In this chapter, the Chashuve author of the Chovos HaLevavos exposes the cunning tactics of the yetzer hara as he tries to derail a Yid from his avodas Hashem. When a person faces hardships, the yetzer hara tries to make him look at the success of the wicked, whispering that his suffering is only because he clings to Hashem and His mitzvos. He tries to scare the person away from doing good by exaggerating the difficulty of mitzvos—claiming that fasting will make him sick, that learning at night will ruin his health, or that giving tzedakah will lead to poverty—while making sins look incredibly sweet and pleasurable.
If the yetzer hara cannot stop the mitzvah, he tries to ruin it afterward by bringing sadness and regret over the good deeds, or by making the person feel joy after doing an aveirah. He also tries to weaken the person's Torah study, telling him to settle for basic knowledge or to focus on secular wisdom like grammar and poetry instead of deep halachic analysis. If the person still perseveres in his learning, the yetzer hara tries to trip him up with the spiritual traps of jealousy toward other talmidei chachamim or haughtiness and arrogance over his own superior understanding.
וּבַצַּר לְךָ, יַעֲבִיר עַל לִבְּךָ טוֹבַת הָרְשָׁעִים וְהַצְלָחַת הַכּוֹפְרִים, כמ״ש (איוב יב): "יִשְׁלָיוּ אֹהָלִים לְשֹׁדְדִים וּבַטֻּחוֹת לְמַרְגִּיזֵי אֵל".
And in your times of distress, the yetzer hara will bring to your mind the prosperity of the wicked and the success of the deniers, as it is written: "The tents of robbers are at peace, and those who provoke G-d are secure."
וְיֹאמַר לְךָ: "לֹא נִכְנַס עָלֶיךָ הַהֶפְסֵד הַזֶּה אֶלָּא מִפְּנֵי שֶׁדָּבַקְתָּ בַּעֲבוֹדַת הָאֱלֹהִים וּבְמִצְוֹתָיו, וְאֵין בִּיכָלְתְּךָ לַעֲמֹד בָּזֶה מִפְּנֵי כֹּבֶד מַשָּׂאוֹ וְדֹחַק (נ״א ורוחק) תַּכְלִיתוֹ; וְאִם הָיִיתָ מֵסִיר הָעִנְיָן הַזֶּה מִלִּבְּךָ וְתָנוּחַ לוֹ מִמֶּנּוּ, הָיִיתָ שָׂמֵחַ בְּעִנְיָנְךָ כְּמוֹ שֶׁאַתָּה רוֹאֶה עָלָיו הָרְשָׁעִים."
He will say to you: "This loss and suffering has only come upon you because you clung to the service of Hashem and His mitzvos, and you do not have the strength to endure this because of its heavy burden and the distance of its ultimate reward; if you would only remove this matter from your heart and rest from it, you would be happy in your situation, just as you see the wicked are."
NoteThe yetzer hara tries to convince the person that their life's difficulties are a direct result of their religious devotion, suggesting that abandoning their avodah would bring them immediate peace and happiness.
הֲלֹא תִּרְאֶה מ״ש הַכָּתוּב (ויקרא י): "בִּקְרֹבַי אֶקָּדֵשׁ", וְאָמַר (עמוס ג): "רַק אֶתְכֶם יָדַעְתִּי וְגוֹ׳ עַל כֵּן אֶפְקוֹד וְגוֹ׳", וְהַדּוֹמֶה לָזֶה.
He will say: "Do you not see what the verse says: 'Through those near to Me I will be sanctified,' and it says: 'Only you have I known... therefore I will visit upon you all your iniquities,' and other similar verses?"
NoteThe yetzer hara even uses holy verses out of context to discourage the person, arguing that Hashem is extra strict with those close to Him, so being close only brings suffering.
וּכְשֶׁהוּא רוֹאֶה שֶׁאַתָּה מַסְכִּים לַעֲשׂוֹת מְאוּמָה מִמַּעֲשֵׂה הָעֲבוֹדָה, יַגְדִּיל עָלֶיךָ עִנְיָנוֹ וְיַפְחִידְךָ מִמֶּנּוּ.
And when he sees that you resolve to perform any act of Hashem's service, he will exaggerate its difficulty in your eyes and try to frighten you away from it.
וְאִם יִהְיֶה מֵעִנְיַן הַצּוֹם, יֹאמַר לְךָ: "הִזָּהֵר, כִּי יַחְלִישׁ אוֹתְךָ וְיַחֲלִיאֲךָ וְיִמְנָעֲךָ מֵעִנְיְנֵי עוֹלָמְךָ וְאַחֲרִיתְךָ".
If it is a matter of fasting, he will say to you: "Be careful, for this will weaken you and make you sick, and it will prevent you from attending to both your worldly affairs and your spiritual future."
וְאִם יִהְיֶה מֵעִנְיַן תּוֹסֶפֶת תְּפִלָּה בַּלַּיְלָה, יַעֲלֶה עַל לִבְּךָ כִּי הַשֵּׁנָה טוֹבָה לְךָ מִן הַמָּזוֹן, וְשׁוֹמֶרֶת בְּרִיאוּתְךָ וּמְחַזֶּקֶת גּוּפְךָ יוֹתֵר מִן הַמַּאֲכָל וְהַמִּשְׁתֶּה.
And if it is a matter of adding extra prayers at night, he will bring to your mind the thought that sleep is better for you than food, and that it preserves your health and strengthens your body even more than eating and drinking.
וְאִם יִהְיֶה מֵעִנְיְנֵי הַצְּדָקוֹת, יְדַמֶּה בְּעֵינֶיךָ אֲבֵדַת מָמוֹנְךָ, וְיָשִׂים הָרִישׁ לְנֶגֶד עֵינֶיךָ, וְיַזְכִּירְךָ דַּלּוּת הַמִּסְכֵּנוּת וְהַחֶסְרוֹן.
And if it is a matter of giving tzedakah, he will make you imagine the loss of your wealth, placing poverty right before your eyes and reminding you of the misery of destitution and lack.
וְכֵן בְּכָל מִין מִמִּינֵי הַמִּצְוֹת וְהַחֲסָדִים, יִשְׁתַּדֵּל לְהַפְחִידְךָ וּלְהַגְדִּיל הָעִנְיָן בְּלִבְּךָ כְּדֵי שֶׁתַּרְפֶּה מִמֶּנּוּ.
And so it is with every kind of mitzvah and act of chesed; he will strive to frighten you and exaggerate the difficulty in your heart so that you will slacken your hand from it.
וְכַאֲשֶׁר תַּחְשֹׁב לַעֲשׂוֹת עֲבֵרָה, יְחַבֵּב לְךָ הֲנָאָתָהּ, וְיַשְׁכִּיחֲךָ עָנְשָׁהּ, וִיזָרֵז אוֹתְךָ לַעֲשׂוֹתָהּ וְלִנְטוֹת אֵלֶיהָ.
But when you think of committing a sin, he will make its pleasure beloved to you, make you forget its punishment, and urge you to do it and incline toward it.
וְאִם תַּרְגִּישׁ לָזֶה וְלַדּוֹמֶה לוֹ מִמֶּנּוּ, הָשֵׁב עָלָיו כִּי כָל צַעַר שֶׁעָבַר עָלֶיךָ בְּמָה שֶׁקָּדַם מִיָּמֶיךָ לֹא נִשְׁאַר מִמֶּנּוּ בְּךָ אוֹת, אַךְ חָלַף מְהֵרָה וְעָבַר, וּשְׂכָרוֹ עוֹמֵד לְךָ לְעוֹלָם לֹא יִתַּם וְלֹא יִכְלֶה.
If you sense this or anything similar from him, answer him back: 'Of all the pain that has passed over me in my earlier days, not a single trace remains in me; it quickly passed and vanished, but its reward stands ready for me forever, never to end or perish.'
וְהַמִּתְעַנֶּה, כְּשֶׁיָּצוּם בַּיּוֹם וְיֹאכַל בַּלַּיְלָה, כְּאִלּוּ לֹא הִתְעַנָּה, וְיָשׁוּב אֵלָיו כֹּחוֹ, וְיִשָּׁאֵר לוֹ שְׂכָרוֹ שָׁמוּר.
And regarding one who fasts: when he fasts by day and eats at night, it is as if he did not suffer from the fast at all, for his strength returns to him, while his reward remains safely stored away for him.
וְכֵן הַנֵּעוֹר בִּקְצָת הַלַּיְלָה, כַּאֲשֶׁר יִישַׁן יָשׁוּב לְקַלּוּת גּוּפוֹ וּכְאִלּוּ לֹא נֵעוֹר, וְיִשָּׁאֵר לוֹ גְּמוּל עָמְדוֹ וּשְׂכַר תְּפִלָּתוֹ לְעוֹלָם.
And similarly, one who stays awake for part of the night: once he sleeps, his body returns to its light, refreshed state as if he had never stayed up, while the recompense for his standing and the reward for his prayer remain for him forever.
אֲבָל עִנְיַן הַצְּדָקה, כְּבָר בֵּאַרְתִּיו בְּשַׁעַר הַבִּטָּחוֹן בַּאֵר הֵיטֵב.
As for the matter of tzedakah, I have already explained it very well in the Gate of Trust in Hashem.
NoteIn Shaar HaBitachon, the author explains that giving tzedakah never decreases a person's decreed sustenance, so the fear of poverty is entirely an illusion of the yetzer hara.
אַךְ עִנְיַן הָעֲבֵרוֹת, צָרִיךְ שֶׁתָּשִׁיב אֶל לִבְּךָ וְתַעֲבִיר עַל מַחְשַׁבְתְּךָ חֲלִיפוֹת הֲנָאוֹתֶיךָ מְהֵרָה, הַמֻּתָּר וְהָאָסוּר שֶׁבָּהֶם, וְתִשָּׁאֵר חֶרְפַּת הַמְגֻנֶּה מֵהֶם עָלֶיךָ וְעָנְשָׁהּ בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה ובעוה״ב.
But regarding sins, you must bring to your heart and pass through your thoughts how quickly your pleasures pass away—both the permitted and the forbidden ones—leaving you only with the disgrace of the shameful act and its punishment in this world and the World to Come.
אָז יִהְיֶה הַיֵּצֶר נִגָּף לְפָנֶיךָ, וְתֶחֱרָץ לַמַּעֲשֶׂה הַטּוֹב, וְתַרְפֶּה מִכָּל מַעֲשֶׂה מְגֻנֶּה.
Then the yetzer hara will be defeated before you, and you will be eager for good deeds and slacken from any shameful act.
וְכַאֲשֶׁר יֹאבַד סִבְרוֹ מִמְּךָ בַּפָּנִים הָאֵלֶּה, וְעָשִׂיתָ מָה שֶׁהִסְכַּמְתָּ עָלָיו מִמַּעֲשֵׂי הָעֲבוֹדָה, יִשְׁתַּדֵּל לְהַכְנִיס הַדְּאָגוֹת בְּלִבְּךָ וּלְהַתְמִיד עָלֶיךָ הַיְּגוֹנִים, כְּדֵי שֶׁתִּתְחָרֵט עַל מָה שֶׁקָּדַם לְךָ מִן הַמַּעֲשֶׂה הַטּוֹב, וְיִמְנָעֲךָ מִן הַגְּמוּל עָלָיו וְשֶׁיְּקַבְּלֵהוּ הַבּוֹרֵא מִמְּךָ.
And when his hope of enticing you in these ways is lost, and you go ahead and perform the service you resolved to do, he will then try to bring worries into your heart and make your sadness linger, so that you will regret the good deeds you did in the past, which would prevent you from receiving reward for them and prevent the Creator from accepting them from you.
NoteRegretting a mitzvah can retroactively destroy its spiritual value, which is why the yetzer hara tries to make a person feel depressed or regretful after doing a good deed.
וְאִם תַּעֲשֶׂה דְּבַר עֲבֵרָה, מִשְׁתַּדֵּל לְהַכְנִיס הַשִּׂמְחָה בְּלִבְּךָ וְהַשָּׂשׂוֹן בְּמָה שֶׁקָּדַם לְךָ, כְּדֵי שֶׁתִּתְחַזֵּק בַּדָּבָר וְתֶחֱרָץ עָלָיו.
But if you commit a sin, he will strive to bring joy and gladness into your heart over what you have done, so that you will become entrenched in it and eager to repeat it.
וְאִם תַּרְגִּישׁ לְתַרְמִיּוֹתָיו וְתָשִׂים לִבְּךָ לְמִינֵי מְצוּדוֹתָיו, תִּהְיֶה נִזְהָר בָּהֶם וְתֵעָזֵר בֵּאלֹהִים לְהִנָּצֵל מֵהֶם; וְאִם לֹא תַּרְגִּישׁ לָהֶם, יַפִּילְךָ פִּתְאוֹם וְיָרִיק חִצָּיו בְּךָ בְּפֶתַע, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר (משלי ז): "עַד יְפַלַּח חֵץ כְּבֵדוֹ".
If you are sensitive to his deceptions and pay attention to his various traps, you will be on guard against them and be helped by G-d to be saved from them; but if you do not sense them, he will cast you down suddenly and shoot his arrows into you in an instant, as the verse says: "Until an arrow pierces his liver."
וְאִם תַּעֲמֹד כְּנֶגְדּוֹ בְּכָל זֶה וְלֹא יוּכַל לְפַתּוֹתְךָ בְּמָה שֶׁזָּכַרְנוּ, יִשְׁתַּדֵּל לְךָ מִצַּד חָכְמָתְךָ.
And if you stand strong against him in all of this, and he cannot entice you through the ways we have mentioned, he will then try to attack you through the angle of your wisdom and Torah study.
וְאִם יִרְאֶה מִמְּךָ חֲרִיצוּת לִלְמֹד הַחָכְמָה, יֹאמַר לְךָ: "הֲלֹא יַסְפִּיק לְךָ מָה שֶׁמַּסְפִּיק לִגְדוֹלֵי דּוֹרְךָ וּזְקֵנֶיךָ לָדַעַת תּוֹרָתְךָ הַנֶּאֱמָנָה?"
If he sees in you a diligence to study Torah wisdom, he will say to you: "Is it not enough for you to know your faithful Torah to the same extent that is sufficient for the leaders and elders of your generation?"
הֲלֹא יָדַעְתָּ כִּי הַחָכְמָה אֵין לָהּ קֵץ וְלֹא תַּכְלִית; שִׂים מְגַמָּתְךָ אֶל עִקַּר הָאֱמוּנָה וְשֹׁרֶשׁ הַתּוֹרָה, ואח״כ לְמֹד מָה שֶׁתִּזְדַּיֵּן בּוֹ אֵצֶל בְּנֵי אָדָם מֵעִנְיַן הַשִּׁיר וְהַמִּקְצָב וּצְפוּנֵי הַדִּקְדּוּק וְהַחִידוֹת הַנָּכְרִיּוֹת וְהַמְּשָׁלִים הַנּוֹהֲגִים.
He will say: "Do you not know that wisdom has no end and no limit? Direct your goal only to the core of faith and the root of the Torah, and after that, study things that will make you look sophisticated and prestigious among people, such as poetry, meter, the secrets of grammar, exotic riddles, and popular proverbs."
NoteThe yetzer hara tries to divert the person from deep, authentic Torah study into superficial, intellectual pursuits that only serve to gain social prestige.
וְהַנַּח לְךָ דִּבְרֵי הַדִּינִים וּמַחְלֹקֶת הַחֲכָמִים בָּהֶם, וְאַל תַּכְנִיס עַצְמְךָ בְּחָכְמַת שָׁרְשֵׁי הַמּוֹפֵת וְאֵיכוּת הַדִּבּוּר וּמִינֵי הַהַקָּשׁוֹת וְאָפְנֵי הָרְאָיוֹת וְאֵיכוּת הִלּוּךְ הָעִלָּה עִם הַמְּעוֹלָל וְהִתְחַבְּרוּת הַחָכְמָה הַנִּרְאֵית עִם הַחָכְמָה הַנִּסְתֶּרֶת מִפְּנֵי עָמְקָם וְדַקּוּת עִנְיָנָם.
"And leave aside the details of the laws and the disputes of the Sages in them, and do not enter into the study of the principles of logical proof, the nature of speech, types of analogies, methods of evidence, the relationship between cause and effect, and the connection between the revealed wisdom and the hidden wisdom, because of their depth and subtlety."
וּסְמֹךְ עַל אַנְשֵׁי הַקַּבָּלָה בְּמָה שֶׁתּוּכַל לַעֲמֹד עַל בֵּרוּרוֹ, כַּאֲשֶׁר תִּסְמֹךְ עֲלֵיהֶם בְּמָה שֶׁהוּא נִמְנָע מִמְּךָ.
"And simply rely on the transmitters of tradition even in matters where you could actually arrive at clarity through your own analysis, just as you rely on them for things that are beyond your reach."
וְאִם לֹא תִּשְׁמַע לוֹ וְתִשְׁתַּדֵּל וְתִתְחַזֵּק, יוֹרֶה אוֹתְךָ בְּחִצֵּי הַקִּנְאָה בַּחֲבֵרֶיךָ; וְאִם יַגִּיעוּ לַחָכְמָה מִבִּלְעָדֶיךָ, תִּטֹּר אוֹתָם וְתִשְׁתַּדֵּל לִתְלוֹת בָּהֶם מוּמִים וּלְהַפְחִיתָם וּלְדַבֵּר בִּגְנוּתָם, כְּאִלּוּ הֵם שְׁלָלוּךָ בִּינָתְךָ וּגְזָלוּךָ חָכְמָתְךָ.
And if you do not listen to him, but instead strive and strengthen yourself in study, he will shoot you with the arrows of jealousy toward your peers; if they attain wisdom that you have not, you will bear a grudge against them, try to find faults in them, demean them, and speak disparagingly of them, as if they had stripped you of your understanding and stolen your wisdom.
וְאִם תֶּחְכַּם מִבִּלְעֲדֵיהֶם, יִפְחֲתוּ בְּעֵינֶיךָ לְיִתְרוֹן בִּינָתְךָ, וְתִשְׂנָאֵם לְסִכְלוּתָם, וְתַרְאֶה זֶה לְעַמֵּי הָאָרֶץ, וְתִתְגָּאֶה לְנַפְשְׁךָ וְתִתְהַלֵּל בְּחָכְמָתְךָ עַד שֶׁתִּטְעֹן שֶׁאַתָּה יוֹדֵעַ מָה שֶׁאֵינְךָ יוֹדְעוֹ.
And if you become wiser than them, they will seem inferior in your eyes because of your superior understanding, and you will hate them for their ignorance, and display this attitude to the common people, becoming arrogant in your soul and boasting of your wisdom, until you even claim to know that which you do not know.
וְיִגְבַּהּ רוּחֲךָ מִלְּמֹד, וְיָרוּם לְבָבְךָ עֵת שְׁתְּלַמֵּד, וְתָקֹץ עֵת שֶׁיַּקְשׁוּ עָלֶיךָ, וְתַרְבֶּה לְהַחֲזִיק עַצְמְךָ כְּחָכָם, וְתִתְכַּבֵּד בִּסְכֹל חֲבֵרֶיךָ, וְתִזְדַּיֵּן בְּהַכְלִים בְּנֵי גִּילְךָ, וְתִהְיֶה שׁוֹלָל מִמוּסְרֵי הַחֲכָמִים בֵּאלֹהִים וּבְתוֹרָתוֹ.
Your spirit will become too haughty to learn from others, your heart will swell with pride when you teach, you will become annoyed when they ask you difficult questions, you will constantly hold yourself to be a great sage, you will seek honor through the ignorance of your peers, you will arm yourself by embarrassing your contemporaries, and you will end up completely stripped of the ethical teachings of the Sages regarding G-d and His Torah.
וְאִם לֹא יִשְׁלַם לוֹ מָה שֶׁכִּוֵּן לְפַתּוֹתְךָ בּוֹ בְּשַׁעַר דַּעַת הָאֱלֹהִים וְתוֹרָתוֹ, יִשְׁתַּדֵּל לְפַתּוֹתְךָ בְּשַׁעַר מַעֲשֵׂי הָעֲבוֹדָה.
And if he does not succeed in what he aimed to entice you with regarding the area of G-dly knowledge and His Torah, he will then try to entice you in the area of practical acts of service.
וּכְשֶׁתַּעֲשֶׂה לֵאלֹהִים מַעֲשֶׂה, יַגְדִּילֵהוּ וִינַשְּׂאֵהוּ בְּעֵינֶיךָ, וִישִׂימְךָ לְהִתְגָּאוֹת בּוֹ, וְיַקְלֶה אַנְשֵׁי דּוֹרְךָ אֶצְלְךָ, וְיָקֵל עָלֶיךָ לְמָאֳסָם וּלְהַכְלִימָם וּלְבַיְּשָׁם, וְאֶפְשָׁר שֶׁהֵם טוֹבִים מִמְּךָ לִפְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים.
When you perform a deed for G-d, he will magnify it and elevate it in your eyes, causing you to become proud of it, and he will make the people of your generation seem insignificant to you, making it easy for you to despise them, humiliate them, and shame them—when in truth, it is possible that they are better than you before G-d.
וְאִם יִהְיֶה בַּחֲבֵרֶיךָ מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ יִתְרוֹן עָלֶיךָ בַּעֲבוֹדַת הָאֵל וּמַעֲשֵׂהוּ טוֹב מִמַּעֲשֶׂיךָ וְהוּא מִשְׁתַּדֵּל לְהִתְקָרֵב אֵלָיו יוֹתֵר מִמְּךָ, יְסִיתְךָ הַיֵּצֶר בּוֹ וְיֹאמַר לְךָ: "כָּל אֲשֶׁר יֵרָאֶה מֵהִשְׁתַּדְּלוּת זוּלָתְךָ בָּעֲבוֹדָה הוּא חֶסְרוֹן נִרְאֶה מִמְּךָ, וְלוּלֵא הוּא הָיִיתָ נִרְאֶה בְּעֵינֵי בְּנֵי אָדָם צַדִּיק מִכָּל בְּנֵי דּוֹרֵךְ; הַשֵּׁא עָלָיו וְקַנֵּא בּוֹ וּשְׂטֹם אוֹתוֹ וַחֲקֹר עַל מוּמָיו וּגְנוּתוֹ וֶאֱרֹב לְמִכְשׁוֹלָיו, וְאִם תּוּכַל לְהוֹצִיא עָלָיו דִּבַּת שֶׁקֶר כְּדֵי לְהַפְחִית שְׁמוֹ אֵצֶל בְּנֵי אָדָם—עֲשֵׂה!"
And if there is one among your peers who has an advantage over you in the service of G-d, whose deeds are better than yours, and who strives to draw closer to Him more than you do, the yetzer will incite you against him and say to you: "Any diligence in service shown by someone else only highlights your own deficiency, and were it not for him, you would appear to people as the most righteous person of your generation; so plot against him, be jealous of him, hate him, search out his flaws and disgrace, lie in wait for his stumbles, and if you can spread a false rumor about him to lower his reputation among people—do it!"
אָז תָּשִׁיב עָלָיו: וְאֵיךְ אֶמְאַס מִי שֶׁאֲהָבוֹ הָאֱלֹהִים, וַאֲגַנֶּה מִי שֶׁשִּׁבְּחוֹ הַבּוֹרֵא? וְלֹא דַּי לִי עַצְלוּתִי לְקַיֵּם עֲבוֹדָתוֹ כָּמוֹהוּ, עַד שֶׁאֶשְׂטֹם מִי שֶׁיַּעַבְדֵהוּ?
Then you must answer him: 'How can I despise someone whom G-d loves, and disparage someone whom the Creator praises? Is my own laziness in failing to fulfill His service like him not enough of a shortcoming, that I should now also hate the one who actually serves Him?'
וְאֵין זֶה גְּמוּל מָה שֶׁאֲנִי חַיָּב לַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרַךְ, אֲבָל חַיָּב אֲנִי לֶאֱהֹב אֶת אוֹהֲבָיו לְאַהֲבָתוֹ, וּלְכַבֵּד מְכַבְּדָיו לִכְבוֹדוֹ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (תהלים טו): "וְאֶת יִרְאֵי ה׳ יְכַבֵּד".
'And this is surely not the proper return for what I owe the Creator, may He be blessed; rather, I am obligated to love those who love Him for the sake of His love, and to honor those who honor Him for the sake of His honor, as it is written: "And he honors those who fear Hashem."'
וּכְבָר יָדַעְתָּ מָה שֶׁאֵרַע אֶת מִרְיָם בְּעִנְיַן (במדבר יב): "וַתְּדַבֵּר מִרְיָם וְאַהֲרֹן בְּמֹשֶׁה", וּמָה שֶׁהָיָה מֵעִנְיַן קֹרַח וַעֲדָתוֹ בְּקַנְּאָם בְּמֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן בְּקִרְבָתָם אֶל ה׳.
'And you already know what happened to Miriam in the matter of "And Miriam and Aharon spoke against Moshe," and what happened to Korach and his assembly when they became jealous of Moshe and Aharon because of their closeness to Hashem.'
The chapter outlines a clear path to defeat these traps of the yetzer hara through deep contemplation and yiras Shamayim. To counter the fear of difficulty in mitzvos, a person must remind himself that the physical discomfort of a fast or late-night learning quickly passes and leaves no trace, while the eternal reward remains forever. Conversely, the fleeting pleasure of an aveirah vanishes instantly, leaving only disgrace and punishment. To guard his Torah study and character, the learner must resist the yetzer hara's attempts to make him jealous of others or arrogant about his own wisdom, remaining vigilant against these spiritual arrows with the help of Hashem.
My dear friend, the Chovos HaLevavos is pulling back the curtain on the daily psychological warfare we all experience. Have you ever noticed how, the moment you decide to learn a bit more, daven with more kavanah, or give a generous amount of tzedakah, a sudden wave of exhaustion or financial worry washes over you? The yetzer hara is a master strategist. He will tell you that a fast will ruin your health, that waking up early to learn will make you too tired to function, or that giving charity will leave you destitute. He magnifies the temporary physical toll of a mitzvah while completely hiding the reality that physical fatigue passes quickly, but the eternal reward of your avodah remains forever.
Even when you overcome these hurdles and do the mitzvah, the battle isn't over. The yetzer hara will try to inject a cold feeling of regret or sadness into your heart, making you feel like your sacrifice wasn't worth it, just to spoil the purity of your act. Conversely, when a person stumbles into a sin, he tries to make them feel happy and accomplished, reinforcing the bad habit. We must learn to recognize these thoughts not as our own logical reasoning, but as the targeted arrows of the yetzer hara trying to weaken our resolve.
To defeat this, we must talk back to these thoughts with clear emunah. Remind yourself that any physical discomfort you feel from serving Hashem will vanish by tomorrow, but the spiritual light you created is eternal. When the voice of doubt tells you that you are sacrificing too much, look at the big picture and realize that the greatest investment a Yid can make is in his neshama.
Today, when you feel a sudden excuse or hesitation pop into your mind before doing a mitzvah or learning Torah, recognize it immediately as the yetzer hara's trick, say 'no' to the excuse, and do the good deed anyway.