Path of the Just Mesilat Yesharim Class #4 The Way to Acquire Vigilance

(1) Generally, that which brings a person to watchfulness is the study of Torah as Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair stated in the Beraitha: "Torah brings to Watchfulness."

(2) But that which, in particular, brings one to watchfulness is contemplation on the severity of the service which a man is obligated in and the depth of judgment incurred for it. This realization comes from studying the events reported in the holy books, and from studying the statements of our Sages of blessed memory which rouse one on this.

(3) This reflection has varying degrees of arousing, respectively, for those of wholeness of understanding, those of lesser understanding, and for the general masses. Those of wholeness of understanding will be roused to watchfulness by their coming to see clearly that only perfection and nothing else is worthy of their desire, and that there is no greater evil than the lack of perfection and distance from it.

(4) For after this has become clear to them and likewise after it has become clear to them that the means to perfection are good deeds and traits, they will certainly never consent to diminish these means or be lenient in them. Since, it has already become clear to them that if they diminish in these means or are weak in these means, not employing the full force necessary, they will not attain the true perfection. Rather, it will be reduced in proportion to their reduction in exerting themselves to the necessary extent, leaving them lacking in perfection which is a great calamity and great evil to them.

(5) Therefore, they will choose only to maximize these means and to be stringent in all of their details, finding no rest or peace due to worry lest they possibly lack what will bring them to the perfection that they desire. This is what King Shlomo, peace be unto him, said: "fortunate is the man that fears always" (Mishlei 28:14), which our Sages explained (Berachot 60a) refers to matters of Torah.

(6) The pinnacle of this level called "fear of sin", one of the greatest levels, is when a man is constantly afraid and worried lest he have in his hand some trace of sin which obstructs him from the perfection that he is under duty to strive for.

(7) Regarding this our Sages of blessed memory said: "this teaches each person is burned from the Chupa (canopy) of his fellow" (Bava Basra 75a). This [burning] does not refer to jealousy which falls only to people lacking in understanding as I will explain with G-d's help. Rather, it is due to seeing oneself lacking from the perfection that he was capable of attaining just as his fellow had attained it.

(8) Through this contemplation certainly one of wholeness of understanding will not refrain from being watchful of his deeds.

(9) Those of lesser understanding, however, will be roused to Watchfulness according to their perceptions. Namely, according to the matter of honor that they crave.

(10) For it is evident to every man of faith, that the various levels in the world of truth, i.e., the world to come, are according to one's level of deeds and that one is only elevated over his fellow if his deeds are greater than his fellow's, but one who is of few deeds will be the lower one.

(11) If so, how could a man hide his eye from his deeds or slacken his striving in attaining this? For afterwards, certainly he will suffer at the time he can no longer rectify what he made crooked.

(12) There are some simpletons who seek only to lighten the burden on themselves. They reply: "why should we weary ourselves with so much Piety and Separation? Is it not sufficient for us to not be among the wicked sentenced to Gehinom? We will not strain ourselves just to enter into the innermost chambers of Gan Eden. If we don't have a large portion, at least we will have a small portion. This is enough for us. We will not further burden the yoke of our load just for this."

(13) There is just one question that we will put to these people: can they so easily tolerate in this fleeting world the sight of one their peers being honored and elevated above them, and coming to rule over them? Or worse still, if this is one of their servants or one of the beggars which are lowly and despicable in their eyes. Would they not be filled with pain and would their blood not boil inside them?! Surely they could not!

(14) For behold we can see with our own eyes that all of a man's labor is to raise himself over anyone he can and to establish his place among those more elevated. This is jealousy between man and his fellow. For if he sees his fellow being elevated while he remains lowly, certainly what he tolerates will be only what he is forced to tolerate because of his inability to prevent it, but his heart will rot within him.

(15) Hence if it is so difficult for them to be lower than their fellow in levels that are imaginary and false, where a lower level is just a superficial appearance, and all elevation is just vanity and falsehood. How then will they tolerate seeing themselves lower than those same people who are now their inferiors? And this is in the place of true levels and eternal worth, which even though they don't recognize it and its worth now, therefore they don't give much concern for it, but in its time, certainly, they will understand it for what it truly is, to their pain and shame. There is no doubt, that their suffering in this will be enormous and everlasting.

(16) Hence, this "tolerance" which they adopt in order to lighten on themselves the severity of the service is but a deceit which their evil inclination employs to incite them, with no basis whatsoever in truth.

(17) There would be no room for this incitement if they saw the truth of the matter, but since they do not seek the truth, but go on in their erroneous ways willingly, this incitement will not leave them until the time when it will no longer avail. For it will not be in their power to rectify what they had ruined. This is what King Shlomo, peace be unto him, referred to: "Whatever your hand finds to do with your power, do it, for there is no deed, nor account, nor knowledge, nor wisdom [in the She'ol (grave) where you are going]" (Ecc.9:10).

(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).

(19) But the general masses will be roused to "Watchfulness" through the matter of reward and punishment upon recognizing the extent of the depth of judgment on this. In truth, it is proper to continuously shudder and fear, for who will stand on the Day of Judgment? Who will be found righteous before his Creator, whose sight scrutinizes all things, great and small.

(20) Likewise our Sages of blessed memory said on the verse: "Who declares to man his speech" (Amos 4:13) - "even casual talk between a man and his wife is related to a man at the time of judgment" (Chagiga 5b).

(21) And expounding on "it is very stormy round about Him" (Ps. 50:3) - "this teaches that the Holy One blessed be He scrutinizes judgment on His pious ones to the degree of a hair's breadth" (Yevamos 121a).

(22) Avraham, who was so beloved to his Maker such that scripture testifies of him "Avraham, My beloved" (Isaiah 41:8). Even so, he did not escape from judgment for slight words which he was not meticulous in, namely, for merely saying "with what will I know?" (Gen. 15:8), G-d replied to him: "by your life, you will know that your descendants will be foreigners [in Egypt]" (Nedarim 32a). And similarly for forging a covenant with Abimelech without being commanded by G-d, the Holy One blessed be He, replied to him: "by your life, I will delay the rejoicing of your sons for seven generations" (Gen. Raba 54:5).

(23) Yaakov, for replying angrily to Rachel when she said to him "give me children", the Midrash reports (Genesis Raba 71:10): "the Holy One blessed be He, said to him: 'is this how one answers a distressed person? By your life, your sons will stand before her son'.

(24) And for hiding his daughter Dina in a box so that his brother Esav would not take her as a wife, even though his intent was certainly good, but nevertheless for merely withholding kindness from his brother the Midrash reports: "the Holy One blessed be He said to him: 'He who withholds kindness from his fellow.' (Job 6:14). You did not seek to marry her to a circumcised? Behold she will be married to an uncircumcised. You did not seek to marry her in a permitted way? She will be married in a forbidden way".

(25) Yosef, for saying to the officer of [Pharaoh's] drink: "But remember me when it is well with you [and please show kindness to me, and make mention of me to Pharaoh.]" (Gen 40:14), his sentence [in prison] was increased by 2 years as the Midrash reports (Genesis Raba 89b). And Yosef himself for embalming his father without G-d's permission, according to one view, or because he heard the words: "your servant, our father [Yaakov]" (Gen.43:28) and remained silent, according to another view, died before all of his brothers (Gen. Raba 100:4).

(26) David, because he referred to the words of Torah as "songs", was punished by the calamity of Uza and his joy was muted (Sotah 35a).

(27) Michal, for rebuking David for dancing outside before the Ark was punished by not having children during her lifetime and dying in childbirth (Shmuel II 6:20).

(28) Hizkiyahu, because he showed the treasure house to the ministers of the king of Babylonia, it was decreed that his sons be castrated servants (eunuchs) in the palace of the King of Babylonia (Kings II 20:13).

(29) There are many more instances like this.

(30) In the chapter "All are Liable" (Chagiga 5a): "When Rabbi Yochanan would come to this verse, he would weep - 'I will come near you to judgment and I will be a swift witness...' (Malachi 3:5) - a servant whose minor offenses are weighed just like major offenses, is there any remedy for him?

(31) Certainly the intent is not that the punishment is identical for both, for the Holy One blessed be He only pays back measure for measure. Rather, regarding the matter of weighing of deeds, the minor deeds are put on the scales just like the grave ones. For the grave ones do not cause the minor ones to be forgotten, and the Judge will not overlook these at all just like he will not overlook the grave ones.

(32) Rather on all of them, he will preside over and inspect equally, judging each one and meting out punishment afterwards on each and every one according to what it is. This is what Shlomo said: "For G-d will bring every deed into judgment, [with every hidden thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil]" (Kohelet 12:14). For just like the Holy One blessed be He does not leave any good deed unrewarded, small as it may be, so too He does not leave any bad deed unjudged and unpunished, small as it may be.

(33) This is to awaken the hearts of those who want to be seduced [by their evil inclination] into thinking that the L-rd, blessed be He, will not bring up in his judgments the minute deeds and will not exact an accounting for them. Rather the general principle is "whoever says the Holy One blessed be He overlooks things will have his life overlooked" (Bava Kama 50a). Likewise they said: "if the evil inclination says to you: 'sin and the Holy One, blessed be He, will forgive you' - do not listen to him" (Chagiga 16a).

(34) All this is evident and clear for G-d is a G-d of truth as Moshe Rabeinu, peace be unto him, said: "The Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice: A G-d of faithfulness and without iniquity, Just and right is He" (Deut. 32:4). For since the Holy One blessed be He desires justice, to ignore the bad would be just as much an injustice as to ignore the good. Therefore, if it is justice that He desires, then He must pay each man according to his ways and according to the fruits of his deeds to absolute exactness, whether for good or for bad. Thus "A G-d of faithfulness and without iniquity, Just and right is He" (Deut. 32:4) which our Sages of blessed memory explained [the dual terms]: "to the righteous and to the wicked" (Taanis 11a). For this is the trait [of justice]. He judges on every thing. He punishes every sin. And there is no escape.

(35) If you ask: if so, for what does G-d's attribute of mercy exist if He must be absolutely meticulous in judging every thing? The answer: The trait of mercy is certainly the pillar of the world. For it could not endure without it at all whatsoever. But nevertheless, G-d's attribute of justice is not negated. For according to strict justice it would be proper that:

(36) * the sinner be punished immediately for his sin without any delay whatsoever.

(37) * that the punishment itself be wrathful as befits one who rebels against the word of the Creator, blessed be His Name.

(38) * that there be no possible repair whatsoever for the sin.

(39) For in truth, how can a man rectify what he has made crooked after committing the sin? If one murdered his fellow or committed adultery? How can he possibly rectify this? Can he undo a deed already done from existence?

(40) But the attribute of mercy reverses the three aforementioned matters.

(41) * it grants that the sinner be given time and not be eradicated from the earth immediately upon sinning.

(42) * that the punishment itself not utterly destroy him.

(43) * that the opportunity of repentance be granted to sinners as a complete kindness, so that the uprooting of the will be counted as the uprooting of the deed.

(44) Thus when the penitent man recognizes his sin and admits it, and reflects on his evil, repents of it and completely regrets ever having done it, as he would regret [in annulling] a certain vow, in which case there is complete regret, and he desires and longs that this deed had never been committed, and pains himself strongly that the matter was done, and renounces it for the future, and flees from it - then the uprooting of the deed from his will is counted to him as the annulment of a vow and he gains atonement for it. As scripture says: "your iniquity is gone and your sin atoned for" (Isaiah 6:7) - that the sin is actually removed from existence, and uprooted through his paining himself and regretting in the present what he had done in the past.

(45) This is certainly a kindness for it is not according to the letter of justice. But nevertheless, it does not negate the attribute of justice completely for there are ways to consider it justice.

(46) * For in place of the will to consent to sin, and the pleasure that it provided, there is now regret and pain.

(47) * Providing him time is not an overlooking of the sin, but rather a small patience, to open for him an opening to rectify.

(48) * So too, for all the ways of kindliness, such as "a son brings merit to the father" (Sanhedrin 104a), or "part of a life like the whole of a life" (Kohelet Raba 7:25) mentioned by the Sages which are aspects of kindness to account a small amount as a large amount. But these do not really conflict with or contradict the attribute of justice. For there is already a proper reason to consider them [as justice].

(49) But to let sins pass without any reason or to ignore them - this would be completely against justice. For this would not constitute a truthful justice in the matter. Therefore it is impossible for this to be found at all. Hence, if one of the ways mentioned above is not found for the sinner to escape, certainly, the attribute of justice will not return empty. Likewise our Sages of blessed memory said: "He withholds wrath but collects what is His" (Bereishis Raba 67:4).

(50) We find therefore, that a man who wants to open his eyes does not have any valid enticement to prevent him from being watchful of his deeds to the utmost watchfulness, and to examine them to the utmost scrutiny. Indeed, all these investigations which if one considers will certainly acquire through them the trait of watchfulness if he is a conscientious person (baal nefesh).