The Elul Book Club

Living Consciously

2011-10-17T04:57:00.000-07:00

In Chapter 17, Ramchal descibes the way of attaining Tahara - purity. In this chapter he describes that one of the ways of attaining purity is by making sure that you take ample time to prepare to do mitzvot, so that you do them in the right frame of mind and with the right intentions. As a paradigm he describes the Chassidim Rishonim, who would spend an hour preparing themselves for davening.

For many mitzvot, preparation is an important step, but there are many times when we don't have an opportunity to take an hour to get into the right frame of mind. If someone's parent tells them to do something, they can't say "hold on for an hour while I meditate on how to best do the mitzvah of kibbud av va'em." They have to just act.

How can someone properly purify their actions in the more spontaneous things in life?

I heard a drasha once from Rabbi Bess in Los Angeles, who was discussing the story of Manoach, the father of Shimshon (I forget who he quoted in telling over this story). In short, an angel comes to Manoach's wife and she rushes home to fetch him to talk to the angel. He runs after her and the gemarrah comments that you see from this story that Manoach was an am haaretz (ignoramus) because he shouldn't have run behind his wife as it is not appropriate for men to walk directly behind women. Rabbi Bess questions how we can tell anything about Manoach from this story? There was a fiery angel waiting for him, and everything was crazy. He ran out as fast as he could and everything was presumably very chaotic. He answered that precisely at these chaotic times we can tell what a person is really all about. If he has worked on himself to such an extent, that certain behaviors becomes second-nature to him, then you know that even in a chaotic time, he will act appropriately. And if he hasn't properly internalized these messages, then even if he acts appropriately when things are calm, his true nature will shine through when things go crazy.

This is one approach to the question above; make sure that you work on yourself to such an extent, that you are always considered as if you are prepared for the mitzvot that come your way. To me, though, this approach lacks practical steps to actually implement it. In this chapter, Ramchal is trying to describe practical steps to purify our actions, and just saying "totally integrate purity into your being" falls short for me.

In Sefer HaYashar, the author discusses how to battle theological challenges that might come up in life. He suggests thinking through potential challenges that may come up in life in advance, so that when the challenge actually arises, you have the tools to deal with them. For example, there have been many people who have lost their faith through having financial difficulties. He suggests that it would be worth while for people who have enough money to think about how they would maintain their faith should they fall on hard times.

I think this idea can be extrapolated to the issue at hand. There are certain things we have to do which are, in their essence, spontaneous. We can anticipate these issues, however, and think about how we are going to approach them and handle them when they arise. We can then store that preparation in our back pockets, and when the situation actually comes up, we will already have the tools ready to deal with them. Obviously, the preparation will not be as fresh as having just sat meditating for an hour, but without having prepared in advance, we will be caught unawares, and who knows what actions will come out.

A Question of Honor

2011-10-05T12:45:00.000-07:00

Throughout this reading of Mesilas Yesharim we have been paying close attention to how each level leads to the one above it. In earlier posts we have posited that this book describes Jewish spiritual growth not as a ladder, but as an escalator. As soon as one begins with the proper study of Torah, an organic process takes hold of the Jew in which he is naturally and gradually propelled from one level to the next. If we are to follow through on this theory, we must now explain how Anavah evolves into Yiras Cheit.

In chapter twenty-two the Ramchal defined Anavah: "Humility in thought is when a person contemplates and realizes that he is not entitled to praise or honor..." Later in the chapter, the author lists four behaviors of the humble man: "The fourth component is the distribution of honor to all people..."

We would expect the humble to eschew honor entirely; surprisingly, the Ramchal classifies honoring others as a fundamental behavior of the humble man. It seems that honor cannot be denied or suppressed. It is a reality of our world and it must be dealt with. The humble understand that honor exists not for the indulgence of their ego, but for them to bestow it upon others. (See this post.) Moreover, the very exercise of honoring others develops humility as it internalizes the sense that we have no rational claim on honor for ourselves.

The level after Anavah is Yiras Cheit, the Fear of Sin. This poses a problem. Fear of sin was established back in Zehirus as the earliest step of this program of spiritual growth (see chapter four and this post). How and why does it reappear here near the end? The Ramchal answers this question by distinguishing between different types of "fear" (or better, awe).

... the point of both of them is to abstain from doing anything against His exalted honor, may He be blessed. However the difference between the two... is that the [first type of] awe exists either at the time of doing [a mitzvah], at the time of divine service or in a situation of sin. That is, at the time that a person stands up to pray or serve Hashem they are embarrassed, ashamed, trembling and quaking before the exalted honor of Hashem, may He be blessed. Or at the time that an opportunity to sin presents itself... he should abstain from doing it so that he should not commit a violation before His Honorable Eyes, God forbid. But [the] Yiras Cheit [that we are dealing with in our chapter] exists at all times and at every hour. At every moment he is afraid lest he err and do something, or a part of something, that would be contrary to the honor of His Name, may He be blessed.

Note that the Ramchal used the word "honor" four times in that paragraph! In other words, Yiras Cheit is the unceasing concern for the honor of God. That would present a conflict of interest for someone who lacks humility and feels entitled to honor himself. Indeed, the Ramchal begins chapter twenty-four by telling us that Yiras Cheit is attainable "only by one who has already achieved all the previously mentioned attributes." But Anavah is more than just a prerequisite for Yiras Cheit, for Anavah is not only about eschewing honor; it is also about giving honor to others. A holy practice which can and ultimately will evolve into Yiras Cheit, in which honoring the ultimate Other - God Himself - is man's sole concern.

Welcome Benji!

2011-10-03T18:11:00.000-07:00

We welcome Benji Ginsberg as a new contributor to this blog. Besides being a good friend and a great writer, readers will see that Benji is also a creative Baal Mussar.

Benji's first post is already up. In its few short paragraphs, it provides a new - and timely - understanding of Teshuvah and the mysterious custom of abstaining from pas palter during the Ten Days of Repentance, making use of both the Euclidean vector and the centrality of d'veikus in the Ramchal's weltanschauung.

D'veikus has been addressed on this blog twice before, both times sparking fascinating discussion in the comments. For the possibility of experiencing d'veikus in the here and now, see this post. And for the appropriateness of d'veikus as a motivator in mitzvos bein adam l'chaveiro, see this post.

The Process of Teshuva

2011-10-03T08:51:00.000-07:00

One of the difficulties of trying to improve one’s self during the Aseres Yemai Teshuva is the overwhelming enormity of the task. We try certain things, accept upon ourselves certain chumros (like not eating Pas Palter) in an attempt to do enough good deeds to merit inscription in the Book of Life. But it is truly daunting. I mean, we know we will be basically the same people a few months from now. What is the point of it all? Why accept chumros that will disappear as soon as Yom Kippur is over? How is this useful for the process of Teshuva? How am I supposed to perfect myself with small, incremental changes?

The answer, I think, lies in the definition of what Teshuva really is. The Ramchal, way back in Chapter One of Mesillas Yesharim, writes:
Behold, our Sages have taught us that Man was created only to find delight in G-d, and to benefit from the radiance of the Divine Presence…. And if you were to investigate further into this matter, you would see that true perfection is only through attaching (D’veikus) one’s self with G-d.

The point of our existence is to become close to G-d. When we sin, we move away from G-d. We do Teshuva to move ourselves back in the right direction. In Physics, there is a concept of a vector, which is a force that moves in a specific direction. Teshuva, then, is really a spiritual vector: it is a force of spiritual growth moving in a direction back towards G-d, where we should be going. When the Navi admonishes the Jewish people to repent, he says “Shuva Yisrael ad Hashem Elokecha” – return to G-d. Move in G-d’s direction until you get to Him.

There’s an old aphorism that states “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step”. During the Aseres Yemai Teshuva, we accept upon ourselves certain stringencies or new kabolos to serve as an impetus or catalyst to do Teshuva. These actions are supposed to reorient our spiritual direction and get the ball rolling so that the inertia of Teshuva will take over and we can move along with it. The first act of Teshuva is creating an about-face to push us in the right direction. It doesn’t matter whether or not we keep doing these things after Yom Kippur. Of course, there is certainly more to Teshuva then just a redirection (see Rambam); it’s not just plugging an address into your GPS. But it does matter that we stay focused on where we should be going. If we lose sight of what we were put here for, than no amount of chumros or Al Chets will help us with our ultimate mission of becoming closer to G-d.

Taking Humilty from Mind to Heart

2011-09-26T18:13:00.000-07:00

Chapters twenty-two and twenty-three describe level seven, the level of Anavah – humility.

“Initially, a person has to be humble in thought; after that, he can be humble in action. For if in his mind he is not humble and he wants to behave humbly, he will just be one of the fake, terrible ‘humble’ people we wrote about earlier (in chapter 11); these are hypocrites and there is nothing in the world worse than them!”

Sounds reasonable enough, but the Ramchal contradicts himself and writes the exact opposite at the beginning of the very next chapter.

“Since it is in the nature of man’s heart to be haughty and raise himself [above others], it is difficult to initially uproot this natural tendency unless he utilizes external behaviors that are within his power and – little by little – he influences his inner self which is not so much under his control, just as we described in Zerizus (in chapter 7)…”

Here the Ramchal advocates using external behavior as a means to gain Anavah, directly contradicting what wrote in the previous chapter that a person must first be humble inside before behaving humbly externally.

The answer is that both statements are true and there is no contradiction here at all, for in these two chapters the Ramchal is speaking of two different stages of Anavah. In chapter twenty-two the Ramchal argues that one must first be “humble in thought.” This means that a person must know, intellectually, that “he is not entitled to honor or praise.” The entire chapter is dedicated to convincing us of this truth, but as we have learned time and again in this work, knowing is a long way from being. Chapter twenty-three, entitled “On the Means of Acquiring Anavah,” teaches us how to take what we know and internalize it, using external behaviors to modify ourselves.

“It is in the nature of man’s heart to be haughty…” Reading chapter twenty-two and knowing that we are not entitled to honor does not change the reality of human nature. At that stage, before a person is “humble in thought,” he is a faker if he behaves humbly and it will get him nowhere. However, when a person understands clearly that he should be humble, behaving humbly is not hypocritical. On the contrary, it is the appropriate means to acquiring true, internal Anavah.

Stress-Free Hasid

2011-09-25T22:21:00.000-07:00

No different than every level that came before it, the path to Hasidus is all in the mind. "What will be very helpful to acquiring Hasidus is great focus and much contemplation..." Although this time he doesn't say you're a fool to behave otherwise, nonetheless, the Ramchal believes that a Tahor who thinks deeply about God, man and the relationship between the two will be driven from Tahara into the awe and love of Hasidus.

What I found fascinating about this chapter is the role that Bitachon, "faith," plays in the life of the Hasid. According to the Ramchal, the Hasid needs Bitachon not for its inherent value, but for its side benefit as a stress reliever. Only a person with perfect faith that his livelihood is determined on Rosh Hashanah and is entirely in Hashem's hands will have the presence of mind to think clearly and contemplate deeply. Otherwise, he will always be too stressed and too distracted to realize that he ought to be a Hasid.

The (Un)Holy Fight

2011-09-23T12:36:00.000-07:00

The twentieth chapter contains the most important message of the entire book; a critical message for our times. "What I need to explain now is the 'weighing' of Hasidus. This is a very, very fundamental issue..." Unfortunately, it doesn't get much press.

There is no need to rewrite it here. The Ramchal is a far better writer than I and chapter twenty cannot be improved upon. I just want to share an application of this chapter that appears in the Mishnah Berurah in Hilchos Rosh Hashanah.

The Ramchal writes, "...For example, it is obviously appropriate for every person to go ahead, run to do a mitzvah and strive to be among those who are involved. However, sometimes this can cause a fight that will be more of a disgrace to the mitzvah and a desecration of Hashem's Name than bring honor. In such situations, certainly the Hasid is obligated to abandon the mitzvah..."

Here is the Halacha:

"If one sees there is a fight over [who should lead the Rosh Hashanah] davening, don't be the Hazzan. Even if this will result in a Hazzan who is unqualified" (Mishnah Berurah 581:11 citing Hayei Adam). Keep in mind that this Halacha appears immediately after this frightening statement by the Elyah Rabba: "[If someone] unqualified, inappropriate or lacking in proficiency [takes the Amud on the Days of Awe], [Hashem] does not delay as [He does] by other punishments, but rather exacts punishment immediately!"

Beyond Pure

2011-09-22T16:21:00.000-07:00

A fascinating distinction between Tahara and Hasidus is described towards the end of chapter nineteen, where the Ramchal compares the intent and motivation of the Tahor to that of the Hasid:

"Earlier [in chapter 16, on Tahara] we have already spoken about the different levels of L'shmah and non-L'shmah. However, certainly one who intends in his service to purify his soul before his creator in order to merit to be included among the upright and the pious, to experience the pleasantness of Hashem, to visit his sanctuary and to receive the reward of the next world - we cannot say that such an intent is bad, but nor can we say that it is the best. For as long as a person has himself in mind, his service is ultimately self-serving. The true kavanah that is found by the Hasidim who worked and strove to achieve it, is for man to serve Hashem solely in order that the honor of the Master, may He be blessed, should grow and increase..."

A person can perform a mitzvah perfectly, with a kavana which is Tahor and L'shmah, but there is still room for improvement. A mitzvah done because I want to get close to Hashem is indeed a beautiful thing, but it is not "the best." It is still about me.

The Ofek Translation: A Review

2011-09-22T12:52:00.000-07:00

by Eliezer Brodt

There have beenvarious commentaries and translations of this important work over the years.One such work has been published by the Ofeq Institute. They recently published an Englishtranslation of an alternative version of the Mesilat Yesharim. Thisversion is fundamentally different than the standard edition of MesilatYesharim. The standard edition is divided into chapters based upon variouscharacter traits. This new version eschews the chapter divisionsand instead is arranged in a conversation or dialogue format. Specifically, adialogue between a "wise man" and a "pious person." This second version comes from a manuscript in theBaron Ginzburg collection in the St. Petersberg Library. The manuscript is inthe Ramchal's own hand and is substantially longer than the other version.Although the Hebrew edition of the dialogue version has been available for awhile (also from Ofeq) [1], thisversion has now been published in an English edition.

This English translation includes an introduction discussing the MesilatYesharim, the two versions, and the English translation employed. Thetranslation does not skimp in the sense that it is annotated with English notes- something that does not appear in all English translations. Instead, manyEnglish translations provide the footnotes in Hebrew. This seemscounter-intuitive for if the person wants to read the work in English, theywould like to read the whole work including the footnotes. This edition doesnot suffer from that and instead, almost everything is in English.Additionally, Ofeq also included the original version in translation as well. There are,however, two parts that remain in Hebrew. The first are citations to verses, Talmudic passages and the like; the second is an appendix titled Bein HaMesilot whichcompares the dialogue version with the standard chapter version.

When it comes to English translations, there are typically two options. Thefirst are academic presses which are typically expensive and not aimed at apopular audience. The second are the traditional Orthodox presses, while theseare typically more readable, they (although not always) don't provide some ofthe scholarly detail. Ofeq's translation of the Mesilat Yesharim strikes a nice balance between these two - they have produced a highly readableyet include the scholarly detail as well.

As mentioned above, what is unique about thiscopy of the Mesilat Yesharim is that is is written in a completelydifferent style than the current Mesilat Yesharim. This new version iswritten in a debate form. The Ramchal wrote other works in debate form as well.For example, his work on defending kabbala. For whatever reason, he chose toprint the other, standard, version and the debate version remained inmanuscript. It's unclear, however, why the Ramchal chose to do so. Many feelthat a debate version is much better for two reasons: One, it keeps the readermuch more interested and two, it brings out the various points much better asis always in a debate form.

Turning back to the Ofeq edition in particular,it is important to highlight the footnotes included. (While much has beenwritten on the Mesilat Yesharim before this edition, especially worthyof mention is the edition of R. Sarna.) This edition includes notes by R.Shoshana. Aside from explaining the text and the conceptstherein and providing sources from Hazeland the rishonim (R. Shoshana writes that he has spent many years learningthis sefer very carefully), the notes also offer historical information, such as on page 6 whendealing with learning pilpul or on page 127 about a custom in those days inItaly where there were large plays and comics played before Jewish audiences.

The endsection, Bein HaMesilot, is a great section discussing at length a fewtopics of the Mesilat Yesharim and comparing and contrasting how thetwo versions differ. This shows that at times the debate versionis much lengthier than the current version we have. Another thing that was donein this edition is that they fixed up the original version of MesilatYesharim from all the mistakes that crept in since its first printing. Thissefer by an the author who wassubjected to much opposition in his lifetime by many great gedolim, as isdocumented in the Iggeres Ramchal, was zoche that one of hisworks became an enduring classic.

The only criticism I can think of on thisedition is that they should have included all their appendices andintroductions from their previously printed Hebrew edition. But with this new edition it should be much easier to learn and I amsure this all-time classic will continue to be enjoyed even today.

[1]The Hebrewedition includes an extensive introduction enumerating all the differencesbetween the versions by R. Yosef Avivi, an expert on Kaballah and especiallythe Ramchal's writings.

Beyond Nice

2011-09-21T17:26:00.000-07:00

In his recent post, Eliezer Brodt points out that Mesilas Yesharim is peppered with extraordinary statements. Here is one that is at the top of my list:

"[A Hasid] should strive to do everything within his ability to bring any kind of pleasure to his fellow man. Whether it relates to honor, or anything else, anything that he knows would please his friend if he would do it - it is a Mitzvah of Hasidus to do it." (chapter 19)

This statement is all the more extraordinary in light of an earlier statement:

"In order to purify his thoughts when serving [Hashem], one should spend more time thinking about the perfidy and deception of honor and train himself to flee from it. Then he will be free of paying attention to the praise and compliments of people at the time when he is involved in his Divine service..." (chapter 17)

Despite the danger that honor poses to our Mitzvos, it is still a "Mitzvah of Hasidus" to distribute honor freely! This brings to mind a saying of R. Yisroel Salanter: "Someone else's Olam Hazeh is my Olam Habah!"

Some Comments on the Mesilat Yesharim

2011-09-21T12:06:00.000-07:00

By EliezerBrodt

The MesilatYesharim, by R. Moshe Chaim Luzzato (Ramchal), is one of the foundationalworks of mussar. What is rather remarkable about the Ramchal is that during hislife time he was heavily persecuted [1] howeverthat radically changed after his death. Many of his works became classics ofJewish literature, especially his work Mesilat Yesharim - the subject ofthis blog. In the past twenty-five years we have seen anexplosion of printings of his and his talmdim's [2] works, many for the first time from manuscript. These works were printed by RChaim Friedlander and more recently byR. M. Shreiki [3].

Many people of different ‘groups’ of Judaism praised the Ramchal. Most notably theGra was very much ‘into’ the Ramchal and even said that if the Ramchal wasalive he would travel by foot to study by him [4].Talmidim influenced by the Gra most notably R. Chaim Volzhiner also use the workof the Ramchal [5]. In Chassdic circles we also find verypositive mention and usage of the Ramachal’s work [6]. Andof course the Mussar movement studied this work very much. Even in academiccircles this book has received great praise, the famous professor of philosophy, Yeshayahu Leibowitz, said it is one of the five most important Jewishbooks of all time (related to philosophy) and he gave numerous classes on thework over the years.

For many years, the sefer Messilat Yesharimwas learned as a mussar sefer, becoming one of the classics. Many people usedto take it into a dark room and learn it in special tunes saying the wordsagain and again until they penetrated. However, many people have a fear ofmussar, having bad memories from yeshiva, forcing themselves to read mussarsefarim during mussar seder that they felt did not talk to them. I would liketo suggest a new way to read this sefer. Read it as a regular sefer.Concentrate on the ideas discussed in it, not only focused on the mussar, butrather on the pshatim, aggada and statements throughout the sefer. I later found that Rav Henkin said a similar thing:

על אודות הספרמסילת ישרים אמר, שהוא ספר מלא חכמה עמוקה לא רק ספר של מוסר כמו שחושביםהעולם...". (סוף שו"ת בני בנים, ב).

Just to list a few of these lesser appreciatedportions of the Mesilat Yesharim:

והנה ודאישיעזרהו לזה רוב התמדה והעיון במזמורי דוד המלך והתבונוות בם במאמריהם וענינים כיבהיותם כולם מלאים אהבה ויראה וכל מיני חסידות. הבנה בהתבוננו בם. לא ימנע מהתעוררבו התעוררות גדול לצאת בעקבותיו וללכתב בדרכיו. (פרק כא)

Or highlightingthe value of reading gedolim books or at least the aggadic section of thegemara:

וכן תועילהקריאה בסיפור מעשה החסידים באגדות אשר באו שם. כי כל אלה מעוררים את השכל להתיעץולעשות כמעשיהם הנחמדים... (פרק כא)

In thispassage, the Ramchal takes a positive view vis-a-vis working for a living, at least iflearning remains a main focus

כי הנה העסקמוכרח הוא לאדם לצרוך פרנסתו, אך ריבו העסק אינו מוכרח שיהיה כל כך גדול עד שלאיניח לו מקום אל עבודותו. על כן נצטוינו לקבוע עתים לתורה. (פרק ה וראה פרק כא)

And, on keepingchumros he has an interesting point

הוא להחמיר בהםתמיד לחוש אפילו לדברי יחיד במחלקות אם טעמו נראה אפילו שאין הלכה כמותו(פרק יד)

Elsewhere heexpands on this thought a bit more

באשר כבר יחשבושהחסידות תלוי בדברי הבל או דברים נגד השכל והדיעה הנכונה. ויאמינו היות כלהחסידות תלוי רק באמירת בקשות רבות ווידוים גדולים ובכיות והשתחויות גדולותובסיגופים הזרים שימית בהם אדם את עצמו כטיבלת הקרא והשלג וכיוצא בדברים אלה... אךמציאות החסידות עצמו הוא דבר עמוק... כי הנה המצות המוטלת על כל ישראל כבר ידועותהן וחובתן ידועה עד היכן היא מגעת. אמנם מי שאוהב את הבורא ית"ש אהבה אמתית לאישתדל ויכון לפטור עצמו במה שכבר מפורסם מן החובה אשר על כל ישראל בכלל... אלאאדרבא... יהיה לי לעינים להרבות בזה הענין ולהרחיב אותו בכל הצדדין שאוכל לדון שרצונויתברך חפץ בו... נמצא כלל החסידות הרחבת קיום כל המצות בכל הצדדין והתנאים שראויושאפשר... (פרק יח) [7]

In theintroduction the Ramchal has a puzzling remark that many have taken issuewith, but in reality, the Ramchal was following in the path of ChovoshaLevovos [8]

היתכן שיגעויעמול שכלנו בחקירות אשר לא נתחייבו בם, בפלפולים אשר לא יצא לנו שום פרי מהם,ודינים אשר אינם שייכם לנו.

The Ramchal writes a puzzling remark in the beginning, showing hishumility:

אמר המחבר החיבור הזה לא חיברתיו ללמוד לבני אדםאת אשר לא ידעו אלא להזכירם את הידוע להם כבר ומפורסם אצלם פרסום גדול

R. Sarna writesin his notes on Mesilat Yesharim that he finds this statement to be the mostpuzzling statement in the entire sefer.

One last nice quotefrom Mesilat Yesharim is:

והפרישות... הוא התבודדות וההבדל מן החברההמדינית לפנות לבו אל העבודה והתבוננות בה כראוי ובתנאי שלא יטה גם בזה אל הקצההאחר שכבר אמר ז"ל לעולם תהא דעתו של אדם מעורב עם הבריות... (פרק יד)

[1] On this topic see IgrosRamchal [on this work see my Likutei Eliezer, p. 109]; Chida, Magel Tov,p. 9 [On the Chida and the Ramchal see; M. Maimon, Yeshurn 25 (2011) pp.973-974]; E. Carlebach, The Pursuit of Hersey, Columbia Press, 195-255.

For some general sources on the Ramchalsee: Isaiah Tishby, Messianic Mysticism: Moses Hayyim Luzzatto and the PaduaSchool, trans. Morris Hoffman (Oxford: Littman Library, 2008); R. M. Shreiki , Or Olam; David Sclar, "TheRise of the Ramhal: Printing and Traditional Jewish Historiography in the'After-Life' of Moseh Hayyim Luzzatto," in Gadi Luzzato Voghera and MauroPerani, eds., Ramhal: Pensiero ebraico e kabbalah tra Padova ed Eretz Israel(Padova: Esedra, 2010), pp. 139-153. See also this rare book.

[2] JonathanGarb, Tarbitz 79 (2011), pp. 263-303; Jonathan Garb, "The Circle ofMoshe Hayyim Luzzatto in Its Eighteenth-Century Context," Eighteenth-CenturyStudies 44:2 (Winter 2010), pp. 189-202

[3] In the‘pizza pie series’ as Rabbi Gordon used to refer to them to me in the past.

[4]For a discussionabout the Gra and his views towards R. Moshe Hayyim Luzzato and the MesilatYesharim, see Y. Eliach, HaGra, vol. 1 pp. 240-45, where Eliachdevotes a chapter to this issue. There is even a statement attributed to theGra that there are no extra words in the sefer Messilat Yesharim, untilchapter 11. This statement sparked a discussion as to exactly which word inchapter 11 is the extra one that the Gra was referring to. Additionally, itseems that the Gra even had some of the Ramchal's works in manuscript.

[5]See: N. Lamm, Torah Lishmah, pp. 338- 340. In a blog post discussing the content and censorship of thesefer Menuchah u-Kedushah, I note that according to the author of Menucahu-Kedushah, a talmid of R. Chaim Volozhiner, the Messilat Yesharim waswritten with ruach ha-kodesh. For other pro-Ramchal sources in litivishsources see R. Y. Chaver, Magen Vetzenah, p.7; Matzav Hayashar,2: 74a. See also Y. Tishbi, Chikrei Kabblah, 3, pp. 937-939.

Seealso what Rav Kook Said on this work:

מסילת ישרים ראוי להקרא בשם ספרהספרים, כי עלכל משפט שלו אפשרלחבר ספר (ר'משה נריה, מועדי הראי"ה, עמ'נ-נא).

Seealso R. Dovid Hanazir, Kol Hanevuah, pp. 278-318.

[6] See A.Marcus, Hachassidus, pp. 324-326; Keses Hasofer, p. 12a. Seealso, E. Zweifel, Shalom Al Yisroel, 3. pp. 17-18.

[7] For moreon this Ramchal, see my Bein KessahLassur, pp. 237- 239.

[8] Muchhas been written about this statement. Y. Leibowitz, Sichos Al Misslat Yesharyim Leramchal, p. 38,43, incorrectly I might add, goes sofar as to say that this is the cause why the Rabonyim came out against theRamchal. On this topic see, Marc B. Shapiro, "Aspectsof Rabbi Moses Sofer's Intellectual Profile," in JayM. Harris, ed., Be'erot Yitzhak: Studies in Memory of Isadore Twersky(Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 2005), pp. 294-296; Hakira4, 2007, p. 254, 264-266; Hakira 5, 2007, pp. 27-28.

Foundations and Roots

2011-09-20T15:20:00.000-07:00

Thank you Reb Yisroel for inviting me to contribute to this blog. I had the distinct privelige to learn from Rabbi Noah Weinberg his unique approach to Mesilas Yesharim. I have attempted over the past years to understand and integrate this as well as share this treasure with others.

To even consider commenting on the Mesilas Yesharim is quite daunting since this work is so complex and profound.

Clarity. That is the definitive approach to life that the Ramchal emplores each of us. If we are to take Torah and life seriously then we must, we are obligated, to know what it is that we are living for. The very first line of the first chapter lays out this mandate.

After reading the remarks that the Vilna Gaon is supposed to have said regarding the non-superfluous nature of the Ramchal's writing, this opening line seems quite redundant.

"The foundation of piety and the root of perfection is to clarify and make true to a person what his obligation in the world is and to what he needs to place all of his goals and aspirations towards in all that he toils with all the days of his life."

One could easily equate foundation with roots, clarify with making true, and goals with aspirations. Simply stated; the foundation for perfection is to know clearly what you are living for.

However in this one actually concise (albeit run-on) sentence the Ramchal encapsulates the level of clarity regarding our life's purpose that he is directing us towards.

A foundation is that which one builds upon whereas a root is something which provides nourishment for growth. The foundation is strong and firm yet stagnant. The root is something which while not strong enough to stand upon is vibrant enough to break through cement.

These two elements are combined with the sequence of doubles; a foundation comes from clarity of goals, roots are the result of making this real within us and turning it into a passion. The Ramchal is instructing us to first and foremost have a clear understanding of what our life's purpose is; not simply a cliche or a nice sounding lofty ideal but rather a thought out unshakable conviction combined with real "concrete" goals. However that is not sufficient. If we truly wish to live then we must take this deep intellectual understanding to a whole new level. We must make it true, make it real. It must be something which is alive. We must translate our outlooks into passions, something we are driven by.

Refining the Heart

2011-09-20T12:49:00.000-07:00

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.

Educating the Jew: Mandatory or Voluntary?

2011-09-18T16:33:00.000-07:00

After Nekius comes Prishus - beginning what we can call Mesilas Yesharim volume two. "Everything we explained until this point is what is necessary for man to become a Tzaddik. From here on is what is necessary to become a Hasid" (chapter 13). (Please note that this work predates the Hasidic Movement.)

Mesilas Yesharim I defines our obligations as Jews. We are obligated to be naki - clean of sin. But there is (potentially) more to our relationship with God than just obligations and so we have Mesilas Yesharim II on the value and the method of going beyond the letter of the law. This is the author's definition of "Hasid." Nonetheless, what R. Pinchas ban Yair said remains true: Nekius leads to Prishus.

In an earlier post we noted that the author attributes a of lack of Nekius to "foolishness" (sichlus; "stupidity" is probably a more accurate translation). Surprisingly, he says the same for Prishus as well:

"...This is the only thing this man needs to learn: to educate his mind to recognize the tenuousness and deception of these pleasures until he is instinctively repulsed by them... When he gets used to constantly focusing on this truth, little by little he will be freed from the shackles of stupidity that the darkness of materialism chained on him and he won't be seduced by the temptations of the false pleasures..." (Chap. 15)

Although Prishus brings us into a new world of voluntary Hasidus, it turns out that it is acquired by simply following through on the obligatory education of Nekius: The awareness that the Yetzer HaRa leads man not only to sin, but also to self-destructive, illogical behavior. The education of the Jew which began with Nekius thus leads directly into Prishus. Just as R. Pinchas ben Yair promised.

(See chapter 8 and this post on how Zehirus develops into Zerizus. The author deals with the development of Zerizus into Nekius in chapter 12.)

The stupidity and the danger of following the Yetzer HaRa is well-known. It is the journey from intellectual awareness to human behavior that gives us trouble. In a word: maturity (see this post). Ultimately, it is his level of maturity that separates the man from the mouse, the Zahir from the Zariz, the Zariz from the Naki, and the Naki from the Parush.

Bein Adam Lechaveiro- Dveikus or Ahava?

2011-09-16T00:10:00.000-07:00

I have just started mesilas yesharim with a long distance chavrusa and am struck by a question. The message of Chapter One that a person's motivation should be to achieve dveikus and that should lead him to fulfilling mitzvos with great care to achieve the desired dveikus leads me to wonder if there is a difference in this between mitzvos between a person and Hashem and mitzvos between a person and his fellow man. I am ok with someone keeping Shabbos with great care in order to achieve dveikus. But if I am greeted with warmth by someone who has just studied the first chapter of Mesilas Yesharim and his greeting was motivated by the desire to achieve dveikus by fulfilling the rabbinic dictum to greet his fellow, I somehow feel better about the warm hello that I get from someone who has never heard of Rav Moshe Chaim Luzzato and is just a loving person.
Does the Mesilas Yesharim want my mitzvos vis a vis my fellow man to be motivated by the desire to achieve dveikus or by my love of my fellow man?

The means have nothing to do with the ends

2011-09-15T00:37:00.000-07:00

In Chapter 11, Ramchal makes an amazing statement. He says that just as someone who steals a Lulav gets no merit (and actually a sin) by shaking that Lulav, so to someone who steals time from his employer to do a mitzvah gets no merit from having done that mitzvah.

This statement does not differentiate between mitzvot bein adam l'Makom or bein adam l'chaveiro.

In the case of a stolen Lulav, since shaking the lulav is a mitzva bein adam l'Makom, it makes sense for Hashem to say "Well that lulav is stolen, so I don't want your mitzvah." But if someone is a Robin Hood, and steals money from one person and gives it as tzedaka to a needy person, even though his act of stealing may have been wrong, why should he get no reward for having given charity to someone in need? At the end of the day, the poor person had enough money to put food on the table that night!

I think what you see here, is that our obligation in life has nothing to do with the actual outcome of our actions. It is our obligation to always do the right thing, and it is up to Hashem to actually make sure that those actions have proper outcomes. If you give charity to a poor person who accidentally drops it down the drain, you still gave charity, and will be rewarded accordingly. And if you steal from one person to give charity to another, even though the charity was given, you will get no reward.

I think this is the idea of "mi shebikesh la'asot mitzvah, v'neenas, mekabel sechar keilu asa'ah - if someone tries to do a mitzvah, and for some reason beyond his control he is prevented from doing so, he receives reward as if he had done it." Divine reward and punishment are not tied into whether one actually accomplishes something (physically), but rather, whether one does their absolute best to do the right thing.

Zahir? Yes. Smart? No.

2011-09-15T00:05:00.000-07:00

In his recent post, Adam offered an interesting explanation as to why the Ramchal goes into the details of Mitzvos for the first time in chapter eleven. In summery, he argues that since the traits of zehirus and zerizus deal with "the basic issue of what to do or not do" any question of details can easily "be looked up in the Shulchan Aruch." Nekius, however, "builds on this foundation, going beyond it... At this level we are not just able to open a Shulchan Aruch and see whether we are doing this or that mitzvah the right way. We have to actively and deeply look at ourselves in a way that goes beyond simple motivation to a deeper level of being self-critical and working with oneself."

Adam's post challenged me to take a fresh look at what the Ramchal is doing in chapter eleven. Here are my findings:

Although the level of nekius does not involve going beyond the letter of the law and the Shulchan Aruch alone should still suffice, nonetheless, the Ramchal must discuss the details of individual mitzvos for reasons he himself makes clear. The Ramchal is concerned about the confluence of an intense Yetzer HaRa with unknown or unclear Halachos. In situations like that, a good person - even one who is a zahir - will fail.

Just look at the Ramchal's concerns: The salesman who violates ona'ah because he says to himself, "how can we not strive in business to convince our friends to appreciate the value of our goods?"; the employee who thinks it's OK to do Mitzvos during business hours; the man who thinks the Halachos which separate the sexes are only for the "hot-blooded"; the adviser who asks how he can be expected to give advice that would be personally detrimental; the person with a grievance who won't take revenge, but doesn't want to be such close friends anymore. These are all examples of Halachos that are technically in Shulchan Aruch but yet the zahir is not naki in them - for the Yetzer HaRa presents a compelling case.

The Ramchal has repeatedly told us that he is worried not only about the Halachos that the zahir may not know, but also about the Yetzer HaRa's effect on his clarity of thought (see this post). Back in zerizus, the Ramchal dedicated virtually the entire chapter nine to describing a person who claims he is not zariz because of health or safety concerns. This person validates his behavior with biblical verses and statements of the sages about the importance of taking care of our well-being, but the Ramchal doesn't buy it: "His fear is not the source of his laziness; his laziness is the source of his fear!"

It is for this reason that the Ramchal takes the time in chapter eleven to describe the effect of non-kosher food on the mind of the Jew. "Sin clogs man's heart, removing from him the knowledge of truth and the intelligent spirit that God grants to the devout... This is more true about non-kosher food than any other sin for it actually enters the man's body - you are what you eat."

In other words, if you eat non-kosher food, your Yetzer HaTov becomes dim-witted. Without an "intelligent spirit," the Yetzer HaRa will trick you time and again, and there is no chance of ever becoming naki.

The Ramchal goes on to compare food of uncertain Kashrus to food that might be poisonous. Just as only a "mentally retarded person" (shoteh gamur) would risk eating something that might kill him, so too any "person of intelligence" would never take risks in Kashrus.

Well then, it just begs the question. How indeed does an otherwise intelligent, zahir person eat food that might not be kosher? The Ramchal has already provided the answer. This man's Jewish brain was fried long ago by the spiritual narcotic of non-kosher food!

The Ramchal can't leave nekius to the Shulchan Aruch, for as long as the Yetzer HaRa is doing its thing and the zahir is not naki, he simply can't be trusted to read straight.

Later in the chapter, the Ramchal discusses common character flaws. Here too, his central concern is with the foolishness of it all. After describing different types of arrogant behavior, he says, "These are all the result of arrogance which throws the wise backward and turns their knowledge into foolishness... Know and understand that arrogance is nothing other than an actual blindness, where a person's intelligence fails to see his flaws..." After describing different types of angry people, he cites this verse, "Don't confuse your spirit with anger, for anger rests in the lap of fools" (Koheles 7:9). After anger, he moves on to jealousy: "Jealousy is also nothing other than a lack of knowledge and foolishness..." Regarding the love of money he says, "It often drives one to violate the Mitzvos of the Torah, and even the natural laws of logic." Lastly, the Ramchal describes the illogical behavior of one driven by a desire for honor and respect, calling it "ridiculous" (ho'lelus) and "foolish" (sichlus).

In all of these negative drives, the Ramchal identifies the single common denominator: foolishness. Zahir? Yes. Smart? Clearly not.

It could be that everything I wrote here is obvious. It may all just be commentary on Adam's post, or maybe we fundamentally disagree. I'm really not sure. I guess I'm not naki yet.

From Learning to Doing

2011-09-13T16:28:00.000-07:00

Chapter 11 represents a shift in Mesilas Yesharim in a number of ways. As mentioned in a previous post, this chapter is longer than others and touches upon a number of mitzvos, often looking at particular aspects of a single mitzvah as an example. In contrast, the previous chapters were brief and touched on general aspects of the traits of zehirus and zerizus, but often did not touch upon particulars.

This shift can be viewed are a natural consequence of the trait of nekius itself. The traits of zehirus and zerizus correlate roughly to the groupings positive and negative mitzvos. Because the basic issue of what to do or not do is make explicit in the details mitzvah itself (which can, for example, be looked up in the Shulchan Aruch), Ramchal does not have to go into details, but can come with general insights on how to motivate ourselves to action or to refrain from action. As he points out in previous chapters, analysis is necessary, but it seems only to the degree that it motivates one to avoid a prohibition or perform a commandment. The twin traits of zehirus and zerizus lay a solid foundation for Jewish life and one who has acquired them both has reached a lofty level, but in a sense the person who has acquired these traits is really just a person who actively and outwardly performs mitzvos. A very high level, yes, but only a foundation it seems.

Nekius builds on this foundation, going beyond it. Ramchal writes that Nekius is related to zehirus, but on a higher level. As we will see in the future, this is common for the traits described in Mesilas Yesharim. Various traits are described as standing in relation to each other in a way that is similar to traits on a lower lever. The traits found in the beraisa of Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair has been described described as a ladder (or escalator, see below), with one trait leading up to another, but is perhaps more accurately described as a spiral staircase. While one is ascending, one comes to the same place one was before, but on a higher level, with a different vantage point, one that requires more detailed introspection.

It is here at this higher vantage point that the sefer seems to change from a book that one simply learns to acquire some bit of knowledge to a book that provides a systematic approach. Like any approach, it needs to be practiced to be of any use. It is here we go from learning mussar to really doing mussar, with the Ramchal giving us various examples of how that can be done. At this level we are not just able to open a Shulchan Aruch and see whether we are doing this or that mitzvah the right way. We have to active and deeply look at ourselves in a way that goes beyond simple motivation to a deeper level of being self-critical and working with oneself.

Welcome Rabbi Denbo!

2011-09-13T11:45:00.000-07:00

We are honored to welcome our newest contributor, Rabbi Shalom Denbo. A talmid of Rabbi Noah Weinberg, a respected Mohel and an inspiring educator, Rabbi Denbo has been teaching Mesilas Yesharim for years. We look forward to reading his posts.

On the Relevance of Nekius

2011-09-12T18:03:00.000-07:00

Chapter eleven makes us feel bankrupt. While it seems reasonable to strive for zehirus and zerizus, no matter how you spin it, nekius just does not seem humanly possible. Complete and total eradication of the Yetzer HaRa?! Even our indefatigable author grants that it is "difficult" (See, however, the final paragraph of the chapter). One can't help but wonder how many years (centuries?) it has been since a naki has walked this earth.

But yet, the Mesilas Yesharim remains relevant, for why should we assume it is all or nothing? People are multidimensional. A person can certainly be less than zahir in one area and naki in another.

We should not make the mistake of working only on the areas where we are weak and abandon our qualities to habit. Where we are strong and have already reached zerizus, we should be striving for greatness, for nekius. (Yes, Virginia, everyone is a zariz for at least some Mitzvos.) The Ramchal tells us how to carry our strengths to new heights and we can use his advice. Nekius is relevant for us all.

This explains chapter eleven. Inordinately long relative to the other chapters of the book, in chapter eleven the author stops speaking in generalities and enters into the details of specific character traits and Mitzvos. He sounds almost apologetic when he explains why he isn't writing about every Mitzvah. "Even though the Yetzer HaRa tries to get people to violate every law, there are those that human nature finds more desirous... requiring greater strength to defeat his Yetzer and become clean (naki) of the sin." And later, "I am only going to discuss the [Mitzvos] where most people typically fail."

Why does the Ramchal need to discuss the details of every Torah challenge? He could drastically shorten this chapter by simply stating that the Yetzer HaRa must be defeated on all fronts. But life is not all or nothing. This is the Ramchal's message: Every single Mitzvah and every single Middah present a stand-alone nekius opportunity.

The Ramchal says as much quite explicitly in chapter eleven. "Many have achieved chassidus (yischasidu) in many aspects of chassidus, but have not been able to reach perfection when it comes to disdaining [illegal] financial gain." There it is: Perfection in one area; imperfection in another. It's not hypocrisy; it's just being human.

The Changing Face of Inspiration

2011-09-12T14:13:00.000-07:00

Chapter eight is deceptive. It first appears simple, almost obvious, but a careful reading quickly reveals the author's precision and insight.

He tells us that zhirus and zerizus are actually two sides of the same coin - zehirus is avoiding sin and zerizus is doing Mitzvos - and therefore there is no real difference in method when it comes to acquiring these two traits. Torah leads to zerizus just as it leads to zehirus, with the same three types of inspiration for the three different types of people, as described back in chapter four.

On the face of it, that is all the author seems to say and it makes perfect sense. However, this is problematic. R. Pinchas ben Yair did not say that Torah leads to both zehirus and zerizus; he said Torah leads to zehirus and zehirus leads to zerizus. Is the Ramchal accusing R. Pinchas ben Yair of inexactitude?

The simple answer to this question is found in the final paragraph of chapter nine. There the Ramchal says that zerizus belongs after zehirus for as long as people pay no attention to their behavior, excitement for Mitzvos is highly unlikely. It is only after zehirus is achieved that zerizus becomes a possibility. This is of course true, but in chapter eight the Ramchal provides, in his subtle choice of words, a deeper appreciation of the process in which zehirus brings a person to zerizus.

At the end of chapter eight, the author sums up the chapter, claiming that he has described how the same three kinds of inspiring contemplations that worked for zehirus also work for zerizus. But a careful reading shows that the Ramchal has written things differently here. First of all, before the final paragraph, no mention is made of the three different kinds of people. The Ramchal just describes three ways of thinking that lead to zerizus as if they work equally well on all people. More significantly, none of the three "contemplations" found in chapter eight match the "contemplations" found in chapter four! In chapter four we find the fear of flaws for the "shleimei hada'as," the shame of dishonor in the next world for those "inferior to them," and the fear of punishment for "the masses." Compare that to the three "contemplations" of chapter eight: First there is awareness of the value of Mitzvos and the magnitude of our obligation to perform them, then there is thinking about the constant flow of wonderful things that God does for people, and finally, man's dependence of God and awareness that a failure in divine service could lead to deprivation. The two sets of three just don't match.

It seems our three friends have changed since chapter four. While before zehirus contemplations have to be custom-tailored for different kinds of people, after zehirus is achieved and people have grown in their spiritual sensitivity, they can be motivated by an increasing variety of contemplations. And although they still have different "personalities" and the Torah impacts and inspires them in different ways, we can readily see how they have matured and are now not just inspired by the Torah to avoid sin, but each in his own way is motivated to do Mitzvos as well.

Indeed, it is as R. Pinchas ben Yair said. Zehirus leads to zerizus.

And Zerizus Leads To...

2011-09-09T11:19:00.000-07:00

Chapter seven is entitled, "Describing the Components of Zerizus." The author tells us that zerizus consists of two parts: 1) taking advantage of Mitzvah opportunities as soon as they arise, and 2) completing Mitzvos with alacrity, not because you want to get it over with but because you are afraid the Mitzvah might slip away before you are finished doing it.

Luzzatto then goes on to tell us something extraordinary about zerizus. Whereas a person is by nature lazy, acting with zeal and alacrity will create a fundamental change. Acting externally with zerizus transforms you internally into a person who is in love with Hashem and is driven to do Mitzvos.

It is nice to know about the transformative power of zerizus, but why is Luzzatto writing about it here? This chapter is dedicated to describing the components of zerizus; side effects, however positive, are irrelevant. While it is possible that Luzzatto is just trying to encourage us, telling us that zerizus won't be as hard as we think for we will grow into it and eventually enjoy it, I believe our Kabbalist author has something far more fundamental in mind.

The next level after zerizus is nekius. Nekius is the state of being entirely clean of sin - both in deed and in mind. A naki has eradicated his evil inclination and his negative drives, and no longer has any desire to sin. This is an extraordinary spiritual level, one which seems light years ahead of zerizus. Nonetheless, it is the very next level. How does a person get from zerizus to nekius?

Luzzatto deals with this problem in chapter ten and his answer is amazing: Once a person achieves zehirus and zerizus they will automatically transform into a naki! (The only thing lacking is a comprehensive knowledge of Torah. See chapter twelve.) For, as he wrote here, zerizus changes the person internally, developing a growing love for Hashem and Mitzvos. Eventually, the fire of his Yetzer HaRa will be extinguished.

But our question still remains unanswered. So what if zerizus develops into nekius? That is relevant for nekius, not zerizus. Why speak of it here in chapter seven?

The answer can be found in the original words of R. Pinchas ben Yair. "Zerizus leads to Nekius." This is the very definition of zerizus: it is a thing that leads to nekius. And if it doesn't, then it just isn't zerizus. For example, if one were to act with zeal and alacrity because they just wanted to get the Mitzvah over with, such behavior will not create any inner transformation, nor will it lead to nekius. Ergo, such behavior is not zerizus at all. The transformation of the person is thus a defining component of zerizus and that is why it belongs in chapter seven.

It turns out that the ladder of spiritual growth is actually more of an escalator than a ladder. A person is lifted automatically from level one to level two, from level two to level three, and so on. The task is thus far less daunting than one would suppose. One needs only to perform well on their current level - and one day they will discover themselves elevated to the next level.

The Hidden Cost of Laziness

2011-09-08T12:30:00.000-07:00

Chapter six introduces and defines the second level, zerizus.

Zerizus can be translated as "zeal" or "alacrity" (Ofek, Feldheim). However, see "Lights Along the Way" (Artscroll) where R. Twersky refuses to translate the word, claiming there is no fair English equivalent. Regardless of how you translate zerizus, chapter six is basically a manifesto against its antithesis: i.e., laziness.

Man is naturally lazy, Luzzatto tells us, and one who wishes to achieve zerizus must strive to overcome their very nature. Otherwise, man is guaranteed to end up bereft of mitzvos.

Simple enough. But Luzzatto is not satisfied. He quotes Mishlei (24:30-34) in which Shlomo HaMelech contemplates an overgrown vineyard with a broken fence and learns this lesson: "A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the arms to lie down, then your poverty shall come as a runner..." Ramchal then quotes a Midrash which interprets these verses as an analogy. Someone who fails to invest sufficient time and energy into learning will, as a result, fail to understand Torah and then misinterpret it, ultimately leading to violations of the law.

Question: Why is Ramchal talking about learning? His topic here is how laziness works against zerizus. Learning will obviously be damaged by laziness, just like every other mitzvah - why is it singled out?

I think it is clear that Luzzatto is not just giving us learning as an example, but is rather making an additional, important point about zerizus. Laziness prevents Mitzvah performance in two very different ways.

1) Because of laziness, a person will fail to fulfill his obligations.
2) Because of laziness, a person will not learn enough, and then, due to their lack of training, they will misinterpret Torah - and do Mitzvos wrong!

Although well-intentioned and, if they ever realize their error, these people will assume it was "just a mistake," they are not as innocent as they think. It all comes back to a failure in zerizus.

Peer Pressure

2011-09-08T09:37:00.000-07:00

When describing the things that get in the way of proper Zehirut, Ramchal names 3 reasons: Being too busy, not taking life seriously, and having bad friends. Ramchal previously talked about being too busy as being the big challenge to Zehirut, and being overly jovial and not taking things seriously seems to be the direct opposite of Zehirut, so it makes sense why Ramchal mentions these two here.

Having bad friends is interesting, however, as its opposite - having good friends - is not mentioned as one of the positive ways of acquiring Zehirut. This is strange because in Pirkei Avot (Chapter 2) it says "איזוהי דרך ישרה שידבק בה האדם" - "What is the straight path that a person should stick to?" - and one of the answers given there is "חבר טוב" - "a good friend." In the mishna this is contrasted with the question "What is the bad path that a person should distance himself from?" with one of the answers being "bad friends."

Why did Ramchal leave out positive peer pressure?

It's All Torah

2011-09-06T13:51:00.000-07:00

In this chapter the treatment of level one is completed with a list of three things that ruin it. This will be Luzzatto's modus operandi throughout the book; he will define each level, describe how to get there and then end with a list of things which make it difficult to attain and/or retain that level.

The first item on his list, and the one he spends the most time writing about, is insufficient Torah learning. For after all, R. Pinchas ben Yair was clear that it is Torah that leads to zehirus. The Ramchal describes the foolishness of attempting to achieve zehirus in the absence of Torah, comparing it to ignoring a doctor's prescription.

Question: When author originally taught us how to acquire this trait in the previous chapter, he spent little time talking about Torah learning. Granted, he did begin with the quote from R. Pinchas ben Yair, but then he quickly segued to the three methods of acquiring zehirus for the three different kinds of people. Why now, when it comes to listing things that are detrimental to zehirus, does he suddenly put so much emphasis on Torah?

The answer can be found in the interesting wording of the opening lines of the previous chapter. Torah, we are told, leads to zehirus בדרך כלל, "generally." But בפרט, "specifically," it is the three methods that do it. The Ramchal is trying to say something here and it's getting lost in translation. A פרט is, by definition, a part of the כלל. The three methods are Torah!

Depending on who you are, Torah will strike you differently. Some will be taken in by the perfection of man offered by the Torah, others by its honor and still others by its consequences. But however it moves you, it's all Torah.

On the Virtues of Perfectionism (or is it maturity?)

2011-09-05T22:40:00.000-07:00

Transitioning into its role as a practical guide, we are told that there are three different methods for attaining the first level of zehirus. (Literally "carefulness," a zahir is an introspective person who, instead of acting out of habit, questions the righteousness of his own behavior in order to avoid sin. See the beginning of chapters two and six.)

Which of the three ways of achieving zehirus is right for you very much depends on who you are. "Shleimei hada'as" (the definition of which is the topic of this post) are brought to zehirus by the realization of the fact that a lack of zehirus makes you a flawed human being - which, for shleimei hada'as, is a frightening and unbearable prospect. Those who are "inferior to them" should consider that in the next world honor comes to those who were zahir in this world. (Apparently, the self-centered drive for honor is a legitimate engine for personal growth. Whatever works.) And finally, "the masses" can be driven to zehirus by contemplating the punishment that awaits those who fail to observe the Torah.

Who are the "shleimei hada'as"? Machon Ofek translates it as "those of perfect knowledge." They get an "A" for literal accuracy but, for me at least, it fails. I simply have no idea what it means. Perfect knowledge? As in, they know everything? What difference does that make? Artscroll (R. Twesky) has it better, "people with profound understanding." I like Feldheim's translation best: "those who are truly wise," but it is still misleading, for the Ramchal is surely not speaking here of IQ.

I believe the correct translation of shleimei hada'as is "very mature" or "refined." Maybe even "perfectionists." The "da'as" here is not knowledge nor intelligence; it is emotional maturity, as in "bar da'as." The Ramchal is describing a personality type: people blessed with an innate sense that life must be lived seriously; people who cannot tolerate imperfection in themselves. If that describes you, then the very nature of your personality can lead you to zehirus. That is, if you don't have a nervous breakdown first.

Welcome Reb Eliezer!

2011-09-05T12:24:00.000-07:00

We are honored to welcome Eliezer Brodt of Seforim Blog fame as a contributor to the Elul Book Club. We look forward to reading his thoughts on Mesilas Yesharim.

What time?

2011-09-04T01:20:00.001-07:00

It seems that in today's day and age, step one - make time to pay attention and think about one's actions - is harder than ever. How is someone supposed to have enough time in a day to work, learn, see their family (and friends) and still find some time to analyze how they're doing? Not to mention actually improving themselves after noticing their deficiencies!
It's almost a catch-22. How does someone make enough time to think and realize that they need to make time?

But There's a Hole in My Bucket...

2011-09-03T23:06:00.000-07:00

Having completed his powerful arguments in favor of self-introspection, in chapter three Luzzatto begins teaching us how it is to be done - and here he makes a terrifying statement. He writes that we cannot be satisfied by merely identifying what it is that we are doing wrong. We must also investigate the things that we think we are doing right.

The materialism and physicality of this world is the darkness of night for the mind's eye and causes... errors in our perception. To the point that we view evil as if it is really good...

Well, if our moral compass is broken, how can there possibly be any hope for us to identify and fix what's wrong?!

Welcome Adam!

2011-09-03T22:42:00.000-07:00

On behalf of our readership, I would like to welcome Adam, a new contributor to our blog.

We look forward to reading his insights.

Pharaoh Lives

2011-09-03T22:38:00.000-07:00

In chapter 2 we learn that the Yetzer HaRa is not merely a negative drive that encourages us to sin. The Yetzer HaRa also uses Pharaoh's tactics, keeping us constantly busy and distracting us, so we won't have the time or the presence of mind to examine our lives.

Question: How desperate is the Yetzer HaRa? If all else fails, would the Yetzer HaRa keep us busy with mitzvos and Torah learning? I was taught that Yetzer HaRa tries to distract us from learning Torah. It seems that sometimes quite the opposite may be true.

Welcome LK!

2011-09-02T12:22:00.000-07:00

On behalf of our readership, I would like to thank LK for accepting the invitation to become a contributer to this blog.

We eagerly await his first post!

The Unexamined Life

2011-09-02T12:19:00.000-07:00

I know Luzzatto doesn't need my accolades, but I must say that I found this chapter to be a gorgeous piece of writing.

Officially, the book begins here with Luzzatto's commentary on the first of the ten levels of spiritual growth. However, it can also be read as a continuation of his argument for the study of Mussar which began with the introduction. Whereas in the previous chapter he elevated the study of Mussar to the only way to achieve d'veikus, now he describes the downside. Failure to analyze our behavior and lifestyle reduces man to a being inferior to the animal who instinctively avoids danger.

For Luzzatto, spiritual danger is no less significant than physical danger, nay - it is worse. For, as we learned in the previous chapter, the purpose of existence is not mortal life but d'veikus, our relationship with Hashem. True suicide is thus not blindly falling into a raging river, but the unexamined life and the negligent endangerment of our d'veikus.

The Purpose of Life

2011-09-01T11:10:00.000-07:00

Although he called it "The Author's Introduction," we have already seen that that was more an indictment than an introduction. There the author implored his readers to take Mussar seriously. But here, in chapter one, Luzzatto raises the stakes.

Life has a single purpose and that is to gain an intimate relationship with Hashem. "D'veikus." The primary location for this relationship is in the next world - but the only way to get there is through the mitzvos performed in this world. The higher the quality of the mitzvos and the more we break down the barriers of physicality and materialism that separate us from Hashem, the more we will succeed in fulfilling life's purpose.

Achieving this goal obviously requires training and that is where this guidebook comes in. The study of Mussar has now become the only way to make life meaningful.

But is d'veikus attainable in this world? If yes, why does Luzzatto emphasize the world to come?

An Indictment

2011-08-31T12:00:00.000-07:00

The author's introduction is a work unto itself and it provides a rare picture of Jews in the 18th century. A "State of the Union" of sorts, it describes the state of affairs of religious life as the Ramchal saw it and he is fiercely critical. Keep in mind that the Ramchal lived in Padua, Italy and Amsterdam, Holland - both major centers of Jewish life at the time.

The Ramchal argues that "Mussar," ethics and piety, is not simply a matter of religiosity, but is a mandatory course of study - one which demands the full intellectual rigour of the best Jewish minds. How can we invest so much time in the analysis of Halachos that are not even in practice today, he asks, and leave such basic principles as love and awe of Hashem and the refining of our character to habit? In this he appears to be challenging not the man on the street, but the rabbinic leadership and the traditional Jewish curriculum.

I leave it to you to consider if things have changed.