If you were alone, without the negative influence of others, you would always direct yourself toward the path of life. You might be confronted by every type of confusion, worry and frustration – but still, you would eventually end up on the right path. Even if you sinned, you would regret it and find the true path in the end.
It becomes much more difficult when others confuse you. You might associate with those who think they know something about philosophy. Or you might associate with cynics who are involved in studies that ridicule everything sacred. Such people can confuse you and frustrate you more than anything else.
The world may consider this sophistication, but it can lead to great confusion. The world teaches that all values are relative and any path is permissible. This is especially true of philosophy, which can cause tremendous spiritual damage, as discussed earlier (see “His Wisdom” #5).
This sarcasm is literally the same as philosophical skepticism. It can even be worse, since most Jews recognize the dangers of philosophy and avoid it. They know that philosophy can drag them down into the deepest pit. But people are not so careful to avoid sarcasm and sophistication, especially when it emanates from people who appear to be religious and clothe all their opinions in religious expressions to prove their veracity. People do not avoid them, thinking that they are on the right path. Yet these very people are the ones who can cause the most harm, frustrating and confusing those who truly want to serve God.
בְּנֵי אָדָם הֵם מוֹנְעִים גְּדוֹלִים מְאֹד.
Other people can hold one back greatly.
וְדַע, אִם הָיָה הָאָדָם לְבַדּוֹ וְלֹא הָיָה אֶצְלוֹ בְּנֵי אָדָם אֲחֵרִים לְמָנְעוֹ, אַף־עַל־פִּי שֶׁגַּם אָז הָיוּ בָּאִים עַל הָאָדָם כָּל הַבִּלְבּוּלִים וְכָל הַמַּחֲשָׁבוֹת הַטּוֹרְדוֹת וְכָל הַמְּנִיעוֹת, אַף־עַל־פִּי־כֵן בְּוַדַּאי הָיָה מַטֶּה עַצְמוֹ לְדֶרֶךְ הַחַיִּים. כִּי סוֹף כָּל סוֹף הָיָה מַטֶּה תָּמִיד לְדֶרֶךְ הָאֱמֶת. וַאֲפִלּוּ אִם הָיָה עוֹבֵר עֲבֵרָה ח"ו רַחֲמָנָא לִצְלָן, אַף־עַל־פִּי־כֵן בְּוַדַּאי הָיָה מִתְחָרֵט חֲרָטָה גְּדוֹלָה מְאֹד בְּכָל פַּעַם. וְסוֹף כָּל דָּבָר הָיָה נִשְׁאָר אֵצֶל הָאֱמֶת.
If you were alone, without the negative influence of others, you would always direct yourself toward the path of life. You might be confronted by every type of confusion, worry and frustration – but still, you would eventually end up on the right path. Even if you sinned, you would regret it and find the true path in the end.
אֲבָל כְּשֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּנֵי אָדָם הַמְּבַלְבְּלִים, דְּהַיְנוּ כְּשֶׁהָאָדָם מִתְחַבֵּר ח"ו לְאֵיזֶה חֲכָמִים בְּדַעְתָּם שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהֶם אֵיזֶה יְדִיעָה בַּחֲקִירָה וּפִילוֹסוֹפְיָא אוֹ לְכַת לֵצִים (וְהֵם הַחָכְמוֹת הַנְּהוּגִים עַכְשָׁו שֶׁעוֹשִׂים לֵיצָנוּת מִכַּמָּה דְּבָרִים שֶׁבִּקְדֻשָּׁה. כַּיָּדוּעַ הֵיטֵב לְמִי שֶׁבָּקִי בְּחָכְמוֹת וְלֵיצָנוּת אֵלּוּ) זֹאת הַמְּנִיעָה וְהַבִּלְבּוּל הוּא גָּרוּעַ מֵהַכֹּל.
It becomes much more difficult when others confuse you. You might associate with those who think they know something about philosophy. Or you might associate with cynics who are involved in studies that ridicule everything sacred. Such people can confuse you and frustrate you more than anything else.
כִּי אֵלּוּ הַחָכְמוֹת הֵם מְבַלְבְּלִים וּמוֹנְעִים בְּיוֹתֵר, כִּי כָּל דְּרָכָיו נַעֲשִׂין לוֹ מִישׁוֹר ח"ו. עַל־יְדֵי הַחָכְמוֹת, הֵן שֶׁל פִילוֹסוֹפְיָא שֶׁזֹּאת הַחָכְמָה מַזֶּקֶת בְּוַדַּאי מְאֹד מְאֹד (כַּמְבֹאָר לְעֵיל ה).
The world may consider this sophistication, but it can lead to great confusion. The world teaches that all values are relative and any path is permissible. This is especially true of philosophy, which can cause tremendous spiritual damage, as discussed earlier (see “His Wisdom” #5).
וְכֵן הַחָכְמוֹת וְהַלֵּיצָנוּת הַנַּ"ל, שֶׁל אֲנָשִׁים הַנִּדְמִין כִּכְשֵׁרִים, הִיא מַזֶּקֶת גַּם־כֵּן מְאֹד מְאֹד.
There is also a certain sarcasm, even among those who seem religious. This is as harmful as philosophy.
כִּי בֶּאֱמֶת הַכֹּל אֶחָד, כִּי הַחָכְמוֹת וְהַלֵּיצָנוּת שֶׁלָּהֶם הִיא מַמָּשׁ כְּמוֹ הַכְּפִירוֹת שֶׁל הַפִילוֹסוֹפְיָא. וּבֶאֱמֶת, גָּרוּעַ יוֹתֵר הַחָכְמוֹת וְהַלֵּיצָנוּת שֶׁלָּהֶם, מֵחָכְמַת הַפִילוֹסוֹפְיָא. כִּי מֵחָכְמַת הַפִילוֹסוֹפְיָא הַכֹּל בּוֹרְחִים, כִּי רֹב יִשְׂרָאֵל הֵם בּוֹרְחִים מְאֹד מִפִילוֹסוֹפְיָא מֵחֲמַת שֶׁהֵם יוֹדְעִים שֶׁפִילוֹסוֹפְיָא מַזֶּקֶת מְאֹד וּמוֹרֶדֶת אֶת הָאָדָם לִשְׁאוֹל תַּחְתִּיּוֹת ח"ו, רַחֲמָנָא לִצְלָן. אֲבָל זֹאת הַלֵּיצָנוּת וְהַחָכְמוֹת הַנַּ"ל, אֵין הָאָדָם בּוֹרֵחַ מֵהֶם כָּל־כָּךְ, מֵאַחַר שֶׁיּוֹצְאִין מִפִּי אֲנָשִׁים הַנִּרְאִין כַּהֲגוּנִים וּמַלְבִּישִׁין הַכֹּל בְּדַרְכֵי אֱמֶת כְּאִלּוּ הָאֱמֶת עִמָּהֶם. עַל־כֵּן אֵין הָאָדָם בּוֹרֵחַ מֵהֶם כָּל־כָּךְ, וְהֵם מַזִּיקִים וּמְבַלְבְּלִים וּמוֹנְעִים אֶת הָאָדָם מְאֹד מְאֹד מֵעֲבוֹדַת הַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרַךְ בֶּאֱמֶת.
This sarcasm is literally the same as philosophical skepticism. It can even be worse, since most Jews recognize the dangers of philosophy and avoid it. They know that philosophy can drag them down into the deepest pit. But people are not so careful to avoid sarcasm and sophistication, especially when it emanates from people who appear to be religious and clothe all their opinions in religious expressions to prove their veracity. People do not avoid them, thinking that they are on the right path. Yet these very people are the ones who can cause the most harm, frustrating and confusing those who truly want to serve God.
אַשְׁרֵי הַזּוֹכֶה לֵילֵךְ בְּדֶרֶךְ אֱמֶת לַאֲמִתּוֹ וְלִהְיוֹת תָּם וְיָשָׁר יְרֵא אֱלֹקִים וְסָר מֵרַע בְּלִי שׁוּם חָכְמוֹת כְּלָל.
Happy is the man who walks the true path, avoiding all sophistication. He is simple and upright, fearing God and shunning evil (Job 1:1, 1:8, 2:3).