The definition of a human is that his behavior and concerns follow correct reason. In this way, he is different from other living creatures, whose behavior follows their nature and temperament. This [overcoming of nature and temperament through reason] is the “conquering of the urge” so as not to follow the natural tendency if it is to evil, God forbid. For a human has the power to govern his limbs by the rule of his reason, in accordance with the [free] will of his wisdom. This is his strength, as [the Sages], of blessed memory, said: “Who is [truly] strong? One who conquers his urges.”1Avot 4:1. There are two aspects in this. The first is to arrest his nature and not to do evil; the second is to transform his nature to do good. The second aspect is harder than the first, for it is harder to change his nature than to check it. A person must proceed gradually, first to become one who “shuns evil”2Psalms 34:15. – which is the first aspect – and then to “do good”3Ibid. – that is the second aspect.
With this we can explain the mishna in Avot 2:1: “Always weigh the cost of doing a mitzva against its reward, and the gain in doing a sin as against its loss.” At first glance, it is a surprising statement; after all, a person is also punished for failing to do a good deed – whether in this world, as [the Sages], of blessed memory, said in Menaḥot 41a: “In a time of [God’s] anger, there is punishment for not having done a positive commandment,” or in the eternal world, as the Scripture says: “One who is lazy in his work is a brother to one who is destructive [in his work].”4Proverbs 18:9. Similarly, there is reward for not doing evil, as [the Sages], of blessed memory, say in Kiddushin 39b: “If he sat and did not commit a transgression, he is given a reward as one who did a mitzva.” If so, why did the mishna make this distinction to [only focus on] calculating the reward of a good deed and the punishment of a transgression?5That is, the mishna ignores the punishment for not doing a mitzva and the reward for not committing a transgression.
However, according to what was mentioned above, we can say that in each [type] the mishna grasped the major aspect. It is known that the more painful doing a mitzva is, the greater its reward grows, as [the Sages], of blessed memory, say in Avot [5:23]: “According to the pain [of the effort] is the reward.” The less painful the performance of a mitzva, the greater the punishment for not doing it, as they, of blessed memory, say in Menaḥot 43b: “Greater is the punishment for [not wearing] the white [tzizit] string than the punishment for [not wearing] the sky-blue [string],” for the difficulty of putting on the white is much less than the difficulty of putting on the blue, which is expensive. The same applies to transgression. The less painful it is to hold back from committing a transgression, the greater the punishment grows for doing it. The more painful it is for a person to separate from the sin, the greater the reward grows if he conquers his urge by not being soiled through [acting on] his desire.
In the first aspect, “shun evil,” the punishment is greater if you do the [evil] act, compared to the second aspect, the punishment for failure to “do good,” because the first aspect is easier [to do] than the second aspect. With reward, the situation is reversed. Reward for the second aspect – doing good – is greater than the reward for the first aspect – not doing evil – for [the second aspect] is more difficult than the first aspect. For this reason, the mishna grasped, with regard to each aspect, that which is greater than the other. That is, in doing a mitzva, the reward is at a higher level [than refraining from doing a transgression], and in doing evil, the punishment is at a higher level [than refraining from doing good]. Accordingly, there are two levels of reward and two of punishment.
It is known that “a person is born to toil,”6Job 5:7. to fight the war that is a mitzva to fight [against the evil urge]. He is obligated to exert himself in the service of God – not just to observe what his nature lets him do naturally and to neglect whatever is somewhat difficult. A person who serves in this manner is no servant of God; rather nature takes its course. Perhaps he should be called “one who throws off the yoke of [God]” since he makes no effort to serve God, blessed be His name, but only keeps whatever is not a burden to him.7Earlier, R. Salanter suggested that a person work on his nature and improve his personal middot. Otherwise, the Torah he learns may be tainted. Driven by the needs of his ego, he may distort his understanding of the Torah’s instructions until they fit his desire, rather than do what God wants him to do. In this letter, R. Salanter goes a step further and suggests that if one has not changed his nature and middot through the self-critique that Mussar supplies, then he is in danger of really not serving God in any way. He is only doing what his nature and desire want him to do. R. Salanter’s definition of being a servant of God is that one has overcome his desires and unimproved nature, enabling him to do the genuine will of God. This is the basic principle of a person’s service to his Creator, blessed be His name: to observe and do even that which his heart does not want to do. For if a person does not put his heart and soul into doing some things against his heart’s [natural] desire, he is prone to every sin in the Torah, may the Merciful One save us – even those that, out of nature and habit, he does not violate [currently].
Habit and nature change from incidental causes, [i.e.,] when compelled by a force opposing them. For example, a man learns diligently out of habit and nature, but he has a hidden drive that yearns for money. The drive is not discernible because he has no access to it. His situation and behavior are not in the realm of commerce, and he has never seen money. Consequently, this drive has nothing to latch on to, for as long as human drives have nothing palpable to latch on to, they remain hidden in the inner recesses of the psyche, not manifesting externally and not even recognized.
However, whenever any cause arises that requires him to take on some business, to feed his family or the like, this money-seeking drive can burst forth, to the point that he abandons his learning almost entirely because of this drive. He would never have believed about himself, in any way, that he could be so neglectful of his learning! So it is with all the good drives and concerns in a person – they can be breached by opposing drives that are stirred up powerfully at the slightest trigger, to break apart every bit of goodness.
[The same happens] if the transgressions become so routine that they “become as if permitted,”8Ḥullin 4b. may the Merciful One save us. [The commission of these sins] will not arouse a person’s soul to engage in the study of fear of Heaven (to remember his end, the dark days, which will be numerous; and for each particular sin, he will be punished with hard and bitter punishments, may the Merciful One save us. As they, of blessed memory, say: “Whoever says God waives [those punishments], his life will be waived! Rather, God is patient, but He collects His debts!”9Bava Kamma 50a. Who knows how great will be the punishment? No one else will suffer but the person himself who commits the sins.) Since they have become as if permitted, the person neither sees them nor feels them anymore.10Initially R. Salanter argued for the need for Mussar to supplement standard Torah study, in order to identify accurately and to properly practice the good life (see Letter 6). In subsequent letters, R. Salanter emphasized that without Mussar and self-analysis, a person may not accurately establish what is truly the will of God and the message of the Torah. In this letter, R. Salanter comes close to saying that without changing one’s character through Mussar, one’s understanding of Torah (and the proper practices of the good life) is likely tainted and distorted.
Only this can awaken the person: when he considers the changes that accrue over time and the incidents that occurred at various times, [and notes] that with something small, nature can change and cause a fall into terrible sins – which he still senses at the time to be sins, and fear of them still hovers over him. So let that person prepare a cure for himself preemptively: to engage in study of reverence and Mussar to arouse and awaken his spirit so he can defy his desires.11R. Salanter is stressing that there are powerful unconscious drives in a person that may overwhelm his current positive behavior patterns. Therefore, it is necessary for everyone to engage in the disciplined study of Mussar and transformation of his nature to want the good that the Torah recommends. He should engage in this study now, lest some new force or life experience unleash the hitherto unconscious negative drives and take over his life. If he has not studied Mussar in advance, it may be too late to check the outbursts of these drives.
גֶּדֶר הָאָדָם לִהְיוֹת תַּהֲלוּכָתוֹ וְעִנְיָנָיו אַחַר הַשֵּׂכֶל הַנָּכוֹן, וּבָזֹאת נִבְדָּל מִן בַּעֲלֵי חַיִּים אֲשֶׁר תַּהֲלוּכָתָם אַחַר טִבְעָם וּמִזְגָּם, וְזֶה הוּא כְּבִישַׁת הַיֵּצֶר, לִבְלִי הָלוֹךְ אַחַר נְטִיַּת הַטֶּבַע אִם רַע חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, כִּי הָאָדָם בְּכֹחוֹ בְּמֶמְשֶׁלֶת שִׂכְלוֹ לִשְׁלֹט עַל אֵבָרָיו כִּרְצוֹן חָכְמָתוֹ, וְזֶה הוּא גְּבוּרָתוֹ, כְּמַאֲמָרָם זַ"ל אֵיזֶהוּ גִּבּוֹר הַכּוֹבֵשׁ אֶת יִצְרוֹ, וְיֵשׁ בָּזֶה שְׁתֵּי בְּחִינוֹת, הָאֶחָד לַעֲצֹר טִבְעוֹ לִבְלִי עֲשׂוֹת רַע, וְהַשֵּׁנִי לַהֲפֹךְ טִבְעוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת הַטּוֹב, וְהַבְּחִינָה הַשְּׁנִיָּה קָשָׁה מִן הָרִאשׁוֹנָה, כִּי כָּבֵד יוֹתֵר לְשַׁנּוֹת אֶת טִבְעוֹ, מִלַּעֲצֹר בְּעַד טִבְעוֹ, וְהָאָדָם צָרִיךְ לֵילֵךְ בְּהַדְרָגָה, בִּתְחִלָּה לִהְיוֹת סָר מֵרָע, הִיא הַבְּחִינָה הָאַחַת, וְאַחַר כָּךְ עֲשֵׂה טוֹב הִיא הַבְּחִינָה הַשְּׁנִיָּה:
The definition of a human is that his behavior and concerns follow correct reason. In this way, he is different from other living creatures, whose behavior follows their nature and temperament. This [overcoming of nature and temperament through reason] is the “conquering of the urge” so as not to follow the natural tendency if it is to evil, God forbid. For a human has the power to govern his limbs by the rule of his reason, in accordance with the [free] will of his wisdom. This is his strength, as [the Sages], of blessed memory, said: “Who is [truly] strong? One who conquers his urges.”1Avot 4:1.
There are two aspects in this. The first is to arrest his nature and not to do evil; the second is to transform his nature to do good. The second aspect is harder than the first, for it is harder to change his nature than to check it. A person must proceed gradually, first to become one who “shuns evil”2Psalms 34:15. – which is the first aspect – and then to “do good”3Ibid. – that is the second aspect.
וּבָזֶה יֵשׁ לְבָאֵר הַמִּשְׁנָה בְּאָבוֹת פֶּרֶק ב' הֱוֵי מְחַשֵּׁב הֶפְסֵד מִצְוָה כְּנֶגֶד שְׂכָרָהּ, וּשְׂכַר עֲבֵרָה כְּנֶגֶד הֶפְסֵדָהּ, אֲשֶׁר לִכְאוֹרָה יִפָּלֵא הֲלֹא גַּם עַל מְנִיעַת הַמִּצְוָה עָנֹשׁ יֵעָנֵשׁ הָאָדָם, אִם בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה כְּמַאֲמָרָם זַ"ל בִּמְנָחוֹת דַּף מ"א בִּזְמַן דְּאִיכָּא רִתְחָא עָנְשִׁינַן אַעֲשֵׂה, אִם בָּעוֹלָם הַנִּצְחִי, כְּמַאֲמַר הַכָּתוּב גַּם מִתְרַפֶּה בִּמְלַאכְתּוֹ אָח הוּא לְבַעַל מַשְׁחִית, וְגַם עַל מְנִיעַת הָרָע יֵשׁ קִבּוּל שָׂכָר, כְּמַאֲמָרָם זַ"ל בְּקִדּוּשִׁין דַּף ל"ט, יָשַׁב וְלֹא עָבַר עֲבֵרָה נוֹתְנִין לוֹ שָׂכָר כְּעוֹשֶׂה מִצְוָה, וְאִם כֵּן לָמָּה חִלְּקָה הַמִּשְׁנָה, לַחֲשֹׁב עַל מִצְוָה שְׂכָרָהּ וְעַל עֲבֵרָה עָנְשָׁהּ:—
With this we can explain the mishna in Avot 2:1: “Always weigh the cost of doing a mitzva against its reward, and the gain in doing a sin as against its loss.” At first glance, it is a surprising statement; after all, a person is also punished for failing to do a good deed – whether in this world, as [the Sages], of blessed memory, said in Menaḥot 41a: “In a time of [God’s] anger, there is punishment for not having done a positive commandment,” or in the eternal world, as the Scripture says: “One who is lazy in his work is a brother to one who is destructive [in his work].”4Proverbs 18:9. Similarly, there is reward for not doing evil, as [the Sages], of blessed memory, say in Kiddushin 39b: “If he sat and did not commit a transgression, he is given a reward as one who did a mitzva.” If so, why did the mishna make this distinction to [only focus on] calculating the reward of a good deed and the punishment of a transgression?5That is, the mishna ignores the punishment for not doing a mitzva and the reward for not committing a transgression.
אָכֵן עַל פִּי הַנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל יֵשׁ לוֹמַר שֶׁהַמִּשְׁנָה אָחֲזָה בְּכָל אֶחָד הַבְּחִינָה הַגְּדוֹלָה, כִּי נוֹדַע כִּי לְפִי גֹּדֶל צַעַר הַמִּצְוָה יֻגְדַּל שְׂכָרָהּ כְּמַאֲמָרָם זַ"ל בְּאָבוֹת, לְפוּם צַעֲרָא אַגְרָא, וְכָל אֲשֶׁר תִּקְטַן צַעַר עֲשִׂיַּת הַמִּצְוָה יֻגְדַּל עֹנֶשׁ בִּטּוּלָהּ, כְּמַאֲמָרָם זַ"ל בִּמְנָחוֹת דַּף מ"ג קָשֶׁה עָנְשָׁהּ שֶׁל לָבָן יוֹתֵר מֵעָנְשָׁהּ שֶׁל תְּכֵלֶת כוּ', לִהְיוֹת צַעַר הַנַּחַת הַלָּבָן קְטַנָּה מִצַּעַר הַנַּחַת הַתְּכֵלֶת הַיְקָרָה בְּדָמִים, וְכֵן לְעִנְיַן הָעֲבֵרָה, כָּל אֲשֶׁר תִּקְטַן צַעַר מְנִיעַת עֲשִׂיַּת הָעֲבֵרָה, כֵּן יֻגְדַּל עֹנֶשׁ עֲשִׂיָּתָהּ, וְכָל אֲשֶׁר יִקְשֶׁה לִפְנֵי הָאָדָם לִפְרֹשׁ מִן הָעֲבֵרָה, כֵּן תֻּגְדַּל שְׂכָרָהּ אִם יִכְבֹּשׁ יִצְרוֹ לְבַל לְהִתְגָּאֵל בְּתַאֲוָתוֹ:
However, according to what was mentioned above, we can say that in each [type] the mishna grasped the major aspect. It is known that the more painful doing a mitzva is, the greater its reward grows, as [the Sages], of blessed memory, say in Avot [5:23]: “According to the pain [of the effort] is the reward.” The less painful the performance of a mitzva, the greater the punishment for not doing it, as they, of blessed memory, say in Menaḥot 43b: “Greater is the punishment for [not wearing] the white [tzizit] string than the punishment for [not wearing] the sky-blue [string],” for the difficulty of putting on the white is much less than the difficulty of putting on the blue, which is expensive.
The same applies to transgression. The less painful it is to hold back from committing a transgression, the greater the punishment grows for doing it. The more painful it is for a person to separate from the sin, the greater the reward grows if he conquers his urge by not being soiled through [acting on] his desire.
וְהִנֵּה בְּסוּר מֵרַע הַבְּחִינָה הָאַחַת, תִּגְדַּל הָעֹנֶשׁ בַּעֲשִׂיָּתָהּ, בְּעֶרֶךְ בְּחִינָה הַשְּׁנִיָּה עֹנֶשׁ מְנִיעַת עֲשֵׂה טוֹב, לִהְיוֹתָהּ קַלָּה מִבְּחִינָה הַשְּׁנִיָּה. וּבַשָּׂכָר הוּא לְהֵפֶךְ, שְׂכַר הַבְּחִינָה הַשְּׁנִיָּה הִיא עֲשִׂיַּת הַטּוֹב, גָּדְלָה מִשְּׂכַר בְּחִינָה הָאַחַת מְנִיעַת הָרָע, לִהְיוֹתָהּ קָשָׁה מִבְּחִינָה הָאַחַת, וְלָזֶה אָחֲזָה הַמִּשְׁנָה בְּכָל אַחַת, הַדָּבָר הַיּוֹתֵר גָּדוֹל מֵחֲבֶרְתָּהּ, הַיְנוּ בַּעֲשִׂיַּת הַמִּצְוָה שְׂכָרָהּ לִהְיוֹתָהּ בַּמַּדְרֵגָה הַגָּבוֹהַּ, וּבַעֲשִׂיַּת הָרָע הָעֹנֶשׁ הִיא הַמַּדְרֵגָה הַגָּבוֹהַּ, וּלְפִי זֶה יֶשְׁנוֹ שְׁתֵּי מַדְרֵגוֹת בַּשָּׂכָר וְכֵן בָּעֹנֶשׁ:
In the first aspect, “shun evil,” the punishment is greater if you do the [evil] act, compared to the second aspect, the punishment for failure to “do good,” because the first aspect is easier [to do] than the second aspect. With reward, the situation is reversed. Reward for the second aspect – doing good – is greater than the reward for the first aspect – not doing evil – for [the second aspect] is more difficult than the first aspect. For this reason, the mishna grasped, with regard to each aspect, that which is greater than the other. That is, in doing a mitzva, the reward is at a higher level [than refraining from doing a transgression], and in doing evil, the punishment is at a higher level [than refraining from doing good]. Accordingly, there are two levels of reward and two of punishment.
וּבָזֹאת הֲלֹא נוֹדַע. כִּי אָדָם לְעָמָל יוּלַד, לִלְחֹם מִלְחֶמֶת מִצְוָה, וְהַחוֹבָה עָלָיו לְהִתְיַגֵּעַ בַּעֲבוֹדַת ד', לֹא רַק לִשְׁמֹר מַה שֶּׁטִּבְעוֹ מַנִּיחוֹ מֵעַצְמוֹ, וּמַה שֶּׁהוּא קְצָת כְּבֵדוּת לְהַזְנִיחַ, כִּי בָּזֶה הָאֹפֶן אֵין הָאָדָם עוֹבֵד ה' רַק הַטֶּבַע עוֹשֶׂה שֶׁלָּהּ, וְיוּכַל לְהִקָּרֵא חָלִילָה פּוֹרֵק עֹל, כַּאֲשֶׁר לֹא יִתֵּן שׁוּם יְגִיעָה לַעֲבוֹדַת ד' יִתְבָּרַךְ שְׁמוֹ, רַק לִשְׁמֹר מַה שֶּׁאֵין עָלָיו עֹל, וְזֹאת הוּא הַיְסוֹד מֵעֲבוֹדַת הָאָדָם לְבוֹרְאוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ שְׁמוֹ, לִשְׁמֹר וְלַעֲשׂוֹת, גַּם מַה שֶּׁאֵין לִבּוֹ חָפֵץ, כִּי אִם לֹא יָשִׂים הָאָדָם לִבּוֹ וְנַפְשׁוֹ, לַעֲשׂוֹת נֶגֶד רְצוֹן לְבָבוֹ, הֲרֵי הוּא עָלוּל לְכָל עֲבֵרוֹת שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה רַחֲמָנָא לִצְּלַן, גַּם אוֹתָן שֶׁאֵינוֹ עוֹבֵר עֲלֵיהֶן מִצַּד הֶרְגֵּלוֹ וְטִבְעוֹ:
It is known that “a person is born to toil,”6Job 5:7. to fight the war that is a mitzva to fight [against the evil urge]. He is obligated to exert himself in the service of God – not just to observe what his nature lets him do naturally and to neglect whatever is somewhat difficult. A person who serves in this manner is no servant of God; rather nature takes its course. Perhaps he should be called “one who throws off the yoke of [God]” since he makes no effort to serve God, blessed be His name, but only keeps whatever is not a burden to him.7Earlier, R. Salanter suggested that a person work on his nature and improve his personal middot. Otherwise, the Torah he learns may be tainted. Driven by the needs of his ego, he may distort his understanding of the Torah’s instructions until they fit his desire, rather than do what God wants him to do. In this letter, R. Salanter goes a step further and suggests that if one has not changed his nature and middot through the self-critique that Mussar supplies, then he is in danger of really not serving God in any way. He is only doing what his nature and desire want him to do. R. Salanter’s definition of being a servant of God is that one has overcome his desires and unimproved nature, enabling him to do the genuine will of God. This is the basic principle of a person’s service to his Creator, blessed be His name: to observe and do even that which his heart does not want to do. For if a person does not put his heart and soul into doing some things against his heart’s [natural] desire, he is prone to every sin in the Torah, may the Merciful One save us – even those that, out of nature and habit, he does not violate [currently].
כִּי הַהֶרְגֵּל וְהַטֶּבַע מִתְחַלְּפִים מִסִּבּוֹת צְדָדִיּוֹת כַּאֲשֶׁר יְאַלְּצֵם כֹּחַ אַחֵר הַמְנַגֵּד לָזוֹ, כַּדּוֹמֶה הָאִישׁ הַמַּתְמִיד בְּלִמּוּדוֹ מִצַּד הֶרְגֵּלוֹ וְטִבְעוֹ, וְיֵשׁ לוֹ כֹּחַ נִסְתָּר הַמִּשְׁתּוֹקֵק לְכֶסֶף, וְהַכֹּחַ אֵינוֹ נִכָּר, יַעַן כִּי אֵין לוֹ דֶּרֶךְ לָזֶה, כִּי מַצָּבוֹ וְתַהֲלוּכָתוֹ אֵינוֹ דֶּרֶךְ הַמִּסְחוֹר, וְלֹא רָאָה כֶּסֶף מִיָּמָיו, מִמֵּילָא אֵין לְהַכֹּחַ נוֹשֵׂא בַּמֶּה לְהֵאָחֵז, כִּי הַכֹּחוֹת שֶׁבָּאָדָם כָּל זְמַן שֶׁאֵין לָהֶם דָּבָר חוּשִׁי בַּמֶּה לְהֵאָחֵז, נִסְתָּרִים הֵמָּה בִּפְנִימִיּוּת הַנֶּפֶשׁ, בַּל יִרְאוּ הַחוּצָה גַּם בַּל נוֹדָעוּ:
Habit and nature change from incidental causes, [i.e.,] when compelled by a force opposing them. For example, a man learns diligently out of habit and nature, but he has a hidden drive that yearns for money. The drive is not discernible because he has no access to it. His situation and behavior are not in the realm of commerce, and he has never seen money. Consequently, this drive has nothing to latch on to, for as long as human drives have nothing palpable to latch on to, they remain hidden in the inner recesses of the psyche, not manifesting externally and not even recognized.
אָכֵן כַּאֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה אֵיזֶה סִבָּה שֶׁיִּצְטָרֵךְ לֶאֱחֹז מַה בְּמִסְחוֹר לְטֶרֶף בֵּיתוֹ וְכַיּוֹצֵא, יוּכַל לְהִתְפָּרֵץ כֹּחַ הַלָּזֶה בְּקֶשֶׁת הַכֶּסֶף, עַד אֲשֶׁר יַזְנִיחַ כִּמְעַט תַּלְמוּדוֹ לְגַמְרֵי מֵחֲמַת הַכֹּחַ הַלָּזֶה, אֲשֶׁר לֹא הָיָה מַאֲמִין עַל עַצְמוֹ בְּשׁוּם אֹפֶן אֵיךְ יוּכַל לִהְיוֹת שֶׁיַּזְנִיחַ כָּל כָּךְ לִמּוּדוֹ, וְכֵן בְכָל הַכֹּחוֹת וְהָעִנְיָנִים הַטּוֹבִים שֶׁבָּאָדָם, יוּכְלוּ לִהְיוֹת מוּפָרִים מִכֹּחוֹת מִתְנַגְּדִים אֲשֶׁר בְּסִבָּה קְטַנָּה יִתְעוֹרְרוּ בְּחָזְקָה לְהָפֵר כָּל נֶתַח טוֹב:
However, whenever any cause arises that requires him to take on some business, to feed his family or the like, this money-seeking drive can burst forth, to the point that he abandons his learning almost entirely because of this drive. He would never have believed about himself, in any way, that he could be so neglectful of his learning! So it is with all the good drives and concerns in a person – they can be breached by opposing drives that are stirred up powerfully at the slightest trigger, to break apart every bit of goodness.
לָזֹאת גַּם אִם הָעֲבֵרוֹת הָרְגִילוֹת אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשִׂים כְּהֶתֵּר רַחֲמָנָא לִצְּלַן. לֹא יְעוֹרְרוּ אֶת נֶפֶשׁ הָאָדָם לַעֲסֹק בְּלִמּוּד יִרְאַת שָׁמַיִם (לִזְכֹּר אַחֲרִיתוֹ יְמֵי הַחֹשֶׁךְ כִּי הַרְבֵּה יִהְיוּ, וְעַל כָּל עֲבֵרָה בִּפְרָט, עָנֹשׁ יֵעָנֵשׁ בָּעֳנָשִׁים קָשִׁים וּמָרִים רַחֲמָנָא לִצְּלַן כְּמַאֲמָרָם זַ"ל, כָּל הָאוֹמֵר הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא וַתְּרָן הוּא יִוָּתְרוּ חַיּוֹהוּ אֶלָּא מַאֲרִיךְ אַפּוֹ וְגַבֵּי דִּילֵיהּ, וּמִי יוֹדֵעַ עַד כַּמָּה תִּגְדַּל הָעֹנֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר שׁוּם אַחֵר לֹא יִסְבֹּל רַק הָאָדָם לְבַדּוֹ הָעוֹשֶׂה הָעֲבֵרוֹת) לִהְיוֹתָם נַעֲשִׂים כְּהֶתֵּר. אֵין רוֹאֶה וְאֵין מַרְגִּישׁ הָאָדָם בָּהֶם:
[The same happens] if the transgressions become so routine that they “become as if permitted,”8Ḥullin 4b. may the Merciful One save us. [The commission of these sins] will not arouse a person’s soul to engage in the study of fear of Heaven (to remember his end, the dark days, which will be numerous; and for each particular sin, he will be punished with hard and bitter punishments, may the Merciful One save us. As they, of blessed memory, say: “Whoever says God waives [those punishments], his life will be waived! Rather, God is patient, but He collects His debts!”9Bava Kamma 50a. Who knows how great will be the punishment? No one else will suffer but the person himself who commits the sins.) Since they have become as if permitted, the person neither sees them nor feels them anymore.10Initially R. Salanter argued for the need for Mussar to supplement standard Torah study, in order to identify accurately and to properly practice the good life (see Letter 6). In subsequent letters, R. Salanter emphasized that without Mussar and self-analysis, a person may not accurately establish what is truly the will of God and the message of the Torah. In this letter, R. Salanter comes close to saying that without changing one’s character through Mussar, one’s understanding of Torah (and the proper practices of the good life) is likely tainted and distorted.
אַךְ זֶה יוּכַל לְעוֹרֵר לְהָאָדָם, בְּהִתְבּוֹנְנוֹ חִלּוּפֵי הַזְּמַן וּמִקְרֵי הָעִתִּים אֲשֶׁר עִם דָּבָר קָטָן יוּכַל הַטֶּבַע לְהִשְׁתַּנּוֹת וְלִפֹּל בַּעֲבֵרוֹת רָמוֹת, אֲשֶׁר הַהֶרְגֵּשׁ עֲדַיִן בְּתָקְפּוֹ כִּי עֲבֵרוֹת הֵמָּה, וְיִרְאָתָם מְרַחֶפֶת עַל פָּנָיו, לָזֹאת יַקְדִּים הָאָדָם רְפוּאָה לְעַצְמוֹ לַעֲסֹק בְּלִמּוּד הַיִּרְאָה וְהַמּוּסָר לְהָעִיר וּלְעוֹרֵר אֶת רוּחוֹ שֶׁיּוּכַל לַעֲשׂוֹת נֶגֶד רְצוֹנוֹ:
Only this can awaken the person: when he considers the changes that accrue over time and the incidents that occurred at various times, [and notes] that with something small, nature can change and cause a fall into terrible sins – which he still senses at the time to be sins, and fear of them still hovers over him. So let that person prepare a cure for himself preemptively: to engage in study of reverence and Mussar to arouse and awaken his spirit so he can defy his desires.11R. Salanter is stressing that there are powerful unconscious drives in a person that may overwhelm his current positive behavior patterns. Therefore, it is necessary for everyone to engage in the disciplined study of Mussar and transformation of his nature to want the good that the Torah recommends. He should engage in this study now, lest some new force or life experience unleash the hitherto unconscious negative drives and take over his life. If he has not studied Mussar in advance, it may be too late to check the outbursts of these drives.