Chapter 13 in Sefer Mishlei continues drawing the comparison between the wise person and the fool, between the righteous and the wicked, and between one who is willing to accept guidance and correction and one who casts off all restraint. In the two verses before us, King Solomon addresses two central axes: a person's attitude toward the discipline and rebuke received from others, and his attitude toward his own desires. We will study them in light of Rabbenu Yonah, the Vilna Gaon, Rashi, and the Malbim.
רֵישׁ וְקָלוֹן פּוֹרֵעַ מוּסָר, וְשֹׁמֵר תּוֹכַחַת יְכֻבָּד. (י"ח) - Poverty and shame come to him who casts off discipline, but he who heeds rebuke will be honored. (18)
Rabbenu Yonah connects this verse to what was stated previously regarding the wicked messenger who reveals a secret. The wicked emissary, who despite being sent in secret goes and publicizes the matter to all, is a person who "casts off discipline": instead of following the path of ethics and fulfilling his mission discreetly, he throws off all restraint. In the end, his disgrace will be revealed, and not only that, but poverty and destitution will overtake him as well. Why? Because everyone will discover his betrayal and wickedness, and no one will want to do business with him, no one will trust him, and no one will send him on any mission. The result is twofold: disgrace, which is shame, and poverty, which is destitution - all because he cast off discipline.
Rabbenu Yonah adds that the verse also speaks in a general sense: whoever casts off discipline will be overtaken by poverty and disgrace, while he who heeds rebuke will merit honor. Most people, he explains, do not attain the noble traits that bring honor to their possessors, nor even the trait of diligence about which it is said, "The hand of the diligent makes rich," unless they listen to rebuke. Who truly succeeds in life? One who is willing to accept. One who is rebuked and is willing to change his ways. But a person who is rebuked and corrected yet repeats his mistakes over and over, who is never willing to listen to others and never willing to admit that he was wrong - such a person will not only fail to gain honor, but poverty and disgrace will strike him. By contrast, one who heeds rebuke will merit honor, for he will succeed in all his endeavors.
The Vilna Gaon explains the verse based on a foundation we have already mentioned: there are three paths in the service of Hashem - tzedek (righteousness and charity), mishpat (justice and discipline), and meisharim (uprightness and equity). Tzedek is on the right, mishpat on the left, and meisharim is the middle path connecting the two. This parallels the Sefirot: Chesed is the right arm, Gevurah is the left arm, and Tiferet is the body itself. Avraham corresponds to Chesed, Yitzchak to Gevurah, and Yaakov to Tiferet, which is the harmonized, central attribute that draws from both sides.
How does this connect to tzedek, mishpat, and meisharim? Tzedek relates to tzedakah, performing acts of loving-kindness with others - and this is the right. Mishpat refers to the afflictions and self-denials a person takes upon himself, as in the phrase "to execute judgment (mishpat) upon them": he holds himself accountable, demands from himself, and brings upon himself afflictions and self-denials, all with measured judgment - in order to reach high levels and exacting standards in the service of Hashem. And meisharim is the middle path, the upright and balanced course.
In light of this, the verse is illuminated: "Length of days is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor." "In her right hand" refers to those who walk the path of the right, performing kindness and charity with others. As it is already stated, "And charity saves from death," and "In the path of righteousness (tzedakah) is life" - charity is always linked to life, and therefore their reward is length of days. "In her left hand" refers to those who engage in self-denial and afflictions to break their desires and overcome their inclinations. These people afflict both their body and their soul: it is difficult for them both physically and emotionally. Therefore, they deserve a double reward, for both the body and the soul: wealth corresponds to the afflictions of the body, and honor corresponds to the anguish of the inner soul. Furthermore, honor itself brings internal joy.
Now our verse becomes clear: "Casts off discipline (pore'a musar)" - musar is related to afflictions (yissurim), and he casts them off, unwilling to break his desire. The opposite of one who afflicts himself and merits wealth is one who refuses to discipline himself - and his punishment is poverty (reish). The opposite of one who merits honor for his inner spiritual suffering is one who refuses to set boundaries for himself and lives as he pleases - and his lot is disgrace (kalon). Poverty stands opposite wealth, and disgrace stands opposite honor.
On the other hand, "he who heeds rebuke will be honored": this is a person who, upon being rebuked, is careful from the outset. He does not need afflictions to atone for sins, for he has no sins - he guarded himself against transgression in advance. Although he broke his desire, his body was not afflicted; only his soul suffered, as it felt desire and withheld itself. And if only the soul suffered, he deserves only the soul's reward, which is honor: "and he who heeds rebuke will be honored." Had he also kept discipline (musar) and accepted physical afflictions upon himself, he would have merited both wealth corresponding to bodily afflictions and honor corresponding to the soul's distress.
The Malbim emphasizes that mussar (discipline/chastisement) and tochechah (reproof) are not the same thing. Tochechah is related to vikuach (debate/argument), as in the phrase "he argued (hochi'ach) yesterday" - I debate with you and prove to you with logical proofs and rational arguments that you are mistaken. This is an appeal to the intellect: I explain to you why it is not worthwhile, and how much one who acts this way is merely harming himself. Mussar, on the other hand, is related to yissurin (affliction), and can also take the form of intimidation: I tell you that for such an act there is Gehennom, and in Gehennom they burn, there are severe illnesses, there are troubles and disasters - be careful not to commit sins! This is a method of threat, not a method of intellectual persuasion.
According to this, one who heeds reproof (shomer tochechah) - meaning he has no need for chastisement at all, but rather rational teaching suffices for him - is worthy of honor. We do not need to resort to the stick; mere words and proof that the matter is improper are enough for him to withdraw from it. One who does not heed reproof is not worthy of honor, yet he is still tolerable, for he does listen to mussar: perhaps the intellectual argument does not speak to him, but if you threaten him, it has an impact. But one who is worse than this, who neither listens to reproof nor is moved by intimidation, and instead casts off discipline (pore'a mussar) and throws off the yoke entirely - this person will not only fail to attain honor, but poverty and disgrace (reish vekalon) will overtake him, and he will even lose whatever honor and happiness he possessed before.
This is also true in the conduct of the Holy One, blessed be He: He makes threats, so to speak, raising the rod so that He will not have to bring it down, so that man will see and take fright. "Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger" - and in every generation there is a different "rod of My anger." If you are frightened by the rod and mend your ways, well and good. But if you are not frightened, Heaven forbid, the rod itself must strike, and then come reish, which is poverty, and kalon, which is humiliation. Such was the case with the Jewish people before the destruction of the First Temple: there was reproof and there was chastisement, but the people did not listen - and then that very rod descended upon them.
תַּאֲוָה נִהְיָה תֶּעֱרַב לְנָפֶשׁ, וְתוֹעֲבַת כְּסִילִים סוּר מֵרָע. (י"ט) - A desire realized is sweet to the soul, but it is an abomination to fools to depart from evil. (19)
Rashi explains: When a person has a desire and his desire comes to pass - meaning he has fulfilled his desire - it is sweet to the soul; the soul feels good about it. And because of this, "it is an abomination to fools to depart from evil," for fools follow the desires of their heart, seeking immediate sweetness and immediate pleasure. It is sweet to them to fulfill their desires, and therefore turning away from evil is an abomination in their eyes - they want to indulge.
Rashi also brings another explanation: The Holy One, blessed be He, yearns for the Jewish people to do His will. When His desire comes to fulfillment - when Israel fulfills His words and performs His will - the matter is sweet before Him. "And it is an abomination to fools to depart from evil" - but the wicked detest distancing themselves from their wickedness, and they seek only to satisfy their lusts.
Rabbeinu Yonah explains that desire is sweet to the soul of the one who lusts only while it is in full force; once the desire has passed, there is no pleasure left in it at all. And so it is with all physical matters. A person brought to a feast while ravenous - saliva drools down his lips; yet half an hour later, tell him that a juicy steak has just come off the grill, and he cannot even bear to look at it: "Take it away from here!" What happened? Half an hour ago one could not speak to him; he was engrossed in eating and would not stay his hand from devouring. This is "a desire that has come to pass" (ta'avah nihyah): once the desire has passed, nothing remains of it.
From here stems his astonishment at the fools: "And it is an abomination to fools to depart from evil." At the moment of desire, a person experiences pleasure, but a single moment later, nothing remains. Yet fools, for the sake of a fleeting moment of pleasure, detest turning away from evil. When a sin comes to hand, the fool does not consider that in one minute he will forget everything that happened and will remain only with the iniquity. Lust for a temporary pleasure overwhelms him, and he goes and obeys the voice of his desire, unconcerned with the damage it will cause him, the eternal disgrace, and the everlasting shame. See how great is the folly of fools, who exchange an enduring world for a transient world, for a fleeting pleasure that lasts only an hour! As soon as a sin comes their way, they commit it, failing to take to heart that desire passes very quickly and that "sweet to the soul" vanishes in the blink of an eye. Is it really worth pursuing evil, if a moment later you have neither benefit nor pleasure from it?
The Vilna Gaon explains nihyah as an expression of breaking, related to hovah (ruin/fracture), and his words are magnificent. "A desire broken is sweet to the soul" - when a desire is broken, it subsequently becomes sweet to the soul. Know, says the Gra, that in the heat of desire, when a person must break his craving, it is extremely difficult and he feels anguish in his soul, for he longs to fulfill his desire. Yet ultimately, the pleasure he attains fills his entire being - the joy of victory: "I succeeded in overcoming the evil inclination!" - a wonderful feeling of fulfillment. By contrast, one who says, "I do not want to torment myself; I have a desire, so I will indulge it" - what begins for him afterward? Pricks of conscience and heartache that leave him empty. Such is the human reality: breaking a desire is difficult for a moment, but ultimately brings immense sweetness to the soul; his soul is whole, content, and deeply satisfied. Fulfilling the desire, however, brings only momentary satisfaction, after which his soul becomes broken (nihyah) from having pursued his lust.
The Gra adds another reason for the expression neheya [becoming or fulfilled]: when a person breaks his desire for the sake of Hashem's will, he fulfills the teaching, "Nullify your will before His will, so that He may nullify His will before your will." If I nullify my desires to fulfill Hashem's will, the Holy One, blessed be He, decrees, and the tzaddik annuls it; as it were, the Holy One, blessed be He, says: "I too nullify My will before your will." And this is "a desire fulfilled" - when you break your lust, your desires will come to be fulfilled. Those permissible things that you yearn for - the Holy One, blessed be He, will grant your desire in them, even if you might not strictly deserve it by law, because you nullified your desire for the sake of the will of Hashem, may He be blessed, and then there will be sweetness for your soul.
Therefore, as Rabbi Aharon Roth and others cite, when a person walks in the street and a forbidden sight appears before him, and he diverts his gaze, overcomes his inclination, and refrains from looking - he thereby breaks his desire, "a desire fulfilled," and consequently Hashem fulfills his will and his requests. Therefore, there is a special segulah at that moment: it is a time of great favor in Heaven, and at that very moment when he overcomes his urge and closes his eyes, he should ask the Holy One, blessed be He, for whatever he needs - a match, viable offspring, livelihood, whatever he desires. And this is truly measure for measure: you break your desire, and the Holy One, blessed be He, says - I will see to it that your desire comes to be and that your wishes are fulfilled.
"And it is an abomination to fools to depart from evil" - fools not only fail to break their desires and pursue them even when there is no absolute evil involved, but they actively pursue absolute evil. And why pursue sheer evil? After all, when someone pursues a physical desire, there is still some defense to be made for him: he had a craving for it, his inclination drove him, he derives pleasure from the theft or the transgression. But when someone does something from which he derives no pleasure or desire at all - that is terrible and dreadful; it is pure malice. A person who vandalizes his fellow's property for no reason whatsoever - that is sheer wickedness. And that is what is said of fools: not only is departing from evil not appealing to them, but whoever departs from evil is an abomination in their eyes. In their view, a person ought to run after evil, and that is how it should be.
The Malbim reminds us of what we have already learned: the kesil (fool) is not a peti (simpleton). The kesil can be wise, an accomplished professor, and yet his trouble is that he does not take it to heart - he possesses extensive knowledge, yet does not act upon what he knows. And why? Because he has desire, and desire overpowers him. We once gave an example: a person can be a distinguished professor and a successful lung surgeon, yet after every surgery he must go outside and smoke a cigarette to calm his nerves. Such people exist, and he will tell you himself: "It is my weakness," and that is that. Such a person is bound to a desire he cannot overcome, and despite all his titles and diplomas, King Solomon calls him a kesil, for he behaves with folly: he knows the laws of wisdom, yet his desire prevails over him.
"A desire fulfilled is sweet to the soul" - even though a person derives no true benefit from the lust, only sweetness to the soul, meaning momentary pleasure. And which soul? The Malbim explains: the animalistic soul. For the spiritual soul shrinks and suffers from every sin a person commits; all he has attained is fleeting gratification for the animalistic soul. And he cannot conquer desire because of the power of the pleasant: lust overcomes him because it is sweet to his animalistic soul, and he chooses the pleasant over the good and the beneficial. There is what is good, what is beneficial, and what is pleasant, and the lowest tier among them is the pleasant. Why do you do it? Not because it is good, nor because it is beneficial, but simply because "I feel like it," "I crave it" - it is pleasant.
Hence, "and it is an abomination to fools to depart from evil": why do fools detest departing from evil? Because their entire longing is for the pleasant. And since he always pursues only what is pleasant, departing from evil is something he has no interest in at all, for it requires overcoming desire. He wants only what is pleasant, and such is his entire fixation after the lusts of his heart.
The two verses complement one another. "Poverty and shame come to him who casts off discipline, but he who heeds rebuke shall be honored" teaches that one for whom intellectual rebuke suffices is worthy of honor; one who requires intimidation and discipline is still capable of repair; and one who casts off the yoke entirely - his end is poverty and disgrace. And in the words of the Gra, poverty corresponds to the wealth, and disgrace to the honor, that are designated for one who afflicts himself and breaks his desire. "A desire fulfilled is sweet to the soul" reveals the root of the downfall: the kesil, though he may be intelligent, succumbs to the power of the "pleasant" - a momentary gratification of the animalistic soul that a moment later leaves nothing behind but the transgression. Conversely, one who breaks his lust merits true and lasting sweetness in his soul, the joy of victory over the evil inclination, and even that the Holy One, blessed be He, will fulfill his desires measure for measure: nullify your will before His will, so that He may nullify His will before your will.