Pirkei Avot - Ethics of the Fathers

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Chapter 3 Mishna 11
פרק ג משנה יא

Rabbi Chanina ben Dossa would say: "one whose fear of sin precedes his wisdom (knowledge) - his wisdom endures, but one whose wisdom precedes his fear of sin - his wisdom does not endure".

He would also say: "one whose [good] deeds exceeds his wisdom - his wisdom will endure. But one whose wisdom exceeds his [good] deeds, his wisdom will not endure".
רַבִּי חֲנִינָא בֶן דּוֹסָא אוֹמֵר, כָּל שֶׁיִּרְאַת חֶטְאוֹ קוֹדֶמֶת לְחָכְמָתוֹ, חָכְמָתוֹ מִתְקַיֶּמֶת. וְכָל שֶׁחָכְמָתוֹ קוֹדֶמֶת לְיִרְאַת חֶטְאוֹ, אֵין חָכְמָתוֹ מִתְקַיֶּמֶת.

הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, כָּל שֶׁמַּעֲשָׂיו מְרֻבִּין מֵחָכְמָתוֹ, חָכְמָתוֹ מִתְקַיֶּמֶת. וְכָל שֶׁחָכְמָתוֹ מְרֻבָּה מִמַּעֲשָׂיו, אֵין חָכְמָתוֹ מִתְקַיֶּמֶת


~Level 1~
Rashi - "fear of sin precedes his wisdom" - in all his deeds and matters, fear of sin precedes and comes before him. He remembers it in all that he does.

"his wisdom endures" - his deeds are fulfilled and he succeeds in all that he turns. For since fear of Heaven stands before his eyes every hour, he does not stumble in his deeds..
~Level 2~
Mahari - in every thing that a person comes to weigh in his mind and decide whether or not it is proper and correct to do, he needs to precede fear of G-d to this contemplation. Namely, to weigh carefully whether this action contains a trace of sin or of the forbidden. And if he sees that this deed has some aspect which is against the torah, he should pull back his hand and refrain from doing it. If he does thus to place everything on the examination of fear of sin - then his wisdom will endure. For the foundation and beginning of wisdom is fear of G-d. Otherwise, his wisdom will not endure. Understand this.
~Level 1~
Tiferet Yisrael - "fear of sin precedes his wisdom, his wisdom endures" - he guards from sinning. For whoever sins, a spirit of folly enters him (Sotah 3a).
~Level 1~
Ohr Yisrael (41:11) - for without fear, all the torah and the service is only rote practice (mitzvah anashim melumada) whereby a light wind will blow it away.
~Level 1~
Bartenura - "but one whose wisdom precedes his fear of sin, his wisdom does not endure" - he does not learn [torah] in order to do. Since his heart does not turn towards becoming one who fears sin, his wisdom does not endure. For since his wisdom obstructs him from following the whims of his heart, he despises it and is disgusted by it and abandons it.
~Level 1~
PART 2 - One Whose [Good] Deeds..

Bartenura - "one whose [good] deeds exceeds his wisdom" - here he is referring to one who is zealous in the positive commandments. Before this when he said: "one whose fear of sin precedes his wisdom..", this was referring to one who guards the negative commandments.
~Level 2~
Rabeinu Yonah - "whoever's deeds is greater than his wisdom" - there is [room] to ask: "how is it possible for his deeds to be greater than his wisdom? If he does not know torah and mitzvot, what deeds can he possibly do? Rather, this mishna is coming to teach a useful and good advice. Namely, for he who does not know, then, lest he lose his soul, let him take upon himself to do all the things the sages of his generation tell him. He should not veer from their words right or left when he will know them. And he should strive to guard and do according to the torah they will instruct him. When he accepts this on himself wholeheartedly and with a willing soul, it is considered as if he fulfilled all the mitzvot..

Likewise in Avot d'Rabbi Nathan (22:1) "whoever's deeds is greater than his wisdom, his wisdom endures, as written: 'we will do and we will listen' (Shemot 24:7).." Namely, they accepted upon themselves to do all that G-d will command them.. Thus immediately they received reward as if they fulfilled them [all]..
~Level 3~
Rabbi Avraham Azoulai - Ahava b'Taanugim - some explain, "whoever's deeds is greater than his wisdom", namely, he practices more than what he preaches - such a person is certainly fitting and worthy to teach others and his words will be heard. This is the meaning of "his wisdom endures", i.e. in other people. For he teaches and succeeds.

But he who preaches nicely but does not practice, i.e. his wisdom is greater than his deeds - his wisdom does not endure in others and he does not succeed. For everyone says that his words are like the chirping of birds since he himself does not believe them.
~Level 3~
Michtav M'Eliyahu ch.2 - wisdom is what is found in the intellect (sechel), while deeds are on the level of the heart. A man's deeds are those which he does in his inner chambers, when there is no external influence. Then his deeds show his true inner level which conflicts with his wisdom. For it is possible for a man to know many levels of wisdom and divine service without this bringing him to manifest any action whatsoever.

The primary path of a person's ascent is in that which he puts his wisdom to heart. Namely, that his wisdom drills down to his inner being until it becomes an inner truth and brings him to true deeds.

But if the wisdom is greater than the deeds, then it remains outside, namely, only in the intellect. And the intellect is a kli (vessel) to bring it down to the heart. This is the work asked of man. Therefore, if the wisdom in the intellect is on a higher level than the level in the heart, which is the level of the man himself, then already there are desecrations and accusations formed. For since the man knows the truth but he does not put his heart to this, then according to justice, such a situation warrants that this man deserves to be removed from this world. For he should have ascended to the level he was capable of but did not do so. But instead of this, He in His mercy removes the wisdom from the man. And then the accusations against him are removed and the man is saved. Thus, according to this, that which his wisdom departs from him is not a kind of punishment, but rather an actual kindness.
~Level 3~
Daat Chachma u'Mussar 2:19 - it is clear from our mishna that wisdom does not endure except when it is drawn and sources (menika) from fear which precedes it. Through this, how wonderful are the words of the Nefesh hachaim brought in the book Shaarei Ohr (12b). Here is an excerpt:
"It is proper for every person to prepare himself every time before he begins to learn, to think a bit with his Maker, blessed be He, with purity of heart and fear of G-d, and to purify from his sins with thoughts of repentance, etc. and likewise in the middle of learning, he has permission to interrupt a short time before the fear of G-d he accepted upon himself before the learning extinguishes from his heart, to think anew a bit on fear of G-d..." end quote