Refining the Heart

The next level is Tahara, "purity." As the Ramchal explains it, Tahara is reached when human behavior is free of any and all ulterior motives. We should do what we do "L'shma," because it is the right thing to do - it is God's Will. As long as a person's actions - Mitzvos included - are even partially motivated by a personal agenda, the act may be righteous, but it cannot be called "pure."  This, the author tells us, requires "refining" the heart, just as precious metals are refined of impurities.

How does Prishus lead to Tahara?

The answer is that Prishus is to Tahara what Zehirus is to Nekius. Just as avoiding sin (Zehirus) causes the person to lose interest in sinning (Nekius) (see chapter ten), so too avoiding the permitted pleasures (Prishus) changes the person inside to eventually lose interest in those things too (Tahara). The Mesilas Yesharim has thus described the process in which any person's heart can be slowly refined and his behavior purified, eventually reaching the point where he is unsullied by any motivation other than doing the right thing for its own sake, L'shma.

Amazingly, even at this exalted level, the Ramchal keeps hammering the "foolishness" angle. At the beginning of chapter 17 he writes that Tahara is "easy" for those who have succeeded in achieving the earlier levels, for when they contemplate the "lowliness" of the pleasures of this world they will be disgusted by them and recognize them as evil.  And towards the end of chapter 17, referring back to this contemplation, he describes a lack of Tahara as nothing other than "foolishness." The Ramchal reiterates this idea again in his final words on the subject: "A lack of preparation [for Tahara] will prevent the departure of the natural [human] foolishness which comes from our physical nature, and this person will thus ruin his divine service in his rottenness."

Harsh words indeed. But for the Ramchal everything always comes down to the wisdom, sincerity and maturity of our behavior. And, once again, it is as R. Pinchas ben Yair said: One good thing leads to another.