תְּמִימוּת

The main acceptance of the yoke of the kingdom of Heaven is through casting away and nullifying all wisdoms, only to walk in simplicity and straightforwardness. For only the holy Torah is the true wisdom, and all other wisdoms are null before it (Sichot Haran 5, 308). Each person must cast away all wisdoms and serve G-d, blessed be He, with simplicity and integrity.

For his deeds must be greater than his wisdom, as it is not the exposition that is primary but the action. This applies not only to the wisdoms of ordinary people, which are truly foolishness and stupidity, which certainly must be completely cast away. But even genuine wisdoms, even for one who truly has a great mind, when he comes to any service, he must cast away all wisdoms and engage in the service of G-d, blessed be He, with simplicity and integrity. And he must even act and do things that appear as madness for the sake of serving G-d. For sometimes one must do things that seem like madness in order to fulfill His will, blessed be He. For one must roll in all kinds of muck and mire for the sake of serving G-d and His mitzvot, blessed be He, and not only for an actual mitzvah, but anything that contains the will of G-d, blessed be He, is called a mitzvah. And one must roll himself in all kinds of muck and mire to fulfill any will or satisfaction for G-d, blessed be He. And when his love for G-d, blessed be He, is so strong, then he is in the aspect of a dear and beloved son to G-d, blessed be He. And G-d, blessed be He, has compassion on him and allows him to search in the hidden and treasured storehouses of the King, until he merits that the understanding is revealed to him that it is good for the righteous and bad for the wicked, etc., and he merits the secrets of the Torah and to elevate the judgment that fell to the abyss and rectify it (Part II, 5, 15). When a person follows his intellect and wisdom, he can fall into many errors and stumbling blocks and come to great evils, G-d forbid, as many have already stumbled and fallen greatly due to their wisdom, and they sinned and caused the masses to sin, may the Merciful One save us.

And all this was due to their harmful wisdom. For the main aspect of Judaism is to walk in simplicity and straightforwardness without any wisdoms, and to ensure in everything he does that G-d, blessed be He, is there. And not to pay any attention to his own honor, but only if there is honor for G-d, blessed be He, he should do it, and if not, he should not. And then he will surely never stumble (12). It has already been explained that the main aspect of service is simplicity and straightforwardness without wisdoms. Also, one does not need to overly investigate his service or pursue excessive stringencies.

For all this is confusion and imaginations from the adversary to deter him from his service, and the Holy One, blessed be He, does not come with complaints against His creatures, etc., and as our sages, of blessed memory, said, “The Torah was not given to the ministering angels.” And all these wisdoms, that is, what one thinks excessively about his service [called “über trachtin”], they cause a person to fall from his service of G-d, blessed be He. And the greatest wisdom of all wisdoms is not to be wise at all, but to be simple and upright with complete straightforwardness (ibid., 44). Wisdoms greatly harm a person, and the wise are trapped by their own wisdom. And one must distance himself greatly from all kinds of wisdoms that some people have, who are wise in their own eyes, and it seems to them that they know great wisdoms in the service of G-d.

For all these wisdoms are great follies, as these wisdoms are not needed at all for the service of the Creator, blessed be He. For the main thing is only simplicity, straightforwardness, and complete faith in G-d, blessed be He, and in true tzaddikim. Although even in simplicity one must be careful not to be a fool, nevertheless, wisdoms are not needed at all. And one can come to great joy through simplicity and faith with complete straightforwardness (ibid.). This is the main wisdom: to understand that wisdom is far from him (Part II, 83). One must be careful to fulfill the simple services and holy customs of Israel, such as reciting hymns on Shabbat and after Shabbat, and the like. And it is very good for one who can recite many supplications and requests, such as the supplications found in large prayer books and the like.

And not like those who are wise in their own eyes who mock this. For in truth, the main aspect of Judaism is straightforwardness and simplicity without any wisdoms at all (Sichot Haran 425). Be strong, be strong, and let us be strengthenedBlessed is He who gives strength to the weary and increases might to those without powerCompleted and finished, praise to G-d, Creator of the world.