In this section of the chapter, we examine two verses, each of which opens up an entire world: the verse dealing with the relationship between the inner and outer self - between the thoughts of the heart and the words of the mouth, and the verse dealing with covetousness and money - between one who pursues dishonest gain and one who hates gifts. Both verses are constructed in the same mold: two ends of a spectrum, where the Torah teaches us that the truth is the exact opposite of what the ordinary eye sees.
תּוֹעֲבַת ה' מַחְשְׁבוֹת רָע וּטְהֹרִים אִמְרֵי־נֹעַם׃ (כו) - "The thoughts of evil are an abomination to Hashem, but pleasant words belong to the pure."
Rabbeinu Yonah explains: only the pure possess pleasant words. Those who are pure of heart and clean of hands alone have the power to speak words of pleasantness. Words of rebuke are accepted only from someone whose heart matches his mouth - his mouth and heart are aligned, and what he says truly represents his personal spiritual level. As it is written, "Examine yourselves and be examined" (Hiskosheshu vakoshu) - adorn yourself first, and only then adorn others; "Repent and bring others back" - return yourself in repentance, and only then bring others back. In contrast, "The thoughts of evil are an abomination to Hashem" - an abomination to Hashem is a person who tries to correct another while he himself is flawed. When are words truly words of pleasantness that find a home in the hearts of the listeners? When they emerge from a pure heart.
If so, a major question arises: what room is there for anyone to offer mussar at all? After all, people will immediately tell him: adorn yourself first, and then adorn others. You speak to me about arrogance - have you perfected the trait of humility? You speak to me about anger - have you mastered your anger? And so it goes with every single matter. When a person rebukes his fellow, or a mashgiach delivers a mussar discourse, we could immediately demand: "Examine yourselves and be examined" - only one who is genuinely pure can speak pleasant words. If so, what terrible devastation would ensue: no one would ever offer rebuke, because everyone would say, "Who can say, 'I have made my heart clean'?" Can I give mussar? Am I whole in these areas?
This very question was raised, and it was answered, likely by the Dubno Maggid, with a parable. In a certain town, the well water suffered severe contamination, and anyone who drank from it contracted malaria, fevers, and all kinds of serious illnesses. The governor issued a decree strictly forbidding the use of unboiled water - one had to boil and purify it, or import water from other towns. One day, a fire broke out among the town's houses. The residents sent to fetch water from other towns, while the fire continued to spread. The governor arrived and saw that nothing was being done. He asked them, "What is going on here?" They replied, "We sent for help; there is a transport on the way bringing water from other towns." He said to them, "You absolute fools! To extinguish fires, you use even sewage water - there is a fire here, put it out right now before it spreads!"
So too in our case. If we wait and refrain from giving mussar, saying: "Can I really rebuke others? Have I perfected myself?" - the answer is: Sir, use even sewage water. Even if you are not yet clear and pure water, even if you are not yet pristine spring water - there is a fire, so use what you have! This is the justification for people like us to speak mussar, for without it, there is indeed a formidable claim: how can you give mussar to others when you yourself are not yet complete? In absolute truth - "pleasant words belong to the pure," only the pure should utter pleasant words of rebuke; but out of practical necessity, there is no choice, and whatever a person can repair - even if he has not yet perfected himself in that area - he must repair.
The Vilna Gaon explains: all wicked thoughts are an abomination to Hashem - even wickedness directed toward the wicked. The example of this is when the spirit of Naboth the Jezreelite came before Hashem and said, "I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets." The Holy One, blessed be He, said to it, "You will entice him and also prevail," and immediately added: depart from My presence. And why? Because this is a falsehood, and falsehood is an act of wickedness, and an act of wickedness - even when directed against the wicked - does not find favor before Hashem. Even if one must act against the wicked, it must not be through wickedness.
A story is told of a man who came to Rav Yisrael Salanter and spoke with him about a grave breach that needed to be protested, to go out and fight, to wage an all-out battle over the matter. Rav Yisrael agreed with him: True, you are right; one must not remain silent in this situation, we must rise up and fight, we cannot fold our flags and accept such a state of affairs - rise up and wage battle. But he added one sentence that everyone would do well to adopt: "Pay attention - you are starting out in the right; make sure you also remain in the right."
This is something that requires great care - not only in public battles, but also in personal arguments, and even in disagreements at home. You made a correct observation, you offered valid rebuke; but at a certain point your tone rose, then you began speaking disrespectfully, and then you began to hurt the other person. You started out in the right - but you did not remain in the right. Even when a battle must be waged, there are rules for how to conduct it. Even when one must act against a wicked person who commits such acts, there are proper ways to act: we do not hang him in the town square, but rather protest against him and take constructive action. Do not act through illegitimate means, for otherwise you set out on a mission of a mitzvah and ended up with a grave sin.
The Vilna Gaon explains: All malicious thoughts, even toward the wicked, are an abomination to Hashem, and "words of pleasantness are pure" - one who speaks pleasantly is pure before the Holy One, blessed be He. Even if it sometimes resembles flattery, and this is not absolute goodness, nevertheless it is the purer path. Yet one must qualify these words so that they are not misunderstood. A person must not come and say: Wonderful, if so, whatever anyone tries to do to us, we will respond with pleasant words. Do they want to introduce Reform members into the religious councils? We will speak nicely with them, engage in dialogue, give them a corner, a niche. Heaven forbid! Such matters strike at the very soul of Judaism, and one must never even begin to compromise on them.
For the beginning of compromise - we all know where it leads. The Reform movement in Europe did not begin with completely rebellious people. It began with people wearing shtreimels, observant of mitzvos, who walked into the synagogue and merely wanted an organ played on Shabbat by a non-Jew; these were not people who drove to shul on Shabbat. This was two hundred years ago - innovators of all kinds, the "neo" movements, all the reformers. That is how it started. And if you allow a breach, where will it lead?
Therefore, we must know: the decision rests in the hands of the Gedolei Yisrael. When to fight, when there is room for compromise, when there is room to adopt an attitude of "bend your head until the fury passes," and when one must stand firm with all one's might - they are the ones who must decide. But to deduce from here that "words of pleasantness are pure" means that always, even against the fiercest adversaries of Judaism, one must respond with pleasant words - heaven forbid if a person acts this way, for in doing so, he would leave no stone standing of Judaism.
If that were so, why did Moshe rise up and say, "If Hashem creates a new creation," and the earth swallowed Korach? He should have spoken with pleasant words: Let us sit together, perhaps we can give you a different role! But that is not how it is: there is evil against which one must act with full force. And likewise Pinchas - why go and spear Zimri ben Salu, a prince of a tribe in Israel? True, he committed an improper act, but speak to him with pleasant words, tell him afterward that this is very inappropriate and help him understand the consequences! Heaven forbid! "Pinchas, the son of Elazar, the son of Aharon the Kohen, has turned away My wrath from the children of Israel" - had he not risen and done what he did, says the Holy One, blessed be He, destruction would have come upon the Jewish people.
But one must ask: Who is meant to decide? Moshe Rabbeinu. Pinchas, before he went and acted, went to ask - he consulted the Sage. Moshe said to him: Karyena de'igarta ihu lehevei parvanka - let the reader of the letter be the one to execute it. Only then did he rise and take action. Therefore, to conclude from here that one must always act against the wicked with pleasant words is certainly not the right conclusion; rather, the matter is entrusted to the Sages to determine when to act with words of pleasantness and when an all-out battle is required.
The Malbim explains: "Evil thoughts are an abomination to Hashem" - Hashem abhors someone who harbors evil thoughts while simultaneously speaking words of pleasantness. Just as we explained in the previous verse, "Hashem will tear down the house of the proud, but He will establish the boundary of the widow," where the beginning of the verse is connected to its end - they encroach upon the widow's boundary and Hashem establishes her boundary - so too here. A person who deep inside harbors evil thoughts, yet on the outside offers words of pleasantness, seemingly pure - how nicely he speaks, what beautiful things he says - yet "inwardly he lays an ambush." This is an abomination to Hashem, loathsome in His eyes. One whose outward words are pure and pleasant, while inside he conceals plots and schemes to harm and cause injury - this is the most abominable of all.
The reason for this is clear: if I know you are my enemy, I also know how to guard myself against you. But when you approach me with flattering words, like someone who only wants to help me and has only my best interests at heart - that is the true danger. Like that official, Stanley Fischer, who once said: "The birth rate among the Charedim is staggering, and they must enter the workforce; I worry about them, these poor people, what will become of them, they will have nothing to eat, it is truly pitiful." Until a journalist stood up and asked him: If so, why is the Bank of Israel unwilling to accept even a single Charedi into its ranks? What a righteous man you are, you worry about them so much, it is truly touching and heartwarming...
And this is an abomination to Hashem - when a person has "pure words of pleasantness": "I am worried about you." Like the fox who said to the fish: "Come let us live together; why stay in the water? Come out onto dry land, let us make peace!" Why are you so attached to this Torah? Come be together with us; don't you see what wonderful youth we have? Don't you see the crime rate we have? Come, be part of the global space; why isolate yourselves there in Meah Shearim? This is the language of pleasant words, and it is an abomination to Hashem - for what is the underlying agenda? The thought is one of malicious intent: that you should not observe mitzvos, that you should not keep the ember burning, that you should not learn Torah. That is what bothers him, not genuine concern for you. This very thing is the most abominable of all - one who outwardly puts on the face of a friend, while inwardly laying an ambush.
עֹכֵר בֵּיתוֹ בּוֹצֵעַ בָּצַע וְשׂוֹנֵא מַתָּנֹת יִחְיֶה׃ (כז) - "He who is greedy for unjust gain brings trouble upon his household, but he who hates gifts will live." (27)
Rabbeinu Yonah explains: Who is the one who brings trouble upon his household? A person who pursues unjust gain, meaning one who robs and steals. This person ruins his household - *ocheir* is related to *mayim achurim* (murky, contaminated water), ruining and destroying his home. This is someone who has reached the ultimate degree of covetousness, the greatest coveter of all. A person might covet your possessions and try to acquire them from you with money; but who is the greatest coveter? One who covets his fellow's belongings and tries to wrest them away through theft and robbery. Such a person brings ruin upon his own household.
"And he who hates gifts will live" - now the verse speaks of the other extreme of the spectrum: a person so far removed from covetousness that he desires all his sustenance to come solely through the labor of his own hands - "When you eat the labor of your hands, you are praiseworthy and it is good for you." He does not look for gifts from others either. This is the exact opposite of covetousness: one might say, "Heaven forbid, I stole nothing from anyone, he gave me a gift!" But someone standing at this lofty level of despising covetousness does not even want gifts. Even gifts offered to him fittingly and properly, he has no interest in receiving.
Regarding this, Rabbeinu Yonah says: this character trait serves as a protective fence to distance oneself from covetousness, and it rescues one from the snares of flattery. A fence to distance oneself from covetousness - because one who refuses gifts from others stays far from covetousness; someone who constantly anticipates gifts is always looking: "Perhaps he will give me this, perhaps he will bring me that" - thereby coveting what belongs to others. Second, it rescues one from the snares of flattery: why are "the wealthy man's friends many"? Why are there so many sycophants hovering around him? Because you never know - flatter him, and perhaps some of his wealth will rub off on you; maybe he will give you a grant, or arrange a long-term loan, net plus sixty years! It pays to stick close to this rich person. And that is flattery - flattering someone just to receive from him. But one who hates gifts will never reach such situations, and this serves as a powerful fence protecting a person from all kinds of prohibitions.
The Vilna Gaon explains: one who is greedy for unjust gain, continually amassing wealth that is not his, will ultimately lose his own household as well - even his own home will be uprooted and taken from him. That is "he who makes unjust gain brings trouble upon his household": you think you will steal and possess what belongs to others? You will not even keep your own; what is yours will also be taken from you.
However, one who does not pursue unjust gain, but accepts gifts from others - it cannot be said of him that he ruins his household. Nevertheless, know that his life is not truly a life. Why? Because he depends on others. He constantly anticipates: "Perhaps that person will give me something; let me walk past him, maybe he will notice me and toss something my way." A person who depends on the table of others does not have a true life. And who truly lives? "And he who hates gifts will live" - one who despises gifts is the one who has attained the level of real life.
Thus, we are speaking here of three states. The first state: a person greedy for unjust gain, which is literally the aspect of bringing trouble upon his household. The second state: a person who does not pursue unjust gain, but loves gifts: he does not ruin his household, but neither is it said of him that he "will live" - his life is not truly a life, because he is constantly looking to others. And the third state: one who hates gifts, of whom it is said "he will live" - his life is truly a life, because he never suffers from crushed hopes or disappointment: "I was not waiting on anyone." What a wonderful life such a person leads! But someone who constantly walks around expecting that this person will help him and that person will give to him, taking from here and there - he is a pitiful person, utterly dependent on someone else.
A story is told about the Rav, Rabbi Jakobovits, Rav of Kiryat Ata. At one point, representatives from the Chief Rabbinate came to him and said: "Let us register you as an official rabbi on behalf of the Chief Rabbinate." He asked: "What good is that?" They told him: "You will receive a salary from the Rabbinate." He said to them: "I do not want it; I am not interested." They asked him: "Why, what do you care?" He replied: "Look, right now I am free; the moment I begin receiving a salary from you, I will have to do as you say - the one who holds the money holds the say, and I will start taking instructions from you." They told him: "You have nothing to worry about. We will not tell you what to do; lead your rabbinate with a high hand, just as you see fit and according to your judgment." He answered them: "And what do you think? That once you pay my salary, I will not be waiting for what you have to say? I will end up coming to ask you what to do!"
Do you understand? When a person is dependent on someone, he will be the one seeking that person out: "I will look for you, I will seek your favor, I will come and ask: 'Tell me, what do you think? What should be done?' I receive a salary from you, and I want to preserve this cash cow." Such an individual is miserable, dependent on another human being. But one who depends on no man is free. "I took nothing from anyone." What did Moshe say? "Not a single donkey of theirs have I taken" - I am free of all personal bias or vested interest; I received nothing from anyone. What immense virtue there is in this! For if you received something from someone, and later you wish to speak out - you cannot say a thing. And this is the meaning of "he who hates gifts will live": this person truly has a life, he will truly live, his life is free, and he is beholden to no man.
The Malbim explains: "He who is greedy for unjust gain destroys his own house" - one who makes illicit profits, acquiring wealth dishonestly, do not think that his household's honor will increase through this, or that he will grow rich and prosperous. Know that he brings ruin upon his own house; he brings evil upon his home, as it is written, "For a stone shall cry out from the wall, and a beam from the timber shall answer it" - this stone cries out from the wall: "This is not yours; this was stolen!" And as we explained according to the Gra, your house will be ruined, troubled, and damaged as a consequence of being built on ill-gotten gains.
Conversely, one who hates gifts - not only does he refrain from illicit gain and theft, but even when offered a gift, he refuses to benefit from others, living only by "When you eat the labor of your hands" - what might you expect? That such a person would starve to death! Yet the verse states: No, he shall live. Notice how Scripture presents the two extremes: one might think this is how to get ahead in the world - a scheme here, a bit of deception there, otherwise you will never advance. Meanwhile, regarding the one at the opposite end of the spectrum, who refuses to accept even a gift offered to him - you would assume he could never succeed in life, having nothing at all, unable even to survive.
Scripture tells you the exact opposite: one who seeks unjust gain, thinking he will become wealthy through all sorts of deceptions, schemes, and illegitimate means - know that he will end up with nothing, and he brings ruin upon his own house. But one who hates gifts - he shall live; he will have sustenance, and blessing will rest upon him. Why? Because everything depends on Hashem's Divine Providence, says the Malbim. Therefore, do not think that if you rush to become wealthy, you will achieve it even through dishonesty - no. It is precisely the one upon whom Hashem's Providence rests who will be endowed with blessing and abundance.
The two verses teach us to look inward rather than at outward appearances. "The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to Hashem, but pleasant words are pure" - words of rebuke are accepted only from someone whose heart matches his mouth. On the other hand, most abominable of all is one whose mouth speaks pleasant words while deceit lies in his heart; and although one should not act wickedly even against the wicked - "you began with justice, make sure you remain just" - there are times when war must be declared, and that decision rests with the Gedolei Yisrael. Along the very same spectrum: "He who is greedy for unjust gain destroys his own house, but he who hates gifts shall live" - the pursuer of illicit profit loses even what is his, the receiver of gifts is dependent on others and his life is no life, while he who hates gifts is truly free and truly lives, for everything depends on Hashem's Divine Providence, and upon him blessing will rest.