159. Rabbi Elazar said, “The wise will inherit honor, and fools get disgrace.” “The wise will inherit honor.” Happy are those who engage in Torah. Before he had time to open the words, that man approached them.
Rabbi Elazar said, “We should not stop words of Torah, since anyone who engages in Torah is rewarded with inheriting the inheritance of the portion of above in the glory of the high and holy king, ZA, and is rewarded with inheriting the inheritance of the lot in this world, which is called the “glory of the Lord,” Malchut, who is called “this world,” which never stops from them, as it is written, “The wise will inherit honor,” meaning they will inherit the Malchut, who is called the “glory of the Lord.”
160. What is “and fools get disgrace”? When a person walks on the straight path before the Creator and engages in Torah, he inherits for himself that glory of the Lord, and several protectors and advocates are present over a person above, and they all speak favor to the holy King in his.
If a person does not engage in Torah and does not walk in the way of his master, he complains about him, and that complaint roams the air and no longer rises up, for he thinks that perhaps the man will repent. After he sees that the person did not repent and does not want to engage in Torah, he ascends and complains about him, as it is written, “and fools get disgrace,” since he ascends and slanders.
161. It is written, “And if the family of Egypt does not go up and does not come, there shall be the plague with which the Lord afflicts.” What is the difference between Egypt and all the nations? It is written about all of them, “And not on them will be the rain,” and here it is not written so. However, the land of Egypt does not need rain since it drinks from the water of the Nile. For this reason, it is not included among those that need rain. However, another judgment shall come upon them.
162. It is written, “For the land to which you come in order to inherit it” is not as the land of Egypt, from which you went out, for the river rises and waters the land. But here, “which drinks water by the rain from heaven,” since the holy land always drinks from heaven. When Israel were engaging in Torah, it drank properly. One who denies it the Torah, it is as though he denies the good from the entire world.
163. That man said, “And the Lord spoke to Moses face-to-face, as one speaks to one’s friend, and he returned to the camp.” At first, it is written, “And the Lord spoke to Moses face-to-face,” and afterwards, it is written, “and he returned to the camp,” which is unrelated to the words, “And the Lord spoke.” It is also written, “And his servant, Joshua, son of Nun, a boy, would not move from within the tent.” Thus, it is unrelated to the words “and he returned to the camp.”