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- The special abstinence for men of torahWhat is the special abstinence and what need do men of torah have for it? The Sages are divided as to its definition.

Among them, one said abstinence is the renunciation of all that distracts one from G-d.

Another said: to be disgusted by (vanities of) this world and curtailing desires.

Another said: abstinence is tranquility of the soul and curbing its tendency for idle imagination.

Another said: [Abstinence means] Trust in G-d

Another said: To limit oneself to wear only basic clothing of whatever material, and likewise to eat only enough to survive and push off one's hunger, and to abhor everything else.

Another said: Abandoning love of company of human beings and to [instead] love solitude.

Another said: Abstinence means gratitude for the good and bearing difficulty patiently.

Another said: Abstinence means to deny oneself all leasures or pleasures of the body except for what one's nature requires and that one cannot live without, and to remove everything else from the mind.

This last definition is closest to the abstinence prescribed in our torah, and is better than all the other definitions we mentioned.

The need for the torah observant to practice abstinence is as follows:

The torah's aim is to make the understanding rule over and prevail over all the lusts of the [lower] soul.

It is well known that the overpowering of lust over the understanding is the beginning of all sin, and the cause of all that is reprehensible. The people did not incline towards (the lusts of) this world until they had turned away from the torah. Then the evil inclination enticed them to abandon cultivating the world of their salvation. And thus, they turned away from the path of their forefathers who limited themselves to what was necessary and in the amount that was necessary, and who were contented with what was sufficient for their livelihood.

The inclination enticed them by making hoarding and increasing worldly possessions seem beautiful, by making indulgence in worldly pleasures seem desirable, and by inducing pride in owning worldly possessions, until they sank in the depths of its seas.

The evil inclination then forced them to suffer the pain of [being tossed by] its waves. This world rules over them and stops up their ears and shuts their eyes. There is not one of them who does not occupy himself with indulging in its pleasures whenever he can reach it and an opportunity presents itself. This is his torah and his religion, until he is led completely astray from his G-d, as written: "Your own wickedness shall correct you, and your backsliding shall reprove you... [know that it is evil and bitter that you have forsaken the L-ord your G-d]" (Yirmiya 2:19).

Included in this class of people, is also one who has been denied that pleasure, but his mind is set on it, his soul longs for it and lives for it, and he heartily pursues it night and day, as written: "He devises mischief upon his bed; he sets himself in a way that is not good" (Tehilim 36:5).

Both these classes are drowning, each in his matter, and yet they are cut off and weary from ever reaching any good out of it. They are losing in their business trade. Their soul is diminished, and their choice is bad.

They are foolish in their exchange, as written: "They exchanged their Glory for the likeness of an ox eating grass" (Tehilim 106:20).

The incessant call of habit overpowers them. They exert themselves and take pride in their business trade, in which they are losing, and which never ceases to distract their minds from the resulting vanities, and to entrench in their hearts its never-ending desires. The more they become embroiled in this world, the more they distanced themselves; and the further they distanced from the light of truth from which they parted due to their association with the evil inclination, and the more the darkness engulfed them, and the world grew on them.The striving for its improvement became embellished in their eyes, and they ingrained themselves in it to the destruction of their understanding. The more this world was improved, the greater was the destruction of their understanding, until they considered its evil ways to be good, and its straying to be right, and they turned this into a statute and a moral outlook.

Parents then bequeathed this outlook to their children, their teachers aroused them in it. The masses were commanded to follow it. Their nobles vied with each other on it, until the evil inclination became firmly entrenched in them and they filled their homes with vanities. What had been strange to them became familiar to them, while the right way became strange to them. Whoever was contented and refrained from pursuing the superfluous, they considered him to be neglecting his duties.

Each one of them, did as he saw his fellow do. One who only took of this world what was sufficient for himself was called lazy. One who delayed to accumulate of it was considered a slacker. One who was contented with only what he needed was considered a weakling, while he who surpassed this amount was regarded as an industrious man.

And they praise themselves and pride themselves in it, and on its account they befriend, become angry, and congratulate each other. And in order to benefit from it, they appoint their bellies as their god, fine clothing as their torah, and houses in strong condition as their ethics.

They went astray in the depths of folly, moving in the course of idleness, laden with burdens of lusts, and claiming the reward of the worshippers (of G-d) while committing the acts of the transgressors, and the levels of the righteous with the conduct of the wicked, as our Sages said: "they commit the sins of Zimri and seek the reward of Pinchas" (Sota 22b).

Since the evil inclination has brought most of the men of torah (Jews) as far as we have described, it is necessary to stand up to it with the special abstinence which we have described at the beginning of this gate. With the help of abstinence, we should hold firmly against the evil inclination until reaching the proper torah way for religious and secular pursuits.

Therefore it is necessary for there to be among the men of torah, special individuals, bearers of the special abstinence, who take on its conditions, and thereby benefit the other men of torah who turn and tend towards the animalistic lusts of the evil inclination. Thus these special people are the doctors of souls to the religion.They bring healing to those who stray from the good traits and tended towards the disgraceful traits. Then the evil inclination has prevailed over their understanding, and when their occupation with increasing the superfluous of the world distracts them from the things essential in their religion.

If a man with a sickness of faith or who is sick with doubts comes to them, they will hasten to heal him with their genuine wisdom.

If it is one fleeing from the service of G-d, they will return him to it and reassure him in it.

If it is one burdened by his sins, they will reassure him of the forgiveness of G-d when he repents from his sins.

If it is one who has forgotten G-d, they will remind him. If a tzadik (righteous person), they will praise him (to encourage him). If one who loves G-d, they will love him. If one who magnifies G-d's omnipotence, they magnify him. If he sins, they will exhort him to repent immediately. If he is physically sick, they will visit him and if they have more than they need of the world, they will bestow to him of it. If some trouble befalls him, they will come to his assistance.

In this world, they are similar to the sun which shines its light on the world, above it and below it, since it illuminates what is above it and what is below it, of the celestial spheres and planets.

So too they shine on this world as written: "G-d said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous men within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sake" (Bereishis 18:26). And: "Therefore He said that He would destroy them, had not Moses, His chosen, stood before Him in the breach to turn away His wrath" (Tehilim 106:23), and in the next world, as written "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life" (Mishlei 11:30), and therefore Devorah said: "they that love Him shall be as the sun when it goes forth in its might" (Shoftim 5:31).

You will find that this conduct of abstinence was practised by the prophets and the early pious ones in previous generations as clearly explained in their books, and as I will expound further in its proper place, with G-d's help, blessed be He.