Chapter 1
הוא הי׳ אומר כל שמעשיו מרובין מחכמתו
חכמתו מתקיימת וכל שחכמתו מרובה
ממעשיו אין חכמתו מתקיימת
“He [Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa] used to say: ‘Anyone whose [good] deeds exceed his wisdom, his wisdom will endure; but anyone whose wisdom exceeds his [good] deeds, his wisdom will not endure.’ ”1
The expression “he used to say” is similar to the expression2 margeleh b’pumei “he was in the habit of saying.” In other words, he was accustomed to making this remark.
Every Tanna and Amora [the authors of the Mishnah and Gemara respectively], especially those who headed Torah academies, placed great emphasis on composing aphorisms to help teach fear of G‑d, good character traits and proper conduct. The aphorisms they were wont to utter were good in and of themselves, and were useful in helping people become more G‑d-fearing and dedicated to Torah study.
The Tanna’im and Amora’im [the plural of Tanna and Amora] repeated these aphorisms as often as possible. Ultimately, these words of wisdom would become so familiar to those who heard them that they would become “words to live by.”
This is also the meaning of the Mishnah ’s phrase: “He used to say….” Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa, an extremely pious individual who was accustomed to miraculous occurrences,3 would utter his favorite aphorisms often, as did other Jewish leaders of those generations. The three aphorisms he would often mention4 [the first being quoted in the previous Mishnah, the second being quoted at the outset of this discourse, and the third at the end of this Mishnah] all deal with the way in which an individual is to perform mitzvos and conduct himself.
When a person’s performance of mitzvos is in the manner indicated, and his conduct regarding good character traits is also in accord with these aphorisms, then “his Torah study will endure.” Such behavior also guarantees that he will not have been born in vain, for his life will have been lived in a manner that satisfies G‑d’s disposition, as it were.
Although the aphorisms of Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa are very pithy, they are general in nature and need elaboration.
Superficial knowledge of an intellectual matter is not considered a mark of true comprehension. True understanding comes only when a matter is understood in all its details and ramifications. Indeed, herein lies the merit of comprehension (havanah) over conceptualization (haskalah).
Haskalah refers to5 the seminal point of a concept, which emanates from the intellectual soul power of chochmah. This conceptual point is the fountainhead of understanding and comprehension.
Havanah refers to the explanatory and expository powers of the intellectual soul power of binah, the nature of which is to find appropriate parallels and parables to illuminate an initial concept so that a person may comprehend it properly.
An expression is found in the Zohar :6 “A dot in its palace.” The seminal idea of chochmah is no more than a dot [a non-descriptive, and in itself incomprehensible flash of intuitive insight], while the explanatory process of binah is the “palace.” When the “dot” is “within its palace,” detailed comprehension results. “Explicit understanding” thus refers to correct understanding.
Correct understanding is even more important when considering matters that involve practical results, such as the endurance of wisdom. Such understanding requires more than a general and ambiguous knowledge; there must be detailed and explicit comprehension, for only then will an idea bear the proper fruit.
Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa said that “anyone whose [good] deeds exceed his wisdom” i.e. anyone whose deeds exceed his knowledge of Torah, will merit that “his wisdom will endure.” But “anyone whose wisdom exceeds his [good] deeds, his wisdom will not endure.”
We must understand why R. Chanina made enduring Torah knowledge conditional on an excess of good deeds.
[In the preceding Mishnah], R. Chanina said the endurance of Torah knowledge depends on prefacing it with a fear of sin. [In this Mishnah, R. Chanina is saying that] this alone does not suffice; in order for Torah knowledge to endure, one’s good deeds must exceed his knowledge.
In comparing the relative value of a person’s soul powers, we find that wisdom is the highest and action is the lowest. This is also true within the Supernal Sefiros of Atzilus. There too, Chochmah7 is the loftiest of the Sefiros, while “action” that is, the Sefirah of Malchus [“Kingdom” being termed “action” since it causes the next lower world to come into being] is the lowest of all the Sefiros of Atzilus.
This being so, why did R. Chanina say wisdom (the loftiest Sefirah of Atzilus, and the loftiest soul power) is conditional on action (the lowliest Sefirah of Atzilus, and the lowliest soul power)?
Furthermore, the Gemara says:8 “Greatest of all is study, for it leads to action.” Accordingly, deeds are dependent on study.
So why did R. Chanina say what he did? Moreover, R. Chanina said that not only is action essential if Torah study is to endure (for a person must act in accordance with the laws of the Torah), but it is also necessary that his good deeds exceed his wisdom. We must understand what is meant by “his [good] deeds exceed,” and why only then will “his wisdom endure.”
In summary: “He used to say” and “he was in the habit of saying,” both refer to aphorisms repeated by the Tanna’im and Amora’im regarding the study of Torah, the performance of mitzvos, fear of G‑d, and good character traits. R. Chanina’s aphorisms, while pithy, are general in nature and must be further explained. The phrase “explicit understanding” is explained by reference to “a dot in its palace.” Binah’s ability to put a concept in context is something which chochmah lacks. But if chochmah is loftier than action, why is its endurance dependent on action? And what is meant by “his [good] deeds exceed,” upon which the endurance of Torah study depends?
Chapter 2
Rabbi Chanina’s statement about a person “whose [good] deeds exceed his wisdom” means that one’s deeds should be permeated with love and fear [of G‑d]. Aside from the fact that love and fear are the root of all positive and negative commandments respectively,9 it is also necessary that each mitzvah be performed with love and fear of G‑d. For as the Zohar says:10 “Love and fear are the two wings with which [the mitzvos] fly upwards.”
All mitzvos are considered actions. Even negative commands [wherein a person is to refrain from doing something] are described as involving action, as our sages say:11 “If someone sat and refrained from transgressing a negative command, he is rewarded as if he had performed a positive command.”
Moreover, even those commands that are “duties of the mind and heart,” such as the commands to believe in G‑d; contemplate G‑dliness; meditate profoundly on the love of G‑d, inspire one’s soul to love Him; to fear G‑d, and to inspire awe of Him in one’s soul are considered actions.
All the above is “action” because the term is not limited to that which is done with the physical body. Action also includes the ultimate result of every matter. Therefore, understanding how G‑d created the world ex nihilo is considered a part of the act of believing in G‑d; a love of G‑d which is felt in the heart is deemed a part of the act of loving G‑d; a heart-felt fear of G‑d is deemed a part of the act of fearing G‑d.
This is what R. Chana means when he refers to one “whose [good] deeds exceed his wisdom.” Not only are mitzvos to be performed according to the knowledge acquired through Torah study; they are to be performed with love and fear of G‑d He that gave us the Torah. When this is done, then both the actual performance of mitzvos and the study of Torah achieve a more exalted state.
This is so is because the emotional attributes contain a quality that intellect lacks. When considering the essential merits of the soul’s powers,12 intellect is indeed spiritually superior to emotions. Nonetheless, G‑d implanted within the emotional attributes a characteristic which is superior to that which is found in intellect. This is implied by the phrase: “Whose [good] deeds exceed his wisdom.”
The superior characteristic of emotions is that they are more pnimi (inward and internal) than intellect, which is makkif (encompassing and external). We readily observe that intellect is housed in the mind while the emotional attributes are lodged in the heart.
The natural tendency of intellect is to encompass everything needing understanding. Though this creates a unity of the one that understands with the matter being understood,13 it is a union on the level of makkif.
It is in the nature of intellect to be tolerant of an object even though it may be distasteful. Thus we observe that an individual can think about or imagine something which he dislikes just as easily as he can think about something he likes. The reason is that intellect is makkif; unless special measures are taken, its likes and dislikes remain dispassionate.
For this reason, the spiritual service of contemplating G‑dly matters such as creation ex nihilo, Divine Providence and the like will not excite a person. Since intellect is makkif, comprehension alone will not even engender intellectual excitement.
However, the characteristic of the emotional attributes is pnimi; they simply cannot tolerate something they find hateful.
Because of this superior quality, one who performs mitzvos with love and fear of G‑d is deemed to be one “whose [good] deeds exceed his wisdom.” Of course, it is necessary that there be wisdom Torah study for this teaches a person how to behave like a Jew. But it is necessary that one’s emotions exceed his knowledge, for this assures that “his wisdom will endure.”
In summary: Even negative commands, and those which involve the “duty of the mind and heart” are considered to involve “action,” for the term encompasses the practical culmination of every matter. For example, the comprehension of creation ex nihilo is part of the action of belief in G‑d. The phrase “whose [good] deeds exceed…” refers to the love and fear [of G‑d], which are included in the category of action. This is because the emotional attributes are superior to intellect in that they are pnimi while intellect is makkif. Deeds performed with love and fear make one’s wisdom endure.
