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<<Back to Mesilas Yesharim Page
Mesilat Yesharim / Path of the Just
by Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato zt'l
Chapter 17 - Acquiring Purity
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 17 - ACQUIRING PURITY ***פרק 17 - בדרכי קנית הטהרה וההרחקה ממפסידיה
 
The way to attain this trait is easy for one who has already strove and attained all the aforementioned traits. For when one thinks and contemplates on the lowliness of the pleasures of this world and its good, as I wrote earlier, he will come to despise them, and will not consider them to be anything but evils and lackings of the dark and coarse physical nature. When the truth ingrains within him of their being real lackings and evils, certainly it will become easier for him to separate from them and remove them from his heart. הנה הדרך להשיג המדה הזאת, קל הוא למי שכבר השתדל והשיג המדות השנויות עד הנה. כי הנה כשיחשוב ויתבונן על פחיתות תענוגי העולם וטובותיו, כמו שכתבתי למעלה, ימאס בהם ולא יחשבם אלא לרעות ולחסרונות הטבע החומרי החשוך והגס. ובהתאמת אצלו היותם ממש חסרונות ורעות, ודאי שיקל לו להבדל מהם ולהסירם מלבו.
NE - "The way to reach this trait is easy for one who has already strove and attained all the aforementioned traits" - once again Rabeinu emphasizes that the work on one's traits is through a continuous and orderly ascent, without skipping and without shortcuts.

ER - "he will come to despise them.." - some things are pleasant temporarily but are damaging such as smoking drugs or the like, or foods which cause digestive problems or stomach aches. Would not an intelligent person despise them? Through a little thought, he will merit this so that his nature will not desire them.

ER - "evils and lackings" - "lackings" - due to loss of growth and little attainment of spiritual level by he who clings to them; "evils" due to being drawn to sins through them.

CS - "evils and lackings of nature" - "evil" - for they prevent a man from attaining his true goal, namely, clinging to G-d. They stem from "lackings of nature", that is, the tendency and desire towards them comes from the lacking in a man due to his natural physicality.

CS - "when the truth ingrains" - due to the aforementioned thought and reflection, he will become clearly convinced of the truth of the matter.
Therefore, the deeper and more diligently he delves in his thoughts into recognizing the lowliness of the physical and its pleasures, the easier it will be for him to purify his thoughts and heart so that he does not turn at all to the evil inclination in anything whatsoever. Rather, his physical deeds will be as one forced and not otherwise. על כן כל מה שיעמיק ויתמיד להכיר פחיתות החמריות ותענוגיו, יותר יהיה נקל לו לטהר מחשבותיו ולבו שלא לפנות אל היצר כלל בשום מעשה מן המעשים, אלא יהיה במעשים החומריים כאנוס, לא זולת.
CS - "the deeper and more diligently he delves in his thoughts" - the thought and reflection in this must be constant. It is not enough to clarify it sometimes. For if he is not constant in properly visualizing and assessing worldly matters, they will rise up and overpower his heart anew, blurring the truth which was previously clear to him, as Rabeinu explains..

MB - "he does not turn at all to the evil inclination" - i.e.who does for pleasure and lust. For this is already called "to the evil inclination".
However, just like we have divided purity of thought into two divisions, namely, the bodily actions and the actions of Divine service, so too the in-depth contemplation necessary to acquire purity in them divides into two divisions.

To purify the thoughts in the bodily actions, one needs to diligently observe the lowliness of this world and its pleasures, as I wrote. While to purify the actions of Divine service, one needs to contemplate much on the deceit of honor and its falsehood, and to habituate oneself to flee from it.
ואמנם כמו שטהרת המחשבה חילקנוה לשני חלקים: האחד במעשים הגופנים, והאחד במעשי העבודה, כן העיון המצטרך כדי לקנותה, יתחלק לשנים:

כי הנה לטהר מחשבתו במעשי גופניותו, הדרך הוא להתמיד הסתכלותו על פחיתות העולם ותענוגיו, כמו שכתבתי. ולטהר מחשבתו במעשי עבודתו ירבה התבוננותו על תרמית הכבוד וכזביו וירגיל עצמו לברוח ממנו.
CS - "deceit of honor" - that which the evil inclination for pursuing honor tricks a man by presenting to him that [attaining] honor be a central goal in his life, and he lies to a man by promising and not fulfilling, namely, promising him that by pursuing honor he will be honored, while generally it is the opposite for he becomes a disgrace [in the eyes of others].
"to habituate oneself to flee from it" - this is an additional way to acquire purity, besides the aforementioned contemplation. see later on in chapters 22 and 23 on habituating oneself in humility.
Then, one will be clean from striving for the praise and lauding of other people when serving G-d. His thought will turn solely to our Master (G-d), who is our praise, and who is all our good and perfection, and beside Whom there is nothing else, as it is written: "He is your praise and He is your G-d" (Devarim 10:21). אז ינקה בעת עבודתו מפנות אל השבח ואל התהלה אשר יהללוהו בני האדם ותהיה מחשבתו פונה ביחוד אל אדוננו אשר הוא תהלתנו, והוא כל טובנו ושלמותנו ואפס זולתו, וכן הוא אומר (דברים י): הוא תהלתך והוא אלקיך.
CS - "all our good and perfection" - i.e. the perfection and good of a person is relative to his connection and clinging to G-d (as explained in chapters 1 and 4).

ER - "who is our praise.." - i.e. there is no praise except to what is important in His eyes, namely, the exclusive devotion to His service, without hoping whatsoever for praise of human beings. This is the good. For this is not deceitful honor, but rather true spiritual good and Olam Haba. And it is our perfection, which is the purpose of the entire Divine service - that it be whole, without defect.
One of the means which lead a person to acquire this trait is to prepare oneself for Divine service and mitzvot, namely, to not enter suddenly in performing a mitzva. For then, one's mind is not yet composed and is unable to think on what he is doing. Rather, one should ready himself to the matter and slowly prepare his heart for reflection. ומן המעשים המדריכים את האדם לבוא לידי מדה זו, הוא ההזמנה לדברי העבודה והמצות, והיינו, שלא יכנס בקיום המצוה בפתע פתאום שאין דעתו עדין מיושבת עליו ויכולה להתבונן במה שהוא עושה, אלא יזמין עצמו לדבר ויכין לבו במתון עד שיכנס בהתבוננות.
Then let him contemplate what he is going to do and before Whom he is going to do it. For when he enters in this contemplation, it will be easy for him to cast away external motives, and to implant in his heart the true and desirable motive.

Note that the early pious men of old would wait one hour before prayer, in order to direct their hearts to G-d (Berachot 30b). There is no doubt that they would not waste an hour of time. Rather they would direct and prepare their hearts for the prayer they needed to pray, pushing out foreign thoughts and filling themselves with the requisite fear and love of G-d. On this it is written: "If you prepared your heart, then spread out your hands to Him" (Iyov 11:13).
ואז יתבונן מה הוא הולך לעשות ולפני מי הוא הולך לעשות, שהרי בהכנסו בעיון הזה, קל הוא שישליך מעליו הפניות החיצוניות ויקבע בלבו הכונה האמיתית הרצויה.

ותראה שהחסידים הראשונים היו שוהים שעה אחת קודם תפלתם ואחר כך מתפללים, כדי שיכוונו לבם למקום. ובודאי שלא היו פונים שעה אחת לבטלה, אלא מתכוונים ומכינים לבם לתפלה שהיה להם להתפלל, ודוחים מעליהם המחשבות הזרות ומתמלאים היראה והאהבה הצריכה, ואומר (איוב יא): אם אתה הכינות לבך ופרשת אליו כפיך.
The detriments of this trait are lack of reflecting on the aforementioned matters, namely, ignorance of the lowliness of the worldly pleasures, pursuit of honor, and insufficient preparation before G-d's service. והנה מפסידי המדה, הם חסרון ההתבוננות על הענינים שזכרנו, דהיינו: סכלות פחיתות התענוגים, רדיפת הכבוד, ומיעוט ההכנה לעבודה.
CS - "ignorance of the lowliness of the worldly pleasures" - for as long as they are important in his eyes, he will be unable to prevent himself from turning to them and from not desiring in them...
"the pursuit of honor" - for all the while he pursues honor and praise of people, he will be unable to purify his deeds in the Divine service.
The former two entice the mind and draw it towards ulterior motives, like an adulterous wife who, while still married to her husband, takes other men. Ulterior thoughts are referred to as "lewdness of the heart", as written: "and you shall not stray after your hearts and after your eyes which you go after promiscuously (Zonim)" (Bamidbar 15:39). For the heart strays from the whole aspiration which it should have bonded to, and turns instead to the worthless and imaginary falsehood. כי השנים הראשונים הם מפתים את המחשבה וממשיכים אותה אל הפניות, כאשה המנאפת אשר תחת אישה תקח את זרים. וכבר נקראו המחשבות החיצוניות "זנות הלב", דכתיב (במדבר טו): ולא תתורו אחרי לבבכם ואחרי עיניכם אשר אתם זונים אחריהם. כי נמצא הלב פונה מן המבט השלם, אשר היה לו ליקשר בו, אל הבלים ודמיונות כוזבים.
SP - "the former two entice the mind..." - to attribute importance to the worldly pleasures and the pursuit of honor infuses ulterior motives in the bodily actions and in the actions of the Divine service. But "insufficient preparation" only causes the natural foolishness to remain within him.

CS - "do not stray.." - Rabeinu explains the prohibition of "do not stray" to refer to thought and aspiration in a person's heart, even if one does not do prohibited deeds.
Insufficient preparation for Divine service causes the natural foolishness which comes from the side of physicality to not be driven from within oneself. Thus he rottens the Divine service with its stench.

We will now explain the trait of Piety.
ומיעוט ההכנה גורם לסכלות הטבעי הבא מצד החומר שלא יגרש מתוכו, והרי הוא מבאיש את העבודה בסרחונו.

ונבאר עתה מדת החסידות.
CS - "natural foolishness" - which expresses itself through incorrect assessments and blurring of the correct knowledge, i.e. due to insufficient proper preparation of the Divine service, he causes the natural "foolishness" inherent in a person, in his being a physical creature, to not be divested from his heart. Thus the natural foolishness ruins the purity of the service of G-d with a corrupt approach.