Messilas Yesharim: Intro & Watchfulness
Chapter 1: Foundation - Why am I here? Answer: To delight in H's perfection
Place for this: Olam Haba
Path to get there: This world
Means to get there:
Do mitzvos with great care and prescission
Fight an intense battle
Fleeing from anything that distances us from H"
Use all good means to free our mind to focus on service of H"
Chapter 2 Zehirus Watchfulness
Essence - Take great care to contemplate and monitor my actions and way of life by asking - are they good or bad - to save my soul
One who does not do this is worse than the animals
Yetzer Harah will constantly throw shmutz in the way:as did Paraoh. And we will fail without of the help of H"
Chapter 4 How to acquire zehirus
Chapter 5: Factors that detract from Zehirus
Keeping bad company by exposing oneself to their influence
Levity (joking) and mockery (cynicism)
Preoccupation with wordly matters
Yetzer Harah (created by H") draws us in
And the only remedy (created by H") is fixed times for (1) Torah study because when one sees its wisdom, commandments & warnings one will automatically be inspired; (2) an accounting of one's deeds and how they can be corrected
Levity, little by little, removed a person's fear of sin - because just as zehirus is dependent on paying attention, the essence of levity is uncaring and distracts the heart from proper service
Mockery (a cynical remark, scofffing, or small derisive witticism) has the power to repel a person from motivation & inspiration
And if one finds himself in the company of one who taunts him, he should pay no attention. On the contrary, one should speak words of ethics & Torah
Chapter 3: Two elements of watchfulness:
Identify and clarify what is true good and true ev
Examine our deeds
Before our actions, way and assess them :
Analyze our past actions. Do this with great regularity each day
If any evil is found, explore tactics to avoid this in future
If good is found, explore means that they may persist
Focusing on divine service & punishment for failing to observe it
3 types of people:
1 People of wholehearted perspective. Inspired to always monitor their deeds and understand the consequences of failing to do so i.e. a lack of spiritual perfection, the most important thing to them.
2 Based on the honour they crave. Those who realise that the lack of zhuris will cause great pain in OH when they see others to whom they feel superior receiving greater honour than them.
3 Based on actual reward and punishment, such as the Torah describes in relation to Avraham, Yaakov once, Yaakov twice, Yoseff & Michal: measure for measure
Interplay between justice and mercy: Strict application of justice would result in immediate punishment. But if this happens how can a person repair what he has corrupted?
So H” provides mercy by allowing time to do Teshuva, which if done properly will approve this in and remove it sustain.
This requires: (1) confession; (2) contemplating and regretting the sin: (3) committing not to repeated again.