וליעול בהך מסייע ליה לריש לקיש) דאמר ר"ל מ"ד (משלי ג, לד) אם ללצים הוא יליץ ולענוים יתן חן בא ליטמא פותחין לו בא ליטהר מסייעים אותו
<i>Zayyin, Heth, Teth, Yod, Kaf, Lamed</i>: [this sequence teaches,] and if thou doest thus, the Holy One, blessed be He, will sustain [<i>Zan</i>] thee, be gracious [<i>Hen</i>] unto thee, show goodness [<i>meTib</i>] to thee, give thee a heritage [<i>Yerushah</i>], and bind a crown [<i>Kether</i>] on thee in the world to come. The open <i>Mem</i> and the closed <i>Mem</i> [denote] open teaching [<i>Ma'amar</i>] and closed [esoteric] teaching.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Such which men are forbidden to seek.
');"><sup>15</sup></span> The bent <i>Nun</i> and the straight <i>Nun</i>: the faithful [<i>Ne'eman</i>] if bent [humble], [will ultimately be] the faithful, straightened.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., upright in the world to come. (Rashi): Jast. (s.v. [H] faithful when bent, faithful when straightened.
');"><sup>16</sup></span>
Kav HaYashar
“One who comes to purify himself, Heaven helps him” (Shabbos 104a). The idea of this dictum is that whenever a person looks to perform a mitzvah or when he travels along the road engrossed in study, although he is alone, he is joined by numerous souls [of the righteous]. Thus the Zohar relates (Bereishis, Introduction 5a):
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Shenei Luchot HaBerit
There are, however, some differences in the nuances of the expressions used by our sages when describing the Heavenly assist that is held out for people who try to do the right thing. The Talmud says: הבא לטהר מסייעין לו, "He who undertakes to purify receives direct help." When describing the opposite, the sages phrased it: הבא לטמא מוצא לו פותחין, "When someone sets out to defile., one gives him the opportunity" (Shabbat 104a). In other words: no direct assistance is provided to the sinner. This is in accordance with the principle מדה טובה מרובה ממדת פורענות, that when both positive and negative attributes are present, the positive attribute is always in the ascendancy, (cf. Rashi on Exodus 34,7 that the reward outranks the punishment by a ratio of 500 to 1, et al). [There is another wording of the quote הבא לטמא which describes apparent direct help, namely פותחין לו, "one opens the 'door' for him." Ed.] Whereas there is no problem with the first version, the second version appears to conflict with the rule that the מדה טובה is preponderant. Another difficulty in our text is that the Torah commences using the singular, i.e. ראה, whereas it continues with the plural לפניכם.
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Mesilat Yesharim
But I spoke a bit on each of the particulars of the Beraitha which I based this book on. This may serve as a start and beginning to expand study in these matters. For their ways have been revealed and their paths opened to our eyes so that we may walk in them on the straight path. On such matters it is written: "Let the wise man hear and increase learning. The understanding man shall acquire wise counsels" (Mishlei 1:5), and "if one comes to purify himself, he is helped" (Shabbat 104a), and "for the L-rd gives wisdom; from His mouth comes knowledge and understanding" (Mishlei 2:6), so that every man may straighten his ways before his Creator.
