My New Year's Resolution

Happy is the man who has not followed the counsel of the wicked,
or taken the path of sinners,
or joined the company of the insolent;

משנה אבות ג׳:ב׳

רַבִּי חֲנִינָא סְגַן הַכֹּהֲנִים אוֹמֵר, הֱוֵי מִתְפַּלֵּל בִּשְׁלוֹמָהּ שֶׁל מַלְכוּת, שֶׁאִלְמָלֵא מוֹרָאָהּ, אִישׁ אֶת רֵעֵהוּ חַיִּים בְּלָעוֹ.

רַבִּי חֲנִינָא בֶן תְּרַדְיוֹן אוֹמֵר, שְׁנַיִם שֶׁיּוֹשְׁבִין וְאֵין בֵּינֵיהֶן דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה, הֲרֵי זֶה מוֹשַׁב לֵצִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים א) וּבְמוֹשַׁב לֵצִים לֹא יָשָׁב.

אֲבָל שְׁנַיִם שֶׁיּוֹשְׁבִין וְיֵשׁ בֵּינֵיהֶם דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה, שְׁכִינָה שְׁרוּיָה בֵינֵיהֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (מלאכי ג) אָז נִדְבְּרוּ יִרְאֵי יהוה אִישׁ אֶל רֵעֵהוּ וַיַּקְשֵׁב יהוה וַיִּשְׁמָע וַיִּכָּתֵב סֵפֶר זִכָּרוֹן לְפָנָיו לְיִרְאֵי יהוה וּלְחֹשְׁבֵי שְׁמוֹ. אֵין לִי אֶלָּא שְׁנַיִם, מִנַּיִן שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ אֶחָד שֶׁיּוֹשֵׁב וְעוֹסֵק בַּתּוֹרָה, שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא קוֹבֵעַ לוֹ שָׂכָר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (איכה ג) יֵשֵׁב בָּדָד וְיִדֹּם כִּי נָטַל עָלָיו:

Pirkei Avot 3:2

R. Chanina, the adjutant high-priest says: Pray for the well-being of the king, [even the kings of the nations]. For if not for its [(monarchy's)] fear, one man would swallow his fellow alive, [as it is written (Habakkuk 1:14): "And You have made a man like the fish of the sea" — Just as with the fish of the sea, all who are bigger than the other swallow the other, so with men. If the fear of the king were not upon them, all who were greater than the other would swallow the other.]

R. Chanina ben Teradyon says: If two sit and there are no words of Torah between them, this is called "the seat of scoffers," as it is written (Psalms 1:1): "And he did not sit in the seat of scoffers.

((2): For in the Torah of the L rd is his desire, etc.") But if two sit and there are words of Torah between them, the Shechinah is between them, as it is written (Malachi 3:16): "Then the fearers of the L rd spoke to each other [(two are implied)], and the L rd listened and heard, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for the fearers of the L rd and the thinkers on His name." This tells me only of two. Whence do I derive that even if one sits and studies Torah the Holy One Blessed be He sets aside reward for him? From (Eichah 3:27): "He shall sit alone and be silent, [learning by himself in "a still, small voice"], for he has taken it upon him" [i.e., it is as if the giving of the entire Torah was for him alone.]

דגל מחנה אפרים, וישב א׳

וישב יעקב בארץ מגורי אביו בארץ כנען: י"ל בזה כי ידוע במקום שיש השראת השכינה שם אף שאח"כ נסתלק נשאר רושם הקדושה לעולם והוא שאמר הכתוב וישב יעקב בארץ מגורי אביו הייינו באותו ארץ שהיה אביו עשה שם יחודים וזהו מגורי לשון אסיפה ויחוד כמו מגורה מליאה פירות נקרא ע"ש ששם נאסף ביחד התבואה אל מקום אחד והוא שרימז כאן על היחודים קדושים שעשה באותו מקום ובוודאי נשאר שם רשימא קדיש' ולכך ישב יעקב שם כי המקו' גורם מצוה גוררת מצוה וקדושה גוררת קדושה וכמו שכתבו אנשי אמת יראי יהוה על פסוק ובמושב לצים לא ישב כי המקו' גורם ח"ו ע"ש וכ"ש במקום שהיה קדושה שהיא תופסת מקומה כי מדה טובה מרובה וגורר תחנה ובקשה ותפלה ויחוד והדבר הזה הוא נוהג תמיד בכל אדם ובכל זמן:

Degel Machaneh Ephraim, Vayeshev 1

...

בראשית ל״ז:א׳

וַיֵּ֣שֶׁב יַעֲקֹ֔ב בְּאֶ֖רֶץ מְגוּרֵ֣י אָבִ֑יו בְּאֶ֖רֶץ כְּנָֽעַן׃

Genesis 37:1

Now Jacob was settled in the land where his father had sojourned, the land of Canaan.

Continue with Menorat Zahav of Reb Zushia on Psalm 1,1
p 149 in the new edition. Translation below.

The text is also available in Asifat Amarim on Psalms which is available to download from hebrebooks.org
https://hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?
req=66172&st=&pgnum=11&hilite=

Menorat Zahav / Asifat Amarim Psalms 1,1 Reb Zushia of Anipoliya
In the seat of scorners he did not sit, Psalms 1:1. It is written in Avot 3,2 If two sit and there are no words of Torah between them, this is called "the seat of scoffers," as it is written (Psalms 1:1) "And he did not sit in the seat of scoffers. We can read this carefully. How is it clear from the verse that if two people sit together and do not discuss Torah it must be a sitting place of scoffers? It’s possible to say that it is like this. If people are sitting and discussing Torah, an impression (residue) is made in that place. If other people go there later, that place causes them to also learn Torah. And similarly the opposite, may Heaven save us. If people are speaking about forbidden things in a certain place, they cause an impression of impurity. If other people go there afterwards they will not be able to learn Torah.

This is what the Mishnah is telling us in the words “If two sit and there are no words of Torah between them”. The Mishna is amazed, how can this be possible? Jews from the holy seed must speak to each other about Torah subjects! The Mishna answers it is because it is "the seat of scoffers”. In that place previously sat scoffers and mockers of Torah. They made an impression there and later groups could not speak words of Torah in that place. As it is said “he did not sit in the seat of scoffers”. This verse warns us not to sit in a place where scoffers sat before us for the reason we have said. (note 42, The verse warns us not to sit in a place where scoffers have been sitting as the residue of their negative speech and thoughts is likely to cause us bittul Torah, a waste of good Torah learning time.)
See also Menorat Zahav on Sukkot about the power of a single mitzvah to leave posspiritual energy in even the lowest place. This is true if the mitzva is done with little or no careful intention!