[Ethical writer and mystic of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. He died about 1217. Legend credits him with the performance of miracles. He founded a talmudic school, and among his pupils were Eleazar of Worms, author of the Rokeah, and Isaac of Vienna, author of the Or Zarua‘. He is said to have had social intercourse with the bishop of Salzburg and the duke of Regensburg. His principal work is the Sefer Hasidim (Book of the Pious). He is also the author of some liturgic poems.]

Certain Forms of Virtue Lead to Sin^[160]

There is a kind of humility which inherits Gehenna, and causes the heirs of the humble to inherit a burning fire in Gehenna. In what manner is it? If a man sees that his children, relatives, or pupils are of bad behavior, and it lies within his power to correct them, by reprimanding or by beating them, but he says to himself: ‘I shall rather be agreeable to them and not reprimand or beat them,’ he causes them to inherit Gehenna. For they will corrupt their way, and will even do mischief to their father and their mother, so that they will despise them, and curse the day wherein they were born. It is in connection with such a case that it is written: ‘He that spareth the rod hateth his son.’^[161] It is also said that he who smites his grown-up son transgresses the injunction: ‘Put not a stumbling-block before the blind.’^[162] But a son that is accustomed to reproofs of instruction, and is beaten while small, will not resent if his father beats him when he is grown up. It is also written: ‘Unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord;’^[163] there are some dots on the word Unless,^[164] for David said: ‘Peradventure I caused my sons to sin, and am not able to make amends by repenting’; for it is written: ‘And his father had not grieved him all his life in saying: “Why hast thou done so?”’^[165]

There is another kind of humility which likewise brings a man down to Gehenna. For instance, a man sits in a court of justice, and knows that the judges are in error; or a private man knows that the court is in error, but says: ‘How shall I go and put them to shame?’ or a man knows that the judges are not well-versed in law, while he is well-versed, and when they say to him: ‘Sit with us that we may not go astray’, he replies: ‘I shall not take a seat, for ye are well-versed.’ It is obvious that if they go astray, the sin is to be attached to him. Another instance is, when a man hears that the congregation speak falsely, and he says: ‘Who am I that I should speak before them?’ Behold, it is written: ‘And in thy majesty prosper, ride on, in behalf of truth and humility of righteousness’^[166]; from this we infer that there is a kind of humility which is not righteousness, as the above and similar cases show. It is also said: ‘An untutored priest should not say the benedictions in the presence of scholars.’

There is a kind of charity which is pernicious. In what manner is it? One who gives alms to adulterers or to a glutton or a drunkard. For it is written: ‘She shall not fall into harlotry,’^[167] and thou mayest read: ‘She shall not cause to fall into harlotry;’ ‘Thou shalt not commit adultery,’^[168] and thou mayest read: ‘Thou shalt not cause to commit adultery.’ ‘Thou shalt not murder,’^[169] and it may be read: ‘Thou shalt not cause to murder.’ He who supplies weapons of destruction to murderers is regarded as if he himself had committed murder. For it is written: ‘He hath also prepared for him the weapons of death.’^[170] He who gives food to robbers is like their accomplice. Similarly, he who gives alms to adulterers is regarded as though he had aided them and brought them together, for they take the money that is given to them, and offer it as a hire to harlots. It is also said that a man should give no alms at all rather than give it publicly.^[171] In a similar sense it is also said that if a man who cannot pay his debts gives alms, it is obvious that his charity is robbery.

There is a kind of piety which is bad. For instance, a man whose hands are unclean sees a holy book fall into the fire, and says: ‘It is better that it should be burned,’ and does not touch the book. Another instance has also been cited: a man sees a woman drown in the river, and says: ‘It is better that she should drown than that I should touch her.’^[172]

There is also false piety. For instance: a man brings out a Scroll of the Law into the public thoroughfare on the Sabbath on account of a fire; or when a man says: ‘How shall I save a man’s life and profane the Sabbath?’ Another instance is: a question about declaring a thing forbidden or lawful is referred to a man who knows that he is well-versed in the Law, though there are others like him in the city, and he says: ‘Address the question to others;’ behold, his meekness may lead to sin: peradventure if he had given his decision, he would have forbidden that which others had declared lawful.

There is sometimes a righteous judge that perishes in his righteousness. For instance: he sees two litigants, one being a swindler, and the other a simpleton; the swindler knows how to plead, but the simpleton, who does not know how to plead, is right; concerning him it is written: ‘Open thy mouth for the dumb.’^[173] Likewise, if he knows that the verdict is unjust, one of the litigants having hired false witnesses, he should not say: ‘Let the sin be attached to the witnesses.’

A favor sometimes turns out to be harmful, and is regarded as an evil for its author and his offspring. In what manner is it? For instance: a man causes that sinners and they that lead others astray should dwell in the city. Now since it is bad for the people of the city, it is evident that he and his offspring will stumble over them, and they will do mischief to his offspring. It is in connection with such a case that it is written: ‘And he did that which is not good among his people.’^[174] (Another explanation: And he did that which is not good among his people refers to him who disgraces his family; he is punished, because he sinned by inflicting shame and injury upon his people). Another instance: he who does a good deed in order to be honored and to praise himself thereby.