There are some [who are habituated to lashon hara] because of pride. That is, considering himself wise and a man above men, all being lowly in his eyes, wherefore his heart prompts him to scoff at his friend. His pride also brings him to envy and hate his friend who is honored in the eyes of the people of the city, because it seems to him that his [own] honor is diminished because of this. He will think to himself: "If not for him, I would be regarded among men as an eminent person." And he will probe hidden things in order to have something to say against him, be it true or false, in order to denigrate his name among people and to show his superiority to him and to diminish his eminence and to humiliate and shame him. And sometimes his pride will bring him into all four classes [who do not behold the Divine Presence]: CHASHMAL [chanefim-flatterers; shakranim-liars; mesaprei lashon hara-speakers of lashon hara; leitzanim-scoffers]. He will speak demeaningly of his friend, so that he be honored and his friend despised; and he will mock him for not being eminent in his eyes. And he will glory in falsehood, in qualities that he does not possess. And because of his pride, he will flatter evildoers always and not reprove them, so that they not hate him and diminish his honor.
Therefore, one who wishes to purify his soul from this bitter sin should reflect always upon the great baseness of pride. For how should a person be proud when the beginning of his existence is a putrefying drop and he is destined for a place of dust, maggot and worm, and his remnant consumes his remnant?
He should also reflect upon the severity of this sin, a negative commandment among the 613 mitzvoth, as it is written (Devarim 8:14): "And your heart will swell [with pride] and you will forget the L-rd your G-d," as listed in Semag. And Chazal have said (Sotah 4b): "One who is haughty of heart is like a server of idols." And the more one thinks to magnify his name in the world, the more it is diminished and his body is spurned by the creations. He should also reflect upon the greatness of his punishment in this world and in the world to come, as they said (Succah 29b): "Because of four things the possessions of householders go to waste … and haughtiness of heart." And they also say (Sotah 5a): "All who have haughtiness of heart are in the end deflated." And we also learn there: R. Chisda said: "Whoever has haughtiness of heart — the Holy One Blessed be He says of him: 'He and I cannot inhabit the [same] world.'" And R. Elazar said: "If one has haughtiness of heart, his dust does not stir for the resurrection." And this is measure for measure. For instead of reflecting always that he is destined for a pace of dust, maggot, and work, to still his pride, he did not think thus, but only that the heights of the rocks would be his domain forever and that the spacious heights would be his eternal rest, above all of his contemporaries. Therefore, when his body turns to dust, his dust lacks the power to stir from its place, and all will arise and stand on their feet, and he will remain lying low, beneath the soles of the feet of all the people whom he vaunted himself over while yet in life. And he is also abominated because of this in the eyes of the Blessed L-rd, as it is written (Mishlei 16:5): "The abomination of the L-rd are all the haughty of heart."
And when one reflects upon his great poverty in Torah and mitzvoth, he will have nothing to be proud about. As Chazal have said (Nedarim 41a): "One who lacks this [(Torah)], what has he acquired?" And even if he has some Torah and good deeds, when he reflects upon them in truth, he will find that he has not attained even half and even a third [of the potential] of the wisdom that the Holy One Blessed be He has implanted in his soul.
[And the holy books have provided for this a telling parable, which I think I saw in Zichru Torath Mosheh: (To what may this be compared?) To the [instance of] a wealthy merchant who sends two men to a distant country to purchase precious jewels for him. To one he gives for this a thousand golden pieces; to the other, only a hundred, and they waste their money on the way on trifles, until the first remains with only two hundred golden pieces, and the second, with forty. One day, they start quarreling with each other, the first saying to the second: "Can you compare yourself to me? You are a pauper, not possessing even a fourth of what I do?" Another man speaks up, and says to him: "Fool and haughty one, with what should you be proud? Don't we know that the money is not yours and that you are only a messenger to bring merchandise to your sender? And, in truth, you are poorer than the second, over whom you have vaunted yourself. For he owes his sender only sixty golden pieces, which he scattered in his folly, whereas you have scattered eight hundred golden pieces on trifles. What will you say to your sender about such a great sum? Will you not then be covered with shame and humiliation, much more than this poor pauper?" So is it, exactly, in our case. For are we not all messengers of the Merciful One from the upper world to this one, each one to amend his soul and to "polish" it according to the amount of wisdom that the Holy One Blessed be He implanted in it?" Therefore, one should not vaunt himself because of the superiority of his wisdom to that of his friend; for is it not not his, but only given to him for the ultimate end. Rather, he should think to himself about how many days and how many years he neglected Torah, and that he will have to give an accounting of his activities for every day of the days of his life.
And this is the language of Sefer Hapardess of Maharam Cordovero, the Gate of Sanctuaries 1: "A level above the four holy creatures, is Yofiel, the angel of Torah, with all the keys of wisdom in his hand. And when the soul rises on high, the angel, Deah, [knowledge,] questions it on the wisdom it acquired in this world. And to the extent that it toiled in Torah and pursued it, to that extent will it receive its reward. And if it could have occupied itself with Torah but did not, it pushes it below, under that sanctuary, in shame and humiliation. And when the seraphs under the [heavenly] creature lift their wings and beat them one against the other, they burn that soul until it is burnt, etc. And thus is it judged every day, although it have good deeds, because it did not occupy itself with Torah as is should have."
Therefore, the man of heart must reflect upon this all the days of his life, as it is written in Tanna d'bei Eliyahu, that a man should see to it to grasp in his hand what he has learned so that shame and humiliation not overcome him on the day of judgment, when they say: "Arise and set forth the Scripture that you have read and the Mishnah that you have learned."]
בְּפֶרֶק זֶה יְבֹאַר סִבַּת לָשׁוֹן הָרָע, שֶׁבָּאָה עֵל יְדֵי הֶרְגֵּל הַגַּאֲוָה.
In this chapter there will be explained the cause of lashon hara that originates in the habit of pride.
וְיֵשׁ מֵחֲמַת גַּאֲוָה, דְּהַיְנוּ שֶׁהוּא מַחֲשִׁיב אֶת עַצְמוֹ לְחָכָם וּלְאִישׁ בַּאֲנָשִׁים, וְהַכֹּל שְׁפָלִים בְּעֵינָיו, לָכֵן מְלָאוֹ לִבּוֹ לְהִתְלוֹצֵץ מֵחֲבֵרוֹ. גַּם הַגַּאֲוָה תְּבִיאֵהוּ לְקַנֵּא וְלִשְׂטֹם אֶת חֲבֵרוֹ הַמְכֻבָּד בְּעֵינֵי אַנְשֵׁי הָעִיר, וִיקַנֵּא וְיִשְׂטֹם אוֹתוֹ, בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁיִּדְמֶה לוֹ שֶׁנִּפְחָת כְּבוֹדוֹ עַל יְדֵי זֶה, וְיֹאמַר בְּלִבּוֹ: לוּלֵא הוּא, הָיִיתִי מְתֹאָר בֵּין בְּנֵי אָדָם לְאָדָם חָשׁוּב. וְיִבְחַן וְיִבְדֹק גִּנְזֵי נִסְתְּרוֹתָיו, כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לוֹ מַה לְּדַבֵּר מִמֶּנּוּ, יִהְיֶה אֱמֶת אוֹ שֶׁקֶּר, כְּדֵי לְהַקְּטִין שְׁמוֹ אֵצֶל בְּנֵי אָדָם וּלְהַרְאוֹת יִתְרוֹנוֹ עָלָיו וּלְהַפְחִית מַעֲלָתוֹ וּלְהַכְלִימוֹ וּלְבַיְּשׁוֹ. וְלִפְעָמִים יְסֻבַּב עַל יְדֵי הַגַּאֲוָה כָּל ד' כִּתּוֹת חַשְׁמַ"ל (חֲנֵפִים, שַׁקְרנִים, מְסַפְּרֵי לָשׁוֹן הָרָע, לֵיצָנִים). יְסַפֵּר בִּגְנוּת חֲבֵרוֹ, שֶׁיִּהְיֶה הוּא נִכְבָּד וַחֲבֵרוֹ בָּזוּי. וְיִתְלוֹצֵץ עָלָיו מֵאַחַר שֶׁאֵינוֹ חָשׁוּב בְּעֵינָיו. וְיִתְפָּאֵר בְּשֶׁקָר וּבְמַעֲלוֹת שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ. וּבַעֲבוּר גַּאֲוָתוֹ יַחֲנִיף לָרְשָׁעִים תָּמִיד וְלֹא יוֹכִיחָם, שֶׁלֹא יִשְׂנְאוּהוּ וְיִפְחַת כְּבוֹדוֹ.
There are some [who are habituated to lashon hara] because of pride. That is, considering himself wise and a man above men, all being lowly in his eyes, wherefore his heart prompts him to scoff at his friend. His pride also brings him to envy and hate his friend who is honored in the eyes of the people of the city, because it seems to him that his [own] honor is diminished because of this. He will think to himself: "If not for him, I would be regarded among men as an eminent person." And he will probe hidden things in order to have something to say against him, be it true or false, in order to denigrate his name among people and to show his superiority to him and to diminish his eminence and to humiliate and shame him. And sometimes his pride will bring him into all four classes [who do not behold the Divine Presence]: CHASHMAL [chanefim-flatterers; shakranim-liars; mesaprei lashon hara-speakers of lashon hara; leitzanim-scoffers]. He will speak demeaningly of his friend, so that he be honored and his friend despised; and he will mock him for not being eminent in his eyes. And he will glory in falsehood, in qualities that he does not possess. And because of his pride, he will flatter evildoers always and not reprove them, so that they not hate him and diminish his honor.
עַל כֵּן מִי שֶׁיִּרְצֶה לְטַהֵר אֶת נַפְשׁוֹ מֵעָוֹן הַמַּר הַזֶּה, יַחֲשֹׁב תָּמִיד בְּגֹדֶל גְּנוּת הַגַּאֲוָה, כִּי אֵיךְ יִתְגָּאֶה הָאָדָם, אֲשֶׁר תְּחִלַּת הֲוָיָתוֹ נוֹצָר מִטִּפָּה סְרוּחָה וְהוּא עָתִיד לֵילֵךְ לִמְקוֹם עָפָר רִמָּה וְתוֹלֵעָה, וְיֹאכַל קְצָתוֹ אֶת קְצָתוֹ?
Therefore, one who wishes to purify his soul from this bitter sin should reflect always upon the great baseness of pride. For how should a person be proud when the beginning of his existence is a putrefying drop and he is destined for a place of dust, maggot and worm, and his remnant consumes his remnant?
גַּם יִתְבּוֹנֵן בְּחֹמֶר הֶעָוֹן הַזֶּה שֶׁהוּא לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה מִמִּנְיַן תַּרְיָ"ג, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (דברים ח' י"ד): "וְרָם לְבָבֶךָ וְשָׁכַחְתָּ אֶת ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ", כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתַב בַּסְּמָ"ג. וְאָמְרוּ חֲזַ"ל בְּסוֹטָה (דף ד':): כָּל אָדָם שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ גַּסּוּת הָרוּחַ, כְּאִלּוּ עוֹבֵד כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת וְכוּ', וְכָל זְמַן שֶׁאָדָם מִתְכַּוֵּן לְהַגְדִּיל שְׁמוֹ בָּעוֹלָם, שְׁמוֹ אוֹבֵד וּמִתְמַעֵט וְהוֹלֵךְ, וְגוּפוֹ מְחֻלָּל עַל הַבְּרִיּוֹת. גַּם יִתְבּוֹנֵן בְּגֹדֶל עָנְשׁוֹ בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה וּבָעוֹלָם הַבָּא כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ (סוכה כ"ט:): בִּשְׁבִיל ד' דְּבָרִים נִכְסֵי בַּעֲלֵי בָּתִּים יוֹרְדִין לְטִמְיוֹן וְכוּ' וְעַל גַּסּוּת הָרוּחַ. וְאָמְרִינַן נַמֵּי בְּסוֹטָה (ה.): כָּל אָדָם שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ גַּסּוּת הָרוּחַ, לַסּוֹף מִתְמַעֵט וְכוּ'. וְגָרְסִינַן נַמֵּי שָׁם: אָמַר רַב חִסְדָּא: כָּל אָדָם שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ גַּסּוּת הָרוּחַ אָמַר הַקָדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: אֵין אֲנִי וָהוּא יְכוֹלִין לָדוּר בָּעוֹלָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְכוּ'. וְאָמַר ר' אֶלְעָזָר: כָּל אָדָם שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ גַּסּוּת הָרוּחַ, אֵין עֲפָרוֹ נִנְעָר לִתְחִיַּת הַמֵּתִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְכוּ'. וְהוּא מִדָּה כְּנֶגֶד מִדָּה, דְּתַחַת שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ לַחֲשֹׁב תָּמִיד בְּנַפְשׁוֹ, דְּסוֹפוֹ לֵילֵךְ לִמְקוֹם עָפָר רִמָּה וְתוֹלֵעָה וְלֹא לְהִתְגָּאוֹת וְכַנַּ"ל, וְהוּא לֹא כֵן חָשַׁב, כִּי אִם בִּמְרוֹמֵי סְלָעִים יִהְיֶה מִשְׂגַּבּוֹ תָּמִיד, וּבַעֲלִיּוֹת מְרֻוָּחִים תִּהְיֶה לָעַד מְנוּחָתוֹ יָתֵר עַל כָּל בְּנֵי גִּילוֹ, לָכֵן כַּאֲשֶׁר גּוּפוֹ נַעֲשֶׂה עָפָר, אֵין בַּעֲפָרוֹ כֹּחַ לְהִתְנַעֵר מִמְּקוֹמוֹ. וְהַכֹּל יַעַמְדוּ וְיָקוּמוּ עַל רַגְלֵיהֶם, וְהוּא יִשָּׁאֵר מֻשְׁכָּב נָמוֹךְ תַּחַת כַּפּוֹת רַגְלֵי כָּל הָאֲנָשִׁים, אֲשֶׁר הִתְגָּאָה עֲלֵיהֶם בְּעוֹדוֹ בְּחַיָּיו. וְגַם הוּא מְתֹעָב עֲבוּר זֶה בְּעֵינֵי ה' יִתְבָּרַךְ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (משלי ט"ז ה'): "תּוֹעֲבַת ד' כָּל גְּבַהּ לֵב".
He should also reflect upon the severity of this sin, a negative commandment among the 613 mitzvoth, as it is written (Devarim 8:14): "And your heart will swell [with pride] and you will forget the L-rd your G-d," as listed in Semag. And Chazal have said (Sotah 4b): "One who is haughty of heart is like a server of idols." And the more one thinks to magnify his name in the world, the more it is diminished and his body is spurned by the creations. He should also reflect upon the greatness of his punishment in this world and in the world to come, as they said (Succah 29b): "Because of four things the possessions of householders go to waste … and haughtiness of heart." And they also say (Sotah 5a): "All who have haughtiness of heart are in the end deflated." And we also learn there: R. Chisda said: "Whoever has haughtiness of heart — the Holy One Blessed be He says of him: 'He and I cannot inhabit the [same] world.'" And R. Elazar said: "If one has haughtiness of heart, his dust does not stir for the resurrection." And this is measure for measure. For instead of reflecting always that he is destined for a pace of dust, maggot, and work, to still his pride, he did not think thus, but only that the heights of the rocks would be his domain forever and that the spacious heights would be his eternal rest, above all of his contemporaries. Therefore, when his body turns to dust, his dust lacks the power to stir from its place, and all will arise and stand on their feet, and he will remain lying low, beneath the soles of the feet of all the people whom he vaunted himself over while yet in life. And he is also abominated because of this in the eyes of the Blessed L-rd, as it is written (Mishlei 16:5): "The abomination of the L-rd are all the haughty of heart."
וְהִנֵּה כַּאֲשֶׁר יִתְבּוֹנֵן הָאָדָם אֶת גֹּדֶל עֲנִיּוּתוֹ בַּתּוֹרָה וּבַמִּצְוֹת, לֹא יִהְיֶה לוֹ בַּמֶּה לְּהִתְגָּאוֹת. וּכְמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ חֲזַ"ל (נדרים מ"א.): דְּדָא חָסֵר מַה קָּנָה? (כשזה חסר, מה קנה?) וַאֲפִלּוּ אִם יֵשׁ לוֹ מְעַט תּוֹרָה וּמַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים, כְּשֶׁיַּחֲשֹׁב עִם נַפְשׁוֹ בֶּאֱמֶת, יִתְוַדַּע לוֹ כִּי לֹא תִּקִּן עֲדַיִן אֲפִלּוּ הַחֵצִי וְאַף לִשְׁלִישׁ לֹא הִגִּיעַ לְפִי הַחָכְמָה, אֲשֶׁר הִטְבִּיעַ הַקָדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בְּנַפְשׁוֹ.
And when one reflects upon his great poverty in Torah and mitzvoth, he will have nothing to be proud about. As Chazal have said (Nedarim 41a): "One who lacks this [(Torah)], what has he acquired?" And even if he has some Torah and good deeds, when he reflects upon them in truth, he will find that he has not attained even half and even a third [of the potential] of the wisdom that the Holy One Blessed be He has implanted in his soul.
הג"ה.[ וְכָתְבוּ הַסְּפָרִים הַקְּדוֹשִׁים לָזֶה מָשָׁל נִמְרָץ, וְכִמְדֻמֶּה שֶׁרָאִיתִי זֶה בְּסֵפֶר "זִכְרוּ תּוֹרַת מֹשֶה", לִגְבִיר אֶחָד שֶׁשָּׁלַח שְׁנֵי אֲנָשִׁים לִמְדִינָה רְחוֹקָה לִקְנוֹת לוֹ אֲבָנִים טוֹבוֹת. לְאֶחָד נָתַן לְעֵסֶקּ זֶה אֶלֶף זְהוּבִים וְלַשֵּׁנִי לֹא נָתַן כִּי אִם מֵאָה זְהוּבִים, וּפִזְרוּ אֶת הַמָּעוֹת בַּדֶּרֶךְ לְדִבְרֵי הֶבֶל, עַד שֶׁלֹּא נִשְׁאַר בְּיַד בַּעַל הָאֶלֶף כִּי אִם ב' מֵאוֹת זְהוּבִים וּבְיַד בַּעַל הַמֵּאָה, אַרְבָּעִים, וַיְהִי הַיּוֹם, וַיִּתְקוֹטְטוּ יַחַד זֶה עִם זֶה, וַיַּעַן בַּעַל הָאֶלֶף וַיֹּאמַר לַשֵּׁנִי: הֲתוּכַל לְהִתְדַּמּוֹת אֵלַי? הֲלֹא אַתָּה אִישׁ עָנִי, וְאֵין לְךָ אֲפִלּוּ חֵלֶק רְבִיעִי מִמֶּנִּי. וַיַּעַן אִישׁ אַחֵר וַיֹּאמַר לְבַעַל הָאֶלֶף: הוֹי סָכָל וְגֵאֶה, בַּמֶּה תִּתְגָּאֶה? הַאִם לֹא נוֹדַע לָנוּ כִּי הַמָּעוֹת אֵינָם שֶׁלְּךָ, וְרַק שָׁלִיחַ אַתָּה לְהָבִיא סְחוֹרָה לִמְשַׁלַּחֲךָ? וּבֶאֱמֶת אַתָּה עָנִי יוֹתֵר מֵהַשֵּׁנִי אֲשֶׁר נִתְגָּאֵיתָ עָלָיו, כִּי הוּא אֵינֶנּוּ חַיָּב לִמְשַׁלְּחוֹ רַק שִׁשִּׁים זְהוּבִים, אֲשֶׁר פִּזֵּר בִּשְׁטוּתוֹ, וְאַתָּה הֲלֹא פִּזַּרְתָּ ח' מֵאוֹת זְהוּבִים עַל דִּבְרֵי הֶבֶל, וּמַה תָּשִׁיב לְשׁוֹלַחֲךָ דָּבָר עַל סָךְ רַב כָּזֶה? הֲלֹא אָז תְּכַסְּךָ בּוּשָׁה וּכְלִמָּה הַרְבֵּה יוֹתֵר מֵהֶעָנִי הַנֶעֱלָב הַזֶּה. כֵּן הַדָּבָר מַמָּשׁ בָּעִנְיָן הַזֶּה, כִּי הֲלֹא כֻּלָּנוּ שְׁלוּחֵי דְּרַחֲמָנָא אֲנַן מֵעוֹלָם הָעֶלְיוֹן לְכָאן, כָּל אֶחָד לְתַקֵּן אֶת נַפְשׁוֹ וּלְצַחְצֵחָהּ לְפִי עֵרֶךְ הַחָכְמָה, אֲשֶׁר הִטְבִּיעַ הַקָדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בְּנַפְשׁוֹ. עַל כֵּן אֵין לוֹ לָאָדָם לְהִתְגָּאוֹת בְּיִתְרוֹן הַחָכְמָה אֲשֶׁר בּוֹ מֵחֲבֵרוֹ, כִּי הֲלֹא לֹא שֶׁלּוֹ הִיא, כִּי אִם נִתְּנָה בּוֹ לַצֹּרֶךְ הַתַּכְלִיתִי, וְיֵשׁ לוֹ לַחֲשֹׁב בְּנַפְשׁוֹ, כַּמָּה יָמִים וְכַמָּה שָׁנִים בִּטֵּל מִתּוֹרָה, וְעָלָיו יִהְיוּ כֻּלָּנָה לָתֵת חֶשְׁבּוֹן עַל כָּל יוֹם מִימֵי חַיָּיו בַּמֶּה עָסַק בּוֹ.
[And the holy books have provided for this a telling parable, which I think I saw in Zichru Torath Mosheh: (To what may this be compared?) To the [instance of] a wealthy merchant who sends two men to a distant country to purchase precious jewels for him. To one he gives for this a thousand golden pieces; to the other, only a hundred, and they waste their money on the way on trifles, until the first remains with only two hundred golden pieces, and the second, with forty. One day, they start quarreling with each other, the first saying to the second: "Can you compare yourself to me? You are a pauper, not possessing even a fourth of what I do?" Another man speaks up, and says to him: "Fool and haughty one, with what should you be proud? Don't we know that the money is not yours and that you are only a messenger to bring merchandise to your sender? And, in truth, you are poorer than the second, over whom you have vaunted yourself. For he owes his sender only sixty golden pieces, which he scattered in his folly, whereas you have scattered eight hundred golden pieces on trifles. What will you say to your sender about such a great sum? Will you not then be covered with shame and humiliation, much more than this poor pauper?" So is it, exactly, in our case. For are we not all messengers of the Merciful One from the upper world to this one, each one to amend his soul and to "polish" it according to the amount of wisdom that the Holy One Blessed be He implanted in it?" Therefore, one should not vaunt himself because of the superiority of his wisdom to that of his friend; for is it not not his, but only given to him for the ultimate end. Rather, he should think to himself about how many days and how many years he neglected Torah, and that he will have to give an accounting of his activities for every day of the days of his life.
וְזֶה לְשׁוֹן סֵפֶר הַפַּרְדֵּס שֶׁל מַהֲרָ"מ קוֹרְדֹוֵירוֹ שַׁעַר הֵיכָלוֹת פֶּרֶק ב': שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה אֶחָד מִד' חַיּוֹת הַקֹּדֶשׁ הוּא יוּפִיאֵל שַׂר הַתּוֹרָה, וְכָל מַפְתְּחוֹת הַחָכְמָה בְּיָדוֹ. וְכַאֲשֶׁר הַנְּשָׁמָה עוֹלָה וּמַגַּעַת לְמַעְלָה, אָז הַשַּׂר דֵּעָה הוּא שׁוֹאֵל לָהּ בְּעִנְיַן חָכְמָה שֶׁלָּמְדָה בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, וּכְפִי אֲשֶׁר טָרַח בַּתּוֹרָה וְרָדַף אַחֲרֶיהָ, כֵּן לְפִי זֶה יִנָּתֵן הַשָׂכָר. וְאִם הָיָה יָכוֹל לַעֲסֹק בַּתּורָה יוֹתֵר וְלֹא עָסַק, דּוֹחֶה אוֹתָהּ לְמַטָּה תַּחַת הַהֵיכָל הַהוּא בְּבוּשָׁה וְחֶרְפָּה. וְכַאֲשֶׁר הַשְּׂרָפִים תַּחַת הַחַיָּה נוֹשְׂאִים כְּנָפַיִם וּמַשִׁיקְים אִשָּׁה אֶל אֲחוֹתָהּ וְשׂוֹרְפִים אוֹתָהּ הַנְּשָׁמָה וְהִיא נִשְׂרֶפֶת וְאֵינָהּ נִשְׂרֶפֶת וְכוּ'. וְכֵן הִיא נִדּוֹנִית בְּכָל יוֹם, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁיִּהְיוּ לָהּ מַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים, כֵּיוָן שֶׁלֹּא נִתְעַסְּקָה בַּתּוֹרָה כָּרָאוּי. עַד כָּאן לְשׁוֹנוֹ:
And this is the language of Sefer Hapardess of Maharam Cordovero, the Gate of Sanctuaries 1: "A level above the four holy creatures, is Yofiel, the angel of Torah, with all the keys of wisdom in his hand. And when the soul rises on high, the angel, Deah, [knowledge,] questions it on the wisdom it acquired in this world. And to the extent that it toiled in Torah and pursued it, to that extent will it receive its reward. And if it could have occupied itself with Torah but did not, it pushes it below, under that sanctuary, in shame and humiliation. And when the seraphs under the [heavenly] creature lift their wings and beat them one against the other, they burn that soul until it is burnt, etc. And thus is it judged every day, although it have good deeds, because it did not occupy itself with Torah as is should have."
עַל כֵּן צָרִיךְ הָאִישׁ הַנִּלְבָּב לְהִתְבּוֹנֵן בָּזֶה בְּכָל יְמֵי חַיָּיו, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בְּתָנָא דְּבֵי אֵלִיָּהוּ, שֶׁיִּרְאֶה אָדָם לִתְפֹּשׂ בְּיָדוֹ מַה שֶּׁלָּמַד, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יַשִּׂיגֶנּוּ בּוּשָׁה וּכְלִמָּה לְיוֹם הַדִּין, בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁיֹּאמְרוּ: עֲמֹד וַעֲרֹךְ מִקְרָא שֶׁקָּרָאתָ וּמִשְׁנָה שֶׁשָּׁנִיתָ. עַד כָּאן לְשׁוֹנוֹ].
Therefore, the man of heart must reflect upon this all the days of his life, as it is written in Tanna d'bei Eliyahu, that a man should see to it to grasp in his hand what he has learned so that shame and humiliation not overcome him on the day of judgment, when they say: "Arise and set forth the Scripture that you have read and the Mishnah that you have learned."]