Since our previous discussion dealt with the accounting of a man with himself, and abstinence from this world's interests was one of the ways of such accounting, I deemed it proper to follow with a clarification of the various types of abstinence, and which forms of abstinence are a duty for men of torah (religious people) to adopt. For this furthers the improvement of one's religious and secular pursuits and brings peace of mind and of body in both worlds [here and hereafter].
בַּפְּרִישׁוּת מִן הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה וְהַטּוֹב לָנוּ מִמֶּנָּה. וְזֶה פֶּתַח הַשַּׁעַר:
אָמַר הַמְחַבֵּר מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהִקְדַּמְנוּ לְדַבֵּר בְּחֶשְׁבּוֹן הָאָדָם עִם נַפְשׁוֹ וְהָיְתָה הַפְּרִישׁוּת מִן הָעוֹלָם אֶחָד מֵאָפְנֵי הַחֶשְׁבּוֹן, רָאִיתִי לִסְמֹךְ לוֹ בֵּאוּר מִינֵי הַפְּרִישׁוּת וְתֹכֶן חִיּוּב מָה שֶׁהוּא חוֹבָה מִמֶּנָּה עַל אַנְשֵׁי הַתּוֹרָה בַּעֲבוּר מָה שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ מִתַּקָּנַת הַתּוֹרָה וְהָעוֹלָם וּמְנוּחַת הַנְּפָשׁוֹת וְהַגּוּפוֹת בִּשְׁנֵי הָעוֹלָמִים.
Since our previous discussion dealt with the accounting of a man with himself, and abstinence from this world's interests was one of the ways of such accounting, I deemed it proper to follow with a clarification of the various types of abstinence, and which forms of abstinence are a duty for men of torah (religious people) to adopt. For this furthers the improvement of one's religious and secular pursuits and brings peace of mind and of body in both worlds [here and hereafter].