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he is considered meritorious, and heaven has no judgments against Find the Differences They only pretended to eat. Therefore, from the aspect of actual
him. Thus, he will succeed and receive help from Hashem. On the accomplishment, there was no value to Abraham’s kindness. It was
other hand, if a person does not have intent, heaven judges him Let me tell you a story. an entirely empty deed. But Abraham thought that the angels were
negatively and demands of him, “Why didn’t you want?” Even human beings. As such, he did not know that they had no need
while he is in this world, he feels this, and thus he experiences all I knew Yossi and Danny as two students who attended my classes. of his kindness, and he wanted to help them and perform a kind
sorts of distress and difficulties in his life. All of this is intensified One day they had showed up for my weekly talk, and from then deed for them. Therefore, the Torah is praising Abraham for his
when a person is judged in the world-to-come. If he abandoned his on I grew used to seeing their faces among the other regular intent, because in actuality there was no deed. And the Torah
intent and did not succeed, he is responsible for having abandoned participants. After just a month passed, I could see a difference tells this story at length because it wants to impart the message
his intent, and for that he will be judged—whereas if a person between the two—a difference that grew more pronounced as time that the principal factor is a person’s intent—even if in actuality he
maintained his intent, even if he faced such a great obstacle that passed. They were both interested and paid attention. They both accomplished nothing!
in the end he did not succeed, he will be exonerated, because he smiled with satisfaction and pleasure, and it appeared that the words
fulfilled his responsibility. that Hashem put in my mouth spoke to their hearts. Nevertheless, I Therefore, when a person learns the Torah’s description
recognized that there was a vast difference between them. of the sacrifices, it is as though he brought a sacrifice
The Meaning of the Story (Menachot 110a)—and that is because of his intent as
I am not only talking about the fact that Yossi’s kippah grew he learns. His eagerness to be able to do this and his
How does this parable apply to the life of every individual? larger and his tzitzit longer. I am speaking of their states of mind. resolve to do it constitute the principal aspect of learning
Hashem wants us all to return to Him completely. He wants us to Each came to me from time to time for counsel or for a blessing. I Torah: [the intent] to translate the learning into deed.
be cleansed of every craving and every evil trait, and freed of every saw that Yossi was aware. He understood what I was saying. He told Regarding that, the verse states, “To You, Hashem,
addiction. Even if achieving this appears difficult or unrealistic, we me that he saw a great difference in his relationship with his wife, is the kindness, because You recompense a person in
must know that heaven wants us to want. We are able to want— with his overall happiness, with his relations with his peers at work, accordance with his deed” (Psalms 62:13). That is because
everyone of us. When a person wants and does not abandon his and that he truly felt that Hashem is with him. His questions were in His vast compassion Hashem, may He be blessed,
will in the slightest, he is already fulfilling his obligation. The rest elevated. They were the questions of a person who is working with rewards a person for his deed alone, as though it is the
is in Hashem’s hands—whether or not to give him what he wants, the lessons that he is learning, that he is internalizing. His questions
and when to give it to him. In heaven’s view, this person is already dealt with subtle and exalted concepts. person who is performing the action.
completely penitent and righteous, because he is holding onto his
On the other hand, I barely saw any change in Danny. It was
strong will with all his might. If he does not abandon his will, he will as though he had not attended the classes at all, as though he Commentary: Here Rabbi Tzadok brings additional support for
certainly arrive, because a person is led in the way that he wants to this concept. The Gemara states that the verses, “This is the Torah
go. And even if he leaves this world before having completed his had not heard a thing. He would return with the same problems. of the sin-offering” and “This is the Torah of the guilt-offering,”
He remained angry and bitter with the people around him, he
rectification, heaven considers him cleansed, holy and pure. mean that “whoever studies the Torah about the sin-offering is
continued to blame everyone else for his problems and he continued considered as though he brought a sin-offering, and whoever
Thus, a person’s essential good quality is a mirror of his to blame himself, he was far from faith, far from feeling thankful, studies the Torah about the guilt-offering is considered as though
will. That is how heaven views him. Heaven judges him in far from enjoying a happy marriage. The problems that he had he brought a guilt-offering” (Menachot 110a). Why is the person’s
accordance with his will. And that influences him even while suffered from before he came to my classes still existed and had not learning considered equal to performing the deed? After all, he
he is still in this world, living his daily life. A person who even diminished. I asked myself: does he hear what I am saying? is only sitting in front of a text! It is because, while he is learning,
constantly strengthens his good intentions has no heavenly He sits before me in class, he looks at me and I speak to him. Is it he wants to implement what he is learning: he is eager and
judgments against him, because heaven judges him in possible that he hasn’t absorbed anything? I asked him if he had resolved to act. And that in itself is considered as though he has
accordance with his intentions. In addition, there is no need read my books. He told me that he had, but what does that have acted!
for heaven to send him suffering in order to arouse him. to do with his problems? He was able to repeat what I had written, Another crucial principle that we derive from Rabbi Tzadok’s
Therefore, his life is sweet. Thus, a person’s good intentions but he lacked awareness. Awareness is connection. Awareness is