Mesilat Yesharim/Path of the Just

~Level 1~
MB - "true matters" - i.e. these are not contemplations on some concept or outlook, or some calculation (such as reward vs. punishment in Watchfulness). Rather, it is a thinking on the actual situation and the true reality.

~Level 1~
MB - "is found.. watches over" - these are the "two true matters" mentioned earlier. In truth, they are two matters related to the same thing, for the presence of G-d everywhere in the world makes possible and obligates His watching over the whole world. Therefore, the Ramchal does not divide the two matters but rather brings all the verses together as one matter.

MB - "nothing is hidden..." - this is an explanation of the concept "watches over all things small or big", and since it is something not easily pictured by the mind, he emphasizes it here four times in different words.

MB - "He understands" - this is an additional point. It is not just a general looking, but rather, a looking with complete depth of understanding, which with respect to man, means down through to the deepest and most hidden intentions in a man's heart, as the verse in Tehilim (33:15) "Who forms the hearts of them all, Who understands all their deeds".

MB - "the great matter and the small matter, the lowly and the honorable, He sees and understands without any distinction" - i.e. don't think that correct He sees all, but His thought is primarily on the more important things.

~Level 2~
NE - "watches over (mashgiach)" - the matter of "watching over" (hashgacha) is observing and checking if a matter that needs to be done was done properly, as explained at length in chapter 16. For the divine service needs to be done in the most perfect manner possible from the part of the servant.

ER - "the whole earth is full of His glory" (Isaiah 6:3) - it seems the explanation of "His glory" is His Shechina (Divine presence), and in parsha Shlach, in the Targum Yonatan on the verse "the glory of the L-ord appeared in the cloud" (Shemot 16:10) - Targum Yonatan: "the glory of the Shechina of G-d". We find this in several places. And there (16:7) on the verse "in the morning, you shall see the glory of the L-ord", see the Ramban commentary and also in the beginning of Parsha Teruma and Biur HaGra on Isaiah 6:3.

~Level 2~
MB - "Once it has become clear...he is standing before the Divine Presence" - in chapter 24, he wrote that "fear of G-d's exaltedness" (yirat haromemut) comes through thinking on G-d's greatness and man's lowliness, and this reflection causes that when the opportunity to perform a mitzva comes to him, or when the opportunity to sin comes, he will act in a manner befitting the blessed G-d's honor. But in order to acquire Fear of Sin, which is constant fear in one's actions, one must contemplate on G-d's constant presence and watching over everything.

~Level 1~
MB - this is what our sages said..." - it seems Rabeinu is explaining here how exactly the knowledge of G-d's watching causes Fear of Sin. It is not just because of some general knowledge that G-d sees, but rather because His watching causes that one's deed makes an impression above, i.e. that G-d's watching, in essence, grants importance to the deed.

~Level 2~
NE - "every deed will make an impression" - certainly every deed makes an impression. This is on two aspects: first, the impression done on the soul of the doer, whether for good or for bad. This is what our sages said: "a mitzva brings another mitzva". Because the first will [to do a mitzva] brought purity on his soul, impelling the body to do the mitzva. This then added on additional purity in the soul to seek to do another mitzva. This also applies for the opposite (sins), G-d forbid. Likewise, for the impression made on the entire creation. For a person's deeds makes an impression as we see in the Shema: "lest your hearts be seduced..." leading to "and the heavens will close", and in other places.. so too every good choice, even by a single individual, elevates the whole world.

MB - "makes an impression...inscribed in a book" - from his words it seems there is a connection between the "impression" made and the "inscribing" in a book. For otherwise, the Ramchal's words do not flow properly. Why did he need to say the matter of "impression" in the middle? Thus it seems it is all one matter, namely, that which his deeds are written in a book is not an additional matter to record the matters as a remembrance (zichron Devarim b'alma). Rather, this itself is the "impression" mentioned. Afterwards, I found in the commentary of the Yavitz there (in Pirkei Avot): "he revealed to us the secret of how great is the power of the mitzvot and sins, for they make an impression in the reality, whether for good or for bad. This is the intent of 'all your deeds are written in a book'" End quote. Afterwards, I found it also explained like this in Nefesh Hachaim (shaar 1, ch.13).

~Level 1~
MB - "this picture is not formed well" - it is clear from his words that the primary benefit of this contemplation is how through this the matter becomes tangibly felt by him like a true (real) picture. (see Chachma U'Mussar 1:28).

MB - "without constant contemplation" - it seems the intent is not that the contemplation is like a prelude and that after the contemplation, the picture will be fixed in his mind (and stay there). Rather, the contemplation is the sole means through which the picture can exist, that is, only at the time he contemplates will the matter be pictured by him. The reason is because it is just a mental idea as he continues.

CS - "contemplation...reflection (literally:looking)" - it seems here contemplation refers to picturing the reality of the matter in a clear manner. "looking" - to visualize the idea which has been clarified and stand it before the mind's eye so that it does not "easily leave him".

~Level 2~
MB - "the matter is far from our senses" - the explanation is that even the mental pictures of the mind are mostly on things perceived by one's senses or close to them, unlike this thing, that the idea that there is someone whose glory fills the world is very distant from our mental grasp.

MB - "the picture will easily leave him unless he is very diligent in [maintaining] it":
"leave him" - just like every mental picture where over time it passes and leaves.
"easily" - it is easier [to leave] than other mental pictures for it is less grasped from the outset (due to being far from our senses).
"unless he is very diligent in it" - to perpetuate these thoughts to form new mental pictures always.

ER - "this picture is not formed well in a person's mind, except through diligent contemplation and great looking" - i.e. even though the knowledge and understanding may be clear, but to live with this picture, as if it is before his eyes, requires much review and reflection, so that it is actually tangibly felt (bechush mamash).

~Level 3~
NE - "this picture is not formed well in a person's mind, except through diligent contemplation and great looking" - this is the second thing that one must do in order that one's deeds affect him according to the truth known to him intellectually - diligent in-depth analysis in the greatness of the Creator and His constant watching (hashgacha) over us. This matter does not require devoting special times. Rather, during the time he prays his daily prayers, he can find chizuk (strengthening) in emunah (faith) in the Psukei D'Zimra and even in Birkot HaShachar, if he were to lend ear to their content, and certainly in the Shemah and Shemonei Esrei, where each part there is full of Fear of G-d. This comes only through putting to heart to what is prayer. Namely, that we are always standing before Him, blessed be He, every place, every moment.

~Level 1~
Translator - "every interruption of thought is a nullification of the constant fear" - i.e. it is not just a pause, but a nullification, i.e. a going backwards, a restart. For this fear is a build up attained only with constant thought and awareness.

ER - "he shall read it all the days of his life, so that he will learn to fear the L-rd" - thus reading and studying the Torah is not in the category of "hesech daat" (interruption of thought), for this is essentially the clinging to G-d which brings to the great Fear of Exaltedness and Fear of Sin. On the contrary, he writes after it is impossible to learn fear without great diligence in Torah study.

~Level 2~
Ohr Yahel vol.3 Vayera p.46 - every act a person does has a source and mover. This is the core of a man, namely, the mind and heart. If he moves his finger even a little bit there was necessarily a preceding thought and will. Since it is so, in doing every deed, it us incumbent on us to turn to the source of the mitzva to do. Now, we will understand that since man is a composite of the "soul of life" and "dust of the earth", these [two] are the causes of all his deeds. From the time of his birth till his final breath, these two powers wage their wars - who will walk at the head. Most of the time, the physical has the upper hand. "I have seen that men of ascent are few" (Sukkah 45), "man is born as a wild donkey's colt" (Iyov 11). It is impossible to dig out and uproot this gross physical power except through enormous effort continuously, without interruption even for a tiny second... Thus of all the countless deeds of the masses of human beings, even though they vary in form and quality, but the power pushing them is but one, either the ruach [or the physical]...

~Level 3~
Torah and Fear of Heaven
Daat Chachma U'Mussar 2:176 (advanced) - every word of Torah grants him "fear" (of Heaven). In truth, an intelligent thinking person can recognize this and tangibly feel this secret of Divrei Torah. When a man enters in his heart (mind) some words of Torah, he immediately feels inside himself a certain heaviness (kevedut), seriousness (koved rosh), maturity (enoshiut), he becomes a "man". And the opposite, when he enters in his heart some thing of "their words" (divreihem), he immediately becomes "lighter", he becomes a "child", "not a man". One can tangibly recognize that the words of Torah have a secret. For when words of Torah enter inside him, there also immediately enters "fear".

This is a true explanation of what our sages said: "if there is no Torah there is no fear, and if there is no fear, there is no Torah" (Avot 3). People wonder on this "where does it start?", but according to our words it is very wondrous. For in truth, Torah and fear are one thing, literally (mamash) without any difference between them... Torah is fear and fear is Torah. Every thing of Torah, even a minor thing in it contains within it fear. It has the fire of Torah.

Torah brings to Watchfulness. Watchfulness is fear.. Thus fear is not like people understand simply, as a side matter. That one is afraid of something external. Rather fear in this regard is "a metziut (existence/substance) of fear", namely if one enters this "metziut of fear", he fears. From whom does he fear? Why does he fear? The fear is due to the fear itself. For when he enters in his heart words of Torah, which is the metziut of fear, an existence of fire, he attains fear and he fears. Thus fear is a trait in and of itself, an existence of fear, and it itself causes the fear.

~Level 4~
Sichot Mussar 1:100 - the Mesilat Yesharim is built entirely on the Beraitha of Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair and explains each level in the Beraitha from "Torah brings to watchfulness", all the way to "Holiness brings to Revival of the Dead". This Beraitha contains the order of a man's service all the days of his life...

The Mesilat Yesharim teaches us that even after a man has attained the highest levels, behold, the yetzer (evil inlination), also climbed along with him, and as our sages said: "the greater the man, the greater his Evil Inclination" (Sukkah 52a), and he must work without interruption so that he does not lose what he attained... Thus a man must constantly work in this order of the Beraitha from beginning to end...

The Mesilat Yesharim learns that interruption of thought (hesech daat) is the great detriment to acquiring the fear. Therefore, the king was commanded to read from the Sefer Torah all the days of his life, without any interruption of thought (hesech daat) whatsoever, and then "he will learn to fear the L-rd, his G-d". Even the rest of the people are likewise commanded in this (not just the king), only that the Torah gave this commandment specifically to the king because he is the most preoccupied person in the nation.

This is our calamity, for what and why we do not reach high spiritual levels, even those among us who study the Torah full time. Hesech hadaat is our enemy, for each time we need to begin again anew, thus we are always standing at the starting point. ("and all beginnings are difficult" - Mechilta, Shmot 19:5)

By Avraham it says he "came with his days" (Gen.24:1), namely, all his days were with him, every day and its acquisition, every day and its advance. Since every day in Avraham's life added on to the previous day, through this he reached his lofty level...

The analogy is to one who comes to boil water in a pot on a fire. Some time before it boils, he removes it from the fire. After it cools down, he puts it back on the fire. Again before it boils, he removes it from the fire. Thus the water remains cold as it was.. even if he repeats this process a thousand times, the water will not boil.

~Level 1~
MB - "great diligence in the study of the Torah and its ways" - he emphasizes here a powerful point. Even though we are dealing here with the presence of G-d and His watching over [everything], nevertheless this (fear) comes solely through diligence in Torah study. However he is not saying which part of Torah to study and as known Rabeinu's view in the book Derech Chachma and other places is that the primary study is in G-dliness. But this is not the place to elaborate...

CS - i.e. one must be diligent in Torah study and likewise be diligent in contemplating the ways of G-d - which are the ways of the Torah.

~Level 1~
CS - "unify my heart to fear Your Name" - this refers to annulling all other matters from the heart. This is the state of "fear of sin", as he wrote earlier: "that a person contemplates and studies this matter always".

~Level 2~
OG - "teach me Your way" - the ways of your Hashgacha (providence) in the world through the Sefirot You created for us. There is no end to the details in each level of the ten levels of the service of G-d. One needs tremendous in-depth study to understand all the hidden treasures of fear of G-d. Scripture says "Hen (only) fear of G-d - this is wisdom" (Job 28:28), i.e. it alone is wisdom, and all other wisdoms are as nothing in comparison. This shows just how much one needs to immerse himself to understand the greatness of G-d, and the proper way to serve Him in truth.

~Level 3~
OG - "teach me Your way, O L-ord; I shall walk in Your truth. Unify my heart to fear Your Name" - the Ramchal brought this exact same prayer of David as his own prayer at the end of the introduction of this book...

The explanation is as follows. The Ramchal called his book "the Path of the Just", as the verse "the Path of the Just is to turn away from evil; he who guards his soul watches his way" (Mishlei 16:17). From here, most of the book is about fleeing from evil and guarding one's soul from all damaging agents. This is nothing other than "fear of G-d"...

Thus specifically here (at the end of Fear of Sin), the Ramchal again brings the prayer of David since from now on the servant of G-d enters the trait of Holiness, the attribute of the Holy One, blessed be He, for the angels stand before Him every day and say "Holy, Holy, Holy is the L-ord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory" (Isaiah 6:3). The Ramchal is teaching us that this Mesilah (path) which he is almost done explaining, begins with fear of G-d (Watchfulness) and ends with intense fear of G-d. But the goal of this "Fear of Sin" is to intensify more from day to day. That the servant of G-d merits to attain more and more light to grasp in understanding the yichud Ha-shem (unity of G-d), His absolute rule over everything, and His lofty, infinite, exaltedness. This kind of Fear of Sin which grows and intensifies is what brings him to Holiness...

~Level 2~
SR - "The way to acquire this fear is through contemplation..." - fear begins with contemplation (in watchfulness) and ends with contemplation (in fear of sin), only that the topic of contemplation changes. The highest of all the contemplations is that one is standing before the Divine Presence (Shechina) blessed be He. For this is the loftiest level and the shelemut (perfection) of man's divine service (for the level of holiness next chapter is entirely a gift as explained there).

It appears from Rabeinu's words in this chapter that this contemplation is the path to acquire the lofty fear, the last of the levels of fear. This fear is proper only for special individuals (yechidei segula), and it is incumbent on the Gedolim (Torah leaders) to teach the house of Israel that these levels of attainments and perceptions are only at the end of a process, and that in order to reach this in truth, they must first teach themselves to know and understand all the ways to acquire the traits and levels preceding it, as Rabeinu explained how to acquire each level and each trait. Likewise, to distance them from error, namely, [to teach them] that it is not proper for every person to attempt to acquire these lofty levels, which are acquired by treasured sages and special individuals of the generation.

And even though everyone is commanded to strive in their actions to reach the point where he will be worthy of this, as we learned in Tana d'Bei Eliyahu (ch.25): "a man is obligated to tell himself- when will my deeds reach those of my forefathers, Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov?". Thus, every Jew is not completely excluded from even the highest contemplations, each person according to his situation. For the lofty level of "I have set G-d before me always" (Tehilim 16:8), with which the Rambam concluded his book the "Guide for the Perplexed" and which the Rama sets at the beginning of the Shulchan Aruch as an obligation on every Jew, for the great men and the simple, the Torah scholars and the laymen.

This is only because every Jew is commanded to acquire for himself some handle in all the lofty levels which we were given as positive commandments [in the Torah]. For in the mitzvot of the Torah, every Jew is commanded without exception.

But the levels themselves are like a ladder on the ground whose top reaches the heavens. Everyone is fit to ascend the lower levels but not everyone can ascend to the top rungs. For even regarding chesed (kindness) our sages said (Sukkah 49b):

"Whoever performs charity and justice is regarded as though he had filled all the world with kindness, for it is said, 'He loves charity and justice, the earth is full of the lovingkindness of the L-ord' (Tehilim 33) But lest you say that whoever wishes to do good succeeds without difficulty, Scripture expressly says, 'How precious is Your lovingkindness, O, G-d..' (Tehilim 36) One might say that this applies also to a man who fears G-d, Scripture expressly says (Tehilim 103) 'But the lovingkindness of the L-ord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him'. R. Hama b. Papa said: 'Every man who is endowed with grace is without doubt a G-d fearing man, for it is said, 'But the lovingkindness of the L-ord is from everlasting to everlasting to them that fear Him.'"

Thus, even in the deeds (ex. chesed), not everyone is permitted to jump. Rather specifically those who possess fear of heaven, and not every person with fear of heaven, but only he who has 'grace'. For only such a person can we be sure he possesses fear of heaven. If this is so for the deeds, how much more so for the traits and levels which depend primarily on the heart. How great is this fear and how far is its reach! We should study and contemplate how many levels king David praised himself for attaining as Rabeinu brings throughout his book, while on this fear he would pray saying: "teach me Your way, O L-ord; I shall walk in Your truth. Unify my heart to fear Your Name", as Rabeinu concluded this chapter, and last chapter he wrote: "this is the true fear... only for Moshe was it easy to attain... but to other people, certainly the physical is a powerful impediment within them... however it is proper for every Chasid to exert himself to attain of it all that he is capable, and it is written: 'Fear the Lord, His holy ones'".

Thus it is only proper for the Pious and Holy men to strive to attain it (wholly), and even for them, all that and maybe [they will attain].

~Level 2~
Translator - in Berachot 22a: "'And you shall make them known to your children and your children's children' (Devarim 4:9), and it is written immediately afterwards, 'the day on which you stood before the L-ord your G-d in Horeb (sinai)'. Just as during the giving of the Torah at Sinai it was given in dread and fear and trembling and quaking, so too here (when you study Torah), it must also be in dread and fear and trembling and quaking". End quote. Now, that the servant of G-d has attained this state, he is ready to study Torah with proper fear and its light will elevate him to the enlightenment of "Holiness".

~Level 2~
Leshem (biurim chelek 2, 95b, Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv) - but fear and trembling seizes me to contemplate here further and I am forced to stop. May G-d, blessed be He, redeem me to finish the matter to its depth and to the truth of Torah, for the sake of His Name. Let us return to the matter and speak generally for I am very afraid to speak here in detail.

~Level 3~
Alei Shur II ch.16 vaad 5 - in the Hagadah of Pesach, we say: "if He brought us to mount Sinai but did not give us the torah - it would have been enough for us (dayenu)".

This is a wonder. What is the Ma'amad Har Sinai (lit. standing at Mount Sinai, i.e. Sinai revelation) without the torah?!

In torah study, there is a din (law) that one needs to be with "dread, awe, quaking, and trembling (b'eima b'yira b'retet u'bezia)" as it was at mount Sinai.

My teacher (Rav Yerucham) would say on this: "if a man were to invent a thermos which insulates and keeps the water inside warm for a very long time such as a year, that would surely be an amazing invention. How much more so for a thermos which keeps the water warm for many years, certainly that would be an unimaginably amazing invention.

Behold, the Holy One, blessed be He, created a "thermos" which retains all the heat, all the "dread, awe, quaking, and trembling" of the standing at mount Sinai - this is the torah.

When a man opens a daf gemara (page of talmud), he feels all the warmth of that standing, and yes the purpose was the standing at Sinai itself (not the giving of the torah), and the torah is needed to learn the "standing at Sinai". This is the entire purpose of torah study. (see also Ramban on Sefer Hamitzvot lo taase 2. The Ramban beginning of parsha Teruma says that this was also the purpose of the Temple).

(i.e. we are used to thinking the standing at Sinai was in order to receive the torah. But really it is the exact opposite - the giving of the torah was to remember the experience of the standing at mount Sinai!

~Level 3~
Derech Ha-shem sec.4 ch.3 - When one stands in awe before G-d's greatness, he is purified of the darkness associated with his physical body, and is enveloped by the Divine Presence. The greater this awe, the greater the purification and envelopment. The highest level is when one attains the ability to feel awe constantly, being surrounded by the Divine Presence always. This was the perfection attained by Moshe.. True awe is very difficult to attain. To the degree that one does attain it, however, it has the power to purify and sanctify, as mentioned earlier. Feeling awe of G-d is particularly important while studying torah and performing commandments, for the learning and observances cannot serve their ultimate purpose without it." (Feldheim translation)

~Level 4~
Derech Ha-shem sec.4 ch.2 - .. due to this, certainly a man should fear and quake when toiling in this matter. For he is approaching before His G-d and involved in drawing the great light from G-d to himself. Then, he must be abashed of his human lowliness and quake from G-d's loftiness. He should rejoice greatly in his good portion that he merited this, but also with trembling.

Included in this is to not sit frivolously and not act disrespectfully in any way towards its words or books. And he should be aware before Whom he stands and toils. If he does thus, then his study will be what is truly proper and he will draw the divine influence we mentioned, and intensify the G-dliness within himself, as well as rectify and illuminate the entire creation. But if this condition is lacking in him, the illumination will not be drawn down through him and his words will be no different than other human speech. His reading will be like one reading a letter and his thoughts like one thinking worldly matters. On the contrary, it will be considered a sin - for he approached the holy without reverence, and he acted light-headedly before his Creator while speaking before Him and occupying himself with His holiness.

According to the level of awe and amount of honor and watchfulness in it so too will be the corresponding quality of the study and the level of divine influence drawn down through him.