“A Mitzvah is a lamp, Torah is light; and reproofs of (moral) discipline are the path of eternity”. G-d put man on this earth in a physical body, which provides a murky environment in which the soul must dwell. To free himself from this darkness, man looks for light to illuminate a path that will lead him in a direction towards the Divine. His intellect can serve as a guiding light, but it is limited in its ability. While it is equipped to help man choose and navigate his personal path and direction in worldly pursuits, it is not able to clearly discern the path that will lead man closer to G-d.

The Torah commands us to pursue just such a path. “You shall walk after the L-rd your G-d…and you shall serve him, and cleave to Him” (Deut. 13:5). This requires man to correctly differentiate between activities that G-d desires and activities that distance man from G-d, something not accurately determinable by the human intellect. Only the Torah and its commandments can accurately provide this illumination, “For a commandment is a lamp and Torah is light.”

A lamp is dependent on physical substances in order to produce its light — the wick, oil, a reflector — and that light can be said to be “attached to” and dependent on something material. Because of this dependence, its purity is diminished compared to a pure and more abstract form of light. A commandment is an act performed by man using the medium of his physical body. Through this act a Divine light is able to attach itself to that physical body and cast illumination from it, since the act is based on Divine wisdom and the will of G-d. The quality of the Divine illumination of this Mitzvah act parallels the illumination of a lamp.

Torah wisdom, on the other hand, is completely abstract and independent of the material, as is pure light. It is a completely intellectual and spiritual activity, which transcends the physical boundaries of man. Therefore the Torah is compared to pure light.

The Talmud (Sotah 21a) teaches that Rabbi Menachem the son of Rabbi Yossi expounded on the verse that compares a commandment to a lamp and the Torah to light. Just as a lamp illuminates only temporarily so, too, does a commandment protect only temporarily; just as pure light is ongoing illumination, so, too, does the Torah provide ongoing and lasting protection”.

This is understood by recognizing that man, as a physical being bound by time, is finite, and commandments which are performed by man using his physical body will have their effect limited by time. Therefore a commandment’s protection is only temporary. Torah knowledge, however, is abstract, and being of an intellectual and spiritual nature, it is transcendent, infinite, with no physical attachments or limitations. Through his connection to Torah knowledge, man is the recipient of eternal protection, since Torah is not bound by the time limitations of the finite.

In summary, Torah and Mitzvot are the guiding lights that lead man to the fulfillment of his complete purpose of existence, which is to develop a closer and closer attachment to G-d. (It should be noted, adds the Maharal, that the fulfillment of one’s purpose is the motivating force that drives every living creature, and is the subconscious factor governing every creature’s activities.)

Proverbs continues: “…and reproofs of discipline are the path of life.” “The path of life” are not Torah commandments but are moral disciplines that man’s intelligence dictates should govern his life. We will explain why discipline is considered the path to life.

The Midrash comments on the verse (Gen. 3:24) “Lishmor derech eitz hachaim” …to guard the path to the Tree of Life: Derech Eretz (ethical behavior, alluded to with the word “derech”) preceded the Torah (alluded to by the phrase “eitz hachaim) by 26 generations.

A tree is a plant that is firmly and deeply rooted in the ground, resistant to uprooting even by strong winds. The Torah parallels this, being strongly rooted in the Divine reality, and all the forces of the world are incapable of detaching it from its source. Despite all the decrees and persecutions over many generations of history, no one has been successful at uprooting the Torah.

The Torah is referred to as an “etz CHAIM,” a living tree. For the Torah — the manifestation of the will of G-d — is inherently eternal, and not something that ceases or dissipates over time, the way material things do. Something with no cessation is called “chaim”, living, such as an underground spring (“mayim chaim”), since it flows unceasingly. This is in contrast to man, who is “chai”, merely alive, and when the life that is given to him ceases, he dies, since he has no self-generative powers. G-d is called “Elokim Chaim”, since He is the reality of self-generating, eternal life. The Torah, too, has self- generative powers, and therefore has no dissipation or cessation.

These two words, “Etz Chaim”, communicate that the Torah can’t be uprooted by external forces (etz), and that it is immune from internal dissipation or cessation (chaim).

What does “Derech Eretz” have to do with a path? A “derech” implies a starting point, a desired end point, and each connected step along the way leading one to that end point. If one deviates from moving towards the desired goal, if one’s steps are not connected to each other, following the necessary route to bring him to where he is going, then that person is off the path.

Reproofs of discipline are restrictive to the materialistic side of man, steering him away from being controlled by his animal drives, a manifestation of his physical nature, rooted in his being composed of “matter.” Discipline is the path leading one to proper worldly behavior. It is this discipline, enabling man to control the physical and materialistic drives of his body, that distances him from the deterioration and ultimate death inherent in everything that is material. Following the path dictated by physicality, which leads to death, is a crooked path in comparison with a disciplined path that enables man to transcend the control of his physical dimension. “Derech eretz,” a disciplined way of behavior, is the path leading to life and eternity, a true “Derech Chaim”.

(Berachot 5a) Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai teaches, “G-d gave the Jewish people three presents, and each of them was only given accompanied with “yisurim” (difficulty). The three presents are Torah, the Land of Israel, and The World to Come.

1. Torah, as it is written (Psalms 94:12) `Forward strides the man who is disciplined by G-d (and who is taught His Torah)’.
2. The Land of Israel as it is written (Deut. 8:5,7) `You should know with your heart that as a man disciplines his son, G-d disciplines you’, followed by `For G-d brings you into a good land (Israel).’
3. The World to Come, as it is written (Prov. 6:23) `For a Mitzvah is a lamp, and Torah is light, and reproofs of discipline are the way of life.'”

The reason why these things were given specifically accompanied with discipline is that each of these things is sanctified and elevated. The Land of Israel is holy and special, having in it more wisdom and spirituality that any other land, as evidenced by the fact that “the atmosphere in Israel makes one wise” (Baba Batra 158b), as well as the occurrence of prophecy taking place only in Israel. Torah as purely Divine wisdom is not rooted in the physical. And the World to Come is particularly sanctified and elevated, having no eating, drinking, nor any physical activity whatsoever.

It is for this reason that these three are all called “matanot,” gifts. A gift is something given to a person to which he doesn’t have access on his own, and which doesn’t emanate from within him. Rather it is given to him from a completely independent source. Since man exists in a physical body, and these three things are Divine and holy, transcending the physical, there is no way they can develop from within man. They must be GIVEN to man from an outside source, by G-d. And it requires discipline and limits in relation to the physical dimension of man to enable man to assimilate these holy and divine presents.

While the root of the word “musar” is “yisurim”, which usually means difficulty and suffering, in this context it does not refer to real suffering. For the verse begins with “Mitzvah” observance and “Torah” study, neither of which have any connection with suffering, and suffering also is not a derech, a path. Rather it is clear from its use by the Rabbis in the previously quoted Gemara (Berachot 5a) that they understand “tochachot musar,” as the “path” by which man disciplines his physical and animalistic drives — the source of normal deterioration and death — giving man access to eternal life and the World to Come. In a certain sense this discipline, upon which good character traits are based, is “suffering” for the physical body, which lusts for the immediate gratification of its natural drives. But since the physical system is a constantly deteriorating one, leading to its ultimate demise by death, disciplining its nature and living on a higher plane, is the true path to life and ultimately to eternity.

This praiseworthy and valuable tractate, Avot, being small in quantity and great in quality, includes the moral disciplines. Their fulfillment is mentioned as one of the ways to saintliness. Rav Yehudah says (Tr. Baba Kama 30a) that one who wants to be considered a “Chasid,” attain saintliness, must fulfill the laws of “nezikin,” monetary damages. Rava says that he must fulfill the teachings of Avot. A third opinion says that he must fulfill the laws of “Berachot,” blessings to G- d.

These three opinions are a function of the three distinct elements that encompass the perfect man. Man must be perfect in relation to his fellow man. Man must make himself perfect in relation to himself and his potential as a human being. And man must attain perfection in relation to G-d.

Rav Yehudah’s opinion is that one can’t be called a chasid unless he avoids damaging any of his fellow men in any way. It doesn’t suffice for one to do favors and good things for others, since this is really expected of him and doesn’t indicate a special superiority. However, when he is sensitive to the possibility of being the cause, even indirect, for his fellow man being damaged, this is a saintly man.

Rava’s opinion is that perfection in relation to himself is what makes him worthy of the title “chasid”, as balanced character traits (“midot”) and ethical discipline is the perfection of man in relation to himself and his potential.

The third opinion requires perfection of man in relation to G-d, which is manifested by a fulfillment of the laws of “berachot,” recognizing, acknowledging and appreciating that all that he has comes from G-d.

These three elements of perfection relate to the three components of man: The physical (“guf”) the emotional/human personality (“nefesh”) and the intellectual/spiritual (sechel).

The crime of causing damages to someone is especially indicative of a corrupt personality. Normally, one sins because of a drive for some physical pleasure which is difficult to control. But a person gains nothing by inflicting damage on another. It emanates from a destructive impulse, reflecting a deficient “nefesh.” A person who is especially meticulous in guarding against causing damage to anyone, even indirectly, reflects an elevated and sensitive “nefesh.”

Discipline, fulfilling the teachings of Avot, indicates a perfection of the physical side of man (“guf”) where he doesn’t allow his physical weaknesses to control him.

Recognition of G-d as the source for all that we have perfects our relationship with the Divine, increasing our attachment to Him. This emanates from and perfects our spiritual/intellectual side (“sechel”).

In assessing the accuracy of our interpretations of the Mishnayot, one must examine them in depth, and not reach conclusions on the basis of hasty first impressions. There is no doubt that the words of the Rabbis are teachings of great depth, not having been said out of personal opinion, “approximation” or simply their own intuition. Rather every word reflects deep wisdom and truth, said with compelling accuracy, and they require deep analysis and understanding, rather than superficial reactions.