Avos 1:17 וְלֹא מָצָאתִי לַגּוּף...וְלֹא הַמִּדְרָשׁ הָעִקָּר (all)

Shimon, his son, says: All my days I have grown up among the wise, and I have found nothing better for (my) body than silence [i.e., hearing myself shamed and remaining silent.] And it is not the expounding which is primary but the act [i.e., and know that silence is good, for even for expounding and speaking in Torah, than which there is nothing greater, the primary reward is for the act (which follows from it); and if one expounds and does not act (upon what he says), it would be better if he remained silent and did not expound.] And all who increase words bring sin. [For thus do we find with Eve, who "increased words" in saying (Genesis 3:3): "G-d said: 'You shall not eat of it and you shall not touch it.'" She added "touching," which had not been forbidden to her, and the serpent pushed her until she touched it. And he said to her: "Just as there is no death in touching it, so there is no death in eating it." And this led to her sin of eating from the fruit. As Solomon says (Proverbs 20:6): "Do not add to His words, lest He reprove you and you be proven false."]

"And I did not find anything good for the body except silence": One who hears his disgrace and is silent.

The Gemara asks: But does the prohibition against vengeance really not relate also to matters of personal anguish suffered by someone? Wasn’t it taught in a baraita: Those who are insulted but do not insult others, who hear themselves being shamed but do not respond, who act out of love for God, and who remain happy in their suffering, about them the verse states: “They that love Him be as the sun when it goes forth in its might” (Judges 5:31). This baraita shows that one should forgive personal insults as well as wrongs in monetary matters.

In connection to the mishna’s statement about the importance of Torah study, the Gemara relates the following incident: And there already was an incident in which Rabbi Tarfon and the Elders were reclining in the loft of the house of Nit’za in Lod, when this question was asked of them: Is study greater or is action greater? Rabbi Tarfon answered and said: Action is greater. Rabbi Akiva answered and said: Study is greater. Everyone answered and said: Study is greater, but not as an independent value; rather, it is greater as study leads to action.

None of the other mitzvot can be equated to the study of Torah. Rather, the study of Torah can be equated to all the mitzvot, because study leads to deed. Therefore, study takes precedence over deed in all cases.

In this chapter there will be explained the Talmudic apothegm "What is the proper craft of a man in this world?" We learned in Chullin 89a: "R. Yitzchak said: (Psalms 58:2): 'Haumnam eilem, righteousness shall you speak; with justness shall you judge the sons of men': What is [the proper] craft [umanuth (similar to hauman)] of a man in this world"? Let him make himself as an ileim [mute]. Scripture's purpose in referring to this as a "craft" is to teach us several different things: It is well known that if one who is not a craftsman would want to fashion a vessel, even if he can easily visualize its fashioning in all its details, still, its actual making will be difficult for him, for his hands are not yet used to this. As opposed to a craftsman, who is habituated to this from youth. The same is true with the trait of silence. Even though anyone who has sense can perceive that this trait is very desirable, for one is protected thereby from all of the issurim that come through speech and without it he is prey to various pitfalls, as we shall explain below, still, if one resolves to exercise this trait only when he is compelled to do so because of mitzvoth of the Torah, such as [to keep himself] from lashon hara, rechiluth, levity, and other [forms of] forbidden speech, and otherwise he will [permit himself to] say whatever he likes, even what is not essential, then certainly this will not avail, for he will not have habituated his tongue to silence. To the contrary, from his [earliest] youth he will have taught it to say whatever entered his mind. As opposed to one who "trained" his mouth to the trait of silence as a craftsman [trains himself] to his craft, to the point where silence becomes natural to him and speech, unnatural — as with a mute. Then he will be absolutely confident that his tongue will be guarded from evil and that he will not revert to his former folly. Scripture might also intend thereby to bring one to a great awakening through the ways of fear [of the L-rd]. That is, to have him imagine, G-d forbid, that he were suddenly muted, and none of the doctors of his city could find a cure for him, and a great physician came and cured him of his frightful illness, gratis. Would it not follow that he would thenceforward be his true lover, and that the signs of his love would be manifest on all of his limbs? That is, that he would run to fulfill his slightest command, and that, in any event, he would not dare to offend this faithful doctor through his faculty of speech, which he restored to him! The same is true in our case. The Blessed Creator exalted man above all other creatures by investing him with a speaking soul wherewith he could merit eternal life through Torah and mitzvoth. So that if a man transgresses with his tongue several hundreds of times through forbidden speech, it should follow that it [this faculty] be taken from him and that the speaking soul not be returned to him in the morning. But the Holy One Blessed be He in His abundant mercies withholds His wrath from him in the hope that he will repent of his sin. Is this his repayment to the L-rd? That he speak even more against His will through lashon hara, levity, and other [forms of] forbidden speech? This is the intent of Chazal in: "What is the craft of a man in this world? Let him make himself mute." Let him constantly remind himself: "For the great abuse of my tongue until now, I should have been rendered mute, if not for the greatness of His lovingkindness to me. How, then, should I sin thereby again?" [The Gemara (Chullin 89a) continues: "I might think even in respect to Torah study; it is, therefore, written (Psalms, Ibid.): 'righteousness [i.e., Torah] shall you speak.' I might think that [he could do so] even to the point of haughtiness; it is, therefore, written: 'with justness shall you judge the sons of men.'" On the face of it, this is to be wondered at: Why would it occur to us to say that he should be mute to words of Torah? Why was speech created in a man if not to speak in the Torah of the L-rd and of His exalted majesty? And also, the end of the apothegm — "I might think even to the point of haughtiness" — is to be wondered at. For what does this have to do with "muteness"? [The resolution would seem to be as follows:] It is known that one can study Torah in two ways: a) by himself; b) with others. Each way has an advantage and a disadvantage. The advantage of learning by oneself is being protected against forbidden speech — for there is no one to speak to. But there is a disadvantage, that the learning lacks the clarification [that comes from an interplay of minds.] And if he learns with others there is the disadvantage that their company sometimes leads to idle talk, lashon hara and levity. But, countering that, there is the great advantage of greater clarification. And this is the intent of the Gemara: "I might think even in respect to Torah study." That is, not that he not speak at all in Torah, but that he utilize the trait of "muteness," (which affords greater protection), even for words of Torah, that he not speak even Torah with other men at all, out of fear that he will be drawn by this in the end to forbidden speech, so that he should study only by himself. And, similarly, with other mitzvoth which involve speech, such as prayer and the like. [I might think that] he should not associate with any man, so as not to come to forbidden speech. And the Gemara answers: "It is, therefore, written: 'Righteousness [Torah] shall you [(plural) speak,' and not 'righteousness shall he speak,'" in the singular, as per the introduction ["eilem"] — to teach us that he should speak in Torah in company [chavurah]. As Chazal have said (Berachoth 63b): "A sword upon the 'loners'" — a sword upon 'the foes of Torah scholars' [a euphemism for 'Torah scholars'] who study Torah by themselves. And, what is more, they stupefy themselves." And the same is true of congregational prayer, viz. (Mishlei 14:28): "The multitude of people glorify the King." According to this, the "complete man" is on that exalted level where he must conduct himself as two opposites. That is, in the affairs of the world he must be like a mute and not speak even what is permitted, but only what is essential. And in the area of Torah and mitzvoth he must "expand" speech as far as he can, to study with many and to converse with them in matters of holiness. But, in any event, he must be on guard not to speak with them on any forbidden matter — wherefore the Gemara concludes: "I might think that [he could do so] even to the point of haughtiness." That is, when he sees others who are completely irresponsible in their speech and who sully their mouths with lashon hara, levity, and other [forms of] forbidden speech, [I might think that] he should hold them to be absolutely wicked, and himself, to he absolutely righteous," it is, therefore, written (Psalms, Ibid.): 'with justness shall you judge the sons of men.'" That is he must judge them equably and in [the scales of] merit, assuming that they do not [really] know what lashon hara is (and the like, with other [forms of] forbidden speech), and also that they do not know the severity of the sin of forbidden speech.] More on the same subject Another possible reason for calling this [(guarding of the tongue)] a "craft" is that just as all crafts require study until they are truly learned, so is it with speech. A man may not say to himself; Why belabor myself with guarding my tongue to know all the aspects of its functioning if I can acquire a natural muteness and this can suffice [for all exigencies]! For it is not so. For the proper response changes often according to the circumstances [as explained in Chafetz Chaim, Part One, Chapter VIII:5, and in Part Two, in several places]. Therefore it is necessary to learn and to know the categories and particulars of speech in order to know how to conduct oneself properly in the craft of that "muteness." Chazal have also been very specific in their holy language in the term "in this world" [("What is the craft of a man in this world? Let him make himself mute, etc.")] That is, let a man not think: "I have already been habituated to this ["muting"] for more years than a craftsman to his craft, and I no longer need to devote my eyes and my heart to it so much" — wherefore Chazal have taught us that this is not so; but a man must train himself in this craft of making himself a natural mute all the days of his life, as the GRA has written in Alim Litrufah: "And until the day of his death a man must chastise himself, not with fasts and mortifications, but by putting a rein to his mouth and his lusts. And this is tshuvah [repentance], and this is all the fruit of the world to come, as it is written (Mishlei 6:23): 'For a mitzvah is a lamp; and Torah, light, and the chastisements of mussar [moral discipline], the way of life.' This is [worth] more than all the fasts and mortifications in the world. And Scripture states (Psalms 34:13-15): 'Who is the man who desires life, who loves days to see good? Guard your tongue from evil, etc.' And in this way all of his sins will be forgiven and he will be saved from the depths of Sheol, as it is written (Mishlei 21:23): 'One who guards his mouth and his tongue guards his soul from suffering,' and (Ibid. 18:21): 'Death and life are in the power of the tongue.' Woe unto him who puts himself to death for one particle of speech. And what advantage is there to the man of the tongue?" And Chazal have said (Avoth 1:16): "All of my days I [R. Shimon] have grown up among the sages and I have found nothing better for the body than silence." That is: "I have grown up among the sages and chosen from their comely and holy traits, and the trait of silence was the best of all." Or: "Even though they were learned sages, and their speech was not, G-d forbid, of empty things, still I found that the best thing of all for the body, aside from words of Torah, was absolute silence." As far as the stress on "the body" is concerned, the meaning is: A man, though he be wise and perfect in his soul, as were the companions of R. Shimon, still in point of the matter "clothing" the soul [i.e., the body], it is almost impossible that all of his words be properly limited — wherefore, silence is best of all. And if in the generation of R. Shimon, whose tongue was habituated to speak in wisdom, so that even if it were not entirely guarded it would not swerve from its path, G-d forbid, still, he said that silence was best of all — what should we, the [mere] "hyssop of the wall" do, all of whose thoughts and speech, from our youth on, are only of vanity and emptiness? If we do not muzzle our mouths with the rein of silence with all of our strength, then certainly the tongue will do as has been its wont from early youth, and the loss [sustained by speaking] will far outweigh the reward. One who is habituated to silence escapes many transgressions — flattery, levity, lashon hara, falsehood, and insult. For if someone shames and insults him, if he answers him, he will get a double portion. And thus does the wise man say: "I hear evil and keep silent." The other: "Why?" The wise man: "If I answer and retort to my shamers, I fear that I will hear insults more biting than the others!" Also, if one cultivates the trait of silence, everyone feels free to share his secrets with him. Since he is not disposed to speaking, he will not reveal them. In addition, he is not given to rechiluth. In this connection it is written (Mishlei 18:21): "Death and life are in the hands of the tongue." For a man does more [damage] with his tongue than with his sword. For [through scandal] a man can stand here and deliver his friend, who is far from him, to death, whereas the sword kills only at close range. Therefore, a man was created with two eyes, two ears, and two nostrils, but [only] with one mouth, to teach him to minimize speech. Silence becomes sages; how much more so, fools. (Avoth 3:17): "A fence for wisdom is silence." "Silence is the universal cure." And guard your tongue like the pupil of your eye. (Mishlei 18:7): "The mouth of a fool is destruction to him, and his lips are a stumbling-block to his soul." And (Ibid. 21:23): "One who guards his mouth and his tongue guards his soul from suffering." And if you are sitting in a company, it is better that they say to you: "Speak. Why are you so silent?" than that you speak and your words be so tedious to them that they say to you: "Be silent!" And it is written (Michah 7:5): "From her who lies in your bosom, guard the doors of your mouth." Scripture has hereby intimated to us that the mouth is like a door. And just as the door of a house has a time to be open and a time to be closed (for if it is always open everything in the house will be lost), so the doors of your mouth have a time to be open — to words of Torah and other essential things, and a time to be closed — to other things. And a man must know that speech is the "beloved of all the beloved," for through it the form of man is perfected. Therefore, just as one who has silver, gold, and pearls makes an enclosure within an enclosure to guard them and hides them in his innermost chamber in a special chest, so, even more, must he make an enclosure within an enclosure for his mouth; and that is, through the trait of silence.