BS”D 3 Tamuz 5781 R. Luzzatto then (Mesillas Yesharim par. 3, chap. 2) touches on self-awareness, reminding the reader that Yirmeyahu was aware of the evils of his generation, saying that many were paying no heed to their actions and instead just kept doing whatever they were doing. Impulsiveness, as R. Luzzatto states, leads into wrongdoing. The text can be easily applied to the present day. I find that resisting against impulsiveness in the current world is much harder than – say – twenty years ago. The temptation to write and send text, to buy without thinking, is much greater than before the advent of instant communication. Messages are written and sent immediately without thought. They do not take hours to write – compared to a letter – and also…

BS”D 30 Sivan 5781 Hodesh tov! Today we start Chapter 2 of Mesillas Yesharim, a chapter called “The Virtue of Vigilance”. R. Luzzatto begins by stating that the concept of vigilance refers to being careful about one’s actions. One should think about one’s actions and whether they are good or not. R. Luzzatto mentions being vigilant about one’s habits and not repeat them without thinking about them. Examining one’s habits is very important. Repetition leads to inattention and carelessness. One can begin to take things for granted and not be thankful everyday for one’s blessings. In the second paragraph R. Luzzatto states that paying attention would actually be common sense. Somebody who has minimal understanding should try to save himself and not lose his soul. R. Luzzatto asserts also that…

Today we take a look at the last paragraphs of Chapter 1 of Mesillas Yesharim. In paragraph 15 Rabbi Luzzatto says that one’s attention should be directed to the Creator and that one’s actions should have no other purpose than bringing oneself closer to the creator. Here, in my opinion, we should pay careful attention so that we do not fall into the trap of thinking that only Torah study will bring us closer to the Creator. There are many other mitzvot that we must try to fulfil. I think the idea is that even outside of Torah study we should keep in our background the question of whether an action is bringing one closer to the Creator or distancing us from him. Then to decide when it is time…

BS”D 14 Iyar 5781 We follow on in Mesillas Yesharim and reach paragraph 14 of Chapter One. In this paragraph, R. Luzzatto states that the main purpose of one’s existence in the world is to do mitzvos, serve the Eternal and overcome problems. He then asserts that the pleasures of this world are meant to allow him to turn his heart towards the service that is his responsibility. It is very interesting to see how things can get lost in other languages and must be read in the original. The word in Hebrew in the text is pronounced “avodah” and carries very different emotional connotations and associations than “service” (the usual English translation). Service in English could be given as “sherut” in Hebrew, depending on the meaning. And much could…

BS”D 11 Iyar 5781 Expanding further on Mesillas Yesharim we reach paragraph 11 of Chapter One. R. Luzzatto states that one should understand that the purpose of one’s creation is not one’s role in this world. The first argument is that sickness and death are inevitable. They are, and we keep trying to forget about what we know is certain. It will happen in any case, sooner or later. Yet, I believe we should do what is in our power make them come as late as we reasonably can. They happen because of the will of Hashem. Yet we should not just embrace nihilism and think that nothing is worth doing, since it will end in death. Is life just a thin immaterial surface between the before and the after?…