אִגֶּרֶת הָרַמְבַּ״ן

שְׁמַע בְּנִי מוּסַר אָבִיךָ, וְאַל תִּטֹּשׁ תּוֹרַת אִמֶּךָ (מִשְׁלֵי א:ח).

Listen, my son, to the moral discipline of your father, and do not abandon the Torah teaching of your mother (Mishlei 1:8).

Explanation: The opening asks us to receive guidance with a willingness to be taught, rather than dismissing the words of those who guide us.

תִּתְנַהֵג תָּמִיד לְדַבֵּר כָּל דְּבָרֶיךָ בְּנַחַת, לְכָל אָדָם וּבְכָל עֵת, וּבָזֶה תִּנָּצֵל מִן הַכַּעַס, שֶׁהִיא מִדָּה רָעָה לְהַחְטִיא בְּנֵי אָדָם.

Accustom yourself to always speak all your words gently, to every person and at every time. Through this practice, you will be saved from anger, which is an extremely bad character trait that causes people to sin.

Explanation: Notice that the instruction applies to every person and every time. Gentle speech is presented here as a way to keep anger from taking hold, not only as good manners after we have calmed down.

וְכֵן אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ ז״ל: כָּל הַכּוֹעֵס, כָּל מִינֵי גֵּיהִנֹּם שׁוֹלְטִין בּוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: "וְהָסֵר כַּעַס מִלִּבֶּךָ, וְהַעֲבֵר רָעָה מִבְּשָׂרֶךָ" (קֹהֶלֶת יא:י).

And so our Sages of blessed memory have said: Anyone who becomes angry, all types of Gehinnom rule over him, as it is written: "Remove anger from your heart, and banish evil from your flesh" (Koheles 11:10).

וְאֵין רָעָה אֶלָּא גֵּיהִנֹּם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: "וְגַם רָשָׁע לְיוֹם רָעָה" (מִשְׁלֵי טז:ד).

And "evil" refers to nothing other than Gehinnom, as it is written: "And also the wicked for the day of evil" (Mishlei 16:4).

Explanation: This explains the proof in the previous line. The warning about removing evil is read as a warning about Gehinnom, showing how seriously Chazal view anger.

וְכַאֲשֶׁר תִּנָּצֵל מִן הַכַּעַס, תַּעֲלֶה עַל לִבְּךָ מִדַּת הָעֲנָוָה, שֶׁהִיא מִדָּה טוֹבָה מִכָּל הַמִּדּוֹת הַטּוֹבוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: "עֵקֶב עֲנָוָה יִרְאַת ה'" (מִשְׁלֵי כב:ד).

And when you are saved from anger, there will arise in your heart anavah, the trait of humility, which is the best of all good character traits, as it is written: "The consequence of humility is the fear of Hashem" (Mishlei 22:4).

Explanation: The letter describes a progression. As anger loses its hold, there is room for anavah, and anavah leads a person toward yiras Shamayim.

וּבַעֲבוּר הָעֲנָוָה, תַּעֲלֶה עַל לִבְּךָ מִדַּת הַיִּרְאָה, כִּי תִּתֵּן אֶל לִבְּךָ תָּמִיד: מֵאַיִן בָּאתָ, וּלְאָן אַתָּה הוֹלֵךְ, וְשֶׁאַתָּה רִמָּה וְתוֹלֵעָה בְּחַיֶּיךָ, וְאַף כִּי בְּמוֹתֶךָ, וְלִפְנֵי מִי אַתָּה עָתִיד לִתֵּן דִּין וְחֶשְׁבּוֹן — לִפְנֵי מֶלֶךְ הַכָּבוֹד, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר:

And because of humility, the trait of fear of Heaven will arise in your heart, for you will constantly take to heart: from where you came, and to where you are going, and that you are mere rot and worms in your lifetime, and surely so in your death, and before Whom you are destined to give a full accounting and reckoning, before the King of Glory, as it is written:

Explanation: The point of this reflection is to bring our smallness and accountability before Hashem into view, so that pride gives way to reverence.

"הִנֵּה הַשָּׁמַיִם וּשְׁמֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם לֹא יְכַלְכְּלוּךָ" (מְלָכִים א ח:כז), אַף כִּי לִבּוֹת בְּנֵי אָדָם.

"Behold, the heavens and the highest heavens cannot contain You" (Melachim I 8:27), how much less so the hearts of human beings.

וְנֶאֱמַר: "הֲלוֹא אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶת הָאָרֶץ אֲנִי מָלֵא, נְאֻם ה'" (יִרְמְיָהוּ כג:כד).

And it is written: "Do I not fill the heavens and the earth? says Hashem" (Yirmeyahu 23:24).

וְכַאֲשֶׁר תַּחְשֹׁב אֶת כָּל אֵלֶּה, תִּירָא מִבּוֹרַאֲךָ וְתִשָּׁמֵר מִן הַחֵטְא, וּבַמִּדּוֹת הָאֵלֶּה תִּהְיֶה שָׂמֵחַ בְּחֶלְקֶךָ.

And when you contemplate all these matters, you will fear your Creator and guard yourself from sin, and through these traits you will be happy with your portion.

Explanation: The same awareness that restrains us from sin also helps us be content with our portion. The letter connects yiras Shamayim with being happy with what we have.

וְכַאֲשֶׁר תִּתְנַהֵג בְּמִדַּת הָעֲנָוָה לְהִתְבּוֹשֵׁשׁ מִכָּל אָדָם, וּלְהִתְפַּחֵד מִמֶּנּוּ וּמִן הַחֵטְא — אָז תִּשְׁרֶה עָלֶיךָ רוּחַ הַשְּׁכִינָה, וְזִיו כְּבוֹדָהּ, וְחַיֵּי עוֹלָם הַבָּא.

And when you conduct yourself with the trait of humility, to be bashful before every person, and to be afraid of him and of sin, then the spirit of the Shechinah, the splendor of its glory, and the life of the World to Come will rest upon you.

וְעַתָּה בְּנִי, דַּע וּרְאֵה, כִּי הַמִּתְגָּאֶה בְּלִבּוֹ עַל הַבְּרִיּוֹת — מוֹרֵד הוּא בְּמַלְכוּת שָׁמַיִם, כִּי מִתְפָּאֵר הוּא בִּלְבוּשׁ מַלְכוּת שָׁמַיִם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: "ה' מָלָךְ גֵּאוּת לָבֵשׁ" (תְּהִלִּים צג:א).

And now, my son, know and see that one who is arrogant in his heart over other creations is a rebel against the Kingdom of Heaven, because he glorifies himself with the royal garments of Heaven, as it is written: "Hashem reigns, He is clothed in majesty" (Tehillim 93:1).

Explanation: The image is of someone claiming the King's clothing as his own. The letter uses it to expose what is wrong with treating personal greatness as something that belongs to us independently.

וְעַל מֶה יִתְגָּאֶה לֵב הָאָדָם? אִם בְּעֹשֶׁר — "ה' מוֹרִישׁ וּמַעֲשִׁיר" (שְׁמוּאֵל א ב:ז).

And over what should the heart of man be proud? If it is over wealth, "Hashem makes poor and makes rich" (Shmuel I 2:7).

וְאִם בְּכָבוֹד — הֲלֹא לֵאלֹקִים הוּא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: "וְהָעֹשֶׁר וְהַכָּבוֹד מִלְּפָנֶיךָ" (דִּבְרֵי הַיָּמִים א כט:יב), וְאֵיךְ מִתְפָּאֵר בִּכְבוֹד קוֹנוֹ? וְאִם מִתְפָּאֵר בְּחָכְמָה — "מֵסִיר שָׂפָה לְנֶאֱמָנִים וְטַעַם זְקֵנִים יִקָּח" (אִיּוֹב יב:כ).

And if it is over honor, does it not belong to Hashem, as it is written: "And wealth and honor come from before You" (Divrei HaYamim I 29:12), so how can one glorify himself with the honor of his Creator? And if he glorifies himself with wisdom, "He removes the speech of the trustworthy and takes away the reasoning of the elders" (Iyov 12:20).

Explanation: Wealth, honor, and wisdom cannot serve as grounds for self-importance when they are all in Hashem's hands.

נִמְצָא, הַכֹּל שָׁוֶה לִפְנֵי הַמָּקוֹם, כִּי בְאַפּוֹ מַשְׁפִּיל גֵּאִים, וּבִרְצוֹנוֹ מַגְבִּיהַּ שְׁפָלִים.

Consequently, all are equal before Hashem, because in His anger He humbles the proud, and by His will He elevates the lowly.

לָכֵן הַשְׁפִּיל עַצְמְךָ, וִינַשַּׂאֲךָ הַמָּקוֹם.

Therefore, humble yourself, and Hashem will lift you up.

עַל כֵּן אֲפָרֵשׁ לְךָ אֵיךְ תִּתְנַהֵג בְּמִדַּת הָעֲנָוָה לָלֶכֶת בָּהּ תָּמִיד: כָּל דְּבָרֶיךָ יִהְיוּ בְּנַחַת, וְרֹאשְׁךָ כָּפוּף, וְעֵינֶיךָ יַבִּיטוּ לְמַטָּה לָאָרֶץ וְלִבְּךָ לְמַעְלָה, וְאַל תַּבִּיט בִּפְנֵי אָדָם בְּדַבֶּרְךָ עִמּוֹ.

Therefore, I will explain to you how you should conduct yourself with the trait of humility to walk in it always: let all your words be spoken gently, with your head bowed, your eyes looking down toward the earth, and your heart directed upward, and do not stare directly into the face of any person when you speak with him.

Explanation: Humility is made visible in the way we carry ourselves. The lowered eyes and the heart directed upward join an outwardly modest bearing with inward attention to Hashem.

וְכָל אָדָם יִהְיֶה גָּדוֹל מִמְּךָ בְּעֵינֶיךָ: אִם חָכָם אוֹ עָשִׁיר הוּא — עָלֶיךָ לְכַבְּדוֹ.

And let every person be greater than you in your eyes: if he is wise or wealthy, you must honor him.

וְאִם רָשׁ הוּא וְאַתָּה עָשִׁיר אוֹ חָכָם מִמֶּנּוּ — חֲשֹׁב בְּלִבְּךָ כִּי אַתָּה חַיָּב מִמֶּנּוּ וְהוּא זַכַּאי מִמְּךָ, שֶׁאִם הוּא חוֹטֵא — הוּא שׁוֹגֵג וְאַתָּה מֵזִיד.

And if he is poor and you are wealthier or wiser than he is, consider in your heart that you are more guilty than he is and he is more innocent than you, for if he sins, he does so unintentionally, whereas you sin intentionally.

Explanation: This is an instruction about how to judge yourself when you are tempted to look down on someone else. Greater knowledge gives you more reason to hold yourself accountable; it is not an invitation to assume you know another person's intentions.

בְּכָל דְּבָרֶיךָ וּמַעֲשֶׂיךָ וּמַחְשְׁבוֹתֶיךָ, וּבְכָל עֵת — חֲשֹׁב בְּלִבְּךָ כְּאִלּוּ אַתָּה עוֹמֵד לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וּשְׁכִינָתוֹ עָלֶיךָ, כִּי כְּבוֹדוֹ מָלֵא הָעוֹלָם.

In all your words, deeds, and thoughts, and at all times, consider in your heart as if you are standing before the Holy One, blessed be He, with His Shechinah resting over you, for His glory fills the entire world.

Explanation: The awareness is meant to accompany ordinary life, including thoughts and conversations, not only the moments set aside for tefillah.

וּדְבָרֶיךָ יִהְיוּ בְּאֵימָה וּבְיִרְאָה כְּעֶבֶד לִפְנֵי רַבּוֹ.

And let your words be spoken with awe and fear, like a servant standing before his master.

וְתִתְבַּיֵּשׁ מִכָּל אָדָם.

And behave with bashfulness before every person.

וְאִם יִקְרָאֲךָ אִישׁ — אַל תַּעֲנֵהוּ בְּקוֹל רָם, רַק בְּנַחַת, כְּעוֹמֵד לִפְנֵי רַבּוֹ.

And if a person calls out to you, do not answer him with a loud voice, but only gently, like one who stands before his master.

Explanation: Even a simple response when someone calls becomes an opportunity to remember before Whom we stand.

וֶהֱוֵי זָהִיר לִקְרוֹת בַּתּוֹרָה תָּמִיד אֲשֶׁר תּוּכַל לְקַיְּמָהּ, וְכַאֲשֶׁר תָּקוּם מִן הַסֵּפֶר — תְּחַפֵּשׂ בַּאֲשֶׁר לָמַדְתָּ אִם יֵשׁ בּוֹ דָּבָר אֲשֶׁר תּוּכַל לְקַיְּמוֹ.

And be careful to read in the Torah constantly so that you will be able to fulfill it, and when you rise from the book, search through what you have learned to see if there is something in it that you can put into practice.

Explanation: Learning is not meant to remain on the page. Before moving on, look back at what you learned and identify something you can actually fulfill.

וּתְפַשְׁפֵּשׁ בְּמַעֲשֶׂיךָ בַּבֹּקֶר וּבָעֶרֶב, וּבָזֶה יִהְיוּ כָּל יָמֶיךָ בִּתְשׁוּבָה.

And examine your deeds in the morning and in the evening, and in this way all your days will be spent in a state of teshuvah.

Explanation: A regular cheshbon hanefesh keeps returning us to teshuvah. The letter places that review at both ends of the day.

וְהָסֵר כָּל דִּבְרֵי הָעוֹלָם מִלִּבְּךָ בְּעֵת הַתְּפִלָּה, וְהָכֵן לִבְּךָ לִפְנֵי הַמָּקוֹם בָּרוּךְ הוּא, וְטַהֵר רַעְיוֹנֶיךָ, וַחֲשֹׁב הַדִּבּוּר קֹדֶם שֶׁתּוֹצִיאֶנּוּ מִפִּיךָ.

And remove all worldly matters from your heart at the time of prayer, prepare your heart before Hashem, blessed be He, purify your thoughts, and think about each word before you utter it from your mouth.

Explanation: The preparation is inward as well as verbal: clear away the concerns occupying the heart, then give thought to the words themselves.

וְכֵן תַּעֲשֶׂה כָּל יְמֵי חַיֵּי הֶבְלֶךָ בְּכָל דָּבָר וְדָבָר, וְלֹא תֶחֱטָא.

And you should do this all the days of your fleeting life in every single matter, and you will not sin.

וּבָזֶה יִהְיוּ דְּבָרֶיךָ וּמַעֲשֶׂיךָ וּמַחְשְׁבוֹתֶיךָ יְשָׁרִים, וּתְפִלָּתְךָ תִּהְיֶה זַכָּה וּבָרָה וּנְקִיָּה וּמְכֻוֶּנֶת וּמְקֻבֶּלֶת לִפְנֵי הַמָּקוֹם בָּרוּךְ הוּא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: "תָּכִין לִבָּם, תַּקְשִׁיב אָזְנֶךָ" (תְּהִלִּים י:יז).

And through this, your words, deeds, and thoughts will be upright, and your prayer will be pure, clear, clean, focused, and accepted before Hashem, blessed be He, as it is written: "You will prepare their heart, You will cause Your ear to listen" (Tehillim 10:17).

תִּקְרָא הָאִגֶּרֶת הַזֹּאת פַּעַם אַחַת בְּשָׁבוּעַ וְלֹא תִפְחוֹת, לְקַיְּמָהּ וְלָלֶכֶת בָּהּ תָּמִיד אַחַר הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, לְמַעַן תַּצְלִיחַ בְּכָל דְּרָכֶיךָ, וְתִזְכֶּה לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא הַצָּפוּן לַצַּדִּיקִים.

Read this letter once a week and do not do so less, in order to fulfill it and to walk in its ways always after Hashem, may He be blessed, so that you will succeed in all your ways, and merit the World to Come which is hidden away for the righteous.

Explanation: The weekly reading is tied to living by the letter. Reviewing it is meant to bring its instructions back into our conduct, not simply to finish reading the words.

וּבְכָל יוֹם שֶׁתִּקְרָאֶנָּה — יַעֲנוּךָ מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם כַּאֲשֶׁר יַעֲלֶה עַל לִבְּךָ לִשְׁאֹל, עַד עוֹלָם.

And on any day that you read it, the letter promises that you will be answered from Heaven regarding whatever arises in your heart to ask, forever.

אָמֵן סֶלָה.

Amen, Selah.