The Importance of Thought and Imagination A simple Jew, simple beginner who has never experienced an elevated thought or visualization, might ask what appears to be an excellent question: What is all this eagerness, this religious frenzy, our eager trembling to apprehend thought and imagination in order to bring them forth and perfect them within ourselves?
After all, what are our thoughts in general, and what are they fit for? Our thoughts are only suited to think of and visualize trees, stones—the image and thoughts of physical things. And how will such thoughts and images help us? After all, when we stand in prayer, even when our mindful attention is strong and we seek awareness of the divine, there is nothing that we may think of, for it is forbidden to visualize God’s glory as having any physical image (cf. Maimonides, particularly in Hilchot Teshuvah and Yesodei Hatorah). And so in this world our thought is not ready to nor capable of visualizing and thinking of spiritual, abstract form.
If this is so, why should we strengthen, expand and perfect our thought—a thought and imagination that can only think about and visualize houses, people, and the like? If we broaden thoughts of this nature, will they help raise us or set us before God’s throne of glory while we are still in our body in this world?
Such a simple understanding might lead a person to conclude that expanding one’s thought can, to the contrary, cast a person even more deeply into fantasy and turn him into a person filled with empty delusions.
But (as was said above), this point of view is worthy only of a person who stands at the onset of the work of mindfulness, not having yet perfected it, nor having yet experienced the taste of pure mindfulness. Since this person is immersed solely in activities that serve his body, and he also utilizes his thought for his bodily needs—thinking of how he will eat, drink, thinking about his business, and so forth—and the essence of his thought is still hidden within him and has yet to emerge, it seems to him that the revelation of thought and vision (which is a spark of prophecy) of which I now speak is only a magnification and expansion of his type of thought. And so he entertains these questions.
To what can this person be compared? He is like a poor beggar who goes from door to door (God have mercy), who dreamed that he had been made king. In the morning, he was very upset and wept. If, just to support his family, he had to beg throughout the entire town, wearing himself out, now that he is king and has to support an entire army, it would not suffice even if he went begging throughout the entire world. And he does not have the strength of a rock. He cannot go to every door in the world in order to supply his soldiers.
The beggar thinks in this way because he is measuring his sovereignty with the measuring yard of poverty. He thinks that he will have to support all his troops by begging from door to door, just as he supports his family in his poverty (heaven have mercy). He cannot raise himself beyond his impoverishment to understand that if he were king, the entire manner in which he would acquire provisions would be of a different order entirely.
According to your opinion, we may tell him, thought is only capable of considering and visualizing physicality. In fact, you believe that thought is itself merely a physical power, just as the senses are.
But if that is the case, why is it that when you want to see something a mile away, you must have a clear view of it, whereas in your mind and brain, which is no bigger than a fist, you can even visualize something at a distance of ten miles?
From this, you can understand that thought in and of itself is not truly sensory and physical. It merely appears physical. And when, using our mind, we attempt to separate imagination and thought from the sense-influenced images that they create, then there will remain a spiritual thought that we do not see or feel, that we cannot know nor give a title to.
וְהִנֵּה לִכְאוֹרָה הָאִישׁ הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִי הַמַּתְחִיל הַפָּשׁוּט שֶׁלֹּא טָעַם טַעְמָהּ שֶׁל מַחֲשָׁבָה וְדִמְיוֹן עִלָּאָה, יִשְׁאַל שְׁאֵלָה חֲזָקָה לִכְאוֹרָה, מָה כָּל הַחֲרָדָה חֶרְדַּת הַכָּבוֹד שֶׁאָנוּ חֲרֵדִים לִקְרַאת הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה וְהַדִּמְיוֹן לְהוֹצִיאָם וּלְשַׁכְלְלָם בָּנוּ.
The Importance of Thought and Imagination
A simple Jew, simple beginner who has never experienced an elevated thought or visualization, might ask what appears to be an excellent question: What is all this eagerness, this religious frenzy, our eager trembling to apprehend thought and imagination in order to bring them forth and perfect them within ourselves?
אֵיזֶה מַחְשָׁבָה בִּכְלָל יֵשׁ בָּנוּ, וּלְאֵיזֶה דָּבָר הֵם מֻכְשָׁרִים, רַק לַחְשֹׁב וּלְדַמּוֹת צוּרַת עֵץ וְאֶבֶן, רַק צוּרַת וּמַחְשְׁבוֹת גּוּפָנִיּוֹת וּמָה יוֹעִילוּ לָנוּ מַחֲשָׁבָה וְדִמְיוֹן כְּאִלּוּ, אֲפִלּוּ בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁעוֹמְדִים לְהִתְפַּלֵּל יֵשׁ זְמַנִּים שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ אִם מַחְשַׁבְתֵּנוּ חֲזָקָה אָז וְרוֹצִים אָנוּ לַחְשֹׁב מַחֲשָׁבָה אֱלֹקִית גם כן חֲסֵרָה לָנוּ מָה לַחֲשֹׁב, כִּי דָּבָר גּוּפָנִי שֶׁנְּצַיֵּר אֶת כְּבוֹדוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ בְּאֵיזֶה דִּמְיוֹן וְגוּף אָסוּר, כְּדִבְרֵי הָרַמְבַּ"ם זַ"ל בְּהַרְבֵּה מְקוֹמוֹת, וּבִפְרָט בְּהִלְכוֹת תְּשׁוּבָה וּבִיסוֹדֵי הַתּוֹרָה, וּלְדַמּוֹת וְלַחְשֹׁב צוּרָה רוּחָנִית מֻפְשָׁטָה מֵעוֹלָם הַזֶּה אֵין מַחְשַׁבְתֵּנוּ מֻכְשָׁרָהּ וִיכוֹלָה.
After all, what are our thoughts in general, and what are they fit for? Our thoughts are only suited to think of and visualize trees, stones—the image and thoughts of physical things. And how will such thoughts and images help us? After all, when we stand in prayer, even when our mindful attention is strong and we seek awareness of the divine, there is nothing that we may think of, for it is forbidden to visualize God’s glory as having any physical image (cf. Maimonides, particularly in Hilchot Teshuvah and Yesodei Hatorah). And so in this world our thought is not ready to nor capable of visualizing and thinking of spiritual, abstract form.
וְאִם כֵּן לָמָּה לָנוּ לְחַזֵּק לְהַרְחִיב וּלְשַׁכְלֵל אֶת מַחְשַׁבְתֵּנוּ, הַאִם מַחְשָׁבָה וְדִמְיוֹן שֶׁבִּיכָלְתָּם רַק לַחְשֹׁב וּלְדַמּוֹת מֵהַרְבֵּה בָּתִּים, אֲנָשִׁים, וּשְׁאָר דְּבָרִים גּוּפָנִיִּים וכו', כְּשֶׁהֵם מִתְרַחֲבִים יוֹעִילוּ לְהַעֲלוֹת אֶת הָאִישׁ וּלְהעמידהוּ לִפְנֵי כִּסֵּא כְּבוֹדוֹ בְּעוֹדֶנּוּ בְּגוּפוֹ בְּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה!
If this is so, why should we strengthen, expand and perfect our thought—a thought and imagination that can only think about and visualize houses, people, and the like? If we broaden thoughts of this nature, will they help raise us or set us before God’s throne of glory while we are still in our body in this world?
וּלְפִי שֵׂכֶל הַפָּשׁוּט יְכוֹלָה הִתְרַחֲבוּת מַחֲשָׁבָה כָּזוֹ עוֹד לְהַשְׁלִיךְ אֶת הָאָדָם לִידֵי הַזָּיָה וְלַעֲשׂוֹתוֹ לְבַעַל דִּמְיוֹן שָׁוְא.
Such a simple understanding might lead a person to conclude that expanding one’s thought can, to the contrary, cast a person even more deeply into fantasy and turn him into a person filled with empty delusions.
אֲבָל כָּאָמוּר שְׁאֵלָה כָּזוֹ מַתְאִימָה רַק לְמִי שֶׁמַּתְחִיל עַתָּה בַּעֲבוֹדַת הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה כָּל עוֹד שֶׁלֹּא שִׁכְלְלָהּ וְכָל עוֹד שֶׁלֹּא טָעַם טַעְמָהּ שֶׁל מַחֲשָׁבָה טְהוֹרָה, וּמִכֵּיוָן שֶׁהוּא שָׁקוּעַ רַק בַּעֲבוֹדוֹת וּפְעֻלּוֹת גּוּפוֹ וְגַם מַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ הוּא מִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ רַק לְפִי צָרְכֵי גּוּפוֹ, אֵיךְ יֹאכַל, יִשְׁתֶּה, צִיּוּרֵי דִּמְיוֹן סְחוֹרָתוֹ וכו' וְעִקַּר מַחְשַׁבְתּוֹ עוֹדֶנָּה טְמוּנָה בּוֹ וְלֹא הוֹצִיאָה אֶת רֹאשָׁהּ הַחוּצָה, לָכֵן דּוֹמֶה לוֹ שֶׁהִתְגַּלּוּת מַחֲשָׁבָה וְדִמְיוֹן שֶׁהוּא נִיצוֹץ נְבוּאָה שֶׁאָנוּ מְדַבְּרִים עַתָּה מִמֶּנָּה גַּם כֵּן רַק גִּדּוּל וְהִתְרַחֲבוּת מַחְשָׁבָה כְּגוֹן אֵלּוּ הִיא וְשׁוֹאֵל.
But (as was said above), this point of view is worthy only of a person who stands at the onset of the work of mindfulness, not having yet perfected it, nor having yet experienced the taste of pure mindfulness. Since this person is immersed solely in activities that serve his body, and he also utilizes his thought for his bodily needs—thinking of how he will eat, drink, thinking about his business, and so forth—and the essence of his thought is still hidden within him and has yet to emerge, it seems to him that the revelation of thought and vision (which is a spark of prophecy) of which I now speak is only a magnification and expansion of his type of thought. And so he entertains these questions.
וּלְמָה הַדָּבָר דּוֹמֶה לְעָנִי הַמְחַזֵּר עַל הַפְּתָחִים רַחֲמָנָא לִיצְּלָן שֶׁחָלַם לוֹ שֶׁיֵּעָשֶׂה מֶלֶךְ וַיְהִי בַּבֹּקֶר וַתִּתְפָּעֶם רוּחוֹ וַיֵּבְךְּ ויֹאמַר מָה אִם לְפַרְנָסַת בְּנֵי בֵּיתִי לְבַד הוּא מֻכְרָח לְסַבֵּב אֶת כָּל עִירוֹ עַד שֶׁמּוֹצֵא בִּיגִיעָה רַבָּה, הִנֵּה עַתָּה כְּשֶׁיִּתְגַּדֵּל לְמֶלֶךְ וְיִצְטָרֵךְ לְפַרְנֵס אֶת כָּל חֵילוֹ וּצְבָאָיו לֹא יַסְפִּיק לוֹ אַף אִם יְסוֹבֵב אֶת כָּל הָעוֹלָם, וְאִם כֹּחַ אֲבָנִים כּוֹחוֹ לַחֲזֹר עַל כָּל פִּתְחֵי הָעוֹלָם לְפַרְנָסָתָם.
To what can this person be compared? He is like a poor beggar who goes from door to door (God have mercy), who dreamed that he had been made king. In the morning, he was very upset and wept. If, just to support his family, he had to beg throughout the entire town, wearing himself out, now that he is king and has to support an entire army, it would not suffice even if he went begging throughout the entire world. And he does not have the strength of a rock. He cannot go to every door in the world in order to supply his soldiers.
וְכָל זֶה הוּא מִפְּנֵי שֶׁמּוֹדֵד אֶת מַלְכוּתוֹ בְּמִדָּה שֶׁל עֲנִיּוּת, שֶׁיְּפַרְנֵס אֶת כָּל חֵילוֹ רַק עַל יְדֵי שֶׁיְּסַבֵּב עַל הַפְּתָחִים כְּמוֹ שֶׁמְּפַרְנֵס אֶת בְּנֵי בֵּיתוֹ בַּעֲנִיּוּתוֹ רַחֲמָנָא לִיצְּלָן, וְאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לְרוֹמֵם אֶת עַצְמוֹ מֵעַל אֶבְיוֹנוּתוֹ שֶׁיָּבִין שֶׁאָז כָּל אֹפֶן פַּרְנָסָתוֹ תִּהְיֶה אַחֶרֶת.
The beggar thinks in this way because he is measuring his sovereignty with the measuring yard of poverty. He thinks that he will have to support all his troops by begging from door to door, just as he supports his family in his poverty (heaven have mercy). He cannot raise himself beyond his impoverishment to understand that if he were king, the entire manner in which he would acquire provisions would be of a different order entirely.
אֲבָל נַנִּיחַ אֶת הַשּׁוֹאֵל בְּמַצָּבוֹ וְנַעֲנֶה לוֹ כְּטָעוּתוֹ.
Nevertheless, we must answer this questioner on his level. We must address him and deal with his error.
הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה מֻכְשָׁרָה הִיא לְפִי דַּעְתְּךָ לַחֲשֹׁב וּלְצַיֵּר רַק גּוּפָנִיּוּת וְהִיא בְּעַצְמָהּ לְפִי זֶה רַק כֹּחַ גּוּפָנִי לֹא יוֹתֵר מִן הַחוּשִׁים.
According to your opinion, we may tell him, thought is only capable of considering and visualizing physicality. In fact, you believe that thought is itself merely a physical power, just as the senses are.
וְלָמָה בְּחוּשֶׁיךָ כְּשֶׁרוֹצֶה אַתָּה לְמָשָׁל לְהַבִּיט עַל מֶרְחָק פַּרְסָה מֻכְרָח לִהְיוֹת שֶׁטַח מִגְרָשׁ שֶׁל פַּרְסָה, וּבְמַחְשַׁבְתְּךָ וּבְמוֹחֲךָ שֶׁגָּדְלוֹ רַק כְּכַף אִישׁ יָכוֹל אַתָּה לְצַיֵּר לְךָ דִּמְיוֹן אַף שֶׁל עֶשֶׂר פַּרְסָאוֹת וְכַדּוֹמֶה.
But if that is the case, why is it that when you want to see something a mile away, you must have a clear view of it, whereas in your mind and brain, which is no bigger than a fist, you can even visualize something at a distance of ten miles?
וְהִנְּךָ רוֹאֶה אֵיפָה שֶׁמַּחֲשָׁבָה כְּשֶׁהִיא לְעַצְמָהּ אֵינָהּ בֶּאֱמֶת חוּשִׁית גּוּפָנִית, רַק שֶׁנּוֹשְׂאָהּ עַל פָּנֶיהָ צִיּוּר גּוּפָנִי וְכַאֲשֶׁר נְנַסֶּה אָנוּ בְּשִׂכְלֵנוּ לְהַפְרִישׁ זֶה מִזֶּה, הַדִּמְיוֹן עִם הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה, מִן הַצּוּרָה שֶׁחוֹשֶׁבֶת וּמִצְטַיֶּרֶת עֲלֵיהֶם צִיּוּר שֶׁקִּבְּלוֹ מִן הַחוּשִׁים אָז תִּשָּׁאֵר מַחֲשָׁבָה רוּחָנִית שֶׁאֵין אָנוּ רוֹאִים וּמַרְגִּישִׁים אוֹתָהּ, עַד שֶׁנּוּכַל לָדַעַת וְלֵאמֹר מַהוּ.
From this, you can understand that thought in and of itself is not truly sensory and physical. It merely appears physical. And when, using our mind, we attempt to separate imagination and thought from the sense-influenced images that they create, then there will remain a spiritual thought that we do not see or feel, that we cannot know nor give a title to.