NUM182 Said he [Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai] to them: Go out and see which is the good way to which a man should cling. Rabbi Eliezer said, A good, kindly eye; Rabbi Joshua said, A good friend; Rabbi Yose said, A good neighbor; Rabbi Simeon said, One who foresees, reckons the outcome of things; Rabbi Elazar said, A good heart. Said he to them: I appreciate the words of Elazar ben Arach above all your statements, for in his words yours are included. Pirkei Avot, Perek II, mishnah 13-14. This seems to denote a spontaneous, open love for the good everywhere, and intuitive grasp of what is good in every situation, and a desire for it. This would appear to have a little to do with the reason or intelligence. As people say, "The heart has its reasons that reason does not know." (Blaise Pascal (1623- 1662), Pensées, iv, 277). If someone can cultivate within himself such an educated perception and appreciation of the good, then he has, indeed, the "master key." This is the "good way" to take in life, that includes within it all other ways. It is the "royal road" to spiritual achievement. The Five Books of Moses end with the letter lamed (Deuteronomy 34:12) and begin with the letter beth (Genesis 1:1). Put them together and you have the word lev, heart. This is indeed the most crucial organ of all. For Judaism the heart symbolizes the seat of freedom, the decision-making element in man. He who has a "good heart" has won all. He who has an "evil heart" has lost the innermost citadel. In commanding us to wear tzitzith, fringes, the Torah exhorts, "Do not go astray after your heart" [this verse]. The "heart" can be trained and educated through the mitzvoth to the point where it chooses good. "Above all diligence guard your heart, for from it flow the springs of life" (Proverbs 4:23). The heart is the ruler, sending directions to the body to be acted on. "Then will you understand the reverence of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God..." says the wise Solomon, "when wisdom will enter your heart and knowledge will be pleasant to your spirit" (Proverbs 2:5, 10).