אות - קג

It is better to be a simpleton who believes everything — that is, to believe even foolish things and falsehoods in order to also believe the truth — than to be a wise man who denies everything, Heaven forbid — that is, who denies foolishness and falsehoods, and through this everything becomes mockery to him, and he denies the truth as well, Heaven forbid. "And it is better that I be called a fool all my days and not be wicked for an hour" [Eduyos 5:6].

"If this scoundrel assaults you, drag him into the house of study" (Kiddushin 30b). For sometimes he [the Evil Inclination] prays from within the person, and then the person is like a synagogue and someone is praying within it. And similarly in study — sometimes the person is like a house of study and someone is studying within it. But even so, such study is better than such prayer — as is known. And this is the meaning of: "drag him into the house of study" — for the Evil Inclination that is mixed into prayer is not so easily removed through prayer, but through study it is easier to remove it, for study brings more clarity.

"And those who have strength in them to stand in the palace of the king" (Daniel 1:4) — for there is above the palace of the King. And below — the palace of the King is speech. For (230): "The palace — this is Adonai" — "Adonai, open my lips" (Psalms 51:17). And one needs to have strength to stand in the palace of the King — by the strength of the Tzadik etc. (That is — when the Tzadik contends against him and speaks against him, he should have the strength to stand.) And this is also related to the matter of truth — that when one stands in the palace of the King, that is, in speech — one must see to it that one's speech is true in every respect (231).

230. RAK: Tikkunei Zohar 18; Likutay Moharan 55.

231. RAK: See above 96.

Faith is in the aspect of light, as it is written (Psalms 89:3): "And Your faithfulness in the nights." And faith that is based upon wisdom — through the wisdoms of Torah, when one attains Hashem and through this one has faith — even though this is good, even so the primary faith is that one believe in Hashem Yisburach without sign and wonder and wisdom. And this is the primary complete faith — the aspect of light, as is written there: "And Your faithfulness in the nights" as mentioned above.

And there is a sage who is wise even in the wisdoms of Torah and yet has no faith in Hashem. And these sages who have no faith are called ba'alei ra'asan [those afflicted with a repellent skin disease]. For true wisdom — that is, with faith — is called "seeing" [reiyah], as it is written (Koheles 1:16): "And my heart saw wisdom" etc. And opposite to this — the sages who have no faith are called ba'alei ra'asan (232) — as Rashi explained: they have a creeping thing [sheretz] in their brain (233) — meaning they have impurity and heresy in their brain. And one must distance oneself from these people who are in the aspect of ba'alei ra'asan even from living near them — for even the breath of their mouth harms an upright person, causing him to fall into the desire of licentiousness.