Group None

- The classes of abstainersAs to how many classes the abstainers are divided, I will answer this question as follows.

As we introduced, abstinence from this world is due to one of two reasons, one is religious and the other is secular.

Those who abstain due to religious reasons. They are the true genuine abstainers and are divided into three classes.

1) Men who went after the highest extreme of asceticism, to be like spiritual beings (angels, i.e. non-physical beings). They renounce everything that distracts them from G-d. They left civilization to dwell in the deserts, the wastelands, and the high mountains, places where there is no companionship and no acquaintance. They eat whatever can be found, vegetation growing on the soil and leaves of the trees. They dress in worn garments and raw wool. They take shelter in the rocks. Their fear of the Creator drives away fear of the created beings.

Their delight in love of G-d distracts them so much that they do not think of the love of human beings. They are content with whatever sustenance G-d reserves for them, and they do not expect anything from human beings.

This class is the furthest extreme of all the classes from the middle way prescribed by the torah. For they renounce worldly interests completely and the torah does not bid us to give up social life entirely, as we have introduced earlier from the verse "He did not create it to be a waste but formed it to be inhabited" (Yeshaya 45:18).

2) The second class, men who went in the middle way of abstinence. They are completely repulsed with the superfluous things of this world, and undertake to bridle their lust in them.

The superfluous things are of two types:

One: superfluous things which are outside of a man and separate from him, such material things as food, drink, clothing, and dwelling.

Two: superflous things which cleave to a man whose causes are not outside of him, such as: [superfluous] speech, laughter, relaxation, leisure, watching or listening useless things, and useless musings.

This second class has renounced all things that are "superfluous", but did not deem it fit to withdraw from society. They stayed to provide their bodies with its minimum need, as is their duty. They exchanged the deserts and mountains with confinement in their homes and solitude in their dwelling. They attained both matters and reached both portions. They are closer to the middle way of the torah, than the previous class.

3) The third class consists of those who walk on the lowest level of abstinence. These separated themselves from the world in their hearts and minds. But they associate outwardly with other people in the rectification of the world, such as plowing and sowing. They also actively toil with their bodies in the service of G-d. They realize that a man is being tested in this world, and that he is like a prisoner and a stranger in it, taken from the world of spirits and brought here.

They are repulsed by the (pleasures of this) world and by its wealth, and they long for the next world.

They wait for death, and yet they guard themselves from death (danger). They prepare provisions (torah and good deeds) for the time of their journey, and they consider with what will they arrive to their final abode before their departure. They take from this world, the minimum of their food needs, yet they do not neglect anything of taking and carrying provisions that will be good for their final end, according to their ability.

This class is the closest to the correct balance and right way which is in accord with the torah than the other classes we mentioned..

ABSTINENCE IN SECULAR AFFAIRSThose who practice abstinence in order to secure worldly benefits. Their abstinence is in their limbs but not in their minds and hearts. These fall into three classes:

1) Those who abstain from some of their lusts or pleasures in order to gain a reputation for abstinence, in order to receive praise for their faith and piety, so that through this method they will obtain their full lusts.

They are hypocritical in faith and in abstinence. They act in this manner in order that men should trust them, deposit their money with them, and reveal their secrets to them, so that they will be able to harm them. They are the worst class of all human beings, furthest removed from the truth and more disgraceful than anyone else. Of such people, scripture says: "Their tongue is a deadly arrow; It speaks deceit; With his mouth one speaks peace to his neighbor, But inwardly he sets an ambush for him" (Yirmiya 9:7).

2) The second class: Those who obtained a small amount of wealth. When they see how swiftly money is lost and circumstances change, and combined with their little trust in G-d, they pain themselves by eating little and abstaining from their lusts (to save money). They then claim that abstinence has driven them to live this way.

But after true inspection, what really brought them to this is their great love for this world, their zeal to increase of its wealth, their worry from poverty, and their little satisfaction with what they have obtained from this world. Of such people, the wise man said: "a man whom G-d has given riches and property and honor, and his soul lacks nothing of all he desires; [yet G-d gives him not power to eat of it, but a stranger eats it: this is vanity, and it is an evil affliction]" (Koheles 6:2).

3) The third class: Those who are not capable of making enough money and have only acquired enough money to live in the poorest of circumstances. They deem it proper to maintain their self-respect and subsist with whatever food they can obtain rather than having to stand to ask and embarrass themselves to beg from other people. They restrain their desires by bearing constant hunger and by covering themselves with basic clothing. They do this in order to avoid receiving charity and to not be ashamed of asking help from others, thereby becoming disgraced. Yet, they claim to be doing all of this out of asceticism.

If you wish to test the true motive of one who claims to practice abstinence, whether he is doing this for religious or secular improvement, test them with the conditions for perfect abstinence which I will mention, and you will with G-d's help, discern whether they are genuine ascetics or only pretending to be so.