Rashi, on Prov 13:12

“Hope that is deferred afflicteth the soul: desire when it cometh is a tree of life.”

“Hope deferred He relies on his friend and does nothing. makes the heart sick Heb. מחלה, brings sickness to the heart. This מחלה is not a noun like (Ex. 23:25): “And I will remove sickness (מחלה) from your midst,” but like (Lev. 11:6): “bringing up (מעלת) the cud.” but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life lit. but a tree of life is a desire fulfilled. This is inverted; i.e., a desire fulfilled is like a tree of life. The hope that the Holy One, blessed be He, had hoped for Israel and looked forward for them to repent—brought them ultimately to heartsickness when they did not repent. And when His desire is fulfilled—that they comply with His will—it is a tree of life to them.”

Hebrew and Aramaic words are the commentator’s citations of the sacred text; the English translation that follows each is the translator’s.

Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.