In this chapter, we learn how to stand strong against the subtle tricks of the yetzer hara, who tries to lead us astray under the guise of piety. The yetzer hara may tempt a person to take on extra stringencies or make changes to established paths, but we are warned to stick to the ancient boundaries set by our holy forefathers. We must first ensure we are fully keeping our basic obligations before trying to go above and beyond the letter of the law.
We also begin to explore the second type of temptation, where the yetzer hara tries to make us worry about what other people think. He will flatter us about our high spiritual level and then whisper that we must now strive to find favor in the eyes of our fellow men. The chapter teaches us how to recognize these damaging thoughts and how to answer the yetzer hara with emunah and clear thinking.
וְאֶפְשָׁר שֶׁקָּדַם לְדַעְתְּךָ אֹפֶן יֹשֶׁר הַמַּחְשָׁבָה הַהִיא בִּתְחִלָּתָהּ, וְנֶעְלַם מִמְּךָ אֹפֶן הַהֶפְסֵד אֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה מִמֶּנָּה בְּאַחֲרִיתָהּ; וְאַתָּה בְּמִעוּט יִשּׁוּבְךָ תִּרְאֶה יָשְׁרָהּ, וְלֹא תִּרְאֶה טָעוּתָהּ וְאָפְנֵי הֶפְסֵדָהּ.
And it is possible that the seemingly proper nature of that plan appeared to your mind at its beginning, while the way of ruin that will result from it in the end was hidden from you; and you, in your lack of deliberation, see its uprightness but do not see its error and the ways of its ruin.
וְאָמַר הֶחָכָם (משלי כב): "אַל תַּסֵּג גְּבוּל עוֹלָם"; וְאָמַר (שם יא): "שְׁמַע בְּנִי מוּסַר אָבִיךָ"; וְאָמַר בְּמִי שֶׁמַּאֲשִׁים אֲבוֹתָיו (שם ל): "דּוֹר טָהוֹר בְּעֵינָיו וּמִצֹּאָתוֹ לֹא רֻחָץ, דּוֹר אָבִיו יְקַלֵּל"; וְאָמַר (שם): "עַיִן תִּלְעַג לְאָב".
And the wise king Shlomo said, "Do not remove an ancient boundary stone," and he said, "Hear, my son, the instruction of your father," and he said regarding one who condemns his fathers, "There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes, yet is not washed from its filth; a generation that curses its father," and he said, "The eye that mocks a father."
אַךְ אִם תִּרְאֶה לְקַבֵּל עַל עַצְמְךָ מִתּוֹסֶפֶת הָרְשׁוּת בַּמִּצְווֹת מָה שֶׁתּוּכַל עָלָיו, אַחַר שֶׁתְּמַלֵּא חוֹבוֹתֶיךָ מִן הַמִּצְוֹת, לְאַהֲבַת חֶסֶד, אַחַר שֶׁיִּהְיֶה מַסְכִּים בָּם שִׂכְלְךָ וְרָחוֹק מִתַּאֲוָתְךָ — יִהְיֶה טוֹב.
However, if you see fit to take upon yourself optional additions to the mitzvos as much as you are capable of, after you have fully discharged your obligatory duties of the mitzvos, out of a love for piety, and after your intellect agrees to them and they are far removed from your personal desires — then it is good.
וְאַתָּה מְקַבֵּל עָלָיו שָׂכָר, וְאֵינְךָ יוֹצֵא בוֹ מִדַּעַת הָרִאשׁוֹנִים; כִּי כְּבָר אָמְרוּ: "וַעֲשׂוּ סְיָג לַתּוֹרָה".
And you will receive reward for this, and you are not deviating in this from the path of the early sages; for they have already said, "And make a fence for the Torah."
וְאָמְרוּ: "מִפְּנֵי מָה חָרְבָה יְרוּשָׁלַיִם? מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהֶעֱמִידוּ דִּבְרֵיהֶם עַל דִּין תּוֹרָה, וְלֹא עָשׂוּ לִפְנִים מִשּׁוּרַת הַדִּין".
And they said, "Why was Yerushalayim destroyed? Because they established their rulings strictly on the law of the Torah, and did not act beyond the letter of the law."
וְאָמְרוּ: "אָמַר רַב הוּנָא: כָּל הָעוֹסֵק בַּתּוֹרָה בִּלְבַד דּוֹמֶה כְּמִי שֶׁאֵין לוֹ אֱלוֹהַּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ד״ה ב טו): 'וְיָמִים רַבִּים לְיִשְׂרָאֵל לְלֹא אֱלֹהֵי אֱמֶת' — אֶלָּא בַּתּוֹרָה וּבִגְמִילוּת חֲסָדִים".
And they said, "Rav Huna said: Anyone who occupies himself with Torah study alone is like one who has no G-d, as it is said, 'For many days Israel was without the true G-d' — rather, one must occupy himself with both Torah and acts of lovingkindness."
וְאָמַר אֶחָד מִן הַחֲסִידִים: "מִי שֶׁאֵין לוֹ תּוֹסֶפֶת אֵין לוֹ חוֹבָה"; וְאֵין הַתּוֹסֶפֶת מִתְקַבֶּלֶת עַד שֶׁתִּפָּרַע הַחוֹבָה.
And one of the pious men said, "He who has no extra additions has not fulfilled his basic obligation"; yet, the extra addition is not accepted until the basic obligation is first paid in full.
NoteThe pious man's statement means that true fulfillment of one's duty requires a spirit of generosity that goes beyond the bare minimum; however, one cannot use extra stringencies to bypass or neglect basic halachic obligations.
וּכְבָר הִתִּירוּ לָנוּ וְחִיְּבוּ אוֹתָנוּ לְהִתְנַהֵג בְּתוֹסֶפֶת הַמִּצְוֹת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ: "מוֹסִיפִין מֵחֹל עַל הַקֹּדֶשׁ"; וְהַתּוֹסֶפֶת בְּצוֹם, וּבִתְפִלָּה, וּבִצְדָקָה, וַעֲזֹב הָרִבּוּי מִמוֹתַר הַמָּזוֹן הַמֻּתָּרִים לָנוּ.
And our Sages have already permitted us, and even obligated us, to conduct ourselves with additions to the mitzvos, just as they said, "We add from the profane to the holy"; and so too with additions in fasting, prayer, tzedakah, and leaving overabundance of the extra foods that are otherwise permitted to us.
וְהִזְהִירוּ עַל הַשְּׁבוּעָה בַּשֵּׁם אֲפִלּוּ עַל הָאֱמֶת, וּמֵהַרְבּוֹת הַדְּבָרִים אֲפִלּוּ אִם יִהְיוּ נִמְלָטִים מִן הַכָּזָב, וּמִזִּכְרוֹן עִנְיְנֵי בְּנֵי אָדָם אֲפִלּוּ אִם הֵם נִמְלָטִים מִן הַגְּנוּת, וּמֵהַפְלִיג בְּשֶׁבַח אָדָם וְאִם הוּא רָאוּי לְכָךְ, וְשֶׁלֹּא יְסַפֵּר בִּגְנוּת הַמְּקַצְּרִים וְיִמְאָסֵם וְאִם הֵם רְאוּיִים לְכָךְ, וְהַרְבֵּה מִן הַדּוֹמֶה לָזֶה.
And they warned against swearing by Hashem's Name even regarding the truth, and against speaking excessively even if the words are free of falsehood, and against discussing the affairs of other people even if they are free of disparagement, and against praising a person excessively even if he is worthy of it, and that one should not speak of the shortcomings of those who fall short or despise them even if they deserve it, and many similar things.
וְרָאוּי שֶׁנְּבָאֵר עַתָּה מִן הַחֵלֶק הַשֵּׁנִי הַזֶּה דִּמְיוֹנִים שֶׁיִּלְמְדוּ מֵהֶם שְׁאָר הָעִנְיָנִים, וְיִזָּהֵר הָאָדָם מֵהֶם בע״ה כְּשֶׁיֵּדַע אוֹתָם; כִּי אֵין עִנְיָן מֵעִנְיְנֵי הַטּוֹבָה אֶלָּא אִם יֵשׁ לוֹ פֶּגַע שֶׁיַּפְסִיד אוֹתוֹ.
And it is proper that we now explain examples from this second category of temptations, from which one can learn to understand other matters, so that a person may guard himself against them with Hashem's help when he knows them; for there is no good matter that does not have a corresponding pitfall that can ruin it.
וּמִי שֶׁעָמַד עַל אָפְנֵי הַפְּגָעִים הַמַּפְסִידִים אֶת הַמַּעֲשִׂים יוּכַל לָדַעת לְהִזָּהֵר מֵהֶם; וּמִי שֶׁלֹּא יָדַע כִּי אִם הַטּוֹב לְבַדּוֹ, לֹא יִמָּלֵט לוֹ מִמֶּנּוּ דָּבָר לְרֹב הַפְּגָעִים הַמַּשִּׂיגִים אוֹתוֹ.
And one who understands the nature of the pitfalls that ruin good deeds will know how to guard against them; but one who only knows the good deeds alone will end up with nothing of them remaining, due to the abundance of pitfalls that will overtake him.
וְהָיָה אֶחָד מִן הַחֲסִידִים מְצַוֶּה לְתַלְמִידָיו: "לִמְדוּ הָרַע תְּחִלָּה לְהִבָּדֵל מִמֶּנּוּ, וְאַחַר כָּךְ לִמְדוּ הַטּוֹב וַעֲשׂוּהוּ", כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ הַכָּתוּב (ירמיה ד): "נִירוּ לָכֶם נִיר וְאַל תִּזְרְעוּ אֶל קוֹצִים".
And one of the pious men used to instruct his disciples: "Learn the bad first so that you can separate yourselves from it, and afterward learn the good and perform it," just as the verse says, "Plow for yourselves a furrow, and do not sow among thorns."
וְאָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן בֶּן זַכַּאי לְעִנְיַן הוֹנָאַת הַמִּדּוֹת וְהַמִּשְׁקָלִים: "אוֹי לִי אִם אוֹמַר, אוֹי לִי אִם לֹא אֹמַר; אִם אוֹמַר — שֶׁמָּא יִלְמְדוּ הָרַמָּאִים, אִם לֹא אוֹמַר — שֶׁמָּא יֹאמְרוּ הָרַמָּאִים: אֵין תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים בְּקִיאִים בְּמַעֲשֵׂי יָדֵינוּ".
And Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai said regarding the cheating of weights and measures: "Woe to me if I speak of it, and woe to me if I do not speak of it; if I speak of it, perhaps the swindlers will learn new tricks from my words, and if I do not speak of it, perhaps the swindlers will say: 'The Torah scholars are not experts in our secret practices.'"
וְאָמְרוּ אַחַר כָּךְ: "אֲמָרָן אוֹ לֹא אֲמָרָן?" וְאָמְרוּ: "אֲמָרָן, וּמֵהַאי קְרָא אֲמָרָן (הושע יד): 'כִּי יְשָׁרִים דַּרְכֵי ה׳ וְצַדִּקִים יֵלְכוּ בָם וּפֹשְׁעִים יִכָּשְׁלוּ בָם'".
And the Gemara subsequently asked: "Did he speak of them or did he not speak of them?" And they concluded: "He did speak of them, and he spoke of them based on this verse: 'For the ways of Hashem are straight; the righteous shall walk in them, while the transgressors shall stumble in them.'"
וְאוֹמַר כִּי כָּל מַה שֶׁהִקְדַּמְנוּ זִכְרוֹ בַּשַּׁעַר הַזֶּה מִמָּה שֶׁמְּסַפֵּק אוֹתוֹ הַיֵּצֶר עַל הָאָדָם, אִם לֹא יוּכַל לְסַפֵּק אוֹתוֹ בָּהֶם, יְדַבֵּר עִמּוֹ עֲלֵיהֶם מִדֶּרֶךְ הַטַּעֲנָה וְהַמּוֹפֵת לְבַטֵּל עָלָיו אֲמִתּוֹתָיו.
And I say that regarding all that we have previously mentioned in this gate of the doubts that the yetzer hara tries to cast upon a person — if he cannot succeed in making him doubt through them, he will argue with him about them using claims and proofs to undermine his truths.
וּכְשֶׁתַּעֲמֹד עַל בִּטּוּלוֹ וַחֲלִישׁוּת רְאָיוֹתָיו, וְלֹא יוּכַל לַעֲמֹד כְּנֶגְדְּךָ וְלֹא לְבַטֵּל מָה שֶׁיָּדַעְתָּ אֲמִתָּתוֹ וּבֵרוּרוֹ בְּמָה שֶׁקָּדַם לָנוּ בַּשַּׁעַר הַזֶּה, יָשׁוּב לְפַתּוֹתְךָ וּלְהַטְעוֹתְךָ בְּנַפְשְׁךָ וְיֹאמַר לְךָ:
And when you stand firm against his vanity and the weakness of his proofs, so that he cannot stand against you or undermine what you know to be clear and true from what we have already discussed in this gate, he will return to flatter you and mislead you regarding your own self, and he will say to you:
"כַּמָּה אֲנִי שָׂמֵחַ בְּעִנְיָנֶיךָ עַל אֱמוּנָתְךָ הַטּוֹבָה וְלִבְּךָ הַשָּׁלֵם לֵאלֹהִים! וּכְבָר הִגַּעְתָּ מִמַּעֲלוֹת הַחֶסֶד מָה שֶׁלֹּא הִגִּיעַ אֵלָיו זוּלָתְךָ בְּדוֹרְךָ, וְיֵשׁ בּוֹ יוֹתֵר מִדַּאי מֵהוֹדָאָתְךָ לַבּוֹרֵא עַל טוֹבָתוֹ וְחַסְדּוֹ; וְרָאוּי לְךָ לְהַנְהִיג עַצְמְךָ גַּם כֵּן לִפְרֹעַ קְצָת חוֹבוֹת בְּנֵי אָדָם."
"How I rejoice in your situation, in your good faith and your wholehearted devotion to G-d! You have already reached levels of piety that no one else in your generation has reached, and you have more than sufficiently thanked the Creator for His goodness and kindness; now it is proper for you to also conduct yourself in a way that pays some of your debts of gratitude to other people."
"כִּי כְּבָר יָדַעְתָּ כִּי הֵם סִבּוֹת תּוֹעַלְתְּךָ וְהַזָּקָתְךָ, וּכְבָר נִתְבָּרֵר לָנוּ כִּי בִּרְצוֹתָם אוֹתְךָ תִּהְיֶה תִּפְאַרְתְּךָ, וּבְהִתְקַצְּפָם עָלֶיךָ יִהְיֶה חֶסְרוֹנְךָ; עַל כֵּן הִשְׁתַּדֵּל בְּמָה שֶׁיָּפִיק רְצוֹם וְתִמְצָא חֵן בְּעֵינֵיהֶם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ חֲזַ״ל: 'כָּל שֶׁרוּחַ הַבְּרִיּוֹת נוֹחָה הֵימֶנּוּ — רוּחַ הַמָּקוֹם נוֹחָה הֵימֶנּוּ'".
"For you already know that they are the immediate causes of your benefit and harm, and it is clear to us that when they are pleased with you, it brings you honor, and when they are angry with you, it brings you loss; therefore, strive to do what pleases them and find favor in their eyes, just as our Sages of blessed memory said: 'Anyone with whom the spirit of his fellow men is pleased, the spirit of the Omnipresent is pleased with him.'"
הָשֵׁב עָלָיו: "וּמָה יוֹעִיל לִי בְּהִתְרַצּוּת אֶל חַלָּשׁ כָּמוֹנִי, אֲשֶׁר אֵין בִּיכָלְתּוֹ לְהוֹעִיל לִי וְלֹא לְהַזִּיק? וְאָמַר הַכָּתוּב (ישעיה ב): 'חִדְלוּ לָכֶם מִן הָאָדָם' וְגוֹ׳; וַאֲפִלּוּ אִם הָיָה חוֹבָה, אֵיךְ אוּכַל לְרַצּוֹת כָּל בְּנֵי דּוֹרִי, וְאֵין בִּיכָלְתִּי לְרַצּוֹת בְּנֵי בֵּיתִי, כָּל שֶׁכֵּן זוּלָתָם!"
Answer him: "And what benefit will I get from seeking favor with a weakling like myself, who has no power to help me or harm me? For the verse says, 'Cease from relying on man, whose breath is in his nostrils, for of what value is he?' And even if it were an obligation, how could I possibly please all the people of my generation, when I cannot even please the members of my own household, let alone anyone else!"
"וּמָה שֶׁזָּכַרְתָּ מִדִּבְרֵי רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זַ״ל בָּעִנְיָן הַזֶּה, אֵינוֹ מְחַיֵּב לְהִשְׁתַּדֵּל בִּמְשִׁיכַת רְצוֹן כָּל הַבְּרִיּוֹת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (משלי טז): 'בִּרְצוֹת ה׳ דַּרְכֵי אִישׁ גַּם אוֹיְבָיו יַשְׁלִם אִתּוֹ'."
"And as for what you mentioned from the words of our Sages of blessed memory on this matter, it does not obligate one to actively strive to win the favor of all people, as it is written, 'When Hashem is pleased with a man's ways, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.'"
"וְכֵן מִי שֶׁכָּל הַבְּרִיּוֹת מִקְּּטַנָּם גְּדוֹלָם מוֹדִים וּמְשַׁבְּחִים אוֹתוֹ וְרוֹצִים אֶת מַעֲשָׂיו, רְאָיָה הִיא כִּי הָאֵל יִתְבָּרַךְ זָרַע לוֹ אַהֲבָה בְּלִבּוֹת בְּנֵי אָדָם וְשָׂם לוֹ שֵׁם טוֹב עַל לְשׁוֹנָם, וְזֶה אֵין הַבּוֹרֵא עוֹשֶׂה אוֹתוֹ לְשׂוֹנְאָיו, וְהוּא לִרְאָיָה בּרוּרָה וּגְדוֹלָה עַל רְצוֹת הַבּוֹרֵא אוֹתוֹ."
"And so too, when all people, from the smallest to the greatest, acknowledge and praise someone and are pleased with his deeds, it is proof that G-d, may He be blessed, has planted love for him in the hearts of men and placed a good name for him on their tongues; and the Creator does not do this for those He dislikes, so this serves as a clear and powerful proof that the Creator is pleased with him."
"אֲבָל שֶׁיִּהְיֶה הָאָדָם הֶחָסִיד מִשְׁתַּדֵּל וְטוֹרֵחַ בְּמָה שֶׁיְּשַׁבְּחוּהוּ בְּנֵי אָדָם עַל עֲבוֹדָתוֹ לֵאלֹהִים — אֵין זֶה מִמִּנְהֲגֵי הַחֲסִידִים; עַל כֵּן הִזָּהֵר מִזֶּה וְהַדּוֹמֶה לוֹ מִפִּתּוּיֵי הַיֵּצֶר לְךָ, כִּי הוּא מִשְׁתַּדֵּל לְהַדְרִיכְךָ בָּזֶה עַד שֶׁיַּפִּילְךָ בִּמְצוּדַת הַחֹנֶף."
"But for a pious person to actively strive and exert himself so that people will praise him for his service of G-d — this is not the way of the pious; therefore, guard yourself against this and similar temptations of the yetzer hara, for he is trying to lead you down this path until he traps you in the snare of hypocrisy."
"וְהָשֵׁב עָלָיו בְּשַׁבְּחוֹ אוֹתְךָ: וּמָה הוּא שֶׁתְּאַשֵּׁר אוֹתִי עָלָיו מִדַּעְתִּי חוֹבוֹת הָאֱלֹהִים עָלַי, וְכִי הוּא כִּי אִם לְטַעֲנָה עָלַי לֵאלֹהִים מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאֵינִי סוֹבֵל לַעֲשׂוּהוּ כְּפִי דַּעְתִּי?"
"And answer him when he praises you: 'Why do you praise me for knowing my duties to G-d? This knowledge only serves as a claim against me before G-d, because I do not exert myself to act fully in accordance with what I know!'"
The chapter outlines the proper way to take on extra stringencies, explaining that while going above and beyond is praiseworthy and aligned with the teachings of our Sages, it is only acceptable after one's obligatory duties are fully met. We are warned that knowing how to perform good deeds is not enough; we must also learn what damages them so we can guard our avodah from being spoiled. Finally, the text exposes the yetzer hara's tactic of using flattery to make us seek human approval, and provides the ultimate response: a person must realize that mortal men have no power to help or harm, and our only true focus must be finding favor with Hashem.
My dear friend, the yetzer hara is a master strategist. When he sees he cannot stop you from doing a mitzvah, he changes his tactics entirely. He stops fighting you and starts praising you! He whispers in your ear how holy you are, how much better you are than others, and then he gently nudges you to start worrying about what people think of your beautiful avodah. Before you know it, you are performing for an audience of flesh and blood, and the purity of your service to Hashem is completely ruined.
To protect ourselves, we must learn from the wise advice of the Chassid in our text: we must study the 'thorns'—the subtle spiritual dangers—before we can safely plant our good deeds. One of the greatest dangers is the urge to take on extra, beautiful stringencies (chumros) before we have even mastered our basic, daily obligations. If a person is not careful with the absolute basics of halacha, yet they are busy taking on extra fasts or special stringencies to look pious, it is a trap of the yetzer hara. True avodah means securing the foundation of your obligatory duties first, and only then adding extra layers out of pure, quiet love for Hashem, far away from the eyes of others.
When the yetzer hara tries to flatter you today or make you worry about your social standing in the eyes of others, answer him clearly: 'What good is the approval of a weak human being who can neither help nor harm my neshama?' Turn your heart back to the only One Who matters.
Today, choose one basic, obligatory halacha that you already do, and focus on performing it with absolute perfection and quiet sincerity, completely hidden from the eyes and praise of other people.