Before us is the final section of Chapter 14 in Mishlei, containing four verses, each of which is a world unto itself: the fate of the wicked and the righteous in adversity and death, the place of wisdom in the heart of the discerning and among fools, the virtue of charity and the nature of the "kindness of the nations," and finally - the king's favor toward the wise servant. We will proceed in the order of the verses, drawing upon the insights of Rabbeinu Yonah, the Vilna Gaon, Rashi, Ralbag, and the Malbim.
בְּרָעָתוֹ יִדָּחֶה רָשָׁע וְחֹסֶה בְמוֹתוֹ צַדִּיק׃ (לב) - "The wicked is thrust down through his evil, but the righteous finds refuge in his death." (32)
Rabbeinu Yonah cites the verse in Tehillim, "Evil shall slay the wicked," as well as the verse, "For a righteous man falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in calamity." This is precisely what is expressed here: "The wicked is thrust down through his evil" - for the wicked, a single calamity is enough to seal his fate, and all the more so if seven befall him. The righteous person, on the other hand, falls seven times and gets back up. The wicked stumbles in a single evil, and it destroys him completely.
And what is the meaning of "but the righteous finds refuge in his death"? Rabbeinu Yonah explains: It goes without saying that the righteous person finds refuge in a time of trouble and is not thrust down by it, as has already been said - "A righteous man falls seven times and rises again," meaning he will surely recover from any calamity that befalls him. Rather, the verse innovates something far greater: even in the greatest calamity of all, from which no human being can escape - the misfortune of death - there too the righteous takes refuge in Hashem, blessed be He. The Holy One, blessed be He, can deliver him even from this and lengthen his days, as it is written, "And charity saves from death" - charity of money as well as righteous deeds in general, or "He keeps back his soul from the pit." Indeed, there are those who reach the very gates of death, and at the final moment Hashem redeems them - "You Who lift me up from the gates of death." Such was the case with King Chizkiyahu, to whom it was said, "For you shall die and not live," yet he prayed, and Chazal recount his words: I have received a tradition from my ancestors, even if a sharp sword rests upon a person's neck, he should never despair of mercy.
To summarize the words of Rabbeinu Yonah: for the wicked, a single misfortune thrusts him down. For the righteous, not only is he not thrust down by adversity, but even in the greatest misfortune of all, which every person ultimately experiences, he has refuge in Hashem, blessed be He, Who can push back the moment of death: through charity, through good deeds, through teshuvah.
The Vilna Gaon explains differently: "Through his evil" - through the very evil the wicked person plotted against the righteous. "He dug a pit and hollowed it out, and fell into the trap he had made" - the very pit you dug to cause the righteous to fall will itself exact retribution from you. Like Haman, who prepared a gallows on which to hang Mordechai the righteous, and in the end they hanged him upon it. By the very same schemes he devised to harm the righteous, he is cast down. On the other hand, "but the righteous finds refuge in his death" - the acts of righteousness he performed accompany him even at the time of death and protect his children as well. A wicked person who performed a good deed receives his reward here in this world, whereas for the righteous person, everything he accomplished awaits him after his passing for the life of the World to Come.
The Malbim explains: Even when the wicked stands at a high station, because of his evil he will be thrust from his position and brought down to the pit of destruction. And why? "Through his evil" - the evil he committed is itself what harms him, as in the concept of "Your own wickedness will chastise you": Who exacts retribution from a person? The destructive forces he created, the negative deeds he performed. In contrast to him, the righteous person is not only not cast down while alive, but even in death he has Someone in Whom to take refuge, sheltering in Hashem, blessed be He, beneath the wings of the Shechinah. The wicked rises in this world only to be cast down from on high to the depths, whereas for the righteous person, even in the World to Come no harm will befall him; on the contrary, only good will accompany him.
בְּלֵב נָבוֹן תָּנוּחַ חָכְמָה וּבְקֶרֶב כְּסִילִים תִּוָּדֵעַ׃ (לג) - "Wisdom rests in the heart of the discerning, but in the midst of fools it is made known." (33)
Rabbeinu Yonah explains: A person who engages in wisdom recognizes its exalted value, and wisdom is treasured within him like pearls. Even when he teaches, he teaches only worthy people, who are fit to listen and know how to utilize wisdom properly. He does not utter words out of place, nor at an inappropriate time, nor to people to whom they should not be said. And if no one knows of his wisdom, it will not prevent him from rejoicing in it like one who finds great spoil, without any need to impress others. "Wisdom rests in the heart of the discerning" - he feels no urge to display it constantly outward.
And in contrast, "and in the midst of fools it is made known": fools do not store up wisdom within themselves; rather, they talk, even when it is out of place and even when silence was called for. Why? Because their entire interest in wisdom is to advertise it: look how wise I am, look what I know, look how perceptive I am. Like the parable our Sages stated - "A single coin in a jug makes a loud clatter" (istira balagina kish kish karya): when a coin is placed in an unsuitable place, inside a clay jug, shake it and it makes a great noise. But a coin placed in its proper setting, in a leather purse, shake it and nothing is heard. Wisdom found in an unsuitable setting, among fools, makes a great deal of noise. Wherever he is, he must show what he knows and what he understands; whether needed or not, whether the right time or not - he will always be there talking. True things, half-truths, relevant or irrelevant - this is the fool, who always wants to announce and put everything on display.
It has already been noted: when a person comes along and tells you everything he knows within five minutes, the conclusion is that this is truly all he knows. He has poured out everything, and there is nothing more. Had he possessed anything else, he would have poured that out right now as well. In contrast, the wise man - he has a great deal to say on every subject, yet he feels no need to constantly express himself and dispense his pearls of wisdom.
And to remove any doubt: we are not speaking of someone engaged in Torah study, nor of a situation where "in a place where there are no men, strive to be a man." If one is at a seudah and there is an opportunity to share words of Torah - by all means, let him be the first to rise and benefit the public; and if there are others, let him defer to others; and if there are greater men than him, let him defer to those greater than him. Similarly, one walking on the road with his friend who shares words of Torah instead of discussing politics and idle matters - excellent. We are speaking of people whose sole concern is to constantly flaunt their wisdom and show everyone everything they know.
Rabbeinu Yonah offers another interpretation: "Wisdom rests in the heart of an understanding person" - the wisdom rests quietly in his heart and he does not publicize it; nonetheless, "and in the midst of fools it is made known." Why? Because the fools will notice that his conduct is different. They engage in frivolous laughter and foolish behavior, and they see that he does not act like everyone else. Thus, even without him uttering a word of his wisdom, it is precisely in the midst of fools that his wisdom becomes known, for the understanding person is distinguished from fools by his conduct and recognized by his deportment. This is like the fragrance of myrrh, whose pleasing scent is far more noticeable in a foul place: in a clean place, people do not fully appreciate the virtue of the pleasant fragrance; but in a place with a foul odor, its virtue stands out. Perhaps a more familiar example: the value of a candle is recognized specifically in a dark and gloomy place. "What good is a candle in broad daylight?" - a candle by day provides no noticeable benefit, but a candle at night is clearly seen. So too, the wisdom of the wise man stands out distinctly when he is in the midst of fools.
The Vilna Gaon explains the verse according to the path of Kabbalah. It is known that there are Ten Sefirot, and their arrangement is explained in "Patach Eliyahu": Keter at the top, Chochmah and Binah on both sides - the two cognitive faculties (mochin), representing the head; followed by "Chesed the right arm," "Gevurah the left arm," "Tiferet is the body" - from the chest to the abdomen; Netzach and Hod - the two thighs; Yesod; and Malchut, which is the crown of Yesod.
The partzufim are broadly divided into five (though in Kabbalah they speak of up to twelve): Arich Anpin - which is Keter; Abba - Chochmah, the letter Yud of the Divine Name, primordial wisdom; Imma - Binah; Ze'ir Anpin - the V"K, the six extremities, ChaGa"T NeH"Y: Chesed, Gevurah, Tiferet, Netzach, Hod, Yesod; and the lowest partzuf - Nukva, which is Malchut. Abba channels influence to Imma, Imma to Ze'ir Anpin, and Ze'ir Anpin to Nukva, and from Malchut all divine emanations descend to this world. And Malchut has nothing of its own; rather, it receives and transmits.
It is written in the kabbalistic works: "Abba is concealed within Imma" - the sefirah of Chochmah is hidden within Binah. For the sefirot are structured through enclothments, one atop the other: Arich is innermost, enveloped by Abba, who is enveloped by Imma, and over them Ze'ir Anpin, and over him Nukva. Each garment represents a contraction of the light (tzimtzum), for without these garments we could never receive the light of Arich Anpin - which is an immense light; nor even from Abba. It must pass through Imma, and from Imma to Ze'ir Anpin, and from there to Malchut, and from there we can begin to receive.
From here, says the Gra: Binah is the vessel for Chochmah. Whatever is external is considered a vessel relative to that which is internal, and the vessel is secondary to the primary essence - just as a bottle is secondary to the beverage inside it; the source is considered in the category of light, and what clothes it is in the category of a vessel. This is the meaning of "Wisdom rests in the heart of an understanding person": if you have fashioned a vessel - which is the understanding heart - wisdom will rest within it, just as Abba is concealed within Imma. It remains concealed in his heart, unknown to anyone.
Fools, however, possess neither Chochmah nor Binah, which are the two mochin in the head. There is another level, which is Da'at, which is not counted among the Ten Sefirot unless Keter is omitted (for Sefer Yetzirah states "Ten Sefirot of nothingness," and there are no more than ten; if Keter is counted, Da'at is not, and if Da'at is counted, Keter is not). Da'at is what receives from Chochmah and Binah, standing beneath them and between them in the shape of a segol vowel. And fools do not even possess Da'at. Therefore, nothing of all this rests upon them. And that is "and in the midst of fools it is made known" - it becomes known to all that they have neither Chochmah nor Binah to conceal it, for had they possessed Binah, they would have concealed the Chochmah, just as Chochmah is hidden within Binah. And the Gra notes the precise phrasing "be-kerev" (in the midst / innards): Binah is in the heart and Da'at is in the innards (kerev), and even the Da'at in their innards fools cannot conceal and hide, but instead go out and publicize it.
The Malbim, as is his approach throughout the book's verses, distinguishes between a chacham (wise man) and a navon (discerning man). The chacham has received the laws of wisdom from his teachers - and we have already explained that the laws of wisdom are those received by tradition from one's teachers which cannot be deduced on one's own, for they concern ethics and morality: what is fitting to do and what is unfitting, how one ought to conduct oneself and how not. This is received from rabbis and teachers, or from the Infinite Wisdom - from Hashem, blessed be He. Yet, when one has wisdom in his heart and seeks to observe everything, desires contrary to the laws of wisdom awaken within him, and a difficult internal struggle ensues: whether to follow the desires of his heart or the laws of wisdom.
However, the discerning person (navon) is one who understands one thing from another, delving deeply into matters. It is not merely a case of "this is what I received, and this is what I do," where when the battle arrives, it is difficult for him to cope; rather, he understands and delves deeply, knowing how to wage war against the yetzer and against the desires that oppose the laws of wisdom. Understanding (binah) serves as his shield, and through this, wisdom has rest - because binah fights its battle. This is the meaning of "Wisdom rests in the heart of an understanding person": when the heart is discerning, wisdom does not need to fight constantly.
As for fools (kesilim), desire overpowers them and the evil inclination overpowers them, and they do not place wisdom in their hearts. And the heart, as the Malbim has explained several times, rules over everything. On the contrary, they use their wisdom for evil, employing it to cause harm and to go contrary to the ways of wisdom. Let us recall the distinction the Malbim already explained between a kesil (fool) and an evil (fool): the kesil can be very wise, yet he does not act according to his wisdom - in his head he knows everything, but he lives the opposite, following the desires of his heart. The evil, on the other hand, genuinely doubts; he does not know whether the laws of wisdom are correct or if they have proof - "evil" is related to "ulai" (perhaps). And here, Scripture is speaking of the kesil.
Therefore, Scripture states, "and in the midst of fools it is made known": the laws of wisdom are in his midst (bekirbo), but not in his heart. Why? Because in his heart desires and the yetzer reign, and the heart does not allow wisdom to dwell within it. For if wisdom were in the heart - since the heart rules over everything - it would end up imposing wisdom over his conduct. But the fool does not want this; rather, he wants to conduct himself in the ways of fools, doing whatever he pleases and following his lusts. Therefore, he banishes wisdom from his heart and leaves it "in his midst" - like when we say a person acts from the gut. Wisdom is retained within him, but he lives differently, his heart lives differently, and he does not conduct himself according to the laws of wisdom.
צְדָקָה תְרוֹמֵם גּוֹי וְחֶסֶד לְאֻמִּים חַטָּאת׃ (לד) - Righteousness exalts a nation, but the kindness of peoples is a sin. (14:34)
Rashi explains: "Righteousness exalts a nation" - this refers to Israel; "but the kindness of peoples is a sin" - the kindness of the nations of the world is a sin for them, because they take from one and give to another. How remarkable: it is as if Rashi knew Robin Hood. This is the classic example of a gentile's kindness - going and stealing from the rich, since they have so much, in order to give to the poor. That is not Jewish kindness. And who gave the rich man that abundance? The Holy One, blessed be He. Are you supposed to reorder the world by taking from one and giving to another? If you are a person of kindness, give from your own.
There were once such "do-gooders," far from mitzvos, who protested a rise in bread prices: they went to grocery stores, grabbed crates of bread, and distributed them to the poor. What benevolence, what kindness, truly touching! But one must ask: from whom are you stealing? Setting aside the fact that grocery store owners are hardly millionaires, nor are they chain owners amassing fortunes, but are fighting for survival against supermarkets - even if one were to steal from a large chain, is that not theft? Who permitted it to you? Even in cases of pikuach nefesh (saving a life), there is halachic debate and question whether one is permitted to steal - halachically yes, but one understands that it is not simple or automatically granted. All the more so to be benevolent at the expense of others! This is "the kindness of peoples" - they take from this one and give to that one.
Rabbeinu Yonah interprets "a nation" (goy) as any nation whatsoever. Even though they know only how to give charity in order to boast, they will prosper and become wealthy in the merit of that charity. "And the kindness of peoples is a sin (chatas)" - their kindness atones for unwitting sins like a chatas (sin offering); just as a sin offering atones, so too does the kindness performed by the nations possess the power to atone for them.
The Vilna Gaon explains: when gentiles give charity, the nation is exalted through this, as it is written, "He distributed freely, he gave to the needy... his horn shall be exalted with honor." But "the kindness of peoples is chatas" - if a gentile actually performs acts of chesed as well, not only is he exalted by it, but heaven forbid, this is a chatas - a loss and deficiency - for Israel. "Chatas" is related to chet (sin), and chet denotes a deficiency, as in, "then I and my son Solomon will be lacking (chata'im)" - lacking the monarchy, or as in "missing (hechti) the target." The gentile's kindness is a deficiency for us, because on account of it, the merits of Israel are diminished.
And why? Because once a gentile performs an act of kindness, he must be rewarded. And where does the gentile receive his reward? Since he is not righteous, he receives it here in this world, and the reward for a mitzvah is immense and vast. The example is Nebuchadnezzar: he performed a good deed, taking three steps in honor of Hashem, and he received his reward in this world - a monarchy lasting three generations. And what came of this for us? He ruled and destroyed the Beis HaMikdash, and we suffered under his hand; it is written that there was no smile on the faces of men in his days - a tyrannical and terrifying king. Thus you see what happens when a gentile performs kindness: it becomes a loss and deficiency for Israel. As reward for three steps, he was given dominion over the entire world, and he destroyed the Temple and killed our pious ones, all so that his desire would be fulfilled and his reward would be paid in full.
For this reason, and as the Zohar also states, there is no benefit in enabling a gentile to merit doing kindness for Israel. On the contrary, it is bad for Israel when a gentile does us a kindness, for through this he absorbs, as it were, the bounty intended for us, and furthermore, the Holy One, blessed be He, may exact judgment and pay his reward at our expense. Therefore, l'chatchilah (at the outset), one does not fundraise from gentiles for yeshivos and other needs, and even if one might be willing to give, one should not do so.
The Ralbag offers a unique insight here: "Righteousness exalts a nation" does not refer to giving monetary charity, but rather to conducting oneself with righteousness (tzedek) and integrity; and this exalts the Jewish people ("a nation" referring to the Jewish nation) above all the nations of the lands. "And the kindness of peoples is a sin" - what the nations do is not righteousness, which is integrity and strict justice, but chesed, meaning acts of pious devotion beyond the letter of the law. The Ralbag explains that even if they afflict themselves with extraordinary mortifications, roll in the snow, and perform all kinds of ascetic devotions and harsh practices they impose upon themselves, it is a defect rather than an addition in the service of Hashem, even if their intention was for Heaven's sake. And this is a great novelty: when Israel acts even merely according to strict justice and not beyond the measure of piety, their stature is exalted; whereas with a gentile, even if he performs supererogatory piety, it is considered as nothing.
The Malbim distinguishes between three terms: le'om is a nation governed by law - an orderly nation with a constitution and a structured religion. An am has a king, but no organized law. And a goy is the lowest of all: a loose collection of people, without a king and without law, like those living deep in the primeval rainforests. Today these usually go together - wherever there is a king there is also a constitution - but in their time this was not necessarily so: What was the law? "I am the law, I am the king; whatever I say and desire goes, and in an instant I can decide and change my mind."
Therefore Scripture says: "Righteousness exalts a nation (tzedakah teromem goy)" - even a goy, the lowest of all, who lacks even a king and is not organized as a nation, if they walk in the path of justice and righteousness, they will rise above their lowliness and attain honor. "And the kindness of nations is sin (vechesed le'umim chatat)" - the le'umim, who represent the highest tier, possessing law and order: if "sin," meaning if they miss the mark and deviate from the path of wisdom and righteousness - it is a chesed to them. And what is chesed here? As the Targum renders it, chisuda - a disgrace. Thus, if organized nations stray from the upright path and do not conduct themselves according to righteousness, it is a disgrace to them, a shame and humiliation.
רְצוֹן מֶלֶךְ לְעֶבֶד מַשְׂכִּיל וְעֶבְרָתוֹ תִּהְיֶה מֵבִישׁ׃ (לה) - A king's favor is for a wise servant, but his wrath will be against one who acts shamefully. (35)
The plain meaning of the verse: Whom does the king favor? A wise servant - one who immediately understands what the king desires and serves his sovereign with wisdom and discernment. By contrast, his fury and wrath are directed at the shameful servant: even though he served him, he lacks discernment and does not perform what is required or what the king truly desires.
The same applies before Hashem, blessed is He. Rabbeinu Yonah explains: His favor is with the discerning (maskilim) - those who act out of love and fear; and He finds no favor with those who act to show off, to curry favor, or to make an impression, nor with those whose fear is a commandment of men learned by rote - who fulfill the mitzvot out of habit, just doing what their father did. They will certainly receive reward, for the Holy One, blessed is He, does not withhold the reward of any creature; yet His true favor is something else entirely. As we say in prayer, "And You, in Your abundant mercy, desire us and favor us" - for the tzaddik's greatest achievement and aspiration is to find favor before Hashem, that He should desire and accept him. This is the king's favor: that the servant be wise, serving out of love and awe, rather than being like one who acts shamefully, doing it merely because he has no choice, out of awkwardness, or for any other reason.
The Vilna Gaon interprets the verse in another way. The wrath of a king - the King of the universe, the Holy One, blessed is He; and who executes His wrath? The Angel of Death. A wise man and tzaddik removes the wrath of Hashem: the Holy One, blessed is He, intended to bring a plague, hardship, or death, Heaven forbid, and the tzaddik removes that wrath which was destined to strike the Jewish people, God forbid. You might ask: Will the command of the Holy One, blessed is He, go unfulfilled, and the decree not be carried out? The Gra explains: it is carried out, but the Holy One, blessed is He, redirects the Angel of Death to another person, one who is despised before Hashem. The Angel of Death does not return empty-handed - once dispatched, he returns with something in hand: either the one originally decreed upon, or, if the tzaddik succeeded in averting the decree from him, someone else.
This resembles what we learned regarding Iyov, in the context of the differing opinions as to when he lived: according to one opinion, it was at the time of the Splitting of the Red Sea. When the Satan wished to prosecute Israel during the Exodus from Egypt, what did the Holy One, blessed is He, do? He handed Iyov over to him: "Take him, occupy yourself with Iyov." The Satan went and afflicted Iyov, and did not prosecute against the Exodus and the Splitting of the Sea, nor did he say what he originally intended to say - "These are idolaters and those are idolaters; why should these be treated differently from those?" It was, as it were, throwing him a bone. This too was not without purpose, as we have already explained at length, and one must never think, Heaven forbid, that Iyov was merely made a victim - that is certainly not the meaning. Nonetheless, this illustrates the principle: the Angel of Death does not return empty-handed.
And this is "a king's favor is for a wise servant": when the king is angry, what appeases him? The wise servant. The tzaddik, who is a servant of Hashem, prays, pleads, and stands in the breach, thereby eliciting favor from Hashem and removing the decree, so that the Holy One, blessed is He, does not bring it upon that person. But what will become of the Angel of Death, who is an emissary - will he return empty-handed? To this the verse says, "and his wrath will be against one who acts shamefully": that dispatched wrath, those angels of fury, will encounter the shameful person, the fool who deserves it. Until now, perhaps Hashem was patient with him, but now, when the Angel of Death needs "work" - since the tzaddik snatched the prey from his hand - he will ultimately find another place to land, and Hashem's wrath will fall upon someone else. This too is in strict accordance with justice and judgment, and one must not think, Heaven forbid, that it is unjust.
The Malbim explains: a maskil (wise servant) is one who is diligent in his work, performing his duties with insight - seeing the ultimate purpose and acting accordingly. And mevish (one who brings shame) is the opposite, offering a novel interpretation: mevish comes from the root boshesh, one who tarries or is late. He does not foresee the final outcome. The simple example: he does not realize that if you are late, you will miss the train. But the maskil says: "I take no risks; I will arrive five minutes early, I will leave ahead of time." The maskil is diligent, performing what is expected of him with alacrity. And when a king has servants, the king's favor is directed toward that wise servant, whereas against the mevish - the one who tarries - he will have wrath.
Notice further: the Malbim consistently explains that evrah (wrath) in Lashon HaKodesh differs from ka'as (anger) and other terms of fury. How so? Evrah denotes when one is angry with an individual, and as a result the wrath "passes over" (over) and extends to everyone - "Shall one man sin, and You be wrathful with the entire congregation?" The anger multiplies, and out of fury at one, judgment is executed against all. This is the meaning here: when there is a shameful person who tarries, know that the wrath will not fall upon the sinner alone, but upon the collective. This echoes what Chazal taught: A person should always view the world as half meritorious and half guilty; if he performs one mitzvah, he tips the scale for himself and the entire world toward merit; Heaven forbid, if he commits a transgression, he tips the scale for himself and the entire world toward liability. That is the nature of evrah: a transgression instead of sin, by which one arouses overflowing wrath upon the collective. Conversely, through the wise servant, favor is drawn from the King on High - not only for himself personally, for he tips the scale for himself and the entire world toward merit, thereby bringing bounty upon the collective, upon the entire world.
The four verses before us teach a single continuous theme: for the wicked person, a single evil is enough to bring about his downfall, and he is thrust down by his own deeds and into the pit he dug for the righteous, whereas the righteous falls and rises again, and even in his death he finds refuge in Hashem and in his merits. True wisdom rests peacefully in the heart of the discerning person and has no need for commotion, for understanding is its tool and fights on its behalf, whereas among fools it is tossed about in inner turmoil and cast outward, without ever ruling the heart. Righteousness elevates even the lowliest of nations, whereas "the kindness of nations" - kindness that takes from one to give to another, or kindness whose price we are forced to pay - is a sin and a disgrace. And finally: the favor of the Supreme King is upon the wise servant, zealous and acting out of love and awe, who stands in the breach, removes harsh decrees, and tips the scales of the entire world to the side of merit; while the shameful servant, who tarries and brings disgrace, arouses a wrath that does not stop with him alone, but spreads over the entire community.