by Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato zt'l
Chapter 9 - Detriments of Zeal
with select commentaries
copyright 2018 dafyomireview.com
Abbreviations used in this translation:
SR - Rabbi Yechezkel Sarna (1890–1969) (from hebrewbooks.org/41769)
ER - Rabbi Avraham Erlinger (from hebrewbooks.org/52042) (with author's permission)
SP - Rabbi Yosef Spinner (from hebrewbooks.org/51471) (with author's permission)
CS - Rabbi Moshe Chaim Shalenger (with author's permission)
MB - Mesilas Yesharim im Biruim (with author's permission)
NE - Netiv Eliezer by Rabbi Eliezer Lopian (with author's permission)
NH - Nefesh HaMesilah (with author's permission)
OG - Oros Genuzim by Rabbi Dovid Tzvi Hoffman (with author's permission) download
LS - Leket Sichot Mussar by Rabbi Yitzchak Isaac Sher (1875–1952) (Vol.2, Kuntras Mesilat Yesharim, with permission of Slabodka Rosh Yeshiva (R.Shmuel Zacks), Bnei Brak. download hebrew original for better understanding)
| Commentary Legend: | |
 | - for basic commentaries as relating to the plain meaning (Pshat). |
 | - elaborates more into the theme. |
 | - deeper in, including mystical excerpts from the Orot Genuzim commentary (Sod). |
 | - more themes in the text . |
*** CHAPTER 9 - DETRIMENTS OF ZEAL ***פרק 9 - בבאור מפסידי הזריזות וההרחקה מהם
| The factors which diminish Zeal are those which increase laziness. The greatest of them all is seeking tranquility of body, hatred of exertion and love of [bodily] enjoyments to their fullest extent. | הנה מפסידי הזריזות, הם הם מגדילי העצלה. והגדול שבכולם, הוא בקשת המנוחה הגופנית ושנאת הטורח ואהבת העידונים בתשלום כל תנאיהם. |
MB - "the greatest of them all" - "the greatest" is singular though he then lists three factors (seeking tranquility, hatred of exertion, love of enjoyments). The reason is all three stem from the same thing. This is evident to one who investigates into the matter.
CS - since Zeal is the opposite of laziness hence whatever increases laziness automatically diminishes Zeal.
NE - here he is explaining what he wrote in chapter 1: "The Holy One, blessed be He, has put man in a place where the factors which draw him away from the blessed G-d are numerous. These are the earthly desires which if he is pulled after them, behold, he draws away and goes ever further from the true good." This is one of the factors, and among the strongest of them as he explains.
NH - the greatest impediment to the trait of zeal is to have an incorrect outlook. In order to deal with this impediment a man needs to clarify for himself the true outlook regarding bodily comfort. For there exists an incorrect outlook in the world which sees bodily comfort as valuable. Thus, a man who lives with this outlook will automatically want and seek tranquility and be distant from zeal. Whereas, the truth is that bodily comfort has no intrinsic value at all. For behold, man was created for toil and labor. Every effort and toil a man invests in brings him much good. Every labor a man labors in is a tremendous profit. And any bodily rest which is not necessary is in essence a tremendous loss and a wasted potential.
LS - "laziness" - the heaviness of the body which loves tranquility and hates toil (kevedut hagufanit haohevet et hamenucha v'sonat et hatircha)...
At first (ch.6) he explained what in truth is the trait of Zeal, namely, forcing the heavy body's nature to its opposite such that one is always zealous (mizdarez) in the service of G-d (zerizut - shehu kefiat teva haguf hakaved al hefcho, sheyizdarez tamid leavodat haBoreh).
Here he is not explaining the detriments of the trait of zeal by saying that the bodily heaviness and laziness distances a man from zeal. This is because laziness is not a trait like other traits, such that we can point to it here and say it causes loss to zeal and distances zeal from a man. Rather, it is the body's nature and its essence. For his entire being is laziness and heaviness due to being a mass of gross physical matter. Therefore, when a man comes to acquire for himself the trait of zeal, he must know that the essence of zeal is strengthening over this physical nature. According to how much a man pushes himself always with all his strength day after day, in this amount, he will acquire for his soul the zeal, and the physicality of his nature will increasingly subside...
(see original Hebrew here for better understanding)
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For behold, to a man like this, the service of G-d will certainly weigh very heavily upon him. For one who wishes to eat his meals with full peace and tranquility, to sleep without any disturbance, to walk only at his own leisurely pace, or other similar things, undoubtedly it will be very difficult for him to rise early for synagogue or to cut his meal short so as to pray the afternoon service or to go out to perform a Mitzva if the time is not convenient for him. How much more so, to hurry himself in performing a Mitzva or to study Torah. One who habituates himself in these practices is not master over himself to do the opposite of these things when he wishes. For his will is already imprisoned in the prison of habit which has become second nature to him. |
כי הנה אדם כזה, ודאי שתכבד עליו העבודה לפני בוראו כובד גדול. כי מי שירצה לאכול אכילותיו בכל הישוב והמנוחה, ולישון שנתו בלא טורד, וימאן ללכת אם לא לאטו, וכיוצא בדברים כאלה, הנה יקשה עליו להשכים לבתי כנסיות בבוקר, או לקצר בסעודתו מפני תפלת המנחה בין הערבים, או לצאת לדבר מצוה אם לא יהיה העת ברור, כל שכן למהר עצמו לדברי מצוה או לתלמוד תורה.
ומי שמרגיל עצמו למנהגות האלה, איננו אדון בעצמו לעשות היפך זה כשירצה, כי כבר נאסר רצונו במאסר ההרגל הנעשה טבע שני |
NE - "imprisoned in habit" - this is an explanation of what our sages said: "in the way a person wants to go he will be taken" (Makot 10b). It is proper to inquire: "if he wants to go, why is he being taken there by force?" The explanation is after he turned his will to some thing such as those listed here, then his will is locked and no longer under his control. For the will itself leads him. Even if sometimes he wants to change it, the force of habit prevails over him.
Divrei Yoel, Hoshana Raba - "look at three things and you won't come to the hands of sin" (Avot 3:1) - there is to infer from his words "to the hands of sin". For he could have said just "to sin".
It is known that when a man sins, he creates a Mazik (destructive spiritual being). And as our sages said: "one who commits a sin acquires a prosecutor" (Avot 4:11). The word "acquires" is from the term: "Who acquires Heaven and Earth" (Gen.14:19) (G-d acquired them through creating them).
Here too ["one who commits a sin acquires a prosecutor"] means he creates a Malach (spiritual being, see Ohr HaChaim beginning of parsha Tissa). Then this Mazik (destructive force) rules over him and controls him.
This is what the Tanna exhorts: "look at three things and you won't come to the hands of sin". Namely, you won't be delivered "in the hands" of the destructive Malach (spiritual being) you created through the sin. For through sins, a man is no longer under control of himself.
This is as our sages said: "the righteous' hearts are in their domains, while the wicked are in the domain of their hearts" (Ber.Rabba 34:10). That is to say, they are not in control of themselves. Rather, they are in the hands of these destructive beings which they created through their sins. We can see this tangibly how people are prisoners in the hands of their sins. For every Jew has holy sparks and wants to be a good Jew and not waste his days on emptiness. But he is not in control of himself. For he is conquered under the hands of all the Mazikim created through his sins and there is no other advice or healing than to remove them from the world so that they no longer rule over him.
NH - "imprisoned in habit" - another incorrect outlook which distances a man from zeal is regarding physical pleasures. For there is a faulty outlook that holds it is worthwhile and desirable to make the pleasures be the best possible. This is a great error also from a worldly perspective. For when a man habituates himself to be pampered with pleasures, behold, afterwards, he can no longer enjoy less than this. If at first, he concerned himself for optimal enjoyment out of free will, now he finds himself almost forced and subjugated to this. Every time he will not be able to attain all that he habituated himself in, it will bother him greatly. But if he did not habituate himself to this pampering, it would not at all have been difficult for him. Therefore, the true outlook is that one should content himself of this world with whatever he happens to have. What can help here is to imagine he is a soldier in a battlefield who has no time for petty things.
| A man needs to realize that he was not placed in this world for tranquility but rather for toil and exertion. He must conduct himself only as the laborers who perform work for their employers similar to what was said "we are day laborers" (Eruvin 65a) and in the manner of soldiers in their war formations who eat swiftly and sleep irregularly, always ready to engage in battle. | ואמנם צריך שידע האדם כי לא למנוחה הוא בעולם הזה, אלא לעמל וטורח. ולא ינהג בעצמו, אלא מנהג הפועלים העושים מלאכה אצל משכיריהם, וכענין מה שהיה אומר (עירובין סה): "אגירי דיומא אנן", וכדרך יוצאי הצבא במערכותיהם אשר אכילתם בחיפזון ושינתם עראי ועומדים תמיד מוכנים לעת קרב. |
Eruvin 65a - "day laborers" - "A daughter of R. Hisda once asked R. Hisda: 'would not the Master like to sleep a little?' 'There will soon come', he replied: 'days that are long and short and we shall have time to sleep long'. (Rashi - "long days" in the grave are long to sleep and short to study Torah and do good deeds.) R. Nahman b. Isaac remarked: 'we are day workers'" (i.e. no time for leisure)
MB - "we are day laborers" - later in chapter 11 regarding actual day workers hired by human employers, Rabeinu writes: The summary of the matter: one who is hired out to his fellow for any kind of work, all of his hours are sold to his employer for the workday...Whatever time he takes for his own pleasure, whatever it may be, is completely guilty of stealing. End quote. Thus Rabeinu gives a picture to have in one's mind to fight laziness.
Leket Reshiut Yamim Noraim of Rabbi Nosson Wachtfogel (Mashgiach of Lakewood) - Pg.5 - they asked the Mashgiach: "what is the way of service (derech avodah) for Elul?" He replied that he doesn't know. Only that he has a received tradition (kabala) in his hands from all his Rabbis that whoever works and strengthens himself and sweats, and does not stop, eventually he will attain some level. There are no "inheritors" (yachsanim). All of what a man becomes is fixed according to how much he strains and sweats in the service of his Maker. He who does not work and strain has nothing. He would say: "a drop of sweat does not go to waste".
| On this scripture says "man was born to toil" (Iyov 5:7). When a man habituates himself in this manner, he will certainly find the service of G-d easy since he does not lack the preparation and readiness for it. Along these lines our sages of blessed memory said "this is the way of Torah, eat bread with salt, drink water in small measure, and sleep on the ground" (Avot 6:4) which is a general statement of distancing to the utmost extreme from the comforts and pleasures. | ועל זה נאמר (איוב ה): כי אדם לעמל יולד. וכשירגיל עצמו על זה הדרך, ימצא העבודה קלה עליו ודאי, כיון שלא יחסר בעצמו ההזמנה וההכנה אליה. ועל זה הדרך אמרו זכרונם לברכה (אבות פ"ו): כך היא דרכה של תורה, פת במלח תאכל, ומים במשורה תשתה, ועל הארץ תישן. שהוא כלל ההרחקה בתכלית מן המנוחות והעידונים |
NE - not that the Torah asks us to inflict pain and sufferings on ourselves G-d forbid, but rather the intent is to annul the importance of the worldly pleasures such that there is no difference to us between bread with salt and tasty food, and likewise the place where we sleep should not occupy an important position by us - due to love of Torah.
SR - not only should one see himself as bound to the service of G-d like a soldier in an army but that he should see himself as a soldier in an army during actual war time whereby they must always stand ready for battle. For at those times his meals are also in haste and his sleep is irregular. So too a man in the service of G-d is always in war formation against his evil inclination who strives to defeat him always.
Thus Rabeinu explains the verse "for man is born to toil" (Job 5:7) - that not only he toils and is not idle but rather he toils the most intense toil that could possibly exist, namely, the toil of soldiers in their war formations during war. And also the distancing from leisure and pleasures must be to the greatest possible extreme . The sages defined this distancing and taught in the mishna (Avot 6:4) "this is the way of the Torah.." Specifically on this matter it was taught.
Hence according to this, the toil that the servants of G-d are commanded in is endlessly far greater than the toil of soldiers in the battlefield, for all of the soldiers' toil is, after all, not permanent. Because they do not always go out in their war formations and stand ready only on fixed times. For the situation in a country is not one of perpetual war. And even during the times of actual war, they pause and rest unlike the servants of G-d in their war.
Kovetz Sichot 164 - "this is the way of Torah" - it is clear from his words that this matter that "thus is the way of Torah eat bread with salt, etc.", is not a matter of afflicting oneself and suffering but rather it is a matter of being absolutely far from this world. For the nature of this world is to seek comfort as he explained and this is man's downfall whose beginning is sleep, i.e. pausing the service. And there is no person more full of pausing of the divine service than the lazy man who seeks bodily comfort. Thus he is removed from the service and perforce descends further and further down.
| Another factor which diminishes Zeal is great fear and apprehension of what the future may bring so that sometimes one may fear the cold or the heat. Other times mishaps or illnesses. Other times from the wind and so on and so forth. This is what Shlomo, peace be unto him, said: "The lazy one says there is a lion in the way; a lion is among the streets." (Mishlei 26:13). | עוד ממפסידי הזריזות הוא רוב הפחד וגודל המורא מן הזמן ותולדותיו, כי פעם יירא מהקור או מהחום, ופעם מהפגעים, ופעם מן החלאים, ופעם מן הרוח, וכן כל כיוצא בזה. הוא הענין שאמר שלמה עליו השלום (משלי כו): אמר עצל שחל בדרך ארי בין הרחובות. |
ER - on first look it seems the verse in Mishlei is coming to say how the lazy man is full of excuses to justify his laziness. It is all just laziness only that he is justifying himself by pretending to be afraid or that due to the bribe of laziness he believes that there is reason to be afraid. But Rabeinu explains not like this. He really is afraid and worried but the cause is laziness. Or at least, it is hard for him to overcome laziness because he does not trust in G-d and his heart is full of fears. Hence, it is very hard for him. For in addition to laziness, the fears also impede him therefore he does not strengthen himself (in the divine service).
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The sages already denigrated this trait and attributed it to the sinners, with many verses to support them such as "the sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling has seized the flatterers.." (Isaiah 33:14). One of the great sages upon noticing his disciple afraid said to him: "you are a sinner" (Berachot 60a). On this scripture says: "trust in G-d and do good, dwell in the land and be nourished by faith" (Tehilim 37:3). |
וכבר גינו חכמים זכרונם לברכה המדה הזאת ויחסוה אל החטאים, ומקרא מסייעם דכתיב (ישעיה לג): פחדו בציון חטאים אחזה רעדה חנפים, עד שאמר אחד מן הגדולים אל תלמידו בראותו אותו מתפחד, חטאה את (ברכות ס).
אלא על זה נאמר (תהלים לז): בטח בה' ועשה טוב שכן ארץ ורעה אמונה |
CS - the way to free oneself of fears is to strengthen oneself in trust and faith in G-d.
SR - "trust in G-d" - trusting in G-d is a high spiritual level asked of man. But besides the level itself, it is also a precondition to doing the Mitzvot. For without it, he will not be able to fulfill them. Thus Rabeinu explains the verse "trust in G-d and do good". Only through trust in G-d will you be able to do good. (see Shaar Bitachon of Chovot Halevavot).
Michtav Meliyahu 4:223 - our sages of blessed memory taught us that only a sinner fears as written: "the sinners in Zion are afraid", (berachot 60a). And in the Zohar it is explained further that the fears of worldly matters are only an imagination (dimyon). A person imagines he is afraid of dangers of this world but deep in his heart he is afraid due to his sins. i.e. fear of worldly matters is nothing more than a substitute (tachlif) for fear of his sin (although he does not see the sin but his higher soul does)...
The real root of his fear is the fear of the punishments of Gehinom. For if he were completely whole in his soul, without any blemish (sin), he would not at all fear anything. He who clings to G-d completely, what is there to fear? "the L-ord is on my side; I shall not fear: what can man do unto me!" (Tehilim 118:6)... and all the more so if the actual root of the fear were revealed to him, namely, the sin itself, how much would his fear be multiplied many times over... this is a powerful image to understand the awesome fear experienced in Gehinom.
| The summary of the matter is that a man must make himself incidental in worldly matters but fixed in the service of G-d, be content and satisfied in all worldly matters with whatever comes to him, taking what comes to hand, be far from rest and close to toil and exertion, his heart trusting securely in G-d, and not fearing the future and whatever mishaps it may bring. | כללו של דבר, צריך שישים האדם את עצמו עראי בעולם וקבוע בעבודה, יתרצה ויסתפק בכל עניני העולם במה שמזדמן לו, ויקח מן הבא בידו, ויהיה רחוק מן המנוחה וקרוב למלאכה ולעמל, ויהיה נכון לבו בטוח בה', ולא יירא מתולדות הזמן ופגעיו. |
ER - "close to toil and exertion" - in the Talmud (Sanhedrin 99b): "Rabbi Eliezer said every person was created to toil as written "a soul that labors, labor is his.." (Pro 16:26)" Rashi explains: "since he labors in Torah, the Torah labors for him...
SR - "far from rest and close to toil" - this is the opposite of one's nature. For by nature a man is close to rest, i.e. rest comes easily to him without any need to strengthen himself. But the toiling requires mustering strength. This is the opposite - that he be close in his soul to toil without need to strengthen himself much, and far from rest till just the opposite he needs to strengthen himself to rest from his toil. This is not only for Torah study, but for all of his matters. For "Torah study is good with work.." (Avot 2:2) and "if there is no work there is no Torah" (Avot 3:21). Therefore, also the duty of toiling in them is like the duty in Torah study, namely, that he be close to toil and far from rest.
"Torah study is good with work.." - i.e. torah study with exertion, not learning lazily - Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef zt'l
SR - "not fear" - like we have been commanded in war. "when you go out to war... do not fear them". And according to Rabeinu Yonah (Shaarei Teshuva 3:32) it is an actual negative precept. So too in the war of the Yetzer (evil inclination), not to fear what time may bring and its mishaps, which are the horse and chariot of the evil inclination. Furthermore, in a real war the horses and chariots really exist whereas here the events of time and its mishaps are mostly imaginary contraptions of the evil inclination as written "a lion is on the road.."
| Perhaps you will say: behold we see that the sages everywhere obligated a man to guard himself well and not put himself in danger even if he is a righteous person with many merits. For instance: "everything is in the hands of heaven except colds and heatstrokes" (Ketubot 30a) and the Torah says "you shall guard yourselves very carefully" (Devarim 4:15). Hence one should not decide to "trust in G-d" in all situations, and in the Talmud Yerushalmi (Berachot 3, see also Chulin 142a) they said: "even when performing a Mitzva!". | שמא תאמר הרי מצינו שחייבו חכמים בכל מקום שישמור האדם את עצמו שמירה מעולה ולא ישים עצמו בסכנה אפילו הוא צדיק ובעל מעשים, ואמרו (כתובות ל): הכל בידי שמים חוץ מצינים פחים, ומקרא כתוב (דברים ד): ונשמרתם מאד לנפשותיכם, הרי שאין להחליט הבטחון הזה על כל פנים. והתם אמרו, ואפילו לדבר מצוה. |
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Know that there is fear and there is fear. There is justified fear and there is foolish fear. There is trust [in G-d] and there is recklessness. The L-ord, blessed be He, has made man with sound intellect and clear reasoning in order that he may guide himself in the right way and guard from harmful things which were created to punish the wicked. |
דע כי יש יראה ויש יראה: יש יראה ראויה ויש יראה שוטה, יש בטחון ויש הוללות.
כי הנה האדון ברוך הוא עשה את האדם בעל שכל נכון וסברא נכוחה לשינהג עצמו על דרך טוב וישמר מן הדברים המזיקים אשר נבראו לענוש את הרשעים. |
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But someone who does not want to guide himself in an intelligent manner and exposes himself to dangers - this is not trust in G-d but rather foolishness. Such a person sins in that he is acting against the will of G-d who desires that a man guard himself. Hence, besides the inherent danger which he is exposing himself to due to failing to guard himself properly, he also actively brings punishment down upon himself for the sin which he commits. Thus the sin itself is what brings upon him the punishment. |
ומי שירצה שלא ינהג עצמו בדרך החכמה ויפקיר עצמו לסכנות, הנה אין זה בטחון, אלא הוללות. והנה הוא חוטא במה שהוא נגד רצון הבורא יתברך שמו, שרוצה שישמור האדם את עצמו.
ונמצא שמלבד הסכנה המוטבעת בדבר אשר הוא עלול אליה מפני חסרון שמירתו, הנה עוד הוא מתחיב בנפשו בקום עשה בחטא אשר הוא חוטא, ונמצא החטא עצמו מביאו ליענש |
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The type of fear and guarding of oneself which is appropriate is that which is based on the guidance of wisdom and reason. On this scripture says: "the clever man sees the evil and escapes but the fool continues through and is punished" (Mishlei 22:3). The foolish fear is when a man wants to add protection upon protection and fear upon fear, devising precautions for his precautions in such a way that this results in neglect of Torah study and divine service. The general principle to distinguish between the two types of fear is as our sages specified saying: "where harm is likely it is different" (Pesachim 8b). For in a place where harm is likely and foreseeable it is proper to guard oneself. But in a place where there is no known danger one should not fear. |
ואולם השמירה הזאת, וזאת היראה המיוסדת על הנהגת החכמה והשכל, היא הראויה, שעליה נאמר (משלי כב): ערום ראה רעה ונסתר ופתיים עברו ונענשו.
אך היראה השוטה היא, שיהיה האדם רוצה להוסיף שמירות על שמירות ויראה על יראה, ועושה משמרת למשמרתו באופן שיגיע מזה ביטול לתורה ולעבודה והכלל להבחין בין שתי היראות הוא מה שחלקו חכמים זכרונם לברכה באמרם (פסחים ח): היכא דשכיח היזיקא שאני. כי מקום שההיזק מצוי ונודע, יש להשמר. אך מקום שאין ההיזק נודע, אין לירא. |
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On similar to this the sages said: "we do not assume any defect without cause" (Chulin 56b). And "a judge need be guided only by that which his eyes see" (Bava Batra 131a). This itself is the intent of the verse we brought earlier "the clever man sees the evil and hides himself" (Mishlei 22:3), which states only about escaping from the evil that one can see, not of the evil which perhaps, possibly, may occur. This is precisely like the verse brought earlier "the lazy man says there is a lion in the way.." (Mishlei 26:13). Our sages, of blessed memory, illustrated, in successive degrees, to what extent unfounded fear can go to cause a person to refrain from good deeds. They said (Midrash Devarim Raba 8:6): Shlomo said seven things regarding the lazy man. To illustrate: |
ועל כיוצא בזה נאמר (חולין מו): ריעותא דלא חזינן לא מחזקינן, ואין לו לחכם אלא מה שעיניו רואות. הוא עצמו ענין הפסוק שהבאנו למעלה "ערום ראה רעה ונסתר", הא אינו מדבר אלא בנסתר מן הרעה אשר רואה לא ממה שיוכל להיות שיהיה אפשרי שיבוא.
והוא ממש ענין הפסוק שהזכרתי למעלה, אמר עצל שחל בדרך וגו'. וחכמים זכרונם לברכה פרשו הענין כמין חומר, להראות עד היכן מגעת יראת ההבל להפריש האדם מן המעשה הטוב. ואמרו (דברים רבה פ"ח): שבעה דברים אמר שלמה בעצל: |
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They said to the lazy man: "Your teacher is in the city, go and learn Torah from him". He replies: "I am afraid of the lion on the road" [Mishlei 26:13].. "Your teacher is in the neighborhood". He replies: "I am afraid he may be between the paths" [ibid]. "He is next to your house". He replies: "the lion is outside!" [Mishlei 22:13] "He is in your building". He replies: "if I go to him, I may find the door locked....", see there. We learn from here that it is not the fear that causes him to be lazy, but rather the opposite, the laziness causes the fear. |
כיצד, אמרו לעצל, הרי רבך בעיר, לך ולמד תורה ממנו והוא משיב אותם, מתירא אני מן הארי שבדרך. רבך בתוך המדינה, אומר להם, מתיירא אני שלא יהיה ארי בין הרחובות. אומרים לו, הרי הוא בתוך ביתך אומר להם, אם אני הולך אצלו, אני מוצא הפתח נעולה וכו', עיין שם.
הא למדת, שאין היראה גורמת שיתעצל אלא עצלה גורמת לו שיתיירא |
(continuation of Midrash) He replies: "if I go to him, I may find the door locked" as written "as the door turns upon its hinges, so does the slothful upon his bed" Mishlei 26:14]
"It is open". In the end when he ran out of excuses he says: "whether or not the door is open, I want to sleep a little more" as written, "how long will you sleep, O lazy one" (Mishlei 6:9).
He rose from his sleep in the morning. They put food before him. He is lazy in putting it in his mouth... see there.
OG - ..this example and many other concerns a person conjures up when he comes to do Mitzvot but when he is called to sign a profitable business deal he hastens and musters zeal and all the imaginary dangers disappear as if they never existed. Through experiences like this one can discern that his concerns are not from the wellspring of truth but rather from the evil inclination who cunningly tricks a person with his lies and vain imaginations.
Ohr Yechezkel 2:92 - The Midrash (Devarim Raba 8:6) expounds on (Devarim 30:11-14):"For this commandment which I command you this day, is not concealed from you, nor is it far away. It is not in heaven, that you should say, "Who will go up to heaven for us and fetch it for us, to tell [it] to us, so that we can fulfill it?" Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, "Who will cross to the other side of the sea for us and fetch it for us, to tell [it] to us, so that we can fulfill it?" Rather,[this] thing is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can fulfill it."Midrash there:They asked him: "Moshe Rabeinu where is it?" He replied: "it is in a near place, in your mouth and heart to do it. It is not far from you. It is close to you". The Rabbis said: 7 things Shlomo said regarding the lazy man and what Moshe said was greater than all of them. They told the lazy man "your Rabbi is in the city go and learn Torah from him..."Shlomo teaches us just how far the trait of laziness can go; that he finds excuses and rationalizations till he is even lazy in putting food in his mouth. And that which Moshe said is greater than all of them. "For it is very near to you.." Just take something out of your mouth.
We thus find a great foundation in the ways of service. Whenever we seek to do it, it is very easy - just utter the words out of your mouth. We don't need a Rabbi nor special comprehension. Rather simply open your mouth, start to talk, and you will see that you will merit to attain the purpose. For as long as he keeps talking and does not become lazy, G-d will help him and it will get easier (to study Torah) for he will receive siyata d'shmaya (divine help) till he reaches the truth. For this is the entire job of man - to start the service of G-d.
And this beginning is exceedingly simple - to take words out of your mouth... So too for all matters of Avoda (divine service) (as implied by the Sages that this verse applies to all Mitzvot. See Ramban).
This point is man's all encompassing trouble. For the trait of laziness hovers over him on all of his deeds. The laziness is to such an extent that he is even lazy to take out words from his mouth. If he would just strengthen over the laziness, he would already reach the intended purpose.
Ruach Chaim Avot 1:1 - a person's mouth is like a finger which senses the blemish (pegima, i.e. notches in a sharp knife which render it unkosher for slaughtering). So too, when one speaks it out, the mouth senses the blemishes of the intellect, like the fingernail senses the blemishes on the knife blade.
Alei Shur 2:172 - the seven pictures of laziness Shlomo said appear to be simple things. But he who examines closely will find a wondrous picture of how laziness pushes away ruchniut (the spiritual). The student who needs the Rav is an analogy for the body who needs to draw close to wisdom, and the wisdom is external to him.
The student pushes off the study with all sorts of excuses. Every possibility of drawing close to spirituality generates the will "to sleep", a symbol of a man completely immersed in corporeal existence, extinguishing the light of his intellect. In the pictures of laziness, the Rav which symbolizes spirituality, comes closer and closer to the man until:
"your Rav is in the house and the door is open". But the lazy person distances the spiritual and pushes it away with both hands. In the end, "they put food before him. He is lazy in putting it in his mouth". So that even the bodily actions diminish and weaken for the heaviness of earthiness rises and affects even the life of the body.
"And that which Moshe said is greater than all of them" - all the pictures of Shlomo depict how the body pushes all drawing close to the spirit, preferring to remain among the earthiness. But Moshe says: "for it is very near to you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it", i.e. you yourself are spiritual! There is no separation between you and "the Rav". For Torah and wisdom are within you.
The whole matter of wisdom is to draw out words from your mouth, i.e. everything is in you in potential. All you need to do is bring out your wisdom to actuality. Torah and wisdom are placed in your heart and the "Rav" and the study merely take out to actuality what is already within you.
This is greater than all of what Shlomo said on laziness. For it shows how the lazy man puts a wedge between his own self. The lazy man denies all this. He "sees" in himself gross earthiness and physicality. Thus, laziness is a stronghold of Tumah (spiritual impurity, i.e. the opposite of holiness).
Let us examine ourselves and our service. For more than once do we strive hard in prayer to think great and lofty thoughts in order to reach some feeling of intent of heart, but without success. Let us ask ourselves whether the hand of laziness entered in the middle then, trying to distance the Creator far away from us, utilizing the ploy of lofty thoughts in order to keep Him far from our hearts! For a true intent does not need great effort in external thoughts. Rather this knowledge that everything is in the heart and the entire service of the heart is merely to: "draw out words from your mouth"!
Yad Ketana 7:4 - in Pirkei Avot (4:10): "Rabbi Meir would say: Engage minimally in business, and occupy yourself with Torah. Be humble before every man. If you neglect (Batel) the Torah, there will be many more causes for neglect (batelim) before you; if you toil much in Torah, there is much reward to give to you.". The intent is that if you start to find obstacles and you tell yourself: "how can I learn torah for I don't have a free room or a room designated for this?", or "I need to take care of my needs first" or "I still lack such and such".
Know that when you merely accept in your heart some obstacle then there will be found many always and forever. And even if you attain all the things you lack, afterwards you will be confronted with other obstables multiplied over many times more. For to fill the desires of the body, there is no limit nor end. Thus you will be idle from the torah forever.
The general principle and great primary matter in the toil in torah is to not accept in your heart any impediment (maatzor), even the greatest impediment, and to instead push off everything from before it. For it has already been explained to us by our holy sages that the torah does not endure by those who learn in a state of enjoyment and plenty of this world, but rather by he who "slays himself over it" (Berachot 63b), i.e. who cuts off from his body all pleasure and pains it always, not granting sleep to his eyes nor be concerned (mashgiach) on his food and drink. This is the intent of "if you toiled [much] in Torah", i.e. your occupation in it is toil to your body and great strain, then "there is much reward to give to you". All these things are evident and true.
| Everyday experience can testify on the truth of these things as such conduct is evident and widespread among the masses of people "whose ways are folly" (Tehilim 49:13). One who thinks on this matter will find the absolute truth and knowledge will come readily to the understanding person. | וכל הדברים האלה, הנסיון היומי יעיד עליהם, ממה שכבר פשוט הוא ורגיל ברוב המון בני האדם אשר זה דרכם כסל למו. ומשכיל על דבר, ימצא אמת לאמתו, ודעת לנבון נקל. |
SR - "seven things" - just like there are levels in Zeal, so too there are levels of laziness. And just like we can only understand the levels of Zeal through Torah as Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair said "Torah brings..". So too it is impossible to understand the levels of laziness, namely, each type of laziness without Torah... even though everyday experience testifies on them and it is already evident and widespread among most people yet only through the Torah's revelation can the intelligent person find its truth.. From here we understand what Rabeinu said in the introduction to his book:
"I have composed this work not to teach people what they do not know but to remind them of what they already know and which is very evident to them..." So too Shlomo did with his ruach hakodesh (divine inspiration) that this is the way of the Torah of Yira (fear) that one needs to study the known and familiar. For if he does not learn Torah, these things will be hidden from him always despite that it is possible to grasp them from reason and daily experience testifies on them, but there is no wisdom and no understanding against the cunning of the Yetzer (evil inclination) who hides and causes everything to be forgotten from the hearts of men...
| We have already clarified the matter of Zeal to an extent which I deem will suffice to rouse one's heart. The wise man will become wiser and increase in understanding. | וכבר נתבאר ענין הזריזות ביאור שאחשוב היותו מספיק להערת הלב, והחכם יחכם ויוסיף לקח. |
SR - all the chapters of Rabeinu in the trait of Zeal is sufficient only to awaken the heart. But it is on the wise man to become wiser and increase in understanding. Then he will grasp the vast breadth and depth in the Torah of Zeal.
| See that it is proper for the step of Zeal to follow after the step of Watchfulness. For generally a man will not be Zealous if he is not first watchful of his deeds. One who does not put to heart to be cautious in his deeds nor to contemplate the divine service and its principles, which constitutes the trait of Watchfulness as I wrote, will find it very difficult to don love and yearning for the service of G-d and to be zealous with passion before his Creator. | והנך רואה, כי ראוי לזריזות להיות במדרגה אחר הזהירות, כי על הרוב לא יהיה האדם זריז אם לא יהיה זהיר בתחלה. כי מי שלא ישים לבו להזהר במעשיו ולהתבונן בעבודה ומשפטיה שזו היא מדת הזהירות, כמו שכתבתי, קשה שילבש אהבה וחמדה אליה ויזדרז בתשוקה לפני בוראו |
ER - "don love" - here Rabeinu reveal to us concisely the depth of the trait of Zeal in its complete and true form. For in the beginning of chapter 7, he began on the matter of worry lest he lose the Mitzva. Afterwards, he spoke of the inner fieriness, desire of heart and longing of the soul which is the most desirable in the service of G-d and that external zeal will awaken inner zeal and joy. Here he shows briefly what whole Zeal demands of a man, that he love G-d, a true love, until mamash (literally) he longs [for G-d], that he feels in his nature that the Mitzvot are the greatest wealth and good fortune for a man in this world and the next, and to them he longs and desires. Just like the world runs after gold and silver and imaginary fleeting pleasures, so too his soul desires and longs for Torah, mitzvot and good deeds. Through this he runs and hastens always to increase more. To this we pray for siyata d'shamaya, in the Amida "and to your Mitzvot let my soul pursue".
SR - to don love and longing to the Mitzvot and to don zeal in yearning to G-d needs deep plowing in a man's heart beforehand and to prepare it for this. For not every heart is fitting and prepared to this exalted level. [hence the preparation of watchfulness must precede zeal].
| For such a person is still drowning in the bodily desires and running in the momentum of his habit, which distances him away from all this. But after he has opened his eyes to see his deeds, been watchful of them, made the accounting of the Mitzvot against the sins as we mentioned, it will be easy for him to turn from evil and to long for the good and be zealous in it. This is evident. | כי הנה הוא עודנו טובע בתאוות הגופניות ורץ מרוצת הרגלו המרחיקו מכל זה. אמנם, אחר שכבר פקח עיניו לראות מעשיו ולהזהר בם וחשב חשבון המצות והעברות, כאשר זכרנו, נקל הוא לו שיסור מן הרע וישתוקק אל הטוב ויזדרז בו. וזה פשוט. |
CS - "to turn from evil" - when he escapes from the dominion of the bodily desires and the habit which distances him from the service of G-d, then he will come to long for the good and through that will be zealous in it.
Ohr Yechezkel 1:264 - How difficult it is to obtain correct knowledge of things not tangible to the [physical] senses! How much must one toil to acquire it! In truth, even the knowledge and grasp itself is according to how much the person pained himself and how much longing in his soul he had to know and understand it. For according to the amount of desire will be the degree of knowledge. The Sages said: "there is no joy like the resolving of a doubt" (Yerushalmi Sanhedrin 4:2). For since he was pained by lack of knowledge, through this, he truly merits that the understanding will be on a different level.
Behold in everything, it is possible for two people to know the same thing, nevertheless, their knowledge is not equal. For the knowledge has endless levels. And in order for the knowledge to be proper, perforce, there must be a longing to know. For then one recognizes the thing correctly. And the more the knowledge is established and clear, the more it strengthens the soul and connects it to the truth.
This applies all the more so to levels of sheleimut (perfection) in fear of G-d and purity of soul which, by nature, a person is distant from due to his Middot (character traits) physical nature, environment, and other detrimental factors. Hence, it is impossible to attain sound and proper knowledge in them without seeking perfection and after having a true desire in this. This comes perforce after contemplation in Mussar and in the words of the early sages for they possessed true comprehension (Hasaga), great sheleimut (perfection) and contemplation is needed in order to attain desire and will. And when he attains these - then he will be able to attain also the knowledge.
In the introduction to the Mesilat Yesharim, the Ramchal spoke at length on the need for contemplation. He wrote that even though the beginnings and foundations are established and well-known by every upright person, nevertheless, without true, in-depth study he will pass over them and not reflect on their details...
The Mesilat Yesharim writes (ch.3): "Therefore the rulers - of their [evil] inclinations said come and consider the accounting of the world... For the evil inclination literally blinds his eyes."
If so, how great is the duty of reflection in our times and how great is the need to review to ourselves the duty of sheleimut (perfection) in the Avoda (Divine service) and the duty of toil to seek knowledge of G-d till we truly know it. For only then will we attain taste/desire in the divine service (ta'am b'inyanei avodah).