Mesillat Yesharim #4

The foundation of loving kindness and the root of pure service [of G-d] is for a person to clarify and come to realize as truth what is their obligation in his world and to what they need to direct their gaze and their aspiration in all that they work for all the days of his life. translation: Ruth Schapira

(11) The general principle: that a person inspects all of their deeds and watch over all of their ways to not leave for himself any bad habit or bad trait, all the more so any transgression or sin.

(1) He who wants to watch over himself must investigate two matters.

(2) The first: that he contemplate what is the true good for a person to choose and what is the true evil for them to flee from.

(3) The second: on the actions which they do, to determine if they are in the category of the good or the evil.

(4) This applies both to times when they are in the act of doing and when not in the act of doing.

(5) When in the act of doing: that they not do any act without first weighing it on the scales of this understanding.

(6) Not in the act of doing: that they bring up before themselves the remembrance of their deeds in general and weigh them, likewise, in these scales to determine what they contain of evil in order to relinquish it and what of good, in order to perpetuate it and strengthen himself in it. If he finds in them of the evil, he should then contemplate and investigate, reasoning out a strategy to employ in order to turn away from that evil and cleanse themselves of it.

(1) 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).

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).

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.

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.

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).

For the trait of Zeal is a very high spiritual level of Shelemut (perfection) which a person's nature impedes him from attaining at the current time. But he who strengthens himself and takes hold of it as much as he can, will, in the future world, merit to truly attain it. The Creator, may His Name be blessed, will bestow it to him as a reward for his striving for it during the time of his service.

(2) Behold, what our sages, of blessed memory, have taught us is that human beings were created solely to delight in G-d and to derive pleasure in the radiance of the Shechina (divine presence). For this is the true delight and the greatest pleasure that can possibly exist. The place of this pleasure is, in truth, in Olam Haba (the World to Come). For it was created expressly for this purpose.

(4) The means that lead a person to this goal are the commandments which the blessed G-d commanded to us. The place of the performance of these commandments is only in this world. Therefore, human beings were first placed in this world so that through these means prepared for them here, they will be able to reach the place prepared for them, namely, the World to Come, there to be sated with the good which he acquired through these means. This is what our sages of blessed memory said "today to do them, and tomorrow to receive their reward" (Eruvin 22:1).

The Holy One, blessed be He, has put man in a place where the factors which distance him from the blessed G-d are numerous. These are the physical lusts which if he is drawn after them, behold, he draws away and goes ever further from the true good.

(31) The summary of all the matter is that a man must contemplate with his intellect always, at all times, and also during the fixed appointed time of solitude, what is the true path according to the Torah that man must walk upon. And afterwards, to come to reflect on his own deeds to ascertain if they are traveling in this path or not. For through this certainly it will be easy for him to purify himself of all evil, and to correct all of his ways as scripture says: "Weigh the path of your feet, and all your ways will be established" (Prov. 4:26) and "Let us search and examine our ways, and we will return to God" (Eicha 3:40).

To summarize what we have learned, the primary [purpose] of man's existence in this world is solely to fulfill the commandments, serve [G-d] and stand up to trials.

(18) The explanation is that: what a man can do while the power is granted in his hands by the Creator, namely, the power of free will granted to him all the days of his life with which he chooses and is commanded to do, behold he will not be able to do more in the grave and pit. For this power [of free will] will no longer be in his hands. Thus one who has failed to do many good deeds in his lifetime, it is impossible for him to do them afterwards (since he no longer has free will after death). And he who did not make an accounting of his deeds [while alive] will no longer have the opportunity to do it then. And he who has not become wise in this world, will not become wise in the grave. This is the intent of: "for there is no deed nor account nor knowledge in the She'ol were you are going" (Ecc.9:10).

When he looks at these benefits which he receives from G-d, certainly, he will be roused to be Zealous in His service as I wrote earlier.

Through this contemplation certainly one of wholeness of understanding will not refrain from being watchful of his deeds. Those of lesser understanding, however, will be roused to Watchfulness according to their perceptions. Namely, according to the matter of honor that they crave.

Spiritual account-taking means the deliberation of a man on his torah and worldly affairs between his nefesh (bodily soul/emotional side/will) and his intellect, so that one may know what one has and what one still owes of his duties. (this will be clarified through examples).

Included in this, is also to fix daily times for the accounting of deeds and their correction as I mentioned earlier. Besides all this, all the free time he has left from his affairs, if he is wise, certainly he should not waste it. But rather to immediately grasp hold of it and not be lax in it, utilizing it to toil in the affairs of his soul and the improvement of his service of G-d.