Chapter IV
פרק ד', משנה י"ט: שמואל הקטן אומר :בנפול אויביך אל תשמח, ובכשלו אל יגל לבך, פן יראה ה' ורע בעיניו והשיב מעליו אפו.
Chapter 4, Mishnah 19: Shmuel the Small would say, "When your enemy falls, do not be happy. When he stumbles, do not let your heart be glad. Lest Hashem sees (this behavior), and it displeases Him. (It can cause that) He will turn His anger from him (to you)."
The Simple Explanation
Torah provides us with all of the teachings by which we must govern our lives. To use a twenty-first-century metaphor, we can say that the Torah is the user's manual that comes with each Jew. Our Sages would say many things, teaching us lessons regarding all aspects of our lives. Why do we find throughout Pirkei Avos that a particular Sage "would say?" Each one said so many things! We see this in our Mishnah; "Shmuel the Small would say."
The explanation is that each Mishnah quotes a teaching that a particular Sage would often teach. It is a teaching upon which he would focus. So, too here, Shmuel Hakotton, the Small, would frequently rebuke people with this verse from Mishlei. One may not take pleasure from the fact that his enemy fell. It can have unexpected ramifications.
Difficulties in Understanding the Mishnah
Throughout the Mishnah, each Sage quoted is teaching us something he learned from his teachers in the earlier generation. Each one is adding something to the canon of the Oral Law. How does an entire Mishnah quote an explicit verse from the Tanach? It does not seem to add anything to our understanding of the Torah.
Furthermore, everything in the Torah is precise. Torah never uses an extra word. Yet in the verse that Shmuel the Small repeated, there seems to be a redundancy. First, the verse discusses how to react (or, more accurately, not to react) when one's enemy falls. It then discusses the appropriate reaction when his enemy stumbles. It would seem that one of the two is superfluous. Both terms, fall and stumble, appear to be synonymous.
1. Mishlei (Proverbs) 24:17-18.
2. See the commentary of the Bartenura to our Mishnah.
The Explanation
This can be understood as follows. The word "falls" (Nefillah - נפילה) implies a total collapse. It means a descent from which it is seemingly impossible to recover. Contrast this with the word "stumbles" (Kisholon - כישלון). This is not as severe as Nefillah. It implies one temporarily down; however, there is "a light at the end of the tunnel." He will be able to pick himself up once again.
This also explains the difference between the two reactions, which one must not display. Happiness (Simchah - שמחה) implies a revealed state of joy, i.e., being openly happy. One must not display his joy toward the complete collapse of his enemy. However, "gladness of the heart" (Gilah - גילה) implies an internal state of joy, meaning one which is not openly displayed. One may be tempted to harbor such feelings toward an enemy who has temporarily stumbled.
This explanation highlights the commentary of the Machzor Vitri. He explains that "the enemy" our Mishnah refers to is one's opponent in the "Battle of Torah." This expression refers to a debate between two sages on the meaning of a particular aspect of the Torah. There are two types of debates. At times, two scholars will disagree on the logic behind an ordinance of the Torah. They will argue over the reason for a particular ruling. The second disagreement occurs when two scholars discuss the Torah law. They argue over the final verdict and how one must conduct himself in practice.
In the second debate, when one scholar emerges "victorious," the other is defeated. One can't conduct himself according to two contradictory opinions. In such a case, the "victor" might be tempted to rejoice over his fellow's defeat openly.
However, a debate over the reasoning and logic behind a law is not the same. Even if one loses the argument, it only means his logic is not accepted. It does not mean that he is incorrect. Only his manner of understanding the teaching which they were debating was wrong. In this instance, there would be no cause to rejoice over his companion's defeat openly. However, one may be tempted to rejoice inwardly.
Therefore, Shmuel Hakotton came to teach us the following: If one proved that his colleague's opinion as to what the law is was incorrect, he must not boast. Even if he proved his fellow's reasoning incorrect, he must not rejoice inwardly.
3. See the commentary of the Midrash Shmuel to our Mishnah.
4. See the comments of the Machzor Vitri to our Mishnah.
We can also understand the answer to our first question from the above. Shmuel the Small explains that this verse is an appeal to those who may have won an opponent in "the Battle of Torah." Whatever the debate, one must never be happy due to his fellow's loss.
Adapted from the Sichah of 24 Teves, 5738 and Shabbos Parshas Vo'eschanan 5737)
