Pirkei Imahot Facilitator

Yosei ben Yochanan, man of Jerusalem, says, "May your home be open wide, may the poor be members of your household and do not increase conversation with the woman."

They so stated with his wife; all the more so with the wife of his friend. From this, the sages said, "Any time that a man increases conversation with the woman, he causes evil to himself and neglects the words of Torah; and, in his end, he inherits Geihinam." (Emphasis mine)

12th century Spain

They so stated with his wife: It is known that the majority of talk with women is about matters of sex. Because of this, he said that increasing conversation with them is forbidden, since he "causes evil to himself." He means to say that he acquires lowly traits for his soul, and that is the abundance of desire.

of Gerondi, 13th century Spain,

generally an opponent of Rambam

They so stated with his wife; all the more so with the wife of his friend. (Our master and teacher [Rashi] wrote, "As it is written in the Fathers According to Rabbi Nathan), "They said [this] about his menstruating wife, all the more so regarding the wife of his fellow." It means to say, that he not increase words with his menstruating wife, lest his impulse overcomes him and he comes to a mishap; and all the more so with the wife of his fellow, about whom his impulse pressures him even more. As if they said it with the one that will be permissible for him tomorrow - and it appears to him like 'bread in his basket' - all the more so with another woman, whom the impulse desires, as the matter that it stated (Proverbs 9:17), "stolen waters are sweet." But it appears to be explained according to its simple meaning, "They so stated with his wife," not to ever accustom her to [many] words, so that she not be found with him every day. As a man should not be with his wife for his pleasure, but [rather] to fulfill the commandment; so as to distinguish between man and beast, as they said in Tractate Berakhot 22a concerning a man with a nocturnal emission, "So that they not be with their wives like chickens." And that is the trait of separation which brings one to the highest levels, as we say (Avodah Zarah 20b), "Separation brings to purity."

From this, the sages said, "Any time that a man increases conversation with the woman, he causes evil to himself": [This] is to say, he causes the impulse that is called evil to overpower him, as we say (Kiddushin 30b), "Great is the evil impulse, that its Creator calls it evil, as it is stated (Breishit 8:21), 'for the imaginings of man’s heart are evil from his youth.'" And this man caused evil to himself, as he gave it a place and an invitation to cling to himself, by way of conversation [with women]. And he went beyond the traits of other men, as the impulse sometimes overpowers them; but without them doing something to cause [it], and it is not their own doing that brought the evil to begin with them.

and neglects the words of Torah: As the thought of Torah is not firm in his eyes so long as his heart is focused on the woman and upon her conversation, as they are two thoughts that the heart does not tolerate together.

and, in his end, he inherits Geihinam: As in the end, he comes to sin: Since he follows the whims of his heart and increases words, certainly (Editor's note: It appears that instead of "al panim" (certainly?), [it should be] with the woman - see Midrash Shmuel) he will sin and descend to the pit. And this is what Shlomo - peace be upon him - stated (Kohelet 7:26), "I find woman more bitter than death; she is all traps, her heart is snares and her hands are fetters." This means to say that death removes him from the world - from the small life of the world - but woman destroys his soul for ever and ever. Behold, 'she is more bitter than death.' "She is all traps and snares": When a man observes a woman, he is caught in her net, which is her trap, and he cannot escape from her. As the man sees that which his heart desires and he does not see what will happen to him from her in the end of days. As the lyricist (R. Yehudah HaLevi) said, "The seduced dove travels in the wilderness; it sees the grain but it does not see the trap." "Her heart is snares" - when she desires a man in her heart, even if he does not desire her and it is [just] the bad fortune of this man that caused her to desire him. "Her hands are fetters" - because if she grabs him with her hands, he is already taken into the 'prison' and he no longer has a way to fix it. "He who is pleasing to God escapes her, and he who is displeasing is caught by her" (Kohelet 7:26) as the Holy One, blessed be He, protects the righteous and does not present them something through which they might stumble; but the sinner, who does not distance himself from evil paths and whose heart is not complete, chances upon a matter like this.

15th - 16th century Italy

from this, the sages said: Our holy teacher, who arranged the mishnah [Yehudah Hanasi, who edited the mishnah, was assumed to have added this], wrote: From the words of this sage, who said, "Do not increase conversation with the woman," the sages learned to say, "Every time that a man increases conversation with the woman he causes evil for himself." I have found written, "When a man says to his wife his doings, ‘Such and such befell me with so and so,’ she teaches him to stir up trouble, like Korah, who told his wife what Moshe did, when he waved the Levites as a wave-offering, and her words brought him to an argument." And also (another possibility is) when he tells her that his colleagues insulted him and shamed him, she too despises him in her heart, and this causes evil for himself.

He was accustomed to say: The more flesh, the more worms. The more possessions, the more worry. The more wives, the more witchcraft. The more maidservants, the more lewdness. The more man-servants, the more theft. The more Torah, the more life. The more sitting [and studying], the more wisdom. The more counsel, the more understanding. The more charity, the more peace. One who has acquired a good name has acquired for himself. One who has acquired words of Torah has acquired for himself the life of the World to Come.

The more wives, the more witchcraft: He went and mentioned it in order: At first, a man adorns himself and eats and drinks and engages in eating much meat, and drinking; and afterwards he seeks to acquire much property; and after he has acquired much property and he sees that he has enough in his hand to support many wives, he [marries] many wives; and after he [marries] many wives, each one needs a maidservant to serve her - behold, this is "the more maidservants;" and since he has so many members of his household, he needs fields and vineyards to supply wine and food to the members of his household, and [so] acquires many slaves to work the fields and vineyards. Hence, they are learned in this order.

The more man-servants, the more theft. The more maidservants, the more lewdness. The more wives, the more witchcraft: And if the man-servants steal, he is struck for them - as it is in his hand to stop them. And even if he does not know [about it], the matter will be cast upon him - as they are his money and his gold (they belong to him). Also when the maidservants are lewd with others, the matter is upon him as if he himself was lewd - as an abomination was done in his house. Also in the proliferation of wives, he causes them to do witchcraft - to increase love [towards them]: the hated one will redouble [her efforts] until she sways his heart, 'and her rival was surely angered.' And they will hang the matter upon his neck, since it is a major sin - as it is stated (Shemot 22:17), "You shall not let a witch live."