UNDERSTANDING True understanding is in the heart. Even the heathen nations possess understanding but not in their heart. The heart must be filled with awe. It is not enough to acknowledge God in the mind alone. It is necessary for one to draw his understanding down into the heart and to be so aware of the Creator that one’s heart is filled with awe and fear of the greatness of God and one is aroused to serve Him with true devotion in the knowledge of His utter exaltedness. The way to achieve this is through meditation, through examining oneself and weighing all one’s actions. This is the path to the “light that is treasured up for the just” (15).
דַּעַת
א. עִקַּר הַדַּעַת הוּא בַּלֵּב. כִּי גַּם עַכּוּ"ם יֵשׁ לָהֶם דַּעַת, אֲבָל הוּא בְּלֹא לֵב. אַךְ עִקַּר הַדַּעַת כְּשֶׁהוּא בַּלֵּב. וְשָׁם בַּלֵּב מְקוֹם הַיִּרְאָה. הַיְנוּ שֶׁעִקַּר הַדַּעַת שֶׁיֵּדַע אֶת הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ בְּלִבּוֹ וְלֹא בְּמֹחוֹ לְבַד, שֶׁיַּמְשִׁיךְ וִיקַשֵּׁר אֶת הַדַּעַת לְתוֹךְ הַלֵּב, עַד שֶׁתִּפֹּל עָלָיו אֵימָה וָפַחַד וְיִרְאָה מִגְּדֻלָּתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ, עַד שֶׁיִּתְעוֹרֵר לְעֹבְדוֹ בֶּאֱמֶת, עַד שֶׁיִּזְכֶּה לְיִרְאַת הָרוֹמְמוּת שֶׁיֵּדַע מִמִּי יִתְיָרֵא. וְזֶה זוֹכִין עַל־יְדֵי הִתְבּוֹדְדוּת, עַל־יְדֵי שֶׁשּׁוֹפְטִין אֶת עַצְמוֹ בְּעַצְמוֹ. וְעַל־יְדֵי זֶה זוֹכִין לָאוֹר הַגָּנוּז: (לק"א סי' ט"ו אות א' ב' ג')
UNDERSTANDING
True understanding is in the heart. Even the heathen nations possess understanding but not in their heart. The heart must be filled with awe. It is not enough to acknowledge God in the mind alone. It is necessary for one to draw his understanding down into the heart and to be so aware of the Creator that one’s heart is filled with awe and fear of the greatness of God and one is aroused to serve Him with true devotion in the knowledge of His utter exaltedness. The way to achieve this is through meditation, through examining oneself and weighing all one’s actions. This is the path to the “light that is treasured up for the just” (15).