“My son, if you take My word, and My mitzvot you conceal within you, to lend your ear to wisdom… if you seek it like silver and precious things … then you will understand … and you will find the consciousness of God.” (Mishlei, 2:1–5) When it first says “to lend your ear to wisdom,” it is said as a command. Then after, it says “if you seek” (as a possibility). It is in the power of man to lend an ear to wisdom and incline the heart to understanding. However, to “seek it like silver,” meaning that the words of the Torah will be so precious in man’s mind that he runs after them just as one would run after money and precious things. Yet this is not in man’s power, but happens only when he is helped by God. If the words of Torah are so important to him, this is a sign for him that his heart is refined and he truly fears God.
בְּנִי אִם תִּקַּח אֲמָרָי וּמִצְוֹתַי תִּצְפֹּן אִתָּךְ לְהַקְשִׁיב לַחָכְמָה אָזְנֶךָ כוּ' אִם תְּבַקְשֶׁנָּה כַכֶּסֶף וְכַמַּטְמוֹנִים כוּ' אָז תָּבִין כוּ' וְדַעַת אֱלֹקִים תִּמְצָא. מַה שֶּׁנֶּאֱמַר תְּחִילָּה "לְהַקְשִׁיב לַחָכְמָה אָזְנֶךָ" לְשׁוֹן צִוּוּי וְאַחַר כָּךְ נֶאֱמַר "אִם תְּבַקְשֶׁנָּה" כוּ', כִּי לְהַקְשִׁיב אֹזֶן לַחָכְמָה וּלְהַטּוֹת לִבּוֹ לַתְּבוּנָה זֶה הוּא בְּכֹחַ הָאָדָם, אֲבָל לְבַקְשָׁהּ כַּכֶּסֶף הַיְינוּ שֶׁדִּבְרֵי תּוֹרָה יִהְיוּ כָּל כָּךְ יְקָרִים אֵצֶל הָאָדָם בְּדַעְתּוֹ שֶׁיִּרְדּוֹף אַחֲרֵיהֶם כְּאָדָם הָרוֹדֵף אַחַר כֶּסֶף וּמַטְמוֹנִים, זֶה אֵינוֹ בְּיַד הָאָדָם רַק בְּסִיַּעַת הַש"י, וְאִם יִהְיוּ דִּבְרֵי תּוֹרָה בְּלִבּוֹ חֲשׁוּבִים כָּל כָּךְ אָז יֵדַע כִּי לִבּוֹ מְזֻכָּךְ וְיִרְאַת ה' נִמְצָא בּוֹ.
“My son, if you take My word, and My mitzvot you conceal within you, to lend your ear to wisdom… if you seek it like silver and precious things … then you will understand … and you will find the consciousness of God.” (Mishlei, 2:1–5)
When it first says “to lend your ear to wisdom,” it is said as a command. Then after, it says “if you seek” (as a possibility). It is in the power of man to lend an ear to wisdom and incline the heart to understanding. However, to “seek it like silver,” meaning that the words of the Torah will be so precious in man’s mind that he runs after them just as one would run after money and precious things. Yet this is not in man’s power, but happens only when he is helped by God. If the words of Torah are so important to him, this is a sign for him that his heart is refined and he truly fears God.