GEN560 [Iggeres Ha-Mussar of Rabbi Yisroel Salanter]. Let us give thought to the subject of transgressions. We will find that they fall into two categories. One category derives from unrestrained lust – the desire that which is momentarily sweet – without taking heed of the future, though the end will be a bitter one. We find somewhat similar circumstances, in regard to worldly matters. [For example], a foolish individual – and particularly one who is ill – may, with his limited intellect, love to snatch food which is sweet to his palate, and he will forget that this will lead him to unrestrained illness. [This is a common occurrence in regard to those individuals, who, because of either health or cosmetic reasons, wish to go on a diet. Nevertheless, all too often, they find – against their own better judgment – that because of their great craving for sweets or gourmet foods, they are entirely unable to do so. The same, of course, holds true for many cigarette smokers, who are convinced that cigarette smoking poses grave health hazards. Despite this intellectual awareness, however, they often find it all but impossible to break the cigarette habit – frequently to their own great consternation.] Therefore did the Sages teach us, “Who is a wise man – he who regards the future.”
Talmud, Tamid 32a; Cf. Avos 4:1 This, [too], is as the Sages said [elsewhere], “An individual does not perform a transgression unless a spirit of foolishness enters within him.”
Talmud, Sotah 3a. This is man’s entire toil in his service of God, be He blessed, to give thought to, and to ponder into the [matter of] the fear of God, and into the great fear of His retribution through [the study of] mussar words and the
Aggadic Midrashim of the Sages, until he will hear with his ears and almost see with his eyes the terrible punishment – in both a quantitative and a qualitative sense – arrayed in front of his eyes. As the Sages observe, “A
dayyan – a Jewish judge – shall always visualize that
Gehenna is open for him, beneath him.”
Talmud, Sanhedrin 7a. Reference is made here to the
Dayyan because he is more prone to become ensnared in transgression. ‘This is because of the great pressure which is often placed upon the
dayyan to render a biased judgment, either by offering him bribes, or by exerting pressure upon him in numerous other ways. For further treatment of this topic See
Halacha and Beyond, p 38-52]. The same thought applies, however, to every man, to guard himself from adverse situations involving grave transgressions. If the individual will take this approach, with an understanding heart, he will repent, and he will be healed.
Isaiah 6:10 However,
Great is the iniquity of man upon the earth. [this verse] There is none who seeks out righteousness,
Cf. Isaiah 59:4 or who is perceptive in regard to the fear of God, to set aside time regularly to toil in the “fear of God,” to draw “waters of wisdom” from that faith which is dormant and hidden within the recesses of the heart, to broaden it, to reinforce it, to give it strength and power, to place the dominion upon its shoulders, [
Cf. Isaiah 9:5. Here the emphasis is upon seeking ways to reinforce our dormant, intellectual belief in God and in His reward and retribution, and to endow this belief with an inner source of power, so that it might exert dominion over the hitherto dominant emotional impact of the
yetzer hara that it might rule over the bodily limbs, that they might not exceed its limitations [That is, that they might not exceed the limitations set upon us by
yir’as Shamayim – “fear of Heaven.”], and that they might comply with Torah law. This is the second category, the likes of which we do not find in regard to worldly matters. There is no man who has tribulations hovering overhead to engulf him, who will not take out time to reflect upon how he might escape from them. [Why, then should we not do as much in regard to the
yetzer hara, which is waiting to engulf us.] How [enigmatic] this is! It is not even caused by passion. [There is no logical reason, the author tells us here, why we should not take time out, before we are actually engulfed by temptation, to give serious thought to methods whereby we might combat the powerful lure of the
yetzer hara and of temptation, when it does come upon us, and to seek ways and means of reinforcing our fundamental
emunah-values in this regard. Not to do so, Rabbe Yisroel says, is entirely incomprehensible]. This transgression is astounding, and astounding is its name – not to give serious thought to the fear of God, and to the chastisement of His retribution! These transgressions cannot fall into the first category [where the transgressions are motivated by passionate desire], for there is not sufficient passion here to be [regarded as] their cause. Rather, they are derived from the [negative] spiritual power of טומאה -- spiritual defilement, which surrounds the individual, so as to cause him to sin. This is particularly true of transgressions involving speech, [e.g. רכילות talebearing and הרע לשון speaking evil of someone] for what advantage is there to the slanderer [Cf. Ecclesiastes 10:11 – “
If the serpent bites without having been incited; and one who slanders derives no advantage”, as the Sages observe in tractate
Erachin [“In the latter days, all animals will gather around the serpent and say, ‘A lion claws at its prey and devours it; a wolf tears its prey apart and devours it. But what benefit do you derive [when you inject your venom, since you do not devour your prey’?’ Whereupon, he will reply, ‘What advantage is there to the slanderer? [Yet he does it nevertheless!]’”
[15b] FENDEL 276-80
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