In this lesson, we will examine two verses in chapter 13 of Mishlei: "The light of the righteous rejoices, but the lamp of the wicked will be extinguished," and "Only through malice comes strife, but with those who seek counsel is wisdom." Both verses address the distinction between one whose life is built upon eternity and one whose life is built upon the moment, as well as between one who is open to listening and seeking counsel and one who comes merely to bicker and quarrel. We will follow in the footsteps of the Vilna Gaon, Rabbeinu Yonah, and the Malbim.
אוֹר צַדִּיקִים יִשְׂמָח וְנֵר רְשָׁעִים יִדְעָךְ׃ (ט) - The light of the righteous rejoices, but the lamp of the wicked will be extinguished (9).
The Vilna Gaon explains: Day is called light, as it is written, "And God called the light Day." The World to Come is likened to day, as Chazal expounded on the verse "and that you may prolong your days" - referring to a day that is entirely long, a day that is entirely Shabbat and rest. This world, in contrast, is likened to night. Here lies the difference: during the day, light shines; at night, when there is no natural light, one needs a lamp. As for the righteous, their primary light is in the World to Come, whereas the wicked focus all their pursuits and interests here, in this world. Therefore, "the light of the righteous rejoices": the tzaddik possesses light, and it will always rejoice, meaning more and more light will continually be added to him, a constantly renewed light. But the wicked, whose entire existence is here in a world that resembles night, requires a lamp - and the lamp of the wicked will be extinguished.
To this we may add the words of Rabbeinu Yonah and the Malbim, which complement the Vilna Gaon's insight. There is a fundamental difference between light and a lamp. Light is light itself, like the sun: it shines constantly, requires no replenishment of oil, needs no changing of wicks, and radiates continuously from its own essential illumination without ever ceasing. A lamp, on the other hand, requires a vessel, requires oil, and requires a wick; without these, it cannot be lit at all.
The soul of the righteous shines with a constant, eternal light, like the sun. "Light is sown for the righteous" - this is the aspect of pure light, which has no need for a lamp. And what is the lamp? The lamp is the physical body. The soul is spiritual and does not require a lamp, just as the sun requires no vessel or fuel whatsoever. The spiritual soul shines with an eternal spiritual light, which is why it "rejoices" - with continuous joy.
Anything destined to end brings sadness. If a person truly lived with the constant feeling that everything here will end - that a stage will come when he will be buried beneath ten handbreadths of earth, covered with dust, recited Kaddish over, and marked with a headstone - he would live his entire life in deep depression. Why, then, is a person not depressed? "You forgot the Rock Who bore you" - the Holy One, blessed be He, performed an act of lovingkindness by creating us with the faculty of forgetfulness. As in the verse "I forgot (nashiti) prosperity," the word teshi denotes forgetfulness. A person does not dwell on his death or remember his end, even though it is the most certain reality in life: death is certain, while everything else is in doubt.
Concerning this, the Zohar states: A person walks about in this world thinking it belongs to him and that he will remain in it for generations upon generations. There is hardly anyone who does not entertain such a thought: true, everyone else has passed away, but "with God's help, it won't happen to me," or "Mashiach will come in my lifetime." Yet that is entirely beside the point: even if Mashiach comes in your days, and even if the resurrection of the dead occurs in your days, ultimately everyone must experience death. The righteous will die for a brief moment and return to life, but the state of death will certainly take place.
Therefore, the body is on the level of a lamp. In order to live here in this world, which is darkness, one needs a lamp to illuminate it. The World to Come is light, and it holds joy because it contains no destruction - there is no tormenting thought that everything will end and turn to nothingness and void. The World to Come is eternal, and therefore the light of the righteous causes them to rejoice constantly, for they possess eternal existence.
But the wicked - where does he build his upper chambers, where does he invest? Here in this world, which resembles a candle. And a candle burns only as long as there is oil, as long as there is a wick, as long as there is a vessel. When the oil runs out, when the wick is consumed, when the candle burns down - it naturally fades out. Therefore, the wicked person is in a constant state of fading: he knows that everything is about to end, that the pleasures ultimately come to an end, that the body steadily deteriorates, and that pleasures in old age diminish compared to youth. This world depends on the body, while the World to Come is the soul and eternal light - and therefore, "and joy to the upright in heart," "rejoice in Hashem," whereas the wicked person, by contrast, is in sorrow.
From this we learn that a mitzvah fills a person with fulfillment. If a person did an act of chesed for someone, and later remembers it - a sense of joy fills him: Baruch Hashem I helped him, he feels good. In contrast, someone who committed a transgression is left with a bad feeling, pangs of conscience, and bitterness; it makes no difference whether he is righteous or wicked - he feels uneasy with it, and the transgression does not fulfill him. What does the wicked person have left from the portion of pork he ate yesterday? Perhaps a stomachache, and other than that, nothing remains. But the righteous person - from the mitzvah he performed yesterday, he has a sense of satisfaction that fills him, because the mitzvah is eternal. Something truly eternal brings joy, because it will remain forever; whereas the pleasure of the wicked is fleeting - it passed, vanished, ended, and is gone - and therefore, the candle of the wicked will be snuffed out.
The Vilna Gaon adds a point to the previous explanation: Why is the candle identified with the body? A person has 248 limbs and two hands, as he quotes from the Zohar. (There is room for analysis here, since presumably the 248 limbs already include the hands, but this is how he quotes in the name of the Zohar.) Two hundred and forty-eight plus two equals 250, which is the numerical value of "ner" (נר - candle). Therefore, the body is called a candle, and this title is fitting for it.
The Vilna Gaon offers another explanation of "the light of the righteous rejoices," based on the statement of the Gemara: A transgression extinguishes a mitzvah, but a transgression does not extinguish Torah. Let us first explain the principle and then the verse.
There are people who say: I am committing sins anyway, so why are you suggesting that I now pray Minchah? You know what a wrongdoer I am; I am ashamed even to come and pray. Put on tefillin? Forget it, with the sins I committed, it is better that I do not put them on. This is a complete mistake. The Steipler often rebuked such people, telling them: The yetzer hara makes you fall twice. The first time, it brings you down through sin, and the second time, it gives you a sense of self-righteousness - "I cannot perform mitzvos after such a sin; I will not be a hypocrite." This, too, is the yetzer hara's counsel: Do not put on tefillin, do not pray, do not suddenly act like a tzaddik - after all, what you did is far more severe, so why are you meticulous here while dismissive there? Just drop everything. This is none other than the yetzer hara itself.
On the contrary, a person must perform mitzvos. Just as a transgression adds tumah (spiritual defilement), and "one who defiles himself a little is defiled a great deal," so it is in the opposite measure, which is five hundred times greater: a mitzvah adds kedushah, and "one who sanctifies himself a little is sanctified a great deal." Every sin pulls you toward defilement - at least perform a mitzvah, which will pull you toward holiness. Not only that, but you also have an anchor to hold onto. One who abandoned everything has nothing to cling to, but one who maintained the performance of mitzvos, when thoughts of teshuvah awaken within him, will mend his ways - he is in the beis midrash, he is still learning Torah and performing mitzvos, and therefore he will abandon the sins. He has somewhere to return; he has not burned his bridges. But one who said, "Forget it, it is worth nothing," and abandoned everything, even when thoughts of teshuvah awaken within him, he will say: To start everything from scratch now, to put on tefillin, to pray three times a day, and to keep Shabbat? That is too hard - and he will do nothing.
The Steipler wrote regarding this in a letter: Know that there is a sack of transgressions and there is a sack of mitzvos, and they are not connected to one another. For the mitzvos you performed you will receive reward, and for the transgressions you will receive punishment. It is an error to think that a mitzvah has no value because you committed a sin. The mitzvah counts, and the sin also "counts," and you will answer for each one separately. Just because I began to lose on one side, should I also start taking pearls and throwing them away? You have pearls - collect them, and what you lose you will ultimately have to pay for. These are two separate accounts.
However, this is seemingly difficult, for Chazal say, "A transgression extinguishes a mitzvah," and seemingly those people who claim there is no point in performing mitzvos are correct. But one must pay close attention to the exact wording: it does not say that a transgression nullifies a mitzvah, but rather that a transgression extinguishes a mitzvah. The mitzvah still exists; its light is merely dimmed and does not shine. And when a person has performed many mitzvos, he has many candles whose light is extinguished - and the moment he does teshuvah for the transgressions, all of those candles will shine once again. The extinguishing is temporary: as long as a person is steeped in sin, the transgression extinguishes the mitzvah; once he does teshuvah, there is no transgression - and the mitzvah shines.
On the other hand, it is taught that a transgression does not extinguish Torah: the light of Torah shines and exerts its influence even when a person is steeped in sin, and even when there is an iron curtain of transgressions, it has the power to effect change. And this is what the verse means: The righteous, whose entire occupation is in Torah, constantly add light - "the light of the righteous rejoices," growing more and more. And even if they occasionally stumble in some misdeed, for "there is no righteous person on earth who does good and does not sin," a transgression does not extinguish Torah. "For a mitzvah is a candle and Torah is light" - this is the dimension of light, and therefore it rejoices, always shining and bringing joy.
In contrast, "the lamp of the wicked shall be extinguished." What does the wicked person have at most? A lamp - "a mitzvah is a lamp." The wicked person has no Torah; a Torah class is not for him. But here he helped another Jew, and there his father asked for something and he brought it to him to honor his parents - he does have some mitzvos. However, these mitzvos are merely a lamp and not light, and he lacks the light of Torah. And since sin extinguishes a mitzvah, it follows that "the lamp of the wicked shall be extinguished": the light of the mitzvah's candle dims and fades, because now he has transgressions, and when one is steeped in sins, he causes the light of the mitzvah to flicker out.
רַק־בְּזָדוֹן יִתֵּן מַצָּה וְאֶת־נוֹעָצִים חׇכְמָה׃ (י) - Only through presumption comes strife, but with those who take counsel is wisdom. (10)
Rabbeinu Yonah explains: One who constantly acts out of willful arrogance - meaning his thoughts are always negative and destructive, constantly plotting how to do evil - "yields strife" (matzah), and matzah means quarrel. This person pursues fights and controversy, because there is always malice in his heart and he is constantly looking for someone to quarrel with. As it is written, "When presumption comes, shame comes with it": one who acts willfully enters into quarrels because of it, which ultimately bring him to humiliation.
"But with those who take counsel is wisdom" - the wise person, however, recognizes that human nature contains an innate arrogance, a corrupt impulse toward conflict and dispute. Instead of acting on instinct, he overcomes it. He consults with others and asks them what is proper to do and whether one ought to act this way, receiving guidance - and thereby avoids the dispute into which the wicked person stumbles. Note that even a decent person might harbor that same negative drive, but he does not follow the impulse of his heart. The wicked person immediately does whatever crosses his mind, whatever he feels like doing. As the saying goes, Bil'am is the very definition of one who does whatever enters his mind - the name Bil'am can be read as an acronym for b'oso mah ba lo (doing whatever he feels like). Whatever strikes him in the moment, he does.
The other person, even if his character traits are not fully refined, says to himself: Should I get involved in this argument or not? Let me consult with someone. And seeking counsel is the single most important step, because when it concerns oneself, one is likely to plunge right into conflict due to ego considerations: "He insulted me, he said this and that to me, I felt deeply hurt." Therefore, a person goes and asks someone else: "What do you think? Someone did this and that - is it worth reacting to it?" The advisor, even if he is no wiser or more righteous than the person asking, is at least not foolish - and his advice is certainly better than what one would decide on his own. The person himself is biased and personally invested, whereas the outsider has no stake and was not hurt, so he can render a sound decision. This is "with those who take counsel is wisdom": one whose inclination incites him to quarrel, but who first seeks counsel, asks questions, and wants to hear an objective outside perspective, will act with wisdom and avoid strife and quarreling with his peers.
The Vilna Gaon explains that this verse is linked to the preceding one. "The light of the righteous rejoices" refers to the light of Torah, which sin cannot extinguish. But know, says the Gra, when does this light help? Only when a person learns Torah for its own sake, willing to learn with any person - "with those who take counsel" - consulting with everyone, learning from everyone, and receptive to everyone. Then it is truly wonderful, and the light will genuinely influence him for the good; this is the light that sin does not extinguish.
However, if it is "only through presumption" - then "it yields strife." What does presumption mean here? That he does not study Torah to know it, but rather to provoke and dispute. Such a person comes to raise objections and show that he is an oberchacham, cleverer than what the Torah says: "How can the Torah say this here when over there it says otherwise? No way, that makes no sense!" It was not about him that it was said that sin does not extinguish the light; this is a light that yields no benefit. If he acts presumptuously, it yields strife - he is merely looking for an argument, seeking conflict and contention, coming to provoke. The verse speaks of "with those who take counsel": one who comes to consult and ask, "What do you say about this, and what do you say about that?" - one who desires to receive rather than dispute, who comes to listen - he will attain wisdom, and the light will genuinely exert a positive influence upon him.
The Malbim explains: The term zedon (willful presumption) always refers to someone who challenges the laws of wisdom and truth publicly. Who is called a mezid (willful sinner)? Not someone who dissents privately to himself, but someone who does so openly, refusing to submit to the words of the Sages. This is as Scripture states: "The person who acts with a high hand... with presumption, not listening to the kohen" - publicly, before everyone's eyes: "He said this, and I am doing the opposite."
Similarly, there is a distinction between matzah and merivah. A merivah is a verbal dispute between people; a matzah is an intense brawl, a state where tempers flare to the point just before physical blows, where one is about to raise a hand against another or vice versa. That is far more severe than an ordinary dispute.
Now, when there is strife and disagreement among people, among the public, it will not lead to contention (*matzah*) if they take counsel together (*no'atzim*). This means: they sit down together, smooth out differences, hear what each person has to say, consult with one another, each willing to accept his fellow's viewpoint, and ultimately reach a resolution and accept guidance - "with those who take counsel is wisdom." Such people will walk according to the principles of wisdom, for no one insists, "Accept my opinion," nor assumes that truth lies exclusively with him; rather, let us consult together and arrive at a single decision.
But when there is willful defiance - a person who refuses to listen to the wise and deliberately does the opposite - "Only by presumption comes contention." Such a person will never reach an agreement with others, because what he seeks is strife; he deliberately seeks to do the opposite of what the wise say, brazenly challenging the laws of wisdom and impudently defying the truth. In that case, there is no resolution and no counsel, only contention and strife - just as occurred with the company of Korach, "when they strove against the Lord." Notice the language: *hatza'ah* (strife). In willful arrogance, he refuses to accept Moshe's words. Moshe calls them, sends to summon them, and they reply, "We will not go up" - I do not want "those who take counsel," I do not want to sit together and hear what you have to say; I want to speak my mind and not listen to you at all. That will yield contention; it will only breed strife. But when people take counsel - they arrive at wisdom and reach the depths of truth.
The two pesukim place two choices before us. "The light of the righteous will rejoice, but the lamp of the wicked will be extinguished": the righteous person builds upon eternity, upon the soul, and upon the light of the Torah, which no sin can extinguish; therefore, his joy is constantly renewed. The wicked person builds upon the physical body and upon this world, which is like a candle dependent upon oil and wick, and therefore everything burns out. From here emerges the practical lesson: a person should never abandon the mitzvos claiming that he has failed anyway - the sack of mitzvos and the sack of sins are kept separate, and through teshuvah all the lamps shine once again. "Only by presumption comes contention, but with those who take counsel is wisdom": the willful rebel, who comes to provoke and brazenly dispute in public, breeds great strife and will never reach the truth; whereas one who is willing to ask, consult, listen, and accept - even if he too has an inclination toward conflict - will merit wisdom, be spared from dispute, and reach the depths of truth.