Torah. Therefore, the Malbim explains, wherever it says, "And Hashem spoke (vaydaber) to Moshe, saying (leimor)": "Vaydaber" - the Holy One, blessed be He, had an extensive, detailed discussion with Moshe; "leimor" - and this is what He instructed him to write down concisely in the Torah. And all the details? Those I spoke with you, and you will transmit them orally to the people so they will know how to conduct themselves.
Thus we have: dibbur - the Oral Torah; amirah - the Written Torah; and two additional dimensions: the reasons (ta'amei hamitzvot) and inner mysteries of the commandments, as well as the deep secrets and hidden layers of the Torah, Ma'aseh Bereishit (the Account of Creation) and Ma'aseh Merkavah (the Account of the Chariot). In each of these, the Malbim explains, there is a two-fold depth: there are lofty, exalted matters transmitted to the great - "To you, men of stature (ishim), I call"; and there are simpler matters transmitted to the common people - "and my voice is to the sons of man (bnei adam)."
"I Will Speak Noble Things" and "The Opening of My Lips Shall Be Upright"
When it comes to the Oral Torah, where all the halachot are detailed at great length, this is indicated by the word "adaber" (I will speak) - speech, which is expansive. A "nagid" (leader or ruler) is one who commands and instructs the people to act according to his word, like a central governor issuing directives. In the same way, the Oral Torah gives practical instructions, directing: do this and do not do that, this is permitted and this is forbidden. Furthermore, just as a nagid is the most prominent and distinguished figure among the people, appointed over all, so too within the Oral Torah there are monumental matters, major and established rulings. And who transmits them? The leaders (negidim) of the nation, the giants of Torah, the greatest sages of Israel, and the heads of the people. Therefore it says, "To you, men of stature (ishim), I call" - for the sages and the great leaders are the ones who transmitted the Oral Torah; they are the ones who "spoke" it.
And yet - "and the opening of my lips shall be right things." The lips represent simple, external speech, and "the opening of my lips" refers to the very beginning of speech, merely parting the lips: external, accessible speech intended for the masses. The common folk do not grasp the intricate discourses of leaders; they do not follow the subtle dialectics of a rabbi or fathom the depths of his reasoning. What do they understand? "The opening of my lips shall be right things" - straightforward, upright words that immediately appeal to common sense, so clear and direct that anyone instantly recognizes their truth and honesty. This is directed to those addressed as "and my voice is to the sons of man" - the simpler people, who can readily grasp what is expressed at the opening of the lips.
The Reasons for the Mitzvot: In the Palate and on the Lips
כִּי אֱמֶת יֶהְגֶּה חִכִּי וְתוֹעֲבַת שְׂפָתַי רֶשַׁע׃ - For my palate shall speak truth, and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
The palate tastes food, alluding to the reasons (ta'amim, which literally means "tastes") of the mitzvot, which likewise were not committed to the Written Torah but transmitted in the Oral Torah. The reasons for the mitzvot are also divided into levels: there are concepts that only the great can understand and delve into, and there are concepts that even ordinary people can understand. Thus, within the reasons of the mitzvot there are insights that only noble leaders and men of stature will attain - matters pertaining to the soul and its bond with Hashem, the concept of divine cleaving (deveikut), and the spirit of Hashem resting upon those who observe the commandments. After all, Rabbi Chaim Vital authored a work entitled Ta'amei HaMitzvot. If one wishes to study reasons for the mitzvot, he can pick up Sefer HaChinuch and find straightforward, logical explanations that resonate with the heart - which are suitable for the common people. On the other hand, if one studies the writings of Rabbi Chaim Vital and the holy Arizal, he will discover sublime, mystical dimensions, spiritual lights, and divine flows. Thus, even within the reasons for the mitzvot there are levels: explanations for ordinary people and explanations for elevated souls.
"For my palate shall utter truth" - it can be said that this alludes to the exalted, mystical reasons for the mitzvos, which are associated with the palate (taste). For when speaking to those who are less educated, we said, "and my voice is to the sons of man... and the opening of my lips shall be right things" - they grasp what opens and emerges directly from the lips. In contrast, those who are more discerning, the princes and leaders, also understand the truth uttered by the palate. The palate is more internal; it is situated within, and it conveys the inner essence of the matter and the sublime reason embedded within it.
And yet, in every single mitzvah there are reasons that can also be explained to the common people, and these reasons serve to distance wickedness, folly, bad character traits, and alien beliefs. In every mitzvah whose reasons you examine according to the straightforward meaning (peshat), you will find a purpose directed at rectifying man. There are many examples, foremost among them the mitzvos between man and his fellow: honoring father and mother - the simple aspect is gratitude, for your parents gave to you; "Love your fellow as yourself" and the mitzvah of charity (tzedakah) - to help a person in need. You see that the mitzvah is designed to distance you from wickedness and bring you closer to good character traits. And if you turn to the esoteric wisdom and the sublime reasons, you will see profound mystical intentions in charity itself: what the giver's hand symbolizes, what the five fingers represent, how the Name of Hashem is completed, and how through this you effect rectifications in the upper worlds. The very same mitzvah - through the internal path it gains depth, and through the straightforward path it comes to refine character: overcome stinginess, have compassion on others, and help them.
It follows, then: "and wickedness is an abomination to my lips" - according to the plain sense, which is that which emerges from the lips, the external level, the mitzvah comes to prevent and abhor wickedness: corrupt character traits, stinginess, selfishness, and hatred of others, and to open our hands and our pockets to our fellow. This is the plain rationale of the mitzvos, and so it is with many mitzvos; and it is geared toward the simpler, ordinary people, who can grasp the peshat at this level.
In summary:
Chapter 8 opens with a sharp contrast to the previous chapter: the harlot - representing alien philosophies - operates in the dark, whereas true wisdom calls out in public. Wisdom descends from Above and "calls," while understanding wells up from the depths of man's soul and "raises her voice." The progression in the verses - way, pathways, gates, portals - represents the progression of the layers of Torah: peshat (the plain meaning) transmitted to all, methods of deep analysis and homiletics for the sages, the statutory laws of the Torah held by the Sanhedrin, and the esoteric secrets of the Torah reserved for the elite, corresponding to the four connotations of "amon" in the Midrash. The Torah addresses everyone: to individuals of stature with an intimate call, to the broader public by raising its voice, and even to the simple - that they may acquire the prudence of wisdom, and to fools - that they may master their hearts and desires, whereupon they will immediately perceive the truth of the Torah and the greatness of its sages. So too with all parts of the Torah: the Oral Torah at length - "I will speak of noble things" for the great leaders, and "the opening of my lips shall be right things" for the masses; and as for the reasons of the mitzvos themselves - "for my palate shall utter truth" for the sublime reasons, and "wickedness is an abomination to my lips" along the straightforward path, for refining character and banishing wickedness.