Overcoming Idleness There is yet another fundamental, natural impediment that keeps a person from simplicity, that ruins him and turns him into an insincere dissembler, a man who lacks heart and soul. It is a mental disease, something that has twisted his mind so that it cannot think straight, but is askew, tangled and confused.
Like a person with a nervous condition, this person cannot think straight. His mind has grown so incoherent and confused that he cannot think simply. This is a type of insanity, a mental illness and affliction (heaven have mercy).
The Talmud gives the reason for this condition: “idleness leads to uneasiness” (source). Although a person suffering from a malady of this type speaks rationally, his consciousness has grown so confused and entangled, one thought conflicting with another, that there is nothing fundamental and no truth.
This is why—as a rule—the greatest liars are those who are idle. Contrarily, a person who must engage in mental work or who engages in difficult physical labor (which also suppresses his mental activity, cf. section four above), typically is not deceptive. In other words, this malady of uneasiness and confusion has not affected his mind.
What is a true healing regimen? The answer is: do not be complicated, but simple. Avoid idleness as much as you can. And do not imagine that it will suffice to avoid idleness for three or four hours. The evil inclination is a thief: he is content to make you idle for minutes, then ten minutes more, and then another ten minutes, until—for the remainder of the day—all of your thoughts will be confused.
עוֹד מְנִיעָה פְּשׁוּטָה וְטִבְעִית יֵשׁ שֶׁמּוֹנַעַת אֶת הָאָדָם מִלִּהְיוֹת תָּמִים, וּפוֹגֶמֶת אוֹתוֹ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה רַמַּאי לֹא רְצִינִי, בְּלֹא לֵב וּבְלֹא נֶפֶשׁ, מִין מַחֲלָה הִיא מִמַּחֲלוֹת הַדַּעַת, שֶׁנִּתְעַקְּלָה נַפְשׁוֹ לְבִלְתִּי לָלֶכֶת יְשָׁרָה רַק בְּעָקֹם פִּתּוּל וְסִבּוּךְ.
Overcoming Idleness
There is yet another fundamental, natural impediment that keeps a person from simplicity, that ruins him and turns him into an insincere dissembler, a man who lacks heart and soul. It is a mental disease, something that has twisted his mind so that it cannot think straight, but is askew, tangled and confused.
וּכְמוֹ לְחוֹלֶה עַל מַחֲלַת עֲצַבִּים, אִי אֶפְשָׁר לוֹ לַחְשֹׁב בְּאֹפֶן יָשָׁר, כֵּן גַּם לוֹ נִתְבַּטְּלָה וְנִסְתַּבְּכָה דַּעְתּוֹ מִלַּחְשֹׁב כָּל דָּבָר בִּתְמִימוּת, מִין שִׁגָּעוֹן הוּא זֶה רַחֲמָנָא לִצְּלַן חֹלִי וּפֶצַע מַחֲשָׁבָה הוּא.
Like a person with a nervous condition, this person cannot think straight. His mind has grown so incoherent and confused that he cannot think simply. This is a type of insanity, a mental illness and affliction (heaven have mercy).
וְעַל פִּי רֹב מַכִּירִים אֶת הָרַמַּאי בְּפָנָיו, וּבְעֵינָיו, כְּמוֹ שֶׁמַּכִּירִים אֶת חֹלִי הָרוּחַ אִם מְעַט אוֹ הַרְבֵּה.
Usually, just as one can discern whether a person is mentally ill (to whatever degree), one can tell a person like this, a liar, by his face and eyes.
סִבַּת מַחֲלָה זוֹ כְּבָר אָמְרָה הַגְּמָרָא "שֶׁהַבַּטָּלָה מְבִיאָה לִידֵי שִׁעֲמוּם" , מִדִּיּוּק הַלָּשׁוֹן שִׁעֲמוּם וְלֹא שִׁגָּעוֹן אֶחָד מִמִּינֵי שִׁגָּעוֹן הוּא, שֶׁהוּא מְדַבֵּר בְּדַעַת רַק שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה מְסֻבָּךְ וּמְפֻתָּל דֵּעָה בְּדֵעָה, סְבָרָא בִּסְבָרָא וכו', בְּלֹא יְסוֹד וּבְלֹא אֱמֶת.
The Talmud gives the reason for this condition: “idleness leads to uneasiness” (source). Although a person suffering from a malady of this type speaks rationally, his consciousness has grown so confused and entangled, one thought conflicting with another, that there is nothing fundamental and no truth.
לָכֵן עַל פִּי רֹב רַק הוֹלְכֵי בָּטֵל הֵם הָרַמָּאִים הָכִי גְּדוֹלִים, וּמִי שֶׁעוֹבֵד בְּמוֹחוֹ עֲבוֹדָה הַמֻּטֶּלֶת עָלָיו, אוֹ מִי שֶׁעוֹבֵד עֲבוֹדָה קָשָׁה גַּם בְּגוּפוֹ בִּלְבַד, אֲשֶׁר מַכְחֶשֶׁת גַּם אֶת דַּעְתּוֹ כְּפִי שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ כְּבָר לְעֵיל (אוֹת ד) אֵינוֹ רַמַּאי, זֹאת אוֹמֶרֶת שֶׁפֶּצַע זֶה שֶׁל שִׁעֲמוּם וּפִתּוּל אֵין בְּמוֹחוֹ.
This is why—as a rule—the greatest liars are those who are idle. Contrarily, a person who must engage in mental work or who engages in difficult physical labor (which also suppresses his mental activity, cf. section four above), typically is not deceptive. In other words, this malady of uneasiness and confusion has not affected his mind.
רְפוּאָה אֲמִתִּית הִיא שֶׁלֹּא לִהְיוֹת מְפֻתָּל רַק תָּמִים. הַרְחֵק אֶת עַצְמְךָ מִן הַבַּטָּלָה הַרְחֵק כִּמְטַחֲוֵי קֶשֶׁת, וְאַל תְּדַמֶּה לְךָ שֶׁדַּי לְךָ בְּהַזְהָרָתְךָ שֶׁתִּזָּהֵר שֶׁלֹּא תְּבַטֵּל שָׁלֹשׁ וְאַרְבַּע שָׁעוֹת, כִּי גַּנָּב הוּא היצר הרע וְדַי לוֹ שֶׁיְּבַטֶּלְךָ עֲשָׂרָה רְגָעִים, וְיִכְפֹּל עוֹד עֲשָׂרָה וְעוֹד עֲשָׂרָה בַּיּוֹם וְנִתְבַּלְבְּלוּ כָּל מַחְשְׁבוֹתֶיךָ גַּם בִּשְׁאָר הַיּוֹם.
What is a true healing regimen? The answer is: do not be complicated, but simple. Avoid idleness as much as you can. And do not imagine that it will suffice to avoid idleness for three or four hours. The evil inclination is a thief: he is content to make you idle for minutes, then ten minutes more, and then another ten minutes, until—for the remainder of the day—all of your thoughts will be confused.
כְּמוֹ רָקָב הִיא הַבַּטָּלָה שֶׁלֹּא אֶת מְקוֹמָהּ בִּלְבַד הִיא מְכַלָּה, רַק גַּם עַל יָמִין וְגַם עַל שְׂמֹאל הִיא מִתְפָּרֶצֶת, גַּם אֶת מָקוֹם הַבָּרִיא מְכַלָּה וּמַפְסִידָה.
Idleness is like a rot that spreads to everything it touches, destroying and ruining that which was healthy.