Introduction
In this part of Chapter 14, we examine several verses addressing interpersonal character traits: anger and vengefulness; the difference between one who reacts immediately and one who harbors resentment; the contrast between the simpleton who believes anything and the prudent person who scrutinizes his steps; the dynamic between the wicked and the righteous; and society's attitude toward the poor and the wealthy. We will proceed through the verses in sequence, presenting the insights of Rashi, Rabbeinu Yonah, the Vilna Gaon (Gra), and the Malbim.
A Quick-Tempered Person Acts Foolishly - The Damage of Anger
קְצַר־אַפַּיִם יַעֲשֶׂה אִוֶּלֶת וְאִישׁ מְזִמּוֹת יִשָּׂנֵא׃ (יז) - One who is quick-tempered acts foolishly, and a person of schemes will be hated.
Rabbeinu Yonah explains this verse as a continuation of what was stated earlier, that the fool is constantly "enraged" - meaning furious - and fears no consequence or damage. There are three levels of anger: a person who is angry only in his heart; a person who expresses his anger in words or body language; and a person who takes physical action - delivers a slap, acts violently, tears things apart, and flies into a rage out of internal fury. Rabbeinu Yonah says: See how destructive anger is, for the hot-tempered person cannot escape putting his wrath into action. When something upsets him, he has no ability to restrain himself; rather, "one who is quick-tempered acts foolishly" - the moment he becomes angry, he commits an act of folly. He does not merely contemplate it, but acts upon it, doing reckless and foolish things about which he himself later admits, "What folly it was to do such a thing!"
And what does he bring upon himself through this? People come to hate him. Because he cannot conceal his impulses and desires, whatever stirs inside him is immediately exposed to the outside. Had he possessed good sense, he would not have outwardly revealed his inner feelings. However, because he is quick-tempered, people observe and see what is passing through his mind, as it says, "An enemy disguises himself with his lips," or through his movements, or the expression of his face. Then "a person of schemes will be hated" - they see that he is plotting malice in his heart, that he is planning to retaliate against whoever provoked him and make that person pay a price. Consequently, his ill will becomes obvious to all, and everyone hates him, seeing that any minor slight immediately breeds vengeance within him and sets him looking for ways to carry out his schemes.
The Vilna Gaon's Explanation: Two Types of Wicked People
The Vilna Gaon explains that there are two categories of wicked people: the overtly "evil" person and the "deceitful" person. One who is quick-tempered commits folly immediately, without composure, without pausing to reflect whether it is worthwhile or detrimental, whether it will cause harm or yield a gain. The moment the boss irritates him, he flies off the handle and screams, never considering that this will only hurt him in the long run. This is outright evil behavior. However, "a person of schemes" - a deceitful individual who harbors malicious thoughts in his heart without revealing them outwardly - will also be hated. How so? The Gra cites the verse, "As water reflects a face to a face, so is the heart of a person to a person." Because you hate him in your heart, even if it is not revealed outwardly, he develops a reciprocal hatred toward you. Know, therefore, that people will hate you, and it will not help you that you concealed your deceit within your heart. While this is different from the openly evil person who reacts instantly and does actual harm, if you say, "I am not acting on it; I keep it inside," you are told: you will be hated nonetheless, for there is a reciprocal resonance here - just as you plot hatred in your heart, he too will hate you in his heart.
The Malbim's Explanation: Quick-Tempered and Short-Spirited
The Malbim explains: It is the way of understanding to be patient and slow to anger, and not to take revenge or quarrel immediately, as is written later in this very chapter:
אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם רַב־תְּבוּנָה וּקְצַר־רוּחַ מֵרִים אִוֶּלֶת׃ (כט) - One who is slow to anger has great understanding, but one who is short-tempered exalts folly.
This is something observable at every level a person may occupy: the more enlightened, wiser individual knows how to restrain himself. Even if he is furious, and even if he would like to vent everything he feels, he possesses sufficient intellect to recognize that this is neither the time nor the place, and he reins in his spirit. This is the path of understanding. Conversely, those who burst into rage generally belong to a lower stratum of society - people whose level of understanding and wisdom is low, those with a "short fuse." The more cultivated person knows how to smile; he has absorbed the blow and does not show you that he was hurt, presenting thick skin - yet the matter will wait for you.
The Malbim explains: one who is quick-tempered (ketzar apayim) "acts foolishly," because he doubts the ways of discernment and reason, which places him in the category of a fool (evil). He does not think, and immediately commits acts of folly. Yet there is a difference between one who is quick-tempered and one who is short-tempered (ketzar ruach - impatient in spirit). A person who is short of spirit might actually be slow to anger (erech apayim) outwardly, restraining his rage, yet his spirit is short. The difference lies between the exterior and the interior. The quick-tempered person - his reactions are frightening; irritate him slightly, and he flies into a rage. The person who is slow to anger, however - on the outside he appears in control, not losing his temper, but inside the emotion churns, his inner spirit blazes, and he is incapable of overcoming "the mental images arising in the heart," in the words of the Malbim. The one who is short of spirit cannot calm his inner turmoil, and the moment you offend him, the plan is already set in motion: how will I settle the score with him, how do I make this person pay a price - churning with thoughts of vengeance and malice.
Even though he restrains his anger, there is a well-known Bedouin saying: revenge is a dish best served cold. Thus, thirty years later, that person might wait around some corner and murder him - "Do you remember what happened thirty years ago?" Blood vengeance. This is a trait of the nations, as King David said, "and his wrath was kept perpetually," in reference to the Gibeonites who came.
The Malbim notes: with someone who is quick-tempered, his impulsive reactions directly defy the ways of discernment and reason. The one who is short of spirit, ostensibly, does not act contrary to reason, since he controls his external demeanor and does not fly into a quick rage. Nevertheless, it directly violates the rules of wisdom. For what is gained by vengeance? A Torah prohibition has been transgressed, and one has turned himself into an evil person. A person who constantly ruminates on how to get even, how another will pay a price, and how he will show someone who is boss - is a truly miserable person. As a wise man once remarked: it is not what you eat that will kill you, but what eats you. And this person is genuinely wretched, for it eats away at him incessantly: what that person did to me, the open account I have with another, how a third will have his day, and the calculated plan already set for a fourth. How much malice continually churns within his heart!
Therefore, the Malbim explains that the laws of wisdom obligate a person to remove such thoughts from the heart, replacing them with thoughts of humility and forgiveness. This is the meaning of "and a person of short spirit exalts folly" (uketzar ruach merim ivelet). Even though he does not actively perform folly, he "exalts" folly - from the depths of his heart he raises this foolishness up to rule over his mind, conjuring images in his heart and devising ways to retaliate, though he has not yet executed the revenge in practice. In contrast, the quick-tempered person, who flares up in practice and retaliates immediately, literally "acts foolishly."
And what is an ish mezimot ("a man of schemes")? The Malbim explains: one who devises deep plots to cause harm, as it is written, "he who plans to do evil, that man shall be called a master of schemes." Even if he delays his anger and has not yet taken revenge in practice, but continually turns things over in his heart - "shall be hated" (yisanei), because this type of person is universally detested. This is human nature: people do not like cunning, vengeful types who keep a running tally against you. Even though one might say he did not react right away - sometimes it is preferable to receive the slap immediately than to live in uncertainty, never knowing around which corner it is waiting and on what day it will strike.
We have previously mentioned the words of Rav Dessler: if a child must be punished, do not postpone it and do not say, "I am still thinking about what to do to you." If he deserves a punishment, administer it right away. The dread of "what is Abba planning to do to me," and the anxieties the child carries around, far exceed what he actually deserves for what he did - it is simply too severe a punishment. This refers to an earlier generation in which a story was told of a child who was so terrified of a terrible punishment his father was going to give him that he climbed to the roof and took his own life; a generation where children genuinely feared their parents. Therefore, saying "I intend to punish you and I am still thinking about it" is far worse than the punishment itself. If you wish to punish, do so immediately, but do not leave the child in uncertainty. The same applies here: even though this person has not yet done any actual harm, since he is a schemer whose plans are still churning - he is hated; people find it difficult to feel close or at ease with such a person.
The Simple Inherit Folly - Folly as an Inheritance
נָחֲלוּ פְתָאיִם אִוֶּלֶת וַעֲרוּמִים יַכְתִּרוּ דָעַת׃ (יח) - The simple inherit folly, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge. (18)
Rabbeinu Yonah explains: the folly of the simple is their inheritance - it stays with them like a family estate. In contrast, the prudent "are crowned with knowledge" (yachtiru da'at) - they crown themselves with knowledge, and through their wisdom they rise to greatness, making it like a royal crown upon their head. Not only that, but they make knowledge beloved in the eyes of others, glorifying it through their wisdom. When people see an upright person conduct himself properly, many want to follow his lead, for he serves as a model and an example, and all who see him wish to emulate him. So too the prudent, the astute and wise: by the very fact that they occupy themselves with knowledge and the laws of wisdom, they inspire others to be drawn after wisdom as well, having observed their conduct. They create a crown and diadem for knowledge, such that everyone desires to pursue it and become people of understanding like these wise and knowledgeable figures.
The Malbim explains based on what was said earlier, "A simple person believes everything": fools and simpletons constantly entice this naive person. They tell him something and he buys it; they tell him a story and he swallows it whole. The folly they all tell him, he accepts as an inheritance, an undisputed legacy, never raising doubts - who says so? Perhaps the advice you are giving me is wrong? In this way, he inherits from fools, because he lacks the discernment to distinguish between what is true and what is false. The prudent, however, are the exact opposite of the simple: they examine everything, and they do nothing unless they know clearly what they are about to do, whether it is correct and whether it is proper. Therefore, "they are crowned with knowledge" - they act only when they possess clear knowledge. But the simple will buy whatever folly you sell them, acting upon the corrupt counsel they are given.
The Evil Bow Before the Good
שַׁחוּ רָעִים לִפְנֵי טוֹבִים וּרְשָׁעִים עַל־שַׁעֲרֵי צַדִּיק׃ (יט) - The evil bow before the good, and the wicked at the gates of the righteous. (19)
Rabbeinu Yonah explains: The shrewd - that is, the wise who take pride in knowledge and possess lofty stature - are unconcerned when lowly people fail to recognize their wisdom and stature. It does not truly bother him; he knows his own worth, and that is enough for him, having no need for the lowly to acknowledge his greatness. Not only that, but the status held by the wealthy and the powerful makes no impression on the wise man either, causing him neither admiration nor feelings of inferiority toward them. The fullness of their power and honor is not considered splendor before the good - the good are unimpressed by what they possess. And this is the meaning of "The evil bow before the good": the evil are low in the eyes of the good, who pay no regard to their honor and splendor, as it makes no impression upon them. "And the wicked at the gates of the righteous" - the wicked also bow in the presence of the righteous; when standing at the gates of the righteous he is humbled, holding no prestige when standing beside the righteous person, beside the wise man, beside the Torah luminary.
The Gra explains with greater depth. Concerning one who is righteous and good to people - it is said that he enjoys the fruits in this world. But one who is bad to people eats his fruits in the World to Come, yet there is no circumstance in which he eats his fruits in this world. It turns out, therefore, that a person could be righteous in this world yet improper in interpersonal matters (bein adam l'chaveiro) - and he will eat his fruits only in the World to Come; whereas a person could be wicked regarding matters between man and God (bein adam laMakom), but proper in interpersonal relationships - and he eats his fruits in this world. This should not be misunderstood: in the World to Come, each person will pay what is due, and being righteous interpersonally will not exempt him from punishment for transgressions between man and God; for desecrating Shabbat he will receive his punishment. Rather, enjoying the fruits in this world - who merits that? Only one who possesses righteousness in interpersonal relationships. The World to Come proceeds entirely according to strict justice; it is only in this world - who receives their fruits? Only a person who is righteous toward his fellow man.
Incidentally, it is virtually unheard of to find someone who is wicked between man and God yet truly righteous toward his fellow man, for a simple reason: he does not grasp what interpersonal mitzvot actually are. You tell him, "You spoke lashon hara about him," and he replies, "But it's the truth!" - he has not even begun to comprehend what lashon hara is. You tell him, "You publicly shamed him," and he says, "It was just a joke." The terminology is foreign to him, and he does not grasp what is being discussed when speaking of mitzvot and transgressions. Rather, this refers to a scenario where a person genuinely understands both interpersonal mitzvot and mitzvot between man and God, yet while he is careless regarding matters between man and God, he is meticulous in interpersonal matters - for such a person, it is very likely that he will experience good in this world and enjoy its fruits.
And this is what is written here according to the Gra: "The evil bow before the good" - one who is bad to people, even if he is righteous between man and God, will be humbled before those who are good to people, even if the one who is good to people is otherwise wicked; and all this takes place in this world. "And the wicked at the gates of the righteous" - but one who is wicked between himself and God is called a rasha, and he will be brought low at the gates of the righteous. And what are the gates of the righteous? The gates of Gan Eden, the World to Come. Do not think that because he was proper interpersonally and had fruits here, he will not be called to account in the World to Come - know that the wicked will bow at the gates of the righteous. There, when they arrive at the gates of Gan Eden and "a righteous nation that keeps faith" enters, they will be humbled before them.
The Malbim explains: Although evil opposes good, and the wicked stands in contrast to the righteous, nevertheless, when evil comes before good, it bows before it and surrenders to it; and when the wicked arrive at the gates of the righteous, they bow before them. The meaning is this: evil has no enduring power before the righteous, before the upright and decent, just as darkness cannot stand before light. And even if one observes evil making much noise in this world, know that ultimately evil has no direct nourishment from the sources of holiness. The only thing that draws vitality from the sources of holiness is holiness, goodness, truth, and uprightness. Therefore, the wicked will always bow before the righteous and be lowered before him, because evil possesses no independent source of vitality and must always draw from the realm of holiness - as previously noted, the realm of the kelipah draws its sustenance from the realm of holiness and has no independent source of bounty, and consequently is perpetually subordinate before it.
Even by His Neighbor the Poor Man Is Hated
גַּם־לְרֵעֵהוּ יִשָּׂנֵא רָשׁ וְאֹהֲבֵי עָשִׁיר רַבִּים׃ (כ) - Even by his neighbor the poor man is hated, but the rich man has many lovers.
Rashi explains "even by his neighbor" - even by his close companions and beloved friends, they too hate him. Rashi further explains "the poor man is hated" as referring to an am ha'aretz (an unlearned person) who does not know how to conduct himself properly.
Rabbeinu Yonah explains: "Even by his neighbor" - even one who knew him previously and loved him in the past, once the man becomes impoverished, he hates him and no longer acknowledges him. A person says, "I am so-and-so," and the acquaintance responds, "Remind me of your name" - when you needed a loan, you remembered me very well; when my financial situation was good, you were a true friend, and suddenly it is "goodbye, friend."
It is written regarding the Yovel (Jubilee) year: "And each man shall return to his ancestral holding, and each man shall return to his family." The commentators ask: "To his ancestral holding" is understandable, as people return to reclaim their land; but what is "and each man shall return to his family" - had he ever left his family? Rather, when you were forced to sell your property and fell into poverty, you noticed that you lost your family as well. When the estates return, suddenly you discover that you have an extensive family: one gives you a phone call, another asks how you are doing, and a third cousin remarks, "We haven't heard from you in years!" Yes, of course - now you have money. Therefore, "and each man shall return to his family" - not only do you return to your estate, but you also suddenly realize what a large family you have.
There was once a man who told his children that he wanted to bestow gifts upon them during his lifetime, rather than giving with "cold hands" after passing, asking why they should inherit only when they are ninety - he wanted them to enjoy it in time. He divided his assets among them: this one received a certain apartment, another received a different apartment, and another the storefront. At a certain point, he noticed the phone had gone silent. He sent it to be checked, and they told him everything was working properly. He said, "If so, why aren't the children calling?" It turned out that the children no longer had any incentive to call, since their father had already distributed everything. He called a family meeting and said to them: "My dear children, just so you know - what I distributed was only the real estate; the millions in the bank I have not yet divided." And suddenly, by God's kindness, the phone came back to life.
This is "Even by his neighbor the poor man is hated" - when it comes to the poor man, who needs you and who looks at you? But "the rich man has many lovers" - with the rich man, even when he tells tasteless jokes, everyone laughs; it pays to stick close to him, perhaps some benefit will fall your way, perhaps something will rub off on you. The Gra explains: "The rich man has many lovers" - even those who are not his close friends love the wealth, meaning lovers of wealth are numerous. But regarding the poor man, even one who is his neighbor hates him, thinking, as it were, "What do I gain from him?" And the Gra applies this principle to Torah as well: one who is poor in Torah knowledge, even his companion distances himself from him; but a talmid chacham - "Rabbi so-and-so is my relative," "that righteous rabbi is my family" - his lovers are many.
"He who despises his neighbor sins" - The Malbim's explanation connecting the two verses
בָּז־לְרֵעֵהוּ חוֹטֵא וּמְחוֹנֵן עֲנָוִים אַשְׁרָיו׃ (כא) - "He who despises his neighbor sins, but he who is gracious to the humble, fortunate is he."
The Malbim connects the two verses together. It is human nature that like attracts like; similar things love one another. Whom do we love? Those who are similar to us, who are molded in our own pattern. Why? Because a person loves himself, and what he finds in himself he sees in the other as well, and therefore loves him. Conversely, one whose nature is the opposite of ours - we do not get along with him and we do not love him. Why do people love gathering with those who share their views, right-wingers with right-wingers and left-wingers with left-wingers? Because the other person constantly echoes what you think, and it is pleasant to hear that your views are upright and decent, and that you think logically. But when you meet someone with the opposite view - it stings and feels unpleasant. And so it is in every matter: we like to be in the company of those similar to us, where if I feel like pizza right now, he also feels like pizza; but if he feels like steak, an argument begins over whether to go for pizza or steak. We always love the person whose desires and aspirations mirror our own.
And here, says the Malbim, you see the exact opposite. "Even by his fellow the poor man is hated" - his fellow poor man hates the poor man! Why do you hate him? He is your fellow, and like should love like; you ought to love him! And whom do they love? The rich man, who is not like them at all - you are poor and he is rich. This defies the laws of wisdom, which dictate that one must love humility and meekness, bestow favor upon the humble, and despise haughtiness. Yet here, he hates the poor man because he appears lowly and degraded in his eyes, and loves the rich man even though the rich man exalts himself, acts arrogantly, and is full of pride.
Concerning this, the verse says, "He who despises his neighbor sins" - that which I told you, that this person hates the poor man, know that this is a sin. On the contrary, you should love the poor man, for the poor man is the humble one! And whom does the Holy One, blessed be He, love? The crushed and the lowly: "and with him that is of a contrite and humble spirit" - with him I dwell, says the Holy One, blessed be He. Him you should have loved! And on the other hand, you should have hated haughtiness: people whose path is one of arrogance, who fall into the category of the "rich man" - from them and from their arrogant ways you should have distanced yourself.
And why is he called a "sinner" (choteh)? The Malbim explains that choteh does not necessarily mean sin in the conventional sense, but rather one who misses the mark of the laws of wisdom. We have previously explained the phrase, "I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders (chata'im)" - meaning, lacking the kingship; sin implies a deficit, a lack, as in "missing the target" (hechti et hamatarah), falling short of the goal. Thus, "He who despises his neighbor misses the mark" - you miss the laws of wisdom. "But he who is gracious to the humble, fortunate is he" - one who shows grace to the humble will attain spiritual happiness, since his soul continually loves humility and detests arrogance; therefore, he will truly be happy and fortunate.
In Summary:
The verses before us teach a series of fundamental principles in character traits: The quick-tempered person acts foolishly on the spot and is hated, while the short-tempered person, even if he controls his outward behavior, "exalts folly" within his heart and cultivates thoughts of vengeance that consume him - and a man of wicked schemes is loathed by all. The simpleton inherits every folly as his estate, whereas the shrewd person evaluates everything and crowns knowledge, until others are drawn after him. Evil has no staying power before the good, like darkness before light, because it has no intrinsic vitality drawn from the sources of holiness. Finally, society behaves contrary to the laws of wisdom: even his fellows despise the poor man, while the rich man has many lovers - whereas true integrity demands that we love the humble and distance ourselves from pride; and he who is gracious to the humble - fortunate is he.