[מד] מי שיש לו תשוקה גדולה לתאות הגוף אל יתעצב בזה לחשוב כמה פגום הוא שיש לו תשוקה כ"כ. כי אדרבא הוא כלי מוכן לתוקף אהבת ותשוקת דרישת האמת. וכמו שנחמו ההוא סבא [אשר הוא אליהו לדעת י"מ בתוס' פ"ק דחולין (ו.) ושמעתי דכן הוא האמת ודקו' תוס' שם אכ"מ] לאביי (בסוכה נב.) וע"ז אמרו דלעת"ל צדיקים נדמה להם יצה"ר כהר ורשעים כחוט השערה ואינו שקר רק שניהם אמת כי לאלו תשוקתם ותאותם עצומה ביותר:
A person possessed by intense physical desires must not be saddened, thinking how blemished and damaged they are in having such desires, for the opposite is true: such a person is a prepared vessel for the powerful love and desire for the search for truth. So too regarding Abaye (Sukkah 52a) who was comforted by a certain Elder [who was Eliyahu according to the additional commentators in Tosefos (Yoma 6a) and I heard that this is the truth. Regarding the question which Tosefos asks on this attributation, this is not the correct place to discuss it]. Regarding this, it was stated (Sukkah 52a) "In the future, for the righteous, the evil inclination appears to them as a high mountain, and for the wicked, it appears to them as a mere strand of hair" and these do not contradict, rather both are true: to these [the righteous], their passions and desire are greater and more intense.
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[Note: Thus, as their desires and passions are more intense, so is their capacity for the intense search for truth and piety.]
[מד] מי שיש לו תשוקה גדולה לתאות הגוף אל יתעצב בזה לחשוב כמה פגום הוא שיש לו תשוקה כ"כ. כי אדרבא הוא כלי מוכן לתוקף אהבת ותשוקת דרישת האמת. וכמו שנחמו ההוא סבא [אשר הוא אליהו לדעת י"מ בתוס' פ"ק דחולין (ו.) ושמעתי דכן הוא האמת ודקו' תוס' שם אכ"מ] לאביי (בסוכה נב.) וע"ז אמרו דלעת"ל צדיקים נדמה להם יצה"ר כהר ורשעים כחוט השערה ואינו שקר רק שניהם אמת כי לאלו תשוקתם ותאותם עצומה ביותר:
A person possessed by intense physical desires must not be saddened, thinking how blemished and damaged they are in having such desires, for the opposite is true: such a person is a prepared vessel for the powerful love and desire for the search for truth. So too regarding Abaye (Sukkah 52a) who was comforted by a certain Elder [who was Eliyahu according to the additional commentators in Tosefos (Yoma 6a) and I heard that this is the truth. Regarding the question which Tosefos asks on this attributation, this is not the correct place to discuss it]. Regarding this, it was stated (Sukkah 52a) "In the future, for the righteous, the evil inclination appears to them as a high mountain, and for the wicked, it appears to them as a mere strand of hair" and these do not contradict, rather both are true: to these [the righteous], their passions and desire are greater and more intense.
[Note: Thus, as their desires and passions are more intense, so is their capacity for the intense search for truth and piety.]