GEN959 When God bestows on an individual a special benefit, such as exceptional wisdom and profound understanding, or great wealth, or notability with the sovereign, or anything similar in which people tend to glory and take pride, and yet he remains humble as before, growing only in modesty and lowliness before God and [increasing] honor and kindness toward people, then his inner state is verified and his humility is found to be genuine.   This is like Avraham, who, when the Creator complimented him, saying [this verse], then said “I am but dust and ashes” Genesis 18:27; like Moshe and Aharon, who said, “What are we?” Exodus 16:7; and like David, peace be upon him, who said, “But I am like a worm not a man.” Psalms 22:7.   In this regard, the Wise One said, “If the spirit of the ruler rests upon you, do not leave your place.” Ecclesiastes 10:4   DUTIES 587

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GEN962 We often find [God] identified to us by way of our forefathers, as it says “Y-H-V-H, the God of your forefathers, the God of Avraham, the God of Yitzchak, the God of Ya’akov, has sent me to you.  This is My Name for all eternity” Exodus 3:15.   The reason for this is that He is identified to us through that which has given us knowledge of him, namely, the tradition of our fathers, from whom we have inherited [knowledge of] His ways, as it says: [this verse].   DUTIES 1

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GEN1043 Once the evil instinct began to thrive, as we have described, among most adherents to the Torah, they had to counter it with the special abstinence defined at the beginning of this chapter [in summary, “the regimen prescribed by the Torah and the intellect for the welfare of our souls in the next world” - AJL].   Employing it, they could stand up to the instinct, until [abstinence] restored them to the right path of the Torah, which is essential to the religion and to the world.   Hence, it became necessary that there be, among the adherents to the Torah, select individuals who would be the bearers of this special abstinence and assume its conditions.   Their [example of] abstinence would then assist the adherents to the Torah when their hearts and traits inclined to low desires under the influence of the instinct.  They would serve as physicians of religion and of the souls, healing them when they strayed from honorable traits to those that lead to shame, when their evil instincts overcame their minds, and when worldly excesses distracted them from the things vital to their faith. … They [function] in the world like the sun, which spreads its light throughout the universe, above and below; it illumines the stars and [celestial] bodies, those above it as well as those below it.   So [it is with] these select individuals whom I have portrayed for you: in this world, as it says [“I will spare the whole place for their sake” (this verse].   “Had not Moshe, His chosen one, stood in the breach before Him to turn away His anger from destroying” Psalms 106:23; and in the next world, as it says: “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life” Proverbs 11:30.  Thus Devorah said, “But those who love God will be like the sun going forth in its strength” Judges 5:31.  You will find that such abstinence was practiced by the prophets, peace be upon them, and by the pious among our predecessors in every generation …   DUTIES 795-799

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GEN1070 In how many ways should a person hold himself to an accounting before God? I say that there are a multitude of ways in which to make such an accounting. Of these, I will point out thirty. They can clarify to a person what he owes God, if he will bring them to mind and undertake to reflect on them and remember them always. Contemplating man's plight as a stranger in this world. … 30. To complete the thirty ways: A person should make an accounting with himself of the conditions incumbent upon a stranger in this world and should regard his position in it as similar to that of a stranger arriving in a foreign land. [The stranger] knows no one in the city that he has come to, nor does anyone know him. The ruler of the city, however, pities him in his plight as a stranger and teaches him how to rectify his situation there. He provides him with daily bread and commands him not to disobey his word or violate his command. He promises him reward and threatens him with punishment, as befits the time and the place. He warns him that one day he will have to leave, but does not tell him when. Among the conditions incumbent upon [the stranger] are humility and lowliness, surrender of pride, and renunciation of arrogance and haughtiness. As it says of [the stranger’s] situation: “This one came to reside as a stranger, and now he would be a judge!” (Bereshis 19:9). Further, [conditions] are that he be ready to move on and relocate, and not feel settled and secure. As it says, “The land cannot be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for to Me you are strangers and temporary residents” (Vayikra 25:23). Further is [that condition] that he study the laws and statutes of the land and the duties he owes the king. As David, peace be upon him, said: “I am a stranger in the land; do not hide Your commandments from me” (Tehillim 119:19). Further [conditions incumbent upon a stranger] are that he love other strangers like himself, help them, and assist them, as it is written: “You must love the stranger” (Devarim 10:19); “The stranger who resides among you must be to you as the native born among you, and you shall love him like yourself” (Vayikra 19:34).

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GEN1125 One should employ the means that will help one attain the high degree of the pious, who are worthy of this Divine grace.   These [means] are as follows: acting in accordance with the qualities of the ascetics, who shun this world; banishing the love and preference for this world from one’s heart, and replacing it with love of the Creator, may He be exalted; devotion to Him; delighting in Him; feeling (spiritually) lonely in the world and among its inhabitants; and adopting the practices of the prophets and pietists.  And then one should have trust in God, that He will bestow grace upon him – as He bestowed grace upon them – in the World-to-Come.   But one who trusts that God will bestow this upon him without the medium of good deeds is ignorant and foolish, and is Iike those of whom it is said, “They act like Zimri, and expect a reward like that of Pinchas” [Numbers 25:6, 10-14] Sotah 22b.  What distinguishes people of this high degree is that they guide God’s servants to His service, exhibit patient endurance in time of trial and tribulation, and regard everything else as of slight importance, when compared with the fulfillment of the Creator’s commandments.   This you know from the account [which begins] [this verse] and from the stories of Chananyah, Mishael, and Azaryah in the fiery furnace (Daniel 3), Daniel in the lions’ den (ibid. 6) and the ten martyrs.   DUTIES 445-7

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GEN1273 The Wise One [King Solomon] warned us against excessive drive and effort to gain wealth, as it is written: “Do not toil to get wealth; of your own understanding, desist” and described the ill inherent in it: “Before you can set your eyes on it, it is gone” Proverbs 23:4-5. The other Wise One [King David] guided and encouraged us to work only for one’s basic sustenance, what is sufficient for one’s needs, saying: “You will eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you will be happy and it will be well with you.” Psalms 128:2.   The pious man also asked God to grant him an adequate livelihood but to withhold from him wealth, which leads to luxuries, and poverty, which lead to the corruption of morality and religion.   As he said, “Two things I ask of You … Give me neither poverty nor riches, but provide me with my daily bread; lest I be full and deny [You] and say, ‘Who is God?’ or lest I be poor and steal …” Proverbs 30:7-9.  Similarly, we find that our patriarch Ya’akov, peace be upon him, asked God to provide only his needs: [this verse].   DUTIES 707

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GEN1370 (Continued from [[DEUT684]] Deuteronomy 14:22 tenth DUTIES 309) Analogously, if a person has been singled out by the Creator, May He be exalted, for special favor, he is under an obligation of increased service as an expression of gratitude for this favor.  For this reason the Early Pietists – whenever they were graced with some blessing from among the blessings of the world – would be apprehensive for two reasons: (1) that they not be deficient in fulfilling the service and expressing the gratitude they owed for this good fortune, so that it not turn into misfortune for them as our forefather Yaakov said: “I am diminished from all the kindness” [this verse]; and (2) that this not be the Creator’s reward for their service, at the expense of their reward in the World-to-Come, as explained by the Early Ones on the verse “He repays His enemies to their face [i.e., during their lifetime, so as] to destroy them [in the Hereafter]” Deuteronomy 7:10. This should suffice you.  DUTIES 311

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GEN1371 (Continued from [[DEUT293]] Deuteronomy 6:16 try DUTIES 401-5). If he survives, with the help of the Creator, may He be exalted, he will lose his merit and reward, as our Masters, of blessid memory, have said of this: "A person should never stay in a dangerous place and say that a miracle will be performed for him, lest no miracle be performed; and if it is performed for him, his merits are diminished.” Shabbat 32a.   Our forefather Ya’akov said [this verse], which the Targum renders: “My merits are diminished by all the kindnesses and favors.”  

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GEN1494 If [a person] is mentioned in connection with evil that he has committed, he should admit his failing – and not search for excuses in order to be cleared of it and to justify himself – as Yehuda said [this verse].   DUTIES 584-5

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GEN1523 We all know that when we prepare to meet our kings, high officials, or distinguished contemporaries we adorn ourselves with the finest clothes we can afford, since they will observe our outward appearance.  As it says, “For it is improper to enter the king’s gate wearing sackcloth” Esther 4:2; [this verse]. Similarly, we should adorn ourselves before God with His service, outwardly and inwardly, since He observes us [on both levels] equally and continually.  Imagine that our rulers could see into our innermost thoughts, just as they observe our external physical appearance.  We would not delay adorning our inner lives in accordance with their expectations of us. DUTIES 699-700.  

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