הוא היה אומר "נגיד שמא אבד שמיה, ודלא מוסיף יסיף, ודלא יליף קטלא חייב, ודאשתמש בתגא חלף" (אבות א:יג)
He (Hillel) used to say, "He who seeks renown loses his reputation, he who does not increase his Torah learning decreases, he who refuses to learn deserves death and he who utilizes the crown of Torah shall fade away"
Rav Yaakov Reischer, in his sefer Iyun Yaakov, makes an interesting observation. All four pearls of wisdom mentioned in this mishna describe a specific aspiration and the consequential opposite result achieved by he who pursues that aspiration:
A person who wishes to gain fame, will end up even losing his past honorable reputation. He who refrains from increasing his Torah study and instead sleeps (more than needed) to maintain a robust body and allow himself to live for many years, actually will lead to his death. The person who does not want to learn for fear that "Torah weakens a man's strength" (Sanhedrin 26b) deserves death since the Torah is "Your very life and the length of your days" (Devarim 30:20). Finally, one who utilizes the Torah as a "crown" and a means of obtaining sustenance will ultimately fade away from the world.
This remarkable phenomenon is not limited to the matters discussed in this mishna. Chazal tell us that he who loves money will never be satisfied with what he has. If he has a hundred dollars he will desire two hundred dollars and when he acquires two hundred he'll crave to acquire four hundred. In a similar vein, the Gemara (Sukkah 52b) informs us regarding ta'avah, that satisfying one's craving will cause him to "starve" for the desire, while "starving" the desire actually satisfies it. Is there any rationale to why all these concepts seem to work counter intuitively?
Rav Dessler (Michtav Mei'Eliyahu vol. 4 p. 241) explains that Hashem created the nature of ta'avah in a way that starving it brings a feeling of satiation to inform us that ta'avah has no permanence. The desire is only a fantasy and, in contrast to hunger for food which is a reality, if you ignore the ta'avah the desire will simply go away. On the other hand, capitulating to the yetzer hara not only doesn't satisfy the desire, it actually increases it. It would seem that the same applies for the rest of the aforementioned ideas. Hashem created the world in a manner that conveys to us what is really important in life. Persistent pursuit of wealth, honor or desire never leads to contentment. Likewise, refraining from Torah study does not aid one to achieve his goals.
This incredible nature of the world is also evident from the unique positive phenomena mentioned by Chazal. The Gemara (Eiruvin 13a) tells us that he who flees from honor, honor will run after him. Additionally, true "riches" and contentment is the lot of the man who is happy with what he has and refrains from the pursuit of wealth.
Furthermore, Rav Wolbe points out that by acting selflessly one only stands to gain. When Moshe was appointed as the redeemer of Bnei Yisrael, Aharon not only didn't complain, rather he felt true happiness in his heart for his younger brother. For this act of selflessness he merited to become the Kohein Gadol and to wear the choshen on his heart. Similarly, the Jewish officers in Mitzrayim bared their backs to the whip to save their brethren from being hit, and their selflessness awarded each of them with a coveted position on the Sanhedrin.
Finally, Chazal assert (Kesubos 66b) that if one wants to ensure the continuity of his wealth, he should dispense of his money i.e. give freely to tzedakah. Although he is giving, in truth he is gaining.
A practical application to help implement this idea: During the month of Elul, when we are all looking for added merits, each day give up some of your valuable time to perform an extra mitzvah. It could be an added tefillah, five more minutes of Torah learning or a chessed. One never loses out from performing a mitzvah and anything that might indicate otherwise is merely an illusion.
Important Numbers
