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<<Back to Mesilas Yesharim Page
Mesilat Yesharim / Path of the Just
by Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato zt'l
Chapter 6 - The Trait 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 6 - THE TRAIT OF ZEAL ***פרק 6 - בביאור מדת הזריזות
 
After "watchfulness" comes "zeal". For "watchfulness" revolves around the negative mitzvot while "zeal" around the positive mitzvot. This is as written "turn from evil and do good" (Ps.34:15). אחר הזהירות יבוא הזריזות, כי הזהירות סובב על ה"לא תעשה" והזריזות על ה"עשה", והיינו (תהילים לד טו): סור מרע ועשה טוב.
The matter of "Zeal" is clear. It is the early engaging in mitzvot and their completion as the sages of blessed memory said: "the zealous are early to perform the mitzvot" (Pesachim 4a).

For just like it requires great intelligence and much foresight to save oneself from the snares of the evil inclination, and to escape from the evil so that it does not rule over us and mix in our deeds, so too it requires great cleverness and foresight to grasp the mitzvot, to acquire them, and not to lose them.

For just like the evil inclination causes and strives with its strategies to cast man into the nets of sin, so too it strives to prevent him from performing Mitzvot and to leave him devoid of them.
וענינו של הזריזות מבואר, שהוא ההקדמה למצות ולהשלמת ענינם. וכלשון הזה אמרו ז"ל (פסחים ד): זריזים מקדימים למצות.

וזה, כי כמו שצריך פקחות גדול והשקפה רבה לינצל ממוקשי היצר ולהמלט מן הרע שלא ישלוט בנו להתערב במעשינו כן צריך פקחות גדול והשקפה לאחוז במצות ולזכות בהם ולא תאבדנה ממנו.

כי כמו שמסבב ומשתדל היצר הרע בתחבולותיו להפיל את האדם במכמורות החטא, כן משתדל למנוע ממנו עשית המצות ולאבדם ממנו.
MB - "great intelligence and much foresight" - for "early engaging in mitzvot" is not just a one time decision to do the mitzvah now and not later. Rather it is a perpetuated strong will to do the mitzvah without impediment, neither an impediment in time on his own behalf nor any other impediment. For this truly needs great strengthening, intelligence and forethought.
If a man weakens and is lazy, not strengthening himself to pursue them and to hold on to them, he will certainly remain shaken out and empty of them.

You can observe that man's nature weighs very heavily upon him. For the earthiness of the physical is gross. Therefore a man does not want to exert himself and labor. But he who wants to merit to the service of the Creator must strengthen himself against his own nature, mustering strength and zeal.
ואם יתרפה ויתעצל ולא יתחזק לרדוף אחריהם ולתמוך בם, ישאר נעור וריק מהם בודאי.

ותראה כי טבע האדם כבד מאד, כי עפריות החמריות גס, על כן לא יחפוץ האדם בטורח ומלאכה. ומי שרוצה לזכות לעבודת הבורא יתברך, צריך שיתגבר נגד טבעו עצמו ויתגבר ויזדרז.
"shaken out and empty of them" - a reference to Nechamia 5:13 - "I also shook out my garment and said, 'So shall G-d shake out any man who does not fulfill this matter, from his house and from his toil, so shall he be shaken out and empty..'"

CS - "weighs very heavily" - like a heavy object fixed to the ground which is very difficult to budge from there.
(Translator: there is a kind of gravitational pull towards laziness. Zeal is when a person breaks out of this gravitational field. It takes some time and strengthening. But once you reach the escape velocity, you're in a different world. One can feel this especially in torah study.)

CS - "against his own nature" - this requires enormous strengthening for man loves himself as he is in his present situation. Thus he does not want to go against his nature.
If he leaves himself in the hands of his [natural] heaviness, it is a certainty that he will not succeed. This is what the Tana (Mishnaic sage) stated: "be brazen as a leopard, light as an eagle, swift as a deer, and mighty as a lion to do the will of your Father in Heaven" (Avot 5:20). Likewise, the Sages counted among the things which need strengthening: "Torah and good deeds" (Berachot 32b). This is explicitly stated in scripture: "be strong and very courageous [to observe and do all of the Torah..]" (Yehoshua 1:6). For great strengthening is needed for one who wants to bend his nature to its opposite. שאם הוא מניח עצמו ביד כבדותו, ודאי הוא שלא יצליח. והוא מה שאמר התנא (אבות פרק ד): הוי עז כנמר, וקל כנשר, ורץ כצבי, וגבור כארי לעשות רצון אביך שבשמים. וכן מנו חכמים ז"ל (ברכות לב): בדברים הצריכים חיזוק, תורה ומעשים טובים. ומקרא מלא הוא (יהושע א): חזק ואמץ מאד לשמר לעשות ככל התורה אשר צוך משה עבדי, כי חיזוק גדול צריך למי שרוצה לכפות הטבע אל הפכו.
CS - "be strong and very courageous" - these two terms correspond to the two types of [strengthening in] zeal. To strengthen oneself initially to hold strong to the Mitzvot and secondly to be "very courageous" (afterwards) not to weaken in them, as in "the connection was strong" (Shmuel 2 15:12).

SR - the avodah (work) of "Zeal" is to bind one's nature and reverse it. For the nature of a man is to be very heavy. Every person has laziness by nature. Not that some people are lazy and others are zealous. Rather, some are more lazy and some are a bit less. But every man needs to wage war against his nature. Therefore Yehoshua was also commanded with a special command to Zeal.

ER - "the things which need strengthening" - Rashi there (Berachot 32b) "that a man strengthen himself in them always and with all his might". i.e. not only for some time nor for a single time but rather "always". Likewise, one needs to put all his strength in the strengthening - then he will succeed.
Behold, Shlomo repeatedly exhorted many times on this in seeing the evil of laziness and the greatness of the harm resulting from it. He said "a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest. Then shall your poverty come as a traveler.." (Mishlei 24:33). For behold, even though the lazy person is not doing evil actively, nevertheless he brings evil on himself through his very inactivity.

Shlomo further said: "also he who is slack in his work is a brother to the destroyer" (Mishlei 18:9). For even though this person is not a destroyer who commits evil directly with his own hands, don't think he is far removed from being one. On the contrary, he is the destroyer's brother, and his comrade.
והנה שלמה שנה מאד באזהרתו על זה בראותו את רוע העצלה וההפסד הגדול הנמשך ממנה ואמר (משלי ו): מעט שנות מעט תנומות מעט חבק ידים לשכב, ובא כמהלך ראשך ומחסרך כאיש מגן. כי הנה העצל אף על פי שאינו עושה רע בקום עשה, הנה הוא מביא את הרעה עליו בשב ואל תעשה שלו.

ואמר (שם יח): גם מתרפה במלאכתו, אח הוא לבעל משחית. כי אף על פי שאיננו המשחית העושה את הרעה בידיו, לא תחשוב שהוא רחוק ממנו, אלא אחיו הוא ובן גילו הוא.
He further stated a familiar, every day illustration to explain the evil that befalls the lazy person: "I passed by the field of a lazy man, and by the vineyard of the man without understanding; And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face of it, and its stone wall was broken down; Then I observed; I put my heart to it; I beheld and I received mussar (instruction); A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to lie down; so shall your poverty come as a traveler, and your want like a man with a shield" (Mishlei 24:30-34). ואמר עוד לבאר רעת העצל באור ציורי, מה שיקרה ויולד לעינינו יום יום (שם כד): על שדה איש עצל עברתי ועל כרם אדם חסר לב, והנה עלה כולו קמשונים כסו פניו חרלים וגו', ואחזה אנכי אשית לבי, ראיתי לקחתי מוסר, מעט שנות מעט תנומות וגו', ובא מתהלך רישך וגו'.
CS - "your poverty come as a traveler.." - who comes suddenly without warning to lodge in a hotel.. "like a man with a shield" - an armed man who is dressed for warfare descending to the battlefield who goes without delay. (Metzudos)
Besides the plain meaning, which is true in the literal sense, for this is indeed what happens to the field of a lazy man, the sages of blessed memory expounded it beautifully in a Midrash (Yalkut Mishlei 247:961) as follows:

"it was all grown over with thorns" - refers to one who seeks the interpretation of a portion of the Torah and does not find it.
"nettles had covered the face of it" - since he did not labor sufficiently in the Torah, he sits in judgment and declares the pure, unclean and the impure, clean, thus breaching the fence set up by the Torah Sages. What is his punishment? Shlomo revealed it: "one who breaches a fence will be bitten by a snake" (Koheles 10:8).
והנה מלבד פשוטו אשר הוא אמיתי כמשמעו שהוא מה שקורה אל שדה העצל ממש, הנה דרשו בו חכמים ז"ל, מדרש נאה, זה לשונם (ילקוט):

והנה עלה כולו קמשונים, שמבקש פירוש של פרשה ואינו מוצא. כסו פניו וגו', מתוך שלא עמל בהם, הוא יושב ומטמא את הטהור ומטהר את הטמא, ופורץ גדרן של תלמידי חכמים. מה ענשו של זה? שלמה פירשו (קהלת י): ופורץ גדר ישכנו נחש.
That is, the evil that befalls the lazy man does not come all at once. Rather it comes little by little. Without his knowing it or sensing it, he is pulled from one evil to another until he finds himself sunk in ultimate evil.

Behold, at first he is merely diminishing the labor that was proper for him. This draws him to not study the Torah adequately. Due to lack of study, when he goes afterwards to study, he will be lacking the requisite understanding.

If the evil that befalls him would end there, his calamity would already be great. But it grows further, for in his desire to at least explain the section or chapter under consideration, he distorts reasons not in accordance with Halacha, destroying truth, and perverting it till he transgresses decrees and breaches the fences.
והיינו, כי רעת העצל אינה באה בבת אחת, אלא מעט מעט, בלא שידע וירגיש בה, כי הנה הוא נמשך מרעה אל רעה עד שימצא טבוע בתכלית הרעה.

הנה בתחלה אינו אלא מחסיר הטורח אשר היה ראוי לו, ומזה נמשך שלא ילמוד בתורה ככל הצורך. ומפני חסרון הלימוד, כשיבוא אחר כך ללמוד תחסר לו ההבנה.

והנה אלולי היתה גומרת רעתו בה, כבר היתה רבה. אך עוד מתרבה והולכת במה שברצותו על כל פנים לישב הפרשה והפרק ההוא, הנה יגלה בה פנים שלא כהלכה, וישחית האמת ויהפכה, ויעבור על התקנות ויפרוץ את הגדרים.
His end is destruction like all those who breach fences. Shlomo continues:
"then I observed; I put my heart to it" - I reflected on this matter and realized the great evil in it, for it is like a poison which creeps and spreads little by little. Its effect is not noticed until death comes. This is the meaning of: "a little sleep... so shall your destitution come swiftly as a traveler, etc."

We can observe with our own eyes how so often a person comes to know his duty in this world and grasps the truth of what is required to save his soul and what is his duty towards his Creator, but despite this, he disregards it. This disregard is not due to insufficient clarity of this duty, nor any other cause but the heaviness of laziness which overcomes him.
וסופו כליה כמשפט כל פורץ גדר. אמר שלמה: "ואחזה אנכי אשית לבי", התבוננתי על הדבר הזה וראיתי גודל הרע שבו שהוא כארס ההולך ומתפשט מעט מעט, ואין פעולתו ניכרת עד המיתה. וזהו, "מעט שנות וגו' ובא כמהלך רישך ומחסרך כאיש מגן".

והנה אנחנו רואים בעינינו כמה וכמה פעמים שכבר לבו של האדם יודע חובתו ונתאמת אצלו מה שראוי לו להצלת נפשו ומה שחובה עליו מצד בוראו, ואף על פי כן יניחהו, לא מחסרון הכרת החובה ההיא ולא לשום טעם אחר, אלא מפני שכבדות העצלה מתגברת עליו.
MB - "comes to know his duty" - he knows exactly what is his obligation.
"to save his soul" - he recognizes it is good for him.
"what is his duty towards his Creator" - he also recognizes that he is obligated in this to the Holy One, blessed be He.
but despite this - despite this complete realization...
He thus says: "I will eat a bit", or "I will sleep a little", or "it is difficult for me to leave my house". "I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on again?". "It is very hot outside". "It is very cold" or "it is raining" and all the other sorts of excuses and rationalizations that the mouths of lazy people are full of. Either way, in the meantime the Torah is abandoned, the service of G-d is idle, and man abandons his Creator. This is what Shlomo said: "by laziness the ceiling decays; and through lowering of the hands the house leaks" (Kohelet 10:18).

If you ask the lazy person [to explain his behavior], he will confront you with numerous quotations of the sages, verses from scripture, and logical arguments all of which instruct him, according to his distorted mind, to be lenient with himself, and to leave himself in the tranquility of his laziness.
והרי הוא אומר, אוכל קמעא, או אישן קמעא, או קשה עלי לצאת מביתי, פשטתי את כתנתי, איככה אלבשנה, חמה עזה בעולם, הקרה רבה או הגשמים, וכל שאר האמתלאות והתואנות אשר פי העצלים מלא מהם. ובין כך ובין כך, התורה מונחת, והעבודה מבוטלת, והאדם עוזב את בוראו. והא מה ששלמה אומר (קהלת י): בעצלתים ימך המקרה ובשפלות ידים ידלוף הבית.

ואולם אם תשאל את פי העצל, יבוא לך במאמרים רבים ממאמרי החכמים, והמקראות מן הכתובים, והטענות מן השכל, אשר כולם יורו לו, לפי דעתו המשובשת, להקל עליו ולהניחו במנוחת עצלותו.
MB - either way, in the meantime - even though he starts only with lacking in certain deeds, nevertheless, in the end, the laziness drags him until he abandons his Creator.

ER - "he will invoke.." - this appears to be unique for laziness which encompasses all of a man's service. Many outlooks are rooted and founded on laziness. It is all in order to lighten the burden of the yoke on oneself.
But he fails to see that all these arguments and reasons do not stem from balanced reasoning but rather spring from the wellspring of laziness, which, as it strengthens over him, inclines his views and intellect to those arguments. Hence he fails to heed the voice of the wise and men of sound judgment. This is what Shlomo screams out: "The lazy man is wiser in his own eyes than seven men that answer sensibly" (Mishlei 26:16). והוא איננו רואה שאין הטענות ההם והטעמים ההם נולדים לו מפני שיקול דעתו, אלא ממקור עצלותו הם נובעים, אשר בהיותה היא גוברת בו, מטה דעתו ושכלו אל הטענות האלה, אשר לא ישמע לקול החכמים ואנשי הדעה הנכונה. הוא מה ששלמה צווח ואומר (משלי כו): חכם עצל בעיניו משבעה משיבי טעם.
MB - "spring from the wellspring of laziness" - the source of these arguments is from his laziness not his intellect.

MB - "strengthens over him, inclines his views and intellect" - this is the second effect of laziness. Besides that it is the source of these arguments to exempt himself, behold, it also inclines his mind so that these arguments incline his judgment.

CS - "the wise... men of sound judgment" - corresponding to people who possess the two types wisdom needed for a man: 1. perceiving the true reality of a situation (true premises). 2. sound judgment in comparing similarities or differences between things in order to draw correct inferences.
For laziness does not allow him to be even concerned for the words of those who rebuke him. Rather he will consider them all to be mistaken or foolish, while he alone is the wise one. כי העצלה איננה מנחת לו שיהיה אפלו חש לדברי המוכיחים אותו, אלא יחשוב הכל לתועים ושוטים והוא לבדו חכם.
CS - "mistaken" in their incorrect inferences, i.e. not drawing correct conclusions and "foolish", in lacking correct perception of the reality (premises).
Know that this is a fundamental principle, well tested by experience, in the art of Separation (from evil - CS): every leniency must be carefully investigated. For even though, it is possible that it is justified and correct, nevertheless it is more likely to be the advice of the evil inclination and its deceit. Therefore, one must investigate it with much analysis and examination. If after all this it still stands meritorious, then certainly it is good. והנה תדע כי זה כלל גדול מנוסה במלאכת הפרישות, שכל קולא צריכה בדיקה. כי אף על פי שיכולה להיות ישרה ונכוחה, אמנם, קרוב הדבר שתהיה מעצות היצר ומרמותיו, על כן צריך לבדוק אחריה בחקירות ודרישות רבות. אם אחר כל אלה תצדק, ודאי שהיא טובה.
CS - "advice and deceit of the evil inclination" - it stems from the evil inclination who "advises" a man to be lenient [to lighten his burden] in the service of G-d. He even uses deceitfulness to bring forth spurious arguments to convince him that his evil advice is good.

MB - "advice" - we find in many places in this that the natural evil powers (ex.laziness) are attributed to the Yetzer. this is one of them.
"and its deceit" - that the Yetzer comes disguised as the intellect and brings proofs even from the words of our sages.
The summary of the matter: a man must greatly strengthen himself and fortify himself with zeal in doing the Mitzvot by casting off himself the weight of laziness which impedes him.

The angels were praised for possessing this good trait as written: "[Bless the L-rd, His angels,] those mighty in strength, who perform His word, hearkening to the voice of His word" (Tehilim 103:20); and "the Chayot dash to and fro like the appearance of a flash of lightning" (Yechezkel 1:14). Behold, a man is a man and not an angel, hence it is impossible for him to attain the might of an angel, but he should certainly strive to do all he can to come as close to that level as possible. King David would praise (G-d) for his portion saying: "I hasten and do not delay to keep your commandments" (Tehilim 119:60).
כללו של דבר, חיזוק גדול צריך האדם להתחזק ולהתגבר בזריזות לעשות המצות, בהשליכו מעליו כובד העצלה המעכבת על ידו.

ותראה שהמלאכים נשתבחו במדה הטובה הזאת, שנאמר בהם (תהלים קג): גבורי כח עושי דברו לשמוע בקול דברו. ואומר (יחזקאל א): והחיות רצוא ושוב כמראה הבזק. והנה אדם הוא אדם ולא מלאך, על כן אי אפשר לו שיגיע לגבורתו של המלאך. אך ודאי, שכל מה שיוכל להתקרב במדרגתו אליו, ראוי שיתקרב. ודוד המלך היה משבח על חלקו ואומר (תהלים קיט): חשתי ולא התמהמהתי לשמר מצותיך.