Divine Wisdom and Human Virtue: From Judaism – The Talmud, Part 2 of 2

“There are four kinds of charity givers: He who gives but does not care that others should give; he who makes others give, but does not give himself, does not make the best use of his own; he who gives, and makes others give, is pious; but he who neither gives nor suffers others to give is a cruel man. […]

Love, inspired by ulterior motives, dies out when those motives disappear; but love without such motives never fades. […]

Whosoever causes many to be righteous, sin prevails not over him; and whosoever causes many to sin, they grant him not the faculty to repent. Moses, who was righteous and caused many to become righteous, the righteousness of the many was therefore laid upon Him, as it is written [Deuteronomy 33:21]: ‘He executed the justice of the Lord, and His judgment with Israel.’ Jeroboam, who on the contrary sinned and caused many to sin, the sin of the many, therefore, was laid upon him, as it is written [I Kings 14:16]: ‘For the sake of the sins of Jeroboam, who did sin, and who induced Israel to sin.’ […]

Jehudah ben Tema was in the habit of saying: ‘Be courageous as the panther, light winged as the eagle, swift as the deer, and strong as the lion, to execute the will of thy Heavenly Father.’” […]

“R. Meir said: ‘Whosoever is busied in Torah for the love thereof merits many things; and not only so, but he is worth the whole world, as he is called friend, beloved, loves the Omnipotent and mankind; pleases the Omnipotent and mankind. And it clothes him with meekness and reverence, and fits him to become righteous, pious, upright, and faithful; and removes him from sin, and brings him toward the side of merit. And they derive from him the benefit of good counsel, and sound wisdom, understanding, and strength, as it is written [Proverbs 8:14]: ‘Mine are counsel and sound wisdom: I am understanding; mine is might.’ And it gives him kingdom and dominion, and faculty of judgment. And they reveal to him secrets of Torah; and he is made, as it were, a spring that ceases not and as a river that flows on increasing. And he becomes modest and long-suffering, and forgiving of insult, and it magnifies him and exalts him over all things.’”