with a select treasury of commentaries on all levels of Torah interpretation
Chapter 3 Mishna 5
with select commentaries
Abbreviations used in this translation:
RSHI - Rashi Commentary (1040-1105)
RMBM - Rambam (1135-1204)
BRTN - Rabbi Ovadiah of Bartenura Commentary (1445-1515)
TFRT - Tiferet Yisrael commentary (1782–1860)
YONA - Rabeinu Yonah (1180-1263)
MHRL - Derech Chaim - Maharal of Prague (1525-1609) (from hebrewbooks.org/14193)
VLNA - Biur HaGra of Rabbi Eliyahu of Vilna - (1720-1797)
| Commentary Legend: | |
 | - for basic commentaries as relating to the plain meaning (Pshat). |
 | - elaborates more into the theme. |
 | - deeper in, Maharal of Prague. |
 | - more themes in the text. |
Chapter 3 Mishna 5פרק ג משנה ה
| Rabbi Chaninah ben Chakinai would say: "one who stays awake at night, one who walks alone on the roadway, and one who turns his heart to idleness (time-wasting) - is liable for his soul. | רַבִּי חֲנִינָא בֶן חֲכִינַאי אוֹמֵר, הַנֵּעוֹר בַּלַּיְלָה וְהַמְהַלֵּךְ בַּדֶּרֶךְ יְחִידִי וְהַמְפַנֶּה לִבּוֹ לְבַטָּלָה, הֲרֵי זֶה מִתְחַיֵּב בְּנַפְשׁוֹ: |
Bartenura - "walks alone" - and thinks in his heart on useless matters (divrei havai).
"is liable for his soul" - since night is a time of damagers. Thus one who walks alone at night is in danger from bandits and other hazards. But if he had thought in torah, the torah would have protected him.
Rashi - "awake at night" - and thinks in his heart useless matters.
"turns to idleness (batala)" - to be idle (batel) from words of torah.
Tosfot Yom Tov - "who turns his heart to idleness" - even during the day, ie that he is drawn after idleness (batala) and seeks the idleness.
Vilna Gaon - "turns his heart to idleness..is liable for his soul" - as written: "lest they be removed from your heart all the days of your life" (Devarim 4:9) and "guard your soul very much" (ibid).
Sforno - after bringing proper zeal on "sitting in your house" (Shema, b'shivtecha b'beitecha), namely in your Beit Midrash (house of study) and in the tractate of [eating at] your table, he now mentions zealous matters in "when you go on the road and when you lie down" (Shema).
Thus, "one who is awake at night" and likewise, "one who goes on the road" when alone and there is no one speaking useless words to him, and likewise one who "empties his heart" from toiling in temporary matters of this world, and now he is free from distractions. He can now do for G-d, to gaze at His works and His torah to give life to his soul. But nevertheless, he is lax [and turns to idleness], then without a doubt, he is liable for his soul.
Rabbi Avraham Azoulai - Ahava b'Taanugim - "one who stays awake at night" - some explain that one who does not wake up from his sleep to study torah because sleep has overpowered him is not "liable for his soul". For he is close to blameless (oness). But one whose nature is to be awake at night and even if he wakes up from his sleep, he does not study torah but instead "turns to idleness", he is "liable for his soul".
"walks alone on the roadway" - for if others are travelling with him and speaking useless talk, he is not "liable for his soul" since he is like one forced by the evil inclination and by people who are used to speaking of the vanities of the world. But when he travels alone, then there is no one to prevent him from learning and thinking in torah. Despite this, he "turns to idleness".
Some explain, "one who is awake at night..." The intent is that it is proper for a man to watch over all his matters and not mistreat himself lest he harm himself. Night was given to man for sleep, so that his bodily powers rest. Our sages estimated that one needs eight hours (Rambam Deot 4:4).. Thus one who is up all night is liable for his soul (for damaging his health).
Likewise, one who travels alone is "liable for his soul". For all the roads are dangerous then.
Likewise, one who turns his heart to idleness, he refuses to toil in torah or work is also "liable for his soul". For this will bring upon him natural slumber and melancholic (tohu) thoughts. Likewise, our sages said: "idleness brings to mental instability" (Ketuvot 59b).
liable for his soul" - his blood will be claimed from him, similar to "But your blood, of your souls, I will demand [an account].." (Bereishit 9:5).
Rambam (Moreh Nevuchim 3:51) - Know that we already explained in the chapters on the Creator's guarding of the creations (human beings) that the Creator's guarding of a person is according to the person's thoughts.
The whole man (haish hashalem) who has attained the wholeness (shleimut) is he who does not remove his mind and heart from being before G-d always. And thus the Creator's guarding will cling to him... Know that at the time when you empty your thoughts from the Creator and instead engage in your matters and needs, the communion (chevra) between you and Him is severed. And then you are no longer with Him and likewise He is no longer with you. For the connection between you and Him has already actually severed at that time. Therefore,the Pious men would be meticulous at these times and would exhort on this saying: "do not remove G-d from your mind" (Shab.149a). And David said: "I have set the L-ord before me always, because [He is] at my right hand, I will not falter" (Tehilim 16:8). Namely, his mind was not empty of G-d..
Siftei Daat on Avot (R.Yerucham Levovitz) - "one who stays awake at night.. turns his heart to idleness" - Rabeinu Yona writes:"Because they are times of favor before G-d. Thus he should think only on things favorable before G-d, namely, words of torah. For those times are so important and fitting for thinking in torah. Because he does not have work to do nor does he hear the voices of other people.."Similarly, the Rambam writes in the Guide for the Perplexed (Moreh Nevuchim) (3:51):"When you are alone, by yourself, without others, and when you wake up from your sleep on your bed, be very careful to not put your thoughts during these glorious times on anything other than this spiritual service. Namely, to draw close to G-d and stand before Him in the true way.."The Rambam exhorted very much on "these glorious times (itim nichbadim)". For at these times one is free and clinging to G-d is then easy. In light of this, guard yourself and be careful from wasting them.
In truth, a man's station should have been the Beit Midrash (synagogue). Namely, that man clings with the Creator continuously, without interruption, as the Rambam explained there the level of the holy forefathers. Even when they were occupied in worldly matters with other people, such as business dealings or buying things, they would do these things only with their limbs. But their hearts and minds did not turn away from G-d. Rather, their intent and purpose in all their deeds was to draw close to G-d very much.
This was the exalted level of the forefathers. Namely, in all their deeds and movements, the connection between them and the Creator was never cut. They would cling continually to the Creator. There was never a trace of anything not for the sake of G-d.
So too the Ramban (Nachmanides) writes on the verse: "and to cling to Him" (Devarim 11:22):
"To remember G-d and love of Him always. Namely that one's thought not part from Him when walking on the road, lying down or waking up, to the extent that one's words with other people is with his mouth and tongue but his heart/mind is not with them. Rather he is before G-d. This is possible for these exalted people.. for they themselves are a sanctuary for the Shechina". end quote.But nevertheless, even one who has not reached the level of this clinging, but nevertheless during favorable hours and glorious times when it is easy for you the drawing close to G-d, it will be a heavy sin for man if he is not careful of wasting them. And it goes without saying that all the more so should he not make his house of study into a mundane place (shelo y'ase beit midrasho l'makom chol) (Daas Torah, chelek Heh pg.157).
Maharal - after teaching the greatness of one who toils in torah and the opposite for one who refrains from words of torah, he taught this: "one who is awake at night, etc." The explanation is that G-d arranged the world (nature) as is fitting. Along with this, he also ordained the way of proper protection/guarding. Some things go out of this protection/guarding as we will explain.
Thus he taught that when a man goes out of the order of guarding which G-d ordained, he is liable for his soul..
"one who stays awake at night" - for night was created for sleeping or torah study (Eiruvin 65a). When he does thus, G-d guards his soul. For he deposits his soul in G-d's hand as written: "In Your hand I entrust my spirit; You have redeemed me, O L-rd, G-d of truth" (Tehilim 31:6).
Thus, for one who is awake, his soul is not deposited in G-d's hand and at nighttime, the mazikim (damaging forces) have permission to rule. Thus, one who is awake at night goes out of G-d's protection and from the order of the world.
Likewise for one who "who turns his heart to idleness". This is even during the day. For G-d created the world and its order of guarding when one conducts himself according to the order of the world. But this world was created to be active not to be idle. For there is nothing in the world which is idle. Everything works towards the use of the world.
Then, everything is under the protection G-d ordained for the world. But this person who is drawn after idleness and seeks idleness, he goes out of the order of guarding (ordained by G-d)..
This is different from the previous case of "one who is awake at night". For the term "awake" implies that this is because he is not sleeping not because he is idle..
But nevertheless, it does not appear to be referring to all who are awake. For one who does work at night, even though he is not studying torah, but nevertheless: "all torah without work will in the end be abandoned" (Avot 2:2). Thus, work which is a need of torah is not included in this.. Rather only if he is awake and turns to idleness, he is "liable for his soul".
"one who walks alone on the roadway" - for G-d placed man to be in an inhabited area with other people. One who is not in inhabited areas goes out of the order of the world...
Furthermore, man's protection is when he is with others and included in the "many" (klal). And even if he is alone in his home, but since in the city there are many inhabitants, then man has protection there.
Therefore, "one who walks alone", specifically alone. For since he came out of the protection by going out on the road alone.
This matter is very wondrous. For when two are together, they are not vulnerable to be damaged (by demons, (translator: which were not concealed in the past), as our sages said in Berachot (43b): "one person sees (the demon) and is harmed. Two people see but are not harmed. Three people don't see them and are not harmed"
The explanation is that man was created in the image of G-d (tzelem Elokim, Genesis 1:27). Due to this exaltedness, he is worthy of ruling over the lower creations, as our sages said (Shab.151b): "a wild animal does not attack a man unless it perceives the man as an animal, as written 'he is like the animals' (Tehilim 49:13)".
That is to say, due to the image of G-d (tzelem Elokim) man has, the animal does not rule over him unless this divine image (Tzelem) is removed from him
When they are two men, there is more [intense] divine image for he is amongst two. And when they are three, there is more Divine image still.
It is likewise so in torah. There is a difference between one and two and between two and three. For the torah is spiritual (sichlit). It is not something physical and it does not join with one man like it joins with two and likewise for three men more than two.
So too for this image of G-d (tzelem Elokim), it is not called on a man when he is alone. Only when they are two and even more when they are three. Therefore, two are not harmed but three are completely removed from the mazikim (demons) until the demons are not even seen. This is not the place to elaborate.
(Rabbi Hartman: since seeing is connection. Thus lack of seeing is lack of connection. And our sages said: "it is forbidden to look at the face of a wicked man..." (Megilah 28a).. for one's eyes will connect to the evil.. see there for more.)
Thus for one who travels on the road alone, it is called that he is minimizing the tzelem Elokim in being alone and the Satan prosecutes at a time of danger...
He said in the previous mishna that three who ate at one table and said on it words of torah, it is as if they ate from the table of G-d ,while if they did not say on it words of torah, it is as if they ate from sacrifices to the dead. From this we learn that through torah, man attains clinging to G-d. And one who separates from the torah, separates himself to the other side and comes out completely from the domain (reshut) of the Holy One, blessed be He.
Thus he followed this teaching (next mishna) that one who turns to idleness also departs from the order of the world and its protection. Therefore he is "liable for his soul" in going out of the order of the world. For according to the order, man is under G-d who guards the world..