Introduction to Chapter 11
Chapter 11 of Mishlei seemingly opens with an entirely new topic: scales, stones, and weights. However, the commentators have already pointed out that the chapter division is not of Jewish origin, but rather a Christian division; therefore, Chapter 11 is not a new beginning at all, but a direct continuation of the conclusion of Chapter 10. In the first three pesukim we will study here, Shlomo HaMelech continues discussing character traits: the falsehood that has become habitual on the tongue, arrogance versus humility, and the integrity that guides the upright.
Pasuk 1: Deceitful Scales - The Sin Not Yet Committed
מֹאזְנֵי מִרְמָה תּוֹעֲבַת יְהֹוָה וְאֶבֶן שְׁלֵמָה רְצוֹנוֹ׃ - Deceitful scales are an abomination to Hashem, but a complete stone is His desire.
Rabbeinu Yonah raises two questions here. First, what novelty is Shlomo HaMelech teaching? After all, it is already written in the Torah, "You shall not have in your pocket differing stone weights," and even the phrase "an abomination to Hashem" is already stated there. If so, the verse would seem superfluous. Second, all the verses up to this point have dealt with character traits and proper conduct, not specific transgressions in practice, yet here it suddenly addresses an actual sin - someone engaging in deceit.
Rabbeinu Yonah explains: This verse is a continuation of the one that concluded the previous chapter, "The lips of the righteous know goodwill, but the mouth of the wicked speaks duplicity." Shlomo HaMelech comes and says: I will give you proof of how loathsome and abominable "the mouth of the wicked speaks duplicity" is before the Omnipresent. For the wicked person's path is always falsehood; therefore, even when a dispute takes place between people and he sides with falsehood - even though he is not the judge and the verdict is not decided based on his words - he still leans toward falsehood. A person might say: What of it? Nothing was done based on my words, I am not the judge, and at any rate they did not listen to me, so I hold no sin. To this, Shlomo responds: Know that even so, it is exceedingly loathsome in the eyes of Hashem, for behold, "Deceitful scales are an abomination to Hashem."
And what is this referring to? Does it mean a person who weighed with deceitful scales and robbed his fellow? No. The very existence of deceitful scales is an abomination to Hashem. What is this comparable to? A person who keeps a dollar-counterfeiting machine in his home. What is his punishment? Imprisonment, a fine, a very severe penalty. And he argues: Why do you care? I have not deceived anyone yet, the machine is brand new out of the box, I haven't printed even one dollar, I haven't even covered the cost of the ink - why are you prosecuting me? The answer is: the mere fact that you possess such a machine in your house is a crime in itself.
And so the Gemara states in Bava Metzia: The warning regarding weights was not stated merely to be transgressed at the moment of action, for the prohibition against theft and deception has already been explicitly stated. Why, then, was the warning regarding weights articulated? To tell you that you shall not have in your house differing stone weights, large and small. The Torah warns you not to keep flawed scales or a deficient weight in your home.
From here emerges a kal vachomer (a fortiori argument): If a person is punished for the mere possession of flawed scales in his house, even though he has not yet defrauded anyone with them, all the more so one who habituates his tongue and inclines his lips to speak falsehood constantly. Even if the lie has not yet harmed anyone, and no one can claim to have been hurt by it, the very fact that the mouth has grown accustomed to falsehood means you are keeping flawed scales in your house. This causes falsehood to multiply in the world, even if you did not actually succeed in deceiving anyone with it. This is what Rabbeinu Yonah means when he says: Habit holds sway over everything. When a person becomes accustomed to something, it rules over him and becomes second nature. Therefore, the prophet rebukes, "They have taught their tongue to speak lies" - not with excuses like "it was just a joke," "I didn't mean it," or "in the end he knew anyway and we didn't deceive him." The very habit, training the tongue to speak falsehood, is abominable before Hashem just like deceitful scales.
The Vilna Gaon follows the same approach: even if one merely possesses deceitful scales, merely fashioning scales with which it is possible to cheat, he is already abominable before Hashem. And what is the meaning of the continuation, "but a complete stone is His desire"? A person who does no wrong is not abominable, but neither is he fulfilling Hashem's desire: "I did no wrong, but I also did nothing decent and upright." Rather, "a complete stone is His desire" refers to one who possesses a weight and always sells using a complete stone, never with an incomplete one. "Stone" refers to the weight-stone, and "complete" means that a kilogram is one hundred percent a kilogram, not 990 grams.
Notice what the Gra adds: he does not sell with an incomplete stone even when he discounts the price accordingly. That is, he tells the buyer: "This stone is short, it is 990 grams, so pay me according to 990." A fraudster tells you, "The stone is a kilo, pay me for a kilo" - and that is outright theft. But this merchant is seemingly fair, dealing honestly, and strictly speaking it would seem permissible to do so. Nevertheless, one who refrains even from this - that is His desire, may He be blessed. Why? Because while I may use the stone honestly, tomorrow my hired worker or my son managing the shop might be tempted to use this stone as a full kilo, telling himself: "What difference does it make, ten grams more or less, and I usually add a bit anyway" - searching for all kinds of rationalizations. Thus, someone who merely refrains from stealing is not yet called one who fulfills His desire; but one who says: "Not only do I not steal, but I do not even keep in my home a stone with which someone might steal, even though I myself use it honestly" - he is the one who fulfills the will of the Holy One, Blessed be He.
The Malbim adds another layer here: the verse comes to teach us that when a person turns away from evil, that in itself is considered doing good. Do not say that "a complete stone" is merely in the category of "turn from evil" and not in the category of "do good" - on the contrary, one who maintains a complete stone is considered to be performing a mitzvah. How so? We have an established principle that one who sits and does not commit a transgression is credited by Scripture as though he fulfilled a mitzvah, but this applies specifically when the transgression came to his hand. If a person says, "I did not eat pork" - does he deserve reward? Does the mere fact that I am guarding my eyes right now warrant a reward? But if I am walking in the street and there is an immodest sight, and I guard my eyes - here I will receive reward. Receiving reward always depends on overcoming temptation: when does one who sits and does not transgress receive reward like one who performed a mitzvah? When the sin presented itself to him. Therefore, Shlomo says: deceitful scales are an abomination to Hashem, but do not think that one who keeps a complete stone in his home is merely not an abomination. Rather, if he possessed a complete stone and weighed with it when he also had the opportunity to weigh with a deficient stone - know that he will receive reward for it.
Verse 2: Arrogance and Disgrace, Humility and Wisdom
בָּא־זָדוֹן וַיָּבֹא קָלוֹן וְאֶת־צְנוּעִים חׇכְמָה׃ - When arrogance comes, disgrace follows, but wisdom is with the humble.
Rabbenu Yonah explains: The consequence of willful arrogance is the disparagement and humiliation of others. The arrogant person degrades the dignity of his fellow for fleeting gratification. What is fleeting gratification? A person cracks a joke at someone else's expense, everyone laughs, and for a single moment he feels gratification - he is the "life of the party," and everyone sees how sharp, clever, and witty he is. For a moment's pleasure, he is willing to humiliate and trample his fellow's honor. Or, he is unwilling to endure a moment of discomfort to master his temper, so when someone irritates him, he lashes out harshly. What kind of person is this? An arrogant person, who for a fleeting moment of self-assertion is ready to humiliate his fellow and cause him deep pain and anguish. Thus, "When arrogance comes, disgrace follows": through him, disgrace, degradation, and humiliation befall his fellow, simply because he cannot master himself for a single moment.
In contrast, "but wisdom is with the humble" - with the modest, the opposite is true: modesty brings wisdom to those who possess it. The humble listen and do not crave to display their wisdom, for they are unassuming. The arrogant person wants to show everyone how sharp and brilliant he is, and therefore lashes out at his fellow, scorning and humiliating him; thus, arrogance brings disgrace. But with the humble - his very modesty is already perceived as wisdom, for "Even a fool who remains silent is considered wise": simply by remaining quiet, sitting in the corner, and not speaking, he is already counted as wise.
The Vilna Gaon interprets the verse in the context of the beit midrash. Who is the person of "arrogance"? One who does not come to learn in order to know the Torah, but comes to provoke and prove that no one understands except him. When he enters the beit midrash among the students, disgrace accompanies him, for he argues and raises baseless contentions just to prove that everyone else is mistaken and he is correct, bringing great disgrace and shame. In contrast, "wisdom is with the humble" - the essence of wisdom resides with the modest. The humble person stays quiet, and when words of Torah are spoken, he thinks: Let me hear what the scholar has to say, let me hear what he has come to teach. He does not come to make his voice heard loudly to show, "What do you understand? I learned it differently!" - that is arrogance. The humble person will attain wisdom, because he always seeks to hear from others and does not seek to broadcast himself or show off what he knows.
And this is the motto of the wise, a profound truth: when you speak, you add nothing to yourself, for you have merely expressed what you already knew. But when you remain silent and listen, you gain new knowledge. If someone is in a place where several people can speak, it is far better for him to listen: I heard an insight, I heard a chiddush, I heard a line of reasoning, I heard a moral lesson that strengthened and enriched me. Whereas when I spoke, what did I add to myself? What I said earlier I already knew, and what I said just now I also already knew. This is the virtue of the humble: by remaining unassuming and holding his tongue, on the contrary, he increases his wisdom, for he learns from others.
And this is the maxim of the ancients: the benefit of speech is for another, but the benefit of the ears is for none other than yourself. When you speak, many may benefit, but you gain nothing. When you listen, you are the only one who gains - therefore, it is worthwhile to stay quiet, listen, and gain further insight. Of course, all this applies when there is someone else to speak; but in a place where there is no one to speak, or where people are speaking nonsense or voicing views contrary to proper Torah hashkafah, then it is said: "In a place where there are no men, strive to be a man." Even if they did not ask him or wait for him, if he knows he can strengthen others and bring benefit, let him stand up and speak, and blessing will come upon him. But when other scholars, discerning minds, and greater figures are present - on the contrary, let them speak.
The Vilna Gaon adds a wonderful insight: How many eyes do we have? Two. And how many ears? Two. Why do we need both eyes and ears? Eyes - to see the Written Torah, which we read visually; ears - to hear the Oral Torah. And notice: how many mouths do you have? One. This is what Chazal meant when they said: "A word is worth a sela, but silence is worth two." In simple terms: for every word you utter, hear two words; for every sentence you speak, hear two sentences from others. Your speaking should be half of what you hear and absorb from others. The benefit of silence is double that of speech: what you express with one mouth, you absorb with two ears and see with two eyes. Therefore, "wisdom is with the humble": one who constantly listens to others receives twice as much, having two ears, and that is far better than speaking with a single mouth.
The Malbim defines the terms: The arrogant person (*zed*) is one who disputes the words of wisdom. He possesses arguments, logical deductions, and theories, and based upon them he acts willfully - as opposed to unwittingly - defying wisdom with brazen contempt. This is the direct opposite of the humble person. The humble person hides his face from aspiring to levels and rungs that are beyond his capacity, beyond his strength, and beyond his grasp. The humble man knows his true measure, just as it is said of Moshe, "And Moshe hid his face": one who is humble knows his deficiencies and how much he still needs to improve himself. The arrogant person, by contrast, transgresses with disdain, always harboring objections against wisdom and against the words of the Sages.
"Wisdom is with the humble" means that wisdom is received specifically by one who listens to the voice of the Sages and the guidance of his teachers, and does not presume to dispute them. The arrogant person believes that he understands, knows, and possesses wisdom, and therefore he disputes them with contempt. But who will truly attain wisdom? The humble person, who is receptive to receiving it. This is a fundamental rule: when a person is willing to receive, he will attain immensely, receive immensely, and succeed immensely, because he is a vessel. But a person who is unreceptive, always wanting only to voice his own opinions and influence others without receiving anything from them, will ultimately never rectify anything in himself, for he has never received anything from anyone and has never altered anything in himself. Therefore, wisdom finds a home only in the hearts of the humble. And when arrogance arrives, disgrace comes with it - the antithesis of honor - because the paths he chooses are debased. Words of wisdom are words of honor, and when the arrogant man comes and disputes them, he hears not words of wisdom and honor, but words of disgrace and humiliation.
Verse 3: Integrity That Guides and Perversion That Destroys
תֻּמַּת יְשָׁרִים תַּנְחֵם וְסֶלֶף בֹּגְדִים יְשׇׁדֵּם׃ - The integrity of the upright shall guide them, but the perversity of the treacherous shall destroy them.
The Vilna Gaon explains: A tam (a wholehearted, simple person) is one who walks with pure sincerity on the path of the Torah. A yashar (an upright person) is one who constantly weighs his conduct through intellect - according to reason and fairness, assessing what is proper to do at any given moment. The tam does not calculate or scrutinize; he simply walks with faith in the way of Hashem. The yashar, on the other hand, is vulnerable to the grip of the evil inclination, because he relies on intellect, and the intellect itself can err. You evaluate everything with your mind, calculating whether an action is fitting or not - and your intellectual assessment may be mistaken, leading to flawed judgment.
Therefore, the upright person also requires temimut (wholesome simplicity). Intellect might lead you to a certain conclusion, but had you been wholehearted with Hashem your God, you would have acted strictly according to what is said and written in the Torah, without seeking clever rationalizations or insisting, "I will weigh the matter with my own mind." Thus, intellect - whose purpose is to set a person straight - can sometimes become an obstacle. It is good for a person to use his mind to act uprightly, but at times one must not overcomplicate matters: walk with pure faith, and you will be far more successful.
This reflects what the Yaavetz wrote concerning the Spanish Inquisition, some five or six centuries ago: those who were simple and pure in their faith in Hashem literally sacrificed their lives for the sanctification of God's Name, ascending to the ranks of the holy and pure. By contrast, the intellectuals among them, the philosophers who delved deeply into worldly wisdom, devised all sorts of clever schemes to save themselves, appearing outwardly as Christians while maintaining their faith in secret - yet by the second and third generations, their descendants were lost completely. Here we see that intellect, through which one seeks to make upright choices, can sometimes become a snare, for human reasoning is always capable of error.
This is the meaning of "The integrity of the upright will guide them": the fact that the upright conduct themselves with temimut is what guides them along the right path. Uprightness alone is insufficient, for intellectual reasoning can mislead. At times, a person must say: "You shall be wholehearted with Hashem your God" - this is what is written, and this is what I do; even if there is room for analytical debate, remain wholehearted with Hashem your God. Then "it will guide them," and the upright person will not stumble, because he relies also upon simplicity - on what is written, exactly as it is written, without following his own rationalizations.
"And the perversity of the treacherous will destroy them": selef (perversity or distortion) is the opposite of tam - it denotes crookedness, as to distort something means to twist it. A boged (treacherous person) is the opposite of a yashar: the upright person constantly follows the path of the Torah, whereas the treacherous person betrays the Torah and acts against it. Thus the verse means: one whose mind has become warped, and who abandons the path of the Torah to rely on his own twisted intellect - his very perversity will destroy him. The word yeshadem can be understood in the sense of being cast away, or in the sense of throwing the entire system into disarray; he swerves from the upright path, abandoning order and decency to bring ruin upon himself through corrupt conduct.
Yashar, Tzaddik, and Tam in the Malbim's Teachings
The Malbim also examines the term "the upright" (yesharim), distinguishing between the upright and the righteous (tzaddikim). A yashar is someone whose heart naturally inclines toward the straight path, whether in beliefs and outlook or in understanding and contemplation - indeed, "upright" refers primarily to matters of contemplation, meaning that he reflects and arrives at sound, straight conclusions. Regarding character traits and practical conduct - knowing what is decent and proper to do and what is not - that falls under the realm of chochmah (wisdom), as we have explained previously.
How, then, does the yashar differ from the tzaddik? With the yashar, his innate heart naturally draws him toward the good because of the integrity planted within him. One often sees people who are not observant of mitzvot at all, yet they would never deceive anyone, because by nature they are honest and decent; that is how they were raised, and that is their character. Some individuals possess an inherently keen sense of justice, and witnessing dishonesty immediately outrages and upsets them. The tzaddik, by contrast, is one who has been trained in this path: from an early age, he was educated and conditioned in this conduct. Consequently, the tzaddik often has to struggle against his inner inclinations. For the yashar, it is instinctive; he is inherently upright, and even if he wanted to cheat, he would be incapable of doing so. The tzaddik, however, must frequently overcome his nature: he was educated toward righteousness, but his heart may pull toward deceit or corner-cutting, and he must conquer that urge. The tzaddik subdues his inclination, whereas for the yashar, integrity is second nature - that is his habit, and that is how the Holy One, Blessed is He, fashioned him.
There is an additional difference: the yashar does not look solely at strict justice - taking the attitude of "this is the law, let justice pierce the mountain" - but also acts beyond the strict requirement of the law (lifnim mishurat hadin). He says: true, legally speaking you are entitled to this; but let us be honest with ourselves and recognize that this person invested effort and accomplished so much, so it is only right to forgive and make concessions. For example: you find a lost item with no identifying marks, but you happen to know it belongs to a specific person. By the strict letter of the law, since there is no identifying mark, you are under no halachic obligation to return it. Yet according to uprightness, morality, and equity, it is proper to restore the item to that person. This stems from what Chazal taught regarding the verse, "And you shall do that which is right and good": a person should not limit himself to rigid justice that insists the law pierce the mountain, but should also strive to do what is upright and good. That is the virtue of the yashar.
In order for a person to walk along the path of goodness, the Malbim explains, two elements are essential. First, the path itself must be straight - neither crooked nor winding. Second, the path must be shown to him, as it is written, "Hashem, lead me in Your righteousness... make Your way straight before me": guide me and make the path clear before me. One who is not upright, whose path is crooked, requires special heavenly assistance (siyata diShmaya) to walk properly; otherwise, he will constantly follow devious routes. Yet even the yashar, whose path is straight, still needs to be shown the way - for even on a straight path, one can wander off. A straight road alone is not enough; one also needs a guide.
However, the tam, the Malbim explains, is a person who remains in a permanent state of wholeness, with no tendency to deviate whatsoever. He is unlike the yashar, for although the upright person's path is straight, there is still a concern that he might eventually stray; with the tam, no such concern exists. A tam is complete, lacking any deficiency, and because he is in a state of wholeness, nothing can divert him from the straight path. This is the meaning of "The integrity of the upright will guide them": it is this wholeness (temimut) that guides him along the straight path, unlike the yashar on his own who requires an external guide. Indeed, one sees many people who are inherently honest, yet are gradually drawn into various dishonest schemes or influenced by peers who act inappropriately. What will protect you from straying from the upright path? Wholeness. Innate uprightness alone is insufficient. Wholeness, representing the perfection of the upright person, is what guides him so that he never swerves from the straight path.
"And the perversity of the treacherous will destroy them": the treacherous are the opposite of the upright, walking in direct opposition to the straight path. Selef is the corruption of uprightness, and this very distortion will plunder them - the word yeshadem being related to robbery and looting. The perversity of the treacherous robs their own souls, as it were: the treacherous person who abandons the straight path is like a bandit who plunders his own soul and loots his spiritual wealth. This stands in stark contrast to "the integrity of the upright," which guides them safely along the straight path.
In summary:
The first three verses teach us three fundamental principles. "False scales are an abomination to Hashem" - it is not only the act itself that is held to account, but the very possession of instruments of deceit and the habituation of the tongue to falsehood, for habit rules over everything. In contrast, "a full stone weight is His desire" - one who refrains even from what might seem permissible in strict honesty, and weighs with a full, honest stone when he could have weighed otherwise, receives a reward like one who performs a mitzvah. "When arrogance comes, disgrace follows" - the brazen person who insults and taunts, whether in interpersonal relationships or in the beit midrash, brings disgrace upon himself; whereas the humble person, who knows his place and is willing to accept and listen, is the one who will attain wisdom, for the benefit of the ears is for none other than oneself. And "the integrity of the upright will guide them" - intellectual uprightness alone is liable to err and go astray, whereas pure, wholesome integrity (temimut) is the sure guide on the path; by contrast, the treacherous person, who relies on his crooked intellect, is robbed and devastated by his own perversity.