תנו רבנן ושננתם שיהו דברי תורה מחודדים בפיך שאם ישאל לך אדם דבר אל תגמגם ותאמר לו אלא אמור לו מיד
§ The Sages taught: The verse states: “And you shall teach them diligently [veshinnantam]” (Deuteronomy 6:7). The root shin, nun, nun, of veshinnantam should be understood as meaning sharp, i.e., that matters of Torah should be sharp and clear in your mouth, so that if a person asks you something, do not stutter in uncertainty and say an uncertain response to him. Rather, answer him immediately.
(ג) קָשְׁרֵ֥ם עַל־אֶצְבְּעֹתֶ֑יךָ כָּ֝תְבֵ֗ם עַל־ל֥וּחַ לִבֶּֽךָ׃
There are many questions a person can ask on this pasuk from Mishlei:
- what is the relationship between a person's fingers and one's heart in serving Hashem and performing the Mitzvos of the Torah?
- What does the specific לשון of קשרם and כתבם teach us?
- Why do I need both the action of tying to my fingers and engraving on my heart? Shouldn't one be enough?
(א) קשרם על אצבעותיך, שכל מעשה שתעשה באצבעותיך יהיו על פי התורה, כתבם על לוח לבך שכל מחשבות הלב יהיו כפי דרכי החכמה, והלב הוא הכח המושל אשר בנפש וצריך שציורי החכמה יהיו כתובים עליו במכתב אלקים חרות על הלוחות, להשביח שאון ציורי התאוה המתנשאים על הלב, ור"ל שתראה שבין המחשבות בין פעולות האצבעות הכל יהיה ע"פ עצת התורה:
קשרם על אצבעותיך - That all of the actions that are performed by the fingers are done as according to the Torah [a person's actions are guided by what the Torah dictates and therefore it is necessary to engulf your actions with the Torah as a physical filter]
כתבם על לוח לבך - All of the thoughts of a person's heart are according to the way of wisdom, and it is the heart that rules over the נפש, and [therefore] the illustrations of a person's wisdom should be written in the writing (language) of Hashem engraved on the tablets, [in order] to improve the overload of lustful images that a person puts on his heart. In other words, a person should see that whether in regards to his thoughts or the actions of his fingers, it should all be according to the direction of the Torah.
Without any sort of outside positive influence pushing a person in a "straightforward" direction, he will by default veer towards a path of waywardness overcome by his innate desires
(כב) האדם בשעה שנולד הוא בגופו ובחכמתו חלש משאר כל הבריות. כי כל הבריות ביום הוולדם הם הולכים ואוכלים ומסייעים לעצמם, אבל האדם צריך טורח גדול בגופו, וגם כן צריך יותר תיקון לנשמתו לתקן החכמה ולהבין דרכים טובים. כי האדם בתחילתו בלא מלמד נוהג כבהמה, אך לבו דומה ללוח שהוא מוכן לכתוב עליו. אם הלוח הזה ביד טיפש – ישרטט עליו שרטוטי הבלים, עד שיתקלקל ולא יהיה בו תועלת עוד. אבל החכם יכתוב עליו סדר עניניו וצרכיו וחובותיו, ומתוך הלוח יכלכל ויפרנס בניו, ויגיע לתועלת גדולה. כך לב האדם: הכסילים יציירו בו ציורי הבל ושקר, ויכתבו עליו חקוקי הבל ואוון, וימלאו לבם מחשבות הבל וריק. והמשכילים יכתבו על לבם מכתב אלקים, שהוא יסוד התורה והמצוות וחכמת המידות, עד אשר יזהירו נפשותם כזוהר הרקיע. ולזה הייתה כוונת שלמה באומרו (משלי ז ג): "קשרם על אצבעתיך, כתבם על לוח לבך".
(22) When a man is born he is in his body and in his wisdom weaker than all other creatures. For all creatures from the very day they were born can walk, eat and help themselves. But man requires much in his physical needs. And he needs even more correction in his soul, to adjust his wisdom and to understand the good paths. For man at his beginning, without someone to teach him, conducts himself like one of the cattle, but his heart is like a tablet which is ready to be written upon. If this tablet is in the hands of a fool then he will scribble upon it until he spoils the tablet and it has no further worth. But the wise man will write upon it the correct order of his affairs and his needs and his obligations. And from the information written on this tablet he will be enabled to feed and support his children and attain great worth. Such is a heart of man! The fools draw upon it drawings of falsehood and write upon it engravings of wrong-doing. And they fill their hearts with thoughts of folly and emptiness while the intelligent people write upon the tablet of their hearts, the writing of God, which is the foundation of the Torah and the Commandments, the wisdom of attaining noble qualities, until their souls shine like the radiance of the firmament. And this was the intention and meaning of Solomon when he said: "Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thy heart" (Prov. 7:3).
Chovos Halevavos adds to this idea by saying that person is the lowest creature in the biosphere in 3 specific areas:
- We are the weakest and most immature at birth in comparison with the other animals as is stated
- our waste smells the most out of all other creatures
- the single thing that elevates us above animals is our mind, our שכל, however without that, we become essentially non-functional, then on a much lower level than any animal (the one thing that puts us above other life is the thing we must protect and kindle) Therefore, is it not appropriate to guard our minds in the best possible way.
(א) על לוח לבך - שלא תשכחם.
In order that he shouldn't forget them.
Why would Ibn Ezra tell me something that I most likley already know?
It must be that there is an insight to uncover here:
Ibn Ezra comments specifically by your heart that you shouldn't forget, why can't the same be said for one's fingers?
Mashal: קשרם על אצבעותיך is a perfect example of how people take tests, they study overnight, and drill all the information into their heads until they can spit back any answer off the "tip of their fingers." But does the knowledge really have any depth to it? No, its only skin deep, literally.
Ibn Ezra is telling us, that to really encompass what the gemara's concept its, a person needs to take what he has learned and engrave it into the recceses of his heart, and that is the way he will truly be able to recall information, when he himself has connected with it to the point where it touches him on a personal level, not only superficially.
Q: If that is so, what is the point then of tying the Torah to your fingers? If the natural consequence of such an action is inevitably to forget it, why bother to begin with?