The Sect of Those that Talk Scandal. Be very much on your guard against this thing, for it leads to many sins; most men stumble over it. Our teachers of blessed memory said in tractate Baba Batra: ‘Most men are prone to robbery, few of them to incest, and all of them to slander.’[[211]] The last part is explained as referring to something which resembles slander. Our teachers of blessed memory also said: ‘Let no man talk of his friend’s merits, if he may thereby be led to blame him.’[[212]] To all such cases refers the saying: ‘I have not found for the body anything better than silence.’[[213]] A man should always think before speaking: if there is any profit in his speech, he should speak, otherwise he should be silent; how much more should he abstain from speaking, if there is harm in his speech!
Guard yourselves against pride, for every one that is proud is the abomination of the Lord. Pride is God’s garment, and he who makes use of the crown shall perish. A wise man has said: ‘How can a man be proud, having passed twice through the womb?’ Cling to humility, for it is the best of all qualities, and it is for this virtue that Moses our teacher, peace be upon him, was praised, as it is written: ‘And the man Moses was very meek.’[[214]] And our teachers of blessed memory said: ‘Be exceeding humble of spirit.’[[215]] Our teachers of blessed memory also said: ‘That which wisdom made a crown for its head did humility make a sandal for its heel.’[[216]]
Take care to honor every man, that ye may thereby be honored, as it is written: ‘For them that honor Me I will honor.’[[217]] Some people asked a wise man: ‘How is it that we always see thee honor every man?’ He replied: ‘I have not seen a man in whom I do not discover an advantage over me for which I should honor him. If he is old, I say: “This man performed more good deeds than I.” If he is rich, I say: “This man gave more alms than I.” If he is young, I say: “I committed more sins than he.” If he is poor, I say: “This man suffered pain.” If he is wiser than I, I honor him for his wisdom. If he is not wiser than I, I say: “His punishment is lighter than mine.”’ Hear this, and know it for yourselves.
Be also careful to love and respect him who reproves you. We thus read in the tractate ‘Arakin, in the chapter There Are Estimations: Rabbi Johanan says: ‘I call heaven and earth to testify against me that Akiba was beaten several times on account of me, because I used to complain against him to Rabban Gamaliel; and yet he loved me all the more for that, in order to fulfil that which is written: “Reprove a wise man, and he will love thee.”[[218]] A wise man has said: ‘Love him who reproves thee, and hate him who lauds thee; for he who reproves thee benefits thee, while he who lauds thee harms thee.’
Consider also that man is a sojourner on earth, his days are counted and he knows not their number; nor does he know when he will be summoned before the King of kings to render account and reckoning of all that he has done. He should therefore perform all the good deeds he can; and let no commandment be too small in his sight, for there is no limit to its reward. In the world to come, when the Lord, who is blessed, pays the righteous their reward, the righteous man will ask: ‘Why do I get such a reward?’ and it will be said unto him: ‘Because thou performedst such and such a good deed on such and such a day.’ Whereupon he will sigh, saying: ‘For such a small thing I get such a great reward! Woe to the days that I wasted, in which I did not occupy myself with good deeds.’ The wise man should therefore take heed not to waste an hour of his life, but should occupy himself with good deeds, and continually meditate in the fear of the Lord and in His service.
XXXV. KALONYMOS B. KALONYMOS B. MEIR
[Satirical writer and philosopher. He was born at Arles in 1286, and died in the first half of the fourteenth century. He lived for some time in Rome, and acquired fame as an original writer and translator. His best known works are Eben Bohan (Stone of Investigation) and Masseket Purim. The former, written in rhymed prose, and modelled to some extent after Jedaiah ha-Bedersi’s Behinat ‘Olam, is a sharp criticism of the author himself and of his contemporaries, while the latter is an extremely clever parody of the Talmud. He also translated scientific books into Hebrew.]
Admonitions To His Heart[[219]]
O my heart, draw nigh, I pray thee; keep silence, and hearken; consider my meditation; know and discern the coming out of my words; give ear to my sayings. Shalt thou never observe the covenant? shalt thou be like an adamant harder than flint? and shalt thou not take the flint of the testimony to cut off thy foreskin and to remove thy reproach?[[220]] If in the days of delight and in the time of good will thy ways are unstable, what will happen when the end is come upon thee? The days of evil shall rise against thee to destroy thee; thou shalt be driven forth from the midst of men; in solitude shalt thou dwell, deserted and forsaken. What will become of thy dreams? Thou wilt be grieved for the former days that were better, and wilt groan at thy latter end.
O my heart, consider, hearken unto this. Knowest thou not that youth lasts not forever, and that the end of man is to die? A brother cannot redeem, none has power, and the riches of the gold of Sheba and the heights of the mountains profit not. Even if I ascend up into the heaven, and make my bed in Sheol, I shall never be able to redeem my life from destruction. Behold, a day is coming, a day of vengeance and a year of recompense, in which He will fill me with bitterness. There is no escape, for the snares of death will overtake me within the straits. As for Him who tries the hearts, His eyelids will on that day try the open and secret deeds of the children of men.