Relationship Between Chovos of Levavos & Eivarim

I think we left off after the Chovos HaLevavos quote in the Gemara in Berachos about mesiras nefasham on Kiddush Hashem. So after that he quotes ve-amru

אמר רבה כל העוסק בתורה בלבד דומה כמי שאין לו אלוה שנאמר וימים רבים לישראל ללא אלהי אמת אלא בתורה ובגמילות חסדים.

So how does that prove his point? The Gemara says that a person can't be only osek ba-Torah but there has to be a component of chesed and again not a token component because the Gemara then illustrates it with the story of Rabbah and Abaye. And the Gemara says but Rabbah was osek be-chesed and it says yeah but not k'de-Abaye. So we're not talking about a serious significant component of chesed. So how does that prove the indispensability of Chovos HaLevavos? I mean gemilus chasadim is chovos ha-eivarim. I mean it's obviously that one avodas Hashem is very yesodistik but it doesn't seem to be yesodistik for the concern of Chovos HaLevavos. Ella mai? The Rambam, perek yud daled, Hilchos Avel,

מצוות עשה של דבריהם לבקר חולים ולנחם אבלים ולהוציא המת ולהכניס הכלה וללוות האורחים ולעסוק בכל צורכי הקבורה לשאת על הכתף ולילך לפניו ולספוד ולחפור ולקבור וכן לשמח החתן והכלה ולסעדם בכל צורכיהם ואלו הן גמילות חסדים שבגופו שאין להם שיעור אף על פי שכל מצוות אלו מדבריהם

as individual mitzvos הרי הן בכלל ואהבת לרעך כמוך. So all these chesed activities, all these domains of chesed are bi-chlal the mitzvah ve-ahavta le-reacha kamocha. Now when the Rambam initially introduced the mitzvah ve-ahavta le-reacha kamocha in perek vav, Hilchos De'os, halacha gimmel, so the Rambam writes

מצווה על כל אדם לאהוב כל אחד ואחד מישראל כגופו שנאמר ואהבת לרעך כמוך לפיכך צריך לספר בשבחו ולחוס על ממונו כמו שהוא חס על ממון עצמו ורוצה בכבוד עצמו.

So it seems clear from the Rambam's presentation that ve-ahavta le-reacha kamocha expresses itself not only in actions but in actions that are expressing an inner attitude. Right? Since there's a chiyuv ve-ahavta le-reacha kamocha, so le-fichach the corollary of that, right not not this gufo is what it means but the corollary, right? The consequence, the corollary. So if something is a corollary or consequence it means that that something right which generates that corollary so ahavas Yisrael is not only actions but there is an inner attitude towards it. Now assuming that that same construct carries over to Hilchos Aveil, so then what comes out is that the Bikur Cholim, the Nichum Aveilim, etcetera. It's not only that the person should engage in these activities, but the sense of empathy or concern, that should be what is the driving engine for the Bikur Cholim, for the Nichum Aveilim, etcetera. So hashata de'asina lehachi, so then you understand what the Chovos Halevavos has to say. That when the Gemara stipulates that it's not enough to have Torah, but there has to be Torah and Chesed, so the Gemara's not just speaking about—Chesed isn't only Chovos Ha'eivarim, Chesed is Chovos Halevavos because the Chesed is supposed to reflect and flow from Chovos Halevavos.

ויתבאר לי כי כל שורשי המעשים שמתכוונים בהם לשמו יתברך הם מיוסדים על בור הלב וזך המצפון. ואם יארע על הכוונה הפסד לא יהיו המעשים מקובלים.

ve'im yarbu veyasmidu—even if ve'im yarbu veyasmidu—kemo she'amar hakosuv גם כי תרבו תפילה אינני שומע yadeichem damim maleu rachatzu hizaku הסירו רוע מעלליכם מנגד עיני חדלו הרע. ve'omer כי קרוב אליך הדבר מאוד בפיך ובלבבך לעשותו. What's the raya from the Psukim in Yeshayahu? Again, the Yesod that the Chovos Halevavos is proving here is that it's not only that there are Mitzvos—he basically—it's not only that there are Mitzvos which are Chovos Halevavos, but even the Chovos Ha'eivarim have to be anchored in the right mindset, the right Kavana. So yadeichem damim maleu, the fact that Tefilla is disqualified when yadeichem damim maleu—again, how does that point to Chovos Halevavos? Again, it does highlight the important Yesod that we don't compartmentalize Tefilla and that, you know, as it were, if one's down in the mud, if one's living in the mud, so then when one is omeid b'tefilla lifnei Hashem, one stands with those clothes lifnei Hashem and that does negate the Tefilla. But again, yadeichem damim maleu refers to something that needs to change on the level of Chovos Ha'eivarim. So lichora, his raya is from the words of rachatzu hizaku. Why didn't the Navi just say yadeichem damim maleu? הסירו רוע מעלליכם מנגד עיני חדלו הרע. The Posuk highlights Aveiros in the domain of Chovos Ha'eivarim. That needs to end. So הסירו רע מעלליכם מנגד עיני חדלו הרע. So the rachtzu hizaku refers to an inner transformation. So you see that again that the chovos halevavos, it's not just that to be mekayem the mitzvah of ahavas Hashem or yiras Hashem, those mitzvos which are be'ikaron chovos halevavos, but the chovos halevavos is necessary even for a hechsher for tefillah, here referring to the chovos halevavos of teshuvah. The rachtzu hizaku is the inner dimension of teshuvah. The הסירו רע מעלליכם מנגד עיני חדלו הרע is the external dimension of teshuvah. Okay, the pasuk of ubilvavcha la'asoso is clear. V'omer,

תנה בני לבך לי ועיניך דרכי תצרנה. ואמרו קדמונינו זכרונם לברכה בזה. ואמרו קדמונינו זכרונם לברכה בזה.

I don't know, when we refer to Chazal as such, as chachameinu or Razal, raboseinu, so there's, you know, it's a term of honor and respect. I don't know, kadmoneinu only seems to point to the fact that they lived before us. So I don't know, so maybe the implicit recognition is that of yeridas hadoros and that by saying v'omru kadmoneinu, so that's a way of also of recognizing stature.

ואמרו קדמונינו זכרונם לברכה בזה, יהב לי לבך ועיניך אנא ידע דאנת דילי.

V'omer hakasuv, ולא תתורו אחרי לבבכם ואחרי עיניכם. Seems like the chovos halevavos's ra'aya is not only from the libcha but from einecha as well. Right, he makes a point of quoting the entire pasuk in Mishlei, not only the first half of תנה בני לבך לי, but also ve'einecha and similarly again with the pasuk in Shlach, ולא תתורו אחרי לבבכם, the ma'amar Chazal, יהב לי לבך ועיניך. So when a person sort of allows his eyes to gaze upon, to enjoy, so that belongs to chovos halevavos. It doesn't at that stage, it doesn't translate into action. What Rabbeinu Yonah talks about in his Sha’ar on Arayos, he seems to talk about both as something which is מביא לידי גילוי עריות itself and something which is assur bifnei atzmo. So on that level, so then the einayim is also chovot halevavot. Ve’omer במה אקדם ה' איכף לאלהי מרום האקדמנו בעולות. Vehayta hateshuva

הגיד לך אדם מה טוב ומה ה' דורש ממך כי אם עשות משפט ואהבת חסד והצנע לכת עם אלהיך.

See here the raya lichora again, with again ahavat chesed, we spoke before that chesed stems from chovot halevavot, here it’s even more bolet the fact that the Navi speaks of ahavat chesed and not simply asiyat chesed and הצנע לכת עם אלהיך also, again tznius translates into action but it’s certainly an inner setting, it’s an inner orientation. Ve’omer

כה אמר ה' אל יתהלל חכם בחכמתו ואל יתהלל הגבור בגבורתו אל יתהלל עשיר בעשרו כי אם בזאת יתהלל המתהלל השכל וידע אותי כי אני ה' עשה חסד משפט וצדקה בארץ. ופירוש עניין התשובה הזאת שצריך המתהלל להתהלל בהבנת דרכי והבנת חסדיי להתבונן בנבראים ולחקר גבורתי וחכמתי מתוך פלאי.

So, so the way the Chovos HaLevavos understands this pasuk is that when the, when the pasuk continues כי אני ה' עושה חסד משפט וצדקה בארץ, that's part of what yedi'as Hashem entails. Right, right after Sha'ar HaYichud, the second of the, of the ten she'arim in Chovos HaLevavos, the Sha'ar HaBechina. Sha'ar HaBechina is recognizing, appreciating the chochmah and chesed which is embedded within, which is embodied within the briyah. And again also, it's, it's something which is an understanding and appreciation is, that's not Chovos HaEvarim, that's, that's Chovos HaLevavos. And, and the, the way the Chovos HaLevavos teitches understands this pasuk, that's gufa what the navi is saying here, that yedi'as Hashem entails being able to recognize and, and discern how Hashem is עושה חסד משפט וצדקה בארץ. This is the mandate for, for what will follow after sha'ar yichud Hashem of Sha'ar HaBechina.

וצריך שתדע כי הכוונה והתועלת במצוות הלבבות הם שיהיו גלויינו וצפונינו שווים ושקולים בעבודת ה'.

There shouldn't be any inconsistency, any incongruence between action and, and thought, feeling, attitude, etc.,

עד שתהיה עדות הלב והלשון והאיברים שווה ויצדיק כל אחד מהם את חברו ויעיד לו ולא יחלוק עליו ולא יסתור דברו והוא אשר יקראנו הכתוב תמים באמרו תמים תהיה עם ה' אלקיך.

How is a person תמים עם ה' אלקיך? So tam, the Chovos HaLevavos says, is lashon shalem. It's complete. Right, temimos tihyena. When the Torah says you have to count the, the seven weeks from Pesach to Shavuos, temimos tihyena, they have to be complete. So tamim is lashon complete. So what does it mean to be complete with Hakadosh Baruch Hu? תמים תהיה עם ה' אלקיך again means that the, the one's inner life and one's outer life should be coordinated in service of Hakadosh Baruch Hu.

ואמר תמים היה בדורותיו ואמר הולך תמים ופועל צדק ודובר אמת בלבבו.

Okay, so here the raya is again tamim, dover emes bilvavo. Right, so you see that, that to be tamim, it, it, it has to include the lev.

ואמר אשכילה בדרך תמים מתי תבוא אלי אתהלך בתום לבבי בקרב ביתי ואמר במי שאין תוכו כברו ולא היה לבבו שלם עם ה' אלוקיו ואמר ויפתוהו בפיהם ובלשונם יכזבו לו ולבם לא נכון עמו.

But what's the raya from tamim hayah bedorosav by Noach? How, how do you know what tamim points to there? Whatever tamim entails, so Noach was that. But how do you know that, that again, that, that tamim means that it's the evarim and, and the... everything is harmoniously harnessed for avodas Hashem? How do you see that from the pasuk by Noach? And it's maybe a little bit of a question that he doesn't quote the earlier part of the pasuk: נח איש צדיק תמים היה בדורותיו. So tamim is clearly adding something to the description of tzadik. So maybe one would have thought that tzadik just means bema'asav and tamim means on other levels: belibo, besichlo, etc. Okay, what's next?