CLD #707

Pirkei Avot (3,5) teaches:

אין בור ירא חטא ועם הארץ חסיד

"(Hillel would say) A boor cannot be sin-fearing and an ignoramus be pious..."

For the Ilui Neshama of Avraham ben Ester ZT’L & Yissachar ben Yona Z’L.

What is a boor? A boor, as Kehati the commentator teaches, is an individual who has no knowledge of trade AND no Torah knowledge, basically in our terms a real poor individual. The fact that a boor cannot be sin-fearing makes complete sense because he has no knowledge. However, the next phrase said by Hillel is more than intelligent, it is genius.

An ignoramus, or in Hebrew a Am Ha’Aretz, is an individual who has knowledge for trade but has no Torah knowledge. So it makes sense that this higher level includes sin-fearing because in order to be sin-fearing all you have to do is avoid doing certain things. What is so difficult? I won’t eat kosher, I won’t go to a mixed beach, I won’t go to a bar, I won’t speak a lot because I do not know what I am allowed to talk about and what is prohibited and on and on. But where is the real wisdom?

Behind the individual who is pious, which an Am Ha’Aret can never reach because he does NOT have the knowledge of Torah behind him. A Hasid, a pious individual, is one who has, according to Kehati on this Mishnah in Pirkei Avot, reached a level of Taharat HaLev and Zikuch HaNefesh. Taharat HaLev, the pure cleansiness of the Heart, can ONLY be reached through Limud Torah (learning). Also, the next thing a Hasid has that an ignoramus lacks is Zikuch HaNefesh, which means the cleansiness of the soul. But how can you cleanse your soul? One of the characteristics of cleaning the soul is by doing every task for the sake of Hashem, called LeShem Shamayim, and NOT for my own selfish need (whether justified or not).

This Mishnah shows us the beauty and wisdom behind the Torah, which obviously does not need our testimony to validate itself. Be’ezrat Hashem we should get stronger in our Avodat Hashem to learn Torah, which is the MOST IMPORTANT INGREDIENT to become pious and do positive deeds for the sake of Am Yisrael and bringing Mashiah closer.

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