The great classics of Jewish literature are owned by many and read by few. Often it’s because the original is in Arabic and the medieval Hebrew translations are equally unreadable. Sometimes the philosophical terminology is the killer. In the Mesilas Yesharim’s case, the reason is different. The book just turns people off.
The introduction is great; a fresh and ever-relevant indictment of our educational priorities. But then, halfway through chapter one, our author speaks of lofty ideals and loses his readers. Trying to suppress the thought that Luzzatto is hopelessly naïve, we close the book and give it new home on the bookcase – the top shelf. Thousands upon thousands of Mesilas Yesharims are thus doomed to spend the decades untouched and unread, trapped between a crumbling Kuzari and an inscrutable Morah Nevuchim.
It’s an unfair treatment of the Jewish “Common Sense” and it doesn’t have to be this way. I believe chapter one is simply being misread. Read correctly, it’s not depressing; it’s inspiring. But for chapter one to have the intended effect we have to learn to read it right.
Chapter one describes the world in unapologetic, absolute terms: The only good thing in life is closeness to God and everything else is utter nonsense; to pursue our natural desires is to abandon God; every situation in life is a divine test; the purpose of life is solely for earning a portion in the next world; our souls hate living in this physical realm, etc., etc. With statements such as these, it is easy to understand why so many copies are collecting dust. Readers naturally assume that this is a book for the pious Tzaddikim of yesteryear and has little to offer ordinary folk – but they could not be more wrong. If, instead of closing the book, they had read on to chapter two they would have quickly recognized their error, for the truth is quite the opposite: Luzzatto expects his readership to be at the very bottom of the spiritual ladder. To speak plainly, he actually expects many of them to be low-lives.
So why all the ultra-frum statements of chapter one?
The answer is that Luzzatto is not talking here about lifestyle; he is talking about faith. The Torah is founded on certain principles which define the ultimate purpose of life and before we can embark on our journey of spiritual growth we must understand these principles and get clarity on where we are headed. This is what Luzzatto is doing in chapter one: defining the destination.
R. Pinchas ben Yoir taught us that everything begins with Torah – "Torah leads to Zehirus" – but strangely enough, Luzzatto doesn’t seem to spend much time explaining what that means or how it happens. Maybe it is self-evident. Or maybe Luzzatto actually does address it – in chapter one. Torah leads to Zehirus because fixing and elevating our Jewish selves begins with understanding the Torah’s basic teachings about the purpose and meaning of our lives. (Heard from my student Talia S.; cf. the beginning of chapter four and this post.)
As we stand at the beginning of the book and the beginning of our journey, there is obviously no expectation that our behavior is already in accord with the Torah’s demanding value system. This is not a book for Tzaddikim; it's a guide for how to become a Tzaddik. (That is, chapters 1-13. See the beginning of chapter fourteen and this post.) But before we can embark on becoming a Tzaddik, we first must have clarity on what we believe.
In the first part of Mesilas Yesharim, Luzzatto addresses not the Tzaddik but the everyman, and he starts at the very beginning, educating us about the ultimate purpose of our lives. This is not מוסר; this is אמונה. There is no cause for discouragement nor is there cause to abandon the book before it begins.
(A Jew should be a man of faith, but not a theologian. Despite our belief in the sublime reward for Mitzvos, the Mishnah instructs us to not to think about it. "Do not serve the Master for the purpose of receiving reward" (Avos 1:3). The powerful and fundamental principles of faith - from belief in an Infinite Being to the World to Come to Mashiach - serve as foundations for our lives in the here and now. Foundations are critical, but it is unnecessary and unhealthy to obsess over them. This is what our author is telling us in the opening line of chapter one: "The foundation of Chassidus and the root of divine service is to know..." Faith is a foundation and a root. It keeps us standing tall, so build it deep and solid. And then keep it underground.)
In the first part of Mesilas Yesharim, Luzzatto addresses not the Tzaddik but the everyman, and he starts at the very beginning, educating us about the ultimate purpose of our lives. This is not מוסר; this is אמונה. There is no cause for discouragement nor is there cause to abandon the book before it begins.
(A Jew should be a man of faith, but not a theologian. Despite our belief in the sublime reward for Mitzvos, the Mishnah instructs us to not to think about it. "Do not serve the Master for the purpose of receiving reward" (Avos 1:3). The powerful and fundamental principles of faith - from belief in an Infinite Being to the World to Come to Mashiach - serve as foundations for our lives in the here and now. Foundations are critical, but it is unnecessary and unhealthy to obsess over them. This is what our author is telling us in the opening line of chapter one: "The foundation of Chassidus and the root of divine service is to know..." Faith is a foundation and a root. It keeps us standing tall, so build it deep and solid. And then keep it underground.)
Viewed this way, chapter one is transformed from a disheartening screed into an inspirational declaration of faith. It informs us about the extraordinary potential of our lives, it gives direction to our spiritual striving, and it instructs us to settle for nothing less than the presence of God Himself. And one more thing – it also motivates us to keep on reading!
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