Source-less ‘Chazal’ Sayings

Are There Sources For These Jewish or ‘Chazal’ Sayings?

–Hamakom Yenacheim–

–Devarim HaYotzim Min HaLev–

–Ein Navi B’Iro–

–Maaseh Avos Siman…–

&

Many More

Rabbi Moshe Taub
Originally Published in Ami Magazine in May 2015

“I quote others in order to better express myself”

–Michel de Montaigne

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“Don’t believe every quote you read on the internet”

-Abraham Lincoln

Brilliant and innovative Torah ideas with no known source will often be mistakenly attributed to the Vilna Gaon, as discussed in another post.

But for adages, maxims, axioms, or aphorisms of unknown origin, it is different. If secular, they will often be attributed to Mark Twain, while in Torah, lahavdil ad la’netzach, most just assume that it comes from “chazal“.

Let’s test this, begining with the following saying:

“Ein navi b’iro”
–It’s unfeasable to be a prophet in one’s hometown–

This is a common expression, referring to the challenge of being a navi or a rav – or to hold any respected position of power – in one’s hometown. The meaning behind this is obvious, as mustering an air of authority among those who are familiar with one’s youthful peccadilloes would prove difficult, if not insurmountable.

What is the provenance of this adage?

One can search all the ‘Bar Ilan’s Torah software, as well as all the libraries of the world, yet still come to one conclusion: this saying does not derive from chazal, rather it comes from a book within a series of books that, let’s just say, is often found in hotel room drawers.

This does not mean that it could not have first emanated from within klal yisroel –as did much of that hotel room book! Rather, and perhaps more accurately, this is to say: ‘We do not find it written in toras chazal’.

Last year, in honor of Shavous, I discussed the idea of hufuch bu v’hufuch bu sh’kulu bu, that everything can be found within the Torah, be it science or mathematics. We then sought to test and demonstrate the inherent truth of that statement.

Our focus this year may be described as the opposite: matters that people assume come from the Torah or chazal when, in reality, it is unclear.

Many gedolim and mechabrei sefarim have published their own lists of unsourced ‘chazals’ (see, for example, ‘Otzar Hayedios’, chelek 2, by Rav Yechiel Michel Stern, and, ‘Mitzuveh V’Oseh’, ch. Talmud Torah, by the inimitable Rav Shmuel Freidman shlit”a).

Here, I will seek to offer my own chelek in that discussion.

It may be of interest to point out that according to many meforshim, chazal’s term of “Hu Haya Omer” is unique from “Amar Rav Ploni” or “Hu Amar“, in that the former represents this tanna/amara’s common quote, a passion of his – or a life’s mission – often on his lips. Meaning, many members of chazal were indeed known in their lifetimes for certain sayings that were seen as valuable. Yet (perhaps) unless such a saying was reflective of Torah sh’Baal Peh or apropos to a Talmudic discussion, such saying were never recorded, and certainly not indexed. Since only a trifle of these were given to us in written form, many sayings -known in their time by their authors -were perhaps retained by students and admirers, who said them as frequently as their teachers. Little-by-little (I am suggesting) these proverbs slowly entered into the mainstream, and soom become part of our lexicon.

Some axioms, while not found in chazal, do have known provenance, and are first found in the early rishonim.

For example:

‘Bo Shabbos, bo menuchah’
–With Shabbos’s arrival comes tranquility–

This is indeed found in a Rashi, although not a chazal.

Other sayings have their source in kabala.

For example:

“Ein davar omed b’fnei haratzon”
–Nothing can stand in the way of one’s will–

We do find this stated, although in different terms, by the Zohar.

In fact, the latter category may help illume history.

Rav Chaim Kinievsky writes (Krias Melech, p. 282, footnote) that the Rambam never saw or studied the Zohar. However, some disagree. Rav Reuvein Margolios wrote an article seeking to prove that the Rambam must have studied the Zohar. One of his famous proofs/examples is a ruling in Rambam (hilchos deos 2:7) that has now become a famous Jewish proverb:

“Kol hakoes k’ilu oved avodah zara”
-Whoever loses their temper, it is as if he served idolatry–

This statement can not be found anywhere in chazal, however it is found to be stated several times in the Zohar.

Rav Chaim (ad loc.) dismisses such evidence, explaining that such examples more likely came from the sefarim of the geonim or midrashim that Rambam had access to, some of which are no longer extant.

Indeed, this proverb is strongly alluded to by chazal themselves. The gemara (Shabbos 105) states,:

“Anyone who tears his clothing in anger, or breaks utensils, etc. is as if he served idolatry”

A similar example of a famous proverb that likely came from an analogous chazal is the follwing one:

“Maaseh avos siman la’banim”
–Our forefathers‘ actions/histories allude to klal yisroel‘s future-

Although the current maxim may have originated in Ramban al HaTorah -where it is mentioned several times (see, e.g., 12:6) – we (I) find no chazal utilizing this phrase. The closest I found was the following chazal where they share how Hashem told Avraham:

“Stay! –as you are a siman for your children”

–Bereishis Rabba

But there are still maxims for which we seemingly find no written source at all.

Perhaps the most famous examples of these is the following:

“Devarim hayotzim min halev nichnasim el halev’”
–Matters spoken from the heart enter the hearts of others–

Although a popular expression, I could not locate a source in any of our writings from chazal or kabala.

In the three volume encyclopedic work ‘Michlol Hamaamarim V’Pisgamim’, its author sources this adage to R’ Moshe Ibn Ezra (d.1066), while others (see the yarchon ‘Nezer Hatorah’, kislev 5769 p. 305, as well as the aforementioned Metuzuveh V’oseh p. 367) source this proverb to a gemara (berachos 6) where we are taught that any person with yiras shomayim will find his words being heeded.

Another, perhaps even more surprising, axiom that has no known source is the following:

“Yeshuos/Teshuos Hashem b/k’heref ayin’”
–The salvations of Hashem can/will come in the blink of an eye“

While certainly a factual statement for any baal emunah, it is found anywhere, and is certainly not a pasuk, as many assume!

Some quote Rav Aryeh Levin as asserting that this maxim came from a piyut recited during the Yomin Noroim. In the Torah journal Ohr Yisroel, Rav Gedalia Oberlander offers other potential sources. He first marshals the many other sefarim and likkutim that also sought to locate its provenance, with one even suggesting, incorrectly, that it came from a midrash Tanchuma. In the end he demonstrates how numerous piyuttim over the centuries have utilized this idiom. While not a direct source, it does prove its antiquity.

The lack of a source should not trouble us. There is no doubt that as we suffered through two-thousand years of galus we developed sayings, phrases, and teffilos. This last one may have been in response to amazingly swift salvations and so as to express our hope in future ones.

Moments before I sent this article in to the editor of Ami Magazine for publication, I found one last amazing potential source for this most famous adage:

In a Hebrew academic work on the siddur (‘Teffila L’yisroel Bihitpachusa Ha’historiot’), the authors lay out every nusach of the siddur ever discovered. There, they share a nusach of Shemoneh Esreh found in a geniza in Eretz Yisroel that reads as follows (ibid. p. 392):

“…michalkel chaim b’chesed…m’chayei meisim k’heref ayin yeshuah lanu tatzmiach…”

(!!!)

Another famous proverb that many suggest is without a chazal source is the following:

“Mi sh’yeish lo manah ratzah ma’asaim’
–When one acquires a hundred of something (he will not be satisfied, rather) he will then desire two hundred–

While it is true that no such exact chazal exists, however it is so strongly alluded to by chazal, that we can say they are the direct authors of it.

In Koheles Rabbah (1:13) chazal teach:

“Rabbi Yudan said in the name of Rabbi Aivu: A person does not leave the world with even half his desire in hand. Rather, if he has one hundred, he wants to turn them into two hundred; if he has two hundred, he wants to turn them into four hundred.”

This appears later as well, on the pasuk, “I have seen the matter that God has given to the sons of man in which to engage” (koheles 3:10):

“‘I have seen the matter’ -Rabbi Aivu said: This refers to the pursuit of money/property. As Rabbi Yudan said in the name of Rabbi Aivu…”

There are so many more examples of proverbs from unknown sources.

“Kol harodef achar hakavod, kavod baorech momenu“
-Whoever chases honor will find honor allude him–

Likely taken from the Shelah, parshas korach

 “Mitzvah habah l’yadecha al tachmitzenah”
-When a mitzvah comes up do not push it off–

Mentioned by the Rama siman 625 and perhaps first formulated by Rashi to Megilla 6b

“Kabal es ha’emes m’mi sh’amro”
-Accept the truth from whoever says it–

“Kabdeihu V’Chadsheihu“
-Honor (all) but remain suspicious-

Interestingly, in America there is a similar saying, rooted in ‘Reganism’:
‘Trust but verify’

“B’yoser sh’yehudi shomer es hashabbos, hashabbos shomeres es hayehdui”
-As much as the Jew kept Shabbos (throughout the generations), Shabbos has ‘kept’ us Jewish–

“Osiyos machkimos’”
–(The Hebrew) Letters make us wise–

But perhaps the most famous example of this column’s topic is the one that will surprise the most.

“Hamakom yenachem eschmen b’soch shaar avlei tzion v’yerushalim’“

Although commonly said upon taking leave of an avel, its provenance is a mystery. Although the Tur and others give other sentences to say that strike some of the same themes, the hamakom we say must have developed over time.

In fact, even before shiva, by the levaya itself, there is a pasuk often quoted (yeshayahu 25:8) that although exists, is so often misquoted. The famous niggun based on this pasuk goes, ‘Umucha Hashem dima m’al kol panim’-Hashem (in the days of Moshiach) will erase the tears from upon our faces. Although popularized through this song, the actual pasuk reads (end) ‘…umucha Hashem Elokim dima m’al kol panim’.

All of this should only serve to galvanize ourselves this Shavous to study as much of the Torah Shb’ksav and Baal Peh for ourselves, thereby knowing what indeed stems from chazal and what does not, and through which will b’ezras Hashem bring the merits to hasten the very day to which the Yeshayahu hanavi was reffering.

Ah gutt yom tov to all!