Until now we have spoken about setting to rights the faculty of speech, the first fundamental, the demarcation between "man" and "animal," for which reason Scripture gives it precedence, viz. (Devarim 30:19): "For the thing is very near to you, in your mouth and in your heart [i.e., your thoughts] to do it." And now we shall speak a little about the faculty of thought, which resides in a man's heart, viz.: "and in your heart to do it." Scripture writes (Psalms 24:3-4): "Who shall ascend the mountain of the L-rd, etc.? …The clean of hands [i.e., one who is clean of theft] and the pure of heart." We learn from this that a man's thoughts must be pure and not intermixed with vanity. We say every day: "Make our hearts one, to love and to fear Your name, and let us not be ashamed, forever." This means what it says. It is known that what resides in a Jew's heart always, is faith in the L-rd, the G-d of the heavens and His Torah, this being the essence of holiness [as intimated in Bamidbar 35:39: "I am the L-rd who dwells in the midst of the children of Israel."] For this reason we ask the Blessed L-rd that He make our hearts one, to love and to fear His name, and that there not be intermixed in this another love. For if in his heart, the locus of thought, there also is planted a love for the vanities of the world, in the end, he will be shamed and mortified by it forever. For it is known that all of a man's affairs — both his acts and his thoughts, all will ascend above, before the L-rd, as we say in the Rosh Hashanah prayer: "For the remembrance of every creation comes before You, the acts of a man, etc., the thoughts of a man and his stratagems." And all will be set forth before the man, as it is written (Psalms 54:21): "I shall reprove you and I shall set it before your eyes," and the man will be greatly shamed.
To what can this be compared? To [the instance of] a wealthy man, a merchant in precious gems, who, journeying from home, asks one of his companions to take care of his possessions, permitting him first to see his beautiful gems. Upon opening the chest, he sees them, and, beside them rotted earth. At this, he says to himself: "This wealthy one is a fool! How can he leave rotted earth together with such beautiful jewels!" The analogue is self-explanatory. Is it not obvious that all the dead things of the world, in the course of years, all turn to dust, both he himself and all the things he yearned for in his lifetime, as it is written (Koheleth 3:20): "All came from dust and all returns to dust." And he will be astonished at himself forever. How could he have combined in his chest [i.e., in his heart] two loves together? Love of the L-rd and His Torah, the true gems, more desirable than gold and fine gold, and the love of dust — together! Did he not know in his lifetime that in the end all would return to dust? Therefore, one must take great care to drive out of his mind, thoughts of lust for the desires of the world. This is the intent of "And make our hearts one … and let us not be ashamed, forever." And this is the intent, in the recital of Shema, of (Devarim 6:5): "And you shall love the L-rd your G-d with all your heart, etc."
טָהֳרַת הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה
Purity of Thought
וְהִנֵּה עַד כֹּה דִּבַּרְנוּ לְעִנְיַן חֵלֶק הַדִּבּוּר שֶׁיִּהְיֶה עַל מְכוֹנוֹ, שֶׁהוּא הָעִקָּר הָרִאשׁוֹן, שֶׁעַל יְדֵי זֶה שֵׁם אָדָם עָלָיו, וְלֹא שֵׁם בַּעֲלֵי חַיִּים. וְהַכָּתוּב גַּם כֵּן הִקְדִּימוֹ, כְּדִכְתִיב (דברים ל' י"ד): "כִּי קָרוֹב אֵלֶיךָ הַדָּבָר מְאֹד, בְּפִיךָ וּבִלְבָבְךָ לַעֲשֹׂתוֹ". וְעַתָּה נְדַבֵּר קְצָת אוֹדוֹת חֵלֶק הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה הַתְּלוּיָה בְּלֵב הָאָדָם, שֶׁחֲשָׁבוֹ הַכָּתוּב גַּם כֵּן, כְּדִכְתִיב: "וּבִלְבָבְךָ לַעֲשׂתוֹ". וְהִנֵּה הַכָּתוּב אוֹמֵר (תהילים כ"ד ג'): "מִי יַעֲלֶה בְהַר ה' וְגוֹ', נְקִּי כַפַּיִם [זֶהוּ דָּבָר הַתָּלוּי בְּמַעֲשֶׂה לִהְיוֹת נָקִי מִגֶּזֶל] וּבַר לֵבָב". לָמַדְנוּ מִזֶּה, שֶׁצָּרִיךְ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לֵב הָאָדָם מְבֹרָר, וְלֹא עִם תַּעֲרוֹבוֹת שֶׁל הֶבֶל וָרִיק. וְהִנֵּה אָנוּ אוֹמְרִין בְּכָל יוֹם: "וְיַחֵד לְבָבֵנוּ לְאַהֲבָה וּלְיִרְאָה אֶת שְׁמֶךָ וְגוֹ' וְלֹא נֵבוֹשׁ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד". וּבֵאוּרוֹ הוּא כִּפְשׁוּטוֹ, דְּיָדוּעַ מַה מֻּנָּח בְּתוֹךְ לִבּוֹ שֶׁל אִישׁ הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִי בִּתְמִידוּת: אֱמוּנָה בַּה' אֱלֹקֵּי הַשָּׁמַיִם וְתוֹרָתוֹ, שֶׁזֶּהוּ עֶצֶם הַקְּדֻשָּׁה. [וְזֶה רָמַז הַכָּתוּב (במדבר ל"ה ל"ד): "אֲנִי ה' שֹׁכֵן בְּתוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל"], וְלָזֶה אָנוּ מְבַקִּשִׁים מֵה' יִתְבָּרַךְ, שֶׁיְּיַחֵד לְבָבֵנוּ לְאַהֲבָה וּלְיִרְאָה אֶת שְׁמוֹ, וְלֹא תִּתְעָרֵב לָזֶה אַהֲבָה אַחֶרֶת, דְּאִם בְּתוֹךְ לִבּוֹ, שֶׁשָּׁם הוּא מְקוֹם הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה, תִּהְיֶה תְּקוּעָה אַהֲבָה גַּם לְהַבְלֵי הָעוֹלָם, יֵבוֹשׁ וְיִכָּלֵם הָאָדָם בְּעַצְמוֹ לְבַסּוֹף מִזֶּה לָנֶצַח, דְּהִנֵּה יָדוּעַ, דְּכָל עִנְיָנָיו שֶׁל הָאָדָם, בֵּין מַעֲשָׂיו וּבֵין מַחְשְׁבוֹתָיו, הַכֹּל יָבוֹאוּ לְמַעְלָה לִפְנֵי ה'. כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָנוּ אוֹמְרִין בִּתְפִלַּת רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה: "כִּי זֵכֶר כָּל הַיְצוּר לְפָנֶיךָ בָּא, מַעֲשֵׂה אִישׁ וְכוּ', מַחְשְׁבוֹת אָדָם וְתַחְבּוּלוֹתָיו". וְהַכֹּל יַעֲרִיכוּ לְעֵינֵי הָאָדָם, כְּדִכְתִיב (תהילים ג' כ"א): "אוֹכִיחֲךָ וְאֶעֶרְכָה לְעֵינֶיךָ", וְיִתְבַּיֵּשׁ הָאָדָם מְאֹד.
Until now we have spoken about setting to rights the faculty of speech, the first fundamental, the demarcation between "man" and "animal," for which reason Scripture gives it precedence, viz. (Devarim 30:19): "For the thing is very near to you, in your mouth and in your heart [i.e., your thoughts] to do it." And now we shall speak a little about the faculty of thought, which resides in a man's heart, viz.: "and in your heart to do it." Scripture writes (Psalms 24:3-4): "Who shall ascend the mountain of the L-rd, etc.? …The clean of hands [i.e., one who is clean of theft] and the pure of heart." We learn from this that a man's thoughts must be pure and not intermixed with vanity. We say every day: "Make our hearts one, to love and to fear Your name, and let us not be ashamed, forever." This means what it says. It is known that what resides in a Jew's heart always, is faith in the L-rd, the G-d of the heavens and His Torah, this being the essence of holiness [as intimated in Bamidbar 35:39: "I am the L-rd who dwells in the midst of the children of Israel."] For this reason we ask the Blessed L-rd that He make our hearts one, to love and to fear His name, and that there not be intermixed in this another love. For if in his heart, the locus of thought, there also is planted a love for the vanities of the world, in the end, he will be shamed and mortified by it forever. For it is known that all of a man's affairs — both his acts and his thoughts, all will ascend above, before the L-rd, as we say in the Rosh Hashanah prayer: "For the remembrance of every creation comes before You, the acts of a man, etc., the thoughts of a man and his stratagems." And all will be set forth before the man, as it is written (Psalms 54:21): "I shall reprove you and I shall set it before your eyes," and the man will be greatly shamed.
וּלְמָה הַדָּבָר דּוֹמֶה? לִגְבִיר אֶחָד, סוֹחֵר שֶׁל אֲבָנִים טוֹבוֹת, שֶׁנָסַע מִבֵּיתוֹ, וּבִקֵשׁ לְאֶחָד מִמְּקֹרָבָיו שֶׁיַּשְׁגִּיחַ עַל נְכָסָיו, וַיַּרְשֵׁהוּ לִרְאוֹת אֶת הָאֲבָנִים הַטּוֹבוֹת, הַיָּפוֹת אֲשֶׁר לוֹ. וַיִּפְתַּח הַתֵּבָה, וַיַּרְא הָאֲבָנִים הַטּוֹבוֹת הַיָּפוֹת, וּבְצִדָּם סָמוּךְ לָהֶם בְּתוֹךְ הַתֵּבָה רָאָה הַרְבֵּה עָפָר בָּלוּי. וַיֹּאמֶר בִּלְבָבוֹ: הֶעָשִׁיר הַזֶּה שׁוֹטֶה הוּא. אֵיךְ מַנִּיחַ עָפָר בָּלוּי עִם אֲבָנִים טוֹבוֹת בְּיַחַד? וְהַנִּמְשָׁל מוּבָן מֵאֵלָיו, דַּהֲלֹא בָּרוּר הוּא, דְּכָל חֲמוּדֵי הַתֵּבֵל בְּמֶשֶׁךְ הַשָּׁנִים יִתְהַפְּכוּ הַכֹּל לְעָפָר, בֵּין מִמֶּנּוּ גּוּפָא וּבֵין מִכָּל דָּבָר שֶׁהָיְתָה תְּשׁוּקָתוֹ אֵלָיו בְּחַיָּיו, כְּדִכְתִיב (קהלת ג' כ'): "הַכֹּל הָיָה מִן הֶעָפָר וְהַכֹּל שָׁב אֶל הֶעָפָר". וְיִתְמַהּ עַל נַפְשׁוֹ לָנֶצַח, אֵיךְ הִרְכִּיב בְּתֵבָתוֹ [הַיְנוּ בְּלִבּוֹ] שְׁתֵּי אֲהָבוֹת יַחַד: אַהֲבָה לַה' וּלְתוֹרָתוֹ, שֶׁזֶּהוּ בֶּאֱמֶת אֲבָנִים טוֹבוֹת הַנֶּחֱמָדִים מִזָּהָב וּמִפָּז, וְאַהֲבָה לֶעָפָר יַחַד. וְכִי לֹא יָדַע בְּחַיָּיו, שֶׁסּוֹף דָבָר יִהְיֶה, שֶׁיָּשׁוּב הַכֹּל לֶעָפָר? וְעַל כֵּן צָרִיךְ הָאָדָם לִזָּהֵר מְאֹד, שֶׁיְּגָרֵשׁ מִמַּחְשְׁבוֹתָיו הִרְהוּרֵי הַתַּאֲוָה לַחֲמוּדֵי הַתֵּבֵל. וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָנוּ אוֹמְרִין: "וְיַחֵד לְבָבֵנוּ וְכוּ', וְלֹא נֵבוֹשׁ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד". וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָנוּ אוֹמְרִין בִּקרִיאַת שְׁמַע (דברים ו' ה'): "וְאָהַבְתָּ אֵת ה' אֱלֹקֶיךָ בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ" וְגוֹ'.
To what can this be compared? To [the instance of] a wealthy man, a merchant in precious gems, who, journeying from home, asks one of his companions to take care of his possessions, permitting him first to see his beautiful gems. Upon opening the chest, he sees them, and, beside them rotted earth. At this, he says to himself: "This wealthy one is a fool! How can he leave rotted earth together with such beautiful jewels!" The analogue is self-explanatory. Is it not obvious that all the dead things of the world, in the course of years, all turn to dust, both he himself and all the things he yearned for in his lifetime, as it is written (Koheleth 3:20): "All came from dust and all returns to dust." And he will be astonished at himself forever. How could he have combined in his chest [i.e., in his heart] two loves together? Love of the L-rd and His Torah, the true gems, more desirable than gold and fine gold, and the love of dust — together! Did he not know in his lifetime that in the end all would return to dust? Therefore, one must take great care to drive out of his mind, thoughts of lust for the desires of the world. This is the intent of "And make our hearts one … and let us not be ashamed, forever." And this is the intent, in the recital of Shema, of (Devarim 6:5): "And you shall love the L-rd your G-d with all your heart, etc."