אות - רמה

I watched his eating. And he intended not to insert the food he was eating into his mouth and palate, but he would insert it between his teeth and chew it there without the help of the palate. And one who eats like this barely feels any taste in his eating. And it is impossible to describe this matter in writing — but one who considers it will understand it for himself. And one who wishes to break the desire for eating in the ultimate manner so as not to receive any pleasure from his eating — through this advice one can easily merit to do so.

He said: Every person who has more honor and wealth — honor is more distant from him. For when someone has a little money he can hold the money close to his body. But when he has much money, his money is placed in a chest — it is found that the honor, which is the wealth, is more distant from him. And similarly when he has even more wealth, his money and merchandise lies in a shop, etc., even further from him. And when he has even more and more wealth, his wealth and fortune lie in other cities and towns — even further from him yet. And so too — the more honor and wealth one has, the more distant the honor is from him. And the emperors and kings whose honor is very great — their honor is furthest from them of all. For the king or emperor sits in his house and here the orchestra [kapelye] plays and sings for him in the evening as is customary. For in the affairs of this world — the more honor a person has, the more distant the honor is from him. But Torah and good deeds — the more one has, the closer they are to him.

He said: It would be good for a person to choose for himself some place and sit there day and night engaging in Torah and prayer and the service of Hashem. And when he needs to eat, he should run into some house and take there in haste some piece of bread and the like — to relieve his hunger — and afterward return to his service.

A certain man stood before him in a village — his name, etc. And he was a distinguished Kabbalist and scholar. But his way was to always be in anger at his workers and servants and the like, and he struck them and similar behavior. Rabbainu, o.b.m., answered and said: Why is it written (Bereishis 38:7): "And Er, the firstborn of Yehudah, was evil in the eyes of Hashem"? Why does it say evil [ra] and not wicked [rasha]? (And see in the holy Zohar (I, 57a) which notes this exact precision as well.) Only: one who commits the transgression of Er, Heaven forbid, is always evil — meaning he is always an evil and wrathful man [in German, "beyz"]. And Rabbainu, o.b.m., said no more.