אבות א, יז - בשבחה של השתיקה

(17) Shimon, his son, used to say: all my days I grew up among the sages, and I have found nothing better for a person than silence. Study is not the most important thing, but actions; whoever indulges in too many words brings about sin.

Silence is one of the virtues mentioned in Ethics of the Fathers. Rabbi Simon, the son of Gamliel, said, "All my days I grew up among the Sages, and I have found nothing better for a person than silence" (Aboth 1:17). And thus said king Solomon, "Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise" (Prov. 17:28). And the wise man said, "When I speak, my speech rules over me, for when I utter something that is not worthy, that utterance rules over me and forces me at times to beg the pardon of whoever has heard me, but when I do not speak I rule over whether I want to give expression to a thought or whether I want to conceal it." Our Sages said (Yalkut Shimoni, Beha'alotkha) : Two advocates stood before Hadrian; one taught that speech was best and one taught that silence was best. The king said to the one who taught that speech is best, "Why do you say this?" And he said to him, "My Lord, if it were, not for speech how would kings be proclaimed? How would ships sail to the sea? How would kindness be done to the dead by way of eulogy? How would brides be praised? How would business be carried on in the world?" At once, King Hadrian said to him, "Well have you spoken!" Then he said to the one that taught that silence is best, "Why have you have praised silence?" Just as the man was about to answer the first advocate interrupted him. The king said to him, "Why did you interrupt him?" said he, "My Lord, I taught from what is mine concerning what is mine, for I taught by speech the value of speech, but he comes to teach by my means, speech, concerning that which he believes in, silence. Therefore I interrupted him." Said the other advocate to him, "Solomon did not say that God would have you sit as silent as a deaf mute. But he said, 'In the multitude of words there wanteth not transgression; but he that refraineth his lips is wise" (Prov. 10:19). This means that one ought to restrain himself from speaking against his fellow man. There is no one greater than Aaron or Miriam — through Miriam's merit a well sprang up and gave drink, and clouds of glory would surround Israel through the merit of Aaron. But inasmuch as they gave permission to their mouths and they spoke against Moses, they were at once punished (Num. 12).

(22) While Israel stayed in that land, Reuben went and lay with Bilhah, his father’s concubine; and Israel found out. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve in number.

וישכב AND HE LAY — Because he had disturbed his couch Scripture accounts it to him as though he had actually sinned in this manner. But why did he disturb his couch? When Rachel died Jacob removed to Bilhah’s tent and Reuben came and protested against the slight thus inflicted on his mother (Leah). He said: “If my mother’s sister was her rival, is that any reason why the handmaid of my mother’s sister should become a rival to her!” On this account he disturbed the couch (Shabbat 55b).

Having mentioned the sins of some of the significant ancestors of the Jewish people, the Gemara now addresses several additional ancestors. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said that Rabbi Yonatan said: Anyone who says that Reuben sinned with Bilhah is nothing other than mistaken, as it is stated: “And it came to pass, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine; and Israel heard of it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve” (Genesis 35:22). The fact that the Torah stated the number of Jacob’s sons at that point in the narrative teaches that, even after the incident involving Bilhah, all of the brothers were equal in righteousness. Apparently, Reuben did not sin. How then do I establish the meaning of the verse: “And he lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine”? The plain understanding of the verse indicates sin. This verse teaches that Reuben rearranged his father’s bed in protest of Jacob’s placement of his bed in the tent of Bilhah and not in the tent of his mother Leah after the death of Rachel. And the verse ascribes to him liability for his action as if he had actually lain with Bilhah.