Duties of the Heart

אַךְ תּוֹעֶלֶת הַחֶשְׁבּוֹן הַנִּזְכָּר הִיא:

The benefit the spiritual accountings we mentioned yields are the results which the soul develops after:

Duties of the Heart, Eighth Treatise on Examining the Soul 4:1 · Duties of the Heart, trans. Rabbi Yosef Sebag

אַךְ אִם הַחֶשְׁבּוֹן הַזֶּה חוֹבָה עַל הָאָדָם תָּמִיד אוֹ בִּקְצָת הַזְּמַן מִבְּלִי קְצָתוֹ אוֹמַר בִּתְשׁוּבַת הַשְּׁאֵלָה הַזֹּאת,

Whether this accounting is a constant duty on a man or only at some times but not at others, I say in response to this question as follows:

Duties of the Heart, Eighth Treatise on Examining the Soul 5:1 · Duties of the Heart, trans. Rabbi Yosef Sebag

אֲבָל מָה שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לִסְמֹךְ לַחֶשְׁבּוֹן עִם הַנֶּפֶשׁ מִן הַמַּעֲשִׂים אוֹמַר כִּי זֶה יִהְיֶה מִן הָאָדָם כְּפִי זַכּוּת עֶצֶם נַפְשׁוֹ וְקִבּוּלָהּ לְאוֹרֵי הָאֱמֶת הַמַּגִּיעִים אֵלֶיהָ מֵאֵת אֱלֹהִים יִתְבָּרַךְ כִּי כַּאֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה שֵׂכֶל הַמְחַשֵּׁב עִם נַפְשׁוֹ הַחֶשְׁבּוֹן הַזֶּה זַךְ וְיָבִין הַכַּוָּנָה וְהַחֵפֶץ בּוֹ וִייַחֵד לִבּוֹ בּוֹ לָאֱלֹהִים יִתְבָּרַךְ יָפִיק רְצוֹן הַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרַךְ וְיַעַזְרֵהוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת מִצְוֹתָיו וְיוֹרֶה אוֹתוֹ בְּאוֹר הַחָכְמָה וְיַזְהִיר בְּזֹהַר הַשֵּׂכֶל וְיָזֹךְ נִגְלֵהוּ וְנִסְתָּרוֹ לֵאלֹהִים וְדוֹמֶה לְמָה שֶׁאָמַר אִיּוֹב (איוב כט) צֶדֶק לָבַשְׁתִּי וַיִּלְבָּשֵׁנִי וְגוֹ׳.

What actions need to follow the accounting with oneself? I say, this will be from a man according to the purity of the essence his soul, and according to what his soul received of the lights of truth which reach it from G-d, blessed be He. Because when the intellect of one who reflects on this accounting is pure, and he will understand the intent and desire in it, and he does it for G-d alone - he will attain the favor of the Creator who will help him to do His commandments, teach him by the light of truth which distances the ways of doubt from his heart, and will illuminate him with the light of wisdom so that his intellect will be bright, and his inner and outer being will be purely devoted to G-d, and he will be similar to what Iyov said: "I put on righteousness and it clothed me; like a coat and a turban was my judgment" (Iyov 29:14).

Duties of the Heart, Eighth Treatise on Examining the Soul 6:1 · Duties of the Heart, trans. Rabbi Yosef Sebag

אֲבָל מַהוּת הַפְּרִישׁוּת הַכּוֹלֶלֶת וְצֹרֶךְ אַנְשֵׁי העוה״ז אֵלֶיהָ,

What is general abstinence and why do human beings need it Regarding what is general abstinence, and why do human beings need it,

Duties of the Heart, Ninth Treatise on Abstinence 1:1 · Duties of the Heart, trans. Rabbi Yosef Sebag

אֲבָל מָה גֶּדֶר הַפְּרִישׁוּת הַמְיֻחֶדֶת וְצֹרֶךְ אַנְשֵׁי הַתּוֹרָה אֵלֶיהָ נֶחְלְקוּ הַחֲכָמִים בְּגִדְרָהּ,

- The special abstinence for men of torah What is the special abstinence and what need do men of torah have for it? The Sages are divided as to its definition.

Duties of the Heart, Ninth Treatise on Abstinence 2:1 · Duties of the Heart, trans. Rabbi Yosef Sebag

אֲבָל לְכַמָּה כִּתּוֹת נֶחְלָקִים הַפְּרוּשִׁים בַּפְּרִישׁוּת, אוֹמַר בִּתְשׁוּבַת הַשְּׁאֵלָה הַזֹּאת,

- The classes of abstainers As to how many classes the abstainers are divided, I will answer this question as follows.

Duties of the Heart, Ninth Treatise on Abstinence 3:1 · Duties of the Heart, trans. Rabbi Yosef Sebag

אֲבָל תְּנָאֵי הַפְּרִישׁוּת הַמְיֻחֶדֶת כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמַר קְצָת הַחֲסִידִים,

- The marks of special abstinence The marks of the special abstinence are as one of the pious declared:

Duties of the Heart, Ninth Treatise on Abstinence 4:1 · Duties of the Heart, trans. Rabbi Yosef Sebag

אֲבָל מָה שֶׁיֵּאוֹת לְתוֹרָתֵנוּ מֵהַפְּרִישׁוּת אוֹמַר בִּתְשׁוּבַת הַשְּׁאֵלָה הַזֹּאת, כִּי הַפְּרִישׁוּת הַנּוֹהֶגֶת בְּתוֹרָתֵנוּ עַל ג׳ פָּנִים.

- What kind of abstinence is in accord with the torah Regarding what kind of abstinence is in accord with our torah, I will answer this question as follows: The abstinence recommended by the torah is on three fronts:

Duties of the Heart, Ninth Treatise on Abstinence 5:1 · Duties of the Heart, trans. Rabbi Yosef Sebag

אֲבָל בֵּאוּר מָה שֶׁבָּא בְּסִפְרֵי הַקֹּדֶשׁ וְדִבְרֵי רַזַ״ל מֵעִנְיַן הַפְּרִישׁוּת מִן הָעוֹלָם.

- what scriptures says on abstinence The explanation of what is written in the holy books and the words of our Sages regarding abstinence from the world.

Duties of the Heart, Ninth Treatise on Abstinence 6:1 · Duties of the Heart, trans. Rabbi Yosef Sebag

אֲבָל הַהֶפְרֵשׁ שֶׁבֵּין קַדְמוֹנֵינוּ וּבֵינֵינוּ בַּפְּרִישׁוּת הוּא שֶׁחֲנוֹךְ וְנֹחַ וְאַבְרָהָם וְיִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב וְאִיּוֹב וְרֵעָיו הָיָה שִׂכְלָם זַךְ וְיִצְרָם חַלָּשׁ וְנַפְשׁוֹתָם הָיוּ נִמְשָׁכוֹת אַחַר שִׂכְלָם וְהַמְּעַט מִן הַמִּצְוֹת הָיָה מַסְפִּיק לָהֶם בְּהַשְׁלָמַת עֲבוֹדַת הָאֱלֹהִים עִם אֱמוּנַת לִבָּם לֵאלֹהִים כמ״ש בְּאַבְרָהָם (נחמיה ט) וּמָצָאתָ אֶת לְבָבוֹ נֶאֱמָן לְפָנֶיךָ וְלֹא הָיוּ צְרִיכִים אֶל הַפְּרִישׁוּת הַיּוֹצֵאת מֵהַדֶּרֶךְ הַשָּׁוָה הַתּוֹרִיָּה.

- The difference between the early ones and us The difference between us and our predecessors regarding separation is as follows. For the early ones such as Chanoch, Noach, Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, Iyov and his company, their intellect was pure and their evil inclination was weak. So their souls were drawn after their intellect. The few mitzvot they had combined with their heartfelt faith in G-d were sufficient for them to complete their service of G-d, as written by Avraham "You found his heart faithful before You" (Nehemiah 9:8). They did not need the abstinence which goes out of the middle way which the torah prescribes.

Duties of the Heart, Ninth Treatise on Abstinence 7:1 · Duties of the Heart, trans. Rabbi Yosef Sebag

אֲבָל מָה עִנְיַן הָאַהֲבָה בֵּאלֹהִים, הוּא כְּלוֹת הַנֶּפֶשׁ וּנְטוֹתָהּ בְּעַצְמָהּ אֶל הַבּוֹרֵא כְּדֵי שֶׁתִּדְבַּק בְּאוֹרוֹ הָעֶלְיוֹן, וְהוּא שֶׁהַנֶּפֶשׁ עֶצֶם פָּשׁוּט רוּחָנִי נוֹטֶה אֶל הַדּוֹמֶה לָהּ מֵהָאִישִׁים הָרוּחָנִיִּים, וּמִתְרַחֶקֶת בְּטִבְעָהּ מֵאֲשֶׁר הוּא כְּנֶגְדָּהּ מִן הַגּוּפוֹת הֶעָבוֹת.

What is love of G-d? It is the longing of the soul - and its turning, on its own, to the Creator, so that it can cleave to His supernal light. For the soul is of an essence which is pure and spiritual, it tends towards spiritual things similar to itself. By nature, it removes itself from what is opposite to its nature, namely the coarse physical bodies.

Duties of the Heart, Tenth Treatise on Devotion to God 1:1 · Duties of the Heart, trans. Rabbi Yosef Sebag

אֲבָל עַל כַּמָּה פָּנִים תִּהְיֶה הָאַהֲבָה בֵּאלֹהִים יִתְבָּרַךְ אוֹמַר בִּתְשׁוּבַת הַשְּׁאֵלָה הַזֹּאת, כִּי אַהֲבַת הָעֶבֶד בַּאֲדוֹנָיו תִּהְיֶה לְאֶחָד מִשְּׁלֹשָׁה פָּנִים.

In how many ways is the love of G-d? I will answer this question as follows. The love of a slave for his master is in one of 3 ways:

Duties of the Heart, Tenth Treatise on Devotion to God 2:1 · Duties of the Heart, trans. Rabbi Yosef Sebag

אֲבָל אִם הָאַהֲבָה בֵּאלֹהִים הִיא בִּיכֹלֶת הָאָדָם אִם לֹא. אוֹמַר בִּתְשׁוּבַת שְׁאֵלָה זֹאת.

Is love of G-d within a human being's ability or not? I will answer this as follows.

Duties of the Heart, Tenth Treatise on Devotion to God 4:1 · Duties of the Heart, trans. Rabbi Yosef Sebag

אֲבָל מַפְסִידֵי הָאַהֲבָה בֵּאלֹהִים רַבִּים מְאֹד. מֵהֶם שֶׁיְּקַצֵּר הָאָדָם בַּהַקְדָּמוֹת אֲשֶׁר תִּתְיַלֵּד מֵהֶם הָאַהֲבָה בַּבּוֹרֵא יִתְעַלֶּה.

The things detrimental to the love of G-d are exceedingly numerous. Among them, that a man falls short in fulfilling the prerequisites from which the love of G-d emerges.

Duties of the Heart, Tenth Treatise on Devotion to God 5:1 · Duties of the Heart, trans. Rabbi Yosef Sebag

אֲבָל מִנְהֲגֵי אוֹהֲבֵי ה׳ יִתְבָּרַךְ רַבִּים מִסְּפֹר אַךְ אֶזְכֹּר מֵהֶם מָה שֶׁיִּזְדַּמֵּן לִי,

The good practices of those who love G-d are too numerous to enumerate. Nevertheless, I will mention of them a few that occur to me.

Duties of the Heart, Tenth Treatise on Devotion to God 7:1 · Duties of the Heart, trans. Rabbi Yosef Sebag