אות - קטו

One was speaking with him and was praising a certain man who conducts himself with uprightness, and said about him in German that this man is "Ehrlich" [upright, honest]. He answered him o.b.m. and said: about a Jewish person the word "Ehrlich" does not apply. For the nations of the world have norms of conduct that reason and uprightness require — and this is called "Ehrlich." But Israel is a holy nation. Even those commandments that are from the aspect of proper conduct — that uprightness and reason require — even those commandments are not performed because of proper conduct from the obligation of reason and uprightness, but from the decree of the King, the Creator blessed be His Name, who commanded us in His Torah to do thus. And this is what King David peace be upon him said (Psalms 119:32): "The path of Your commandments I will run." That is — even the commandments and conduct called "path" — meaning those that are from proper conduct, that from the aspect of proper conduct one is obligated to conduct oneself thus, such as not robbing one's fellow and the like — King David said: even those commandments that are the aspect of "path" as mentioned, even so — "Your commandments I will run" — for he does not fulfill them, Heaven forbid, from the aspect of social norms and proper conduct, but rather "Your commandments I will run" — he runs to fulfill Your commandments that You decreed upon us in the Torah. And therefore our Sages o.b.m. said (Yevamos 61a): "Israel are called Adam and the nations are not called Adam." For the word Adam [Alef-Daled-Mem] is an acronym for the initial letters of "Derech Mitzvosecha Arutz" — "I will run the path of Your commandments" — for Israel, as a holy nation, even the commandments that are from the side of reason and proper conduct, they also do not fulfill from the side of uprightness but rather from the commandments of the holy Torah as mentioned. And therefore they are called Adam — the aspect of "Derech Mitzvosecha Arutz" etc. as mentioned (240). [This section continues from what was gathered and compiled of the holy discourses of Moharnet that were still in manuscripts.] 240. RAK: "Sichos HaRan" was first printed up to this discourse, together with the Tales, in the year 5576 in Ostraha. In the second edition the book was printed in its entirety.