Follow The Path of Your Heart

Follow The Path of Your Heart

BackBack to Main Page

By: Rav Zechariah Tubi, Rosh Kollel Rabbanut

Parshat Shelach opens with the story of the spies and ends with the mitzvah of tzitzit, with one word connecting between the two. Regarding the spies it says: "They returned from exploring the land" (Bamidbar 13:25), and regarding tzitzit it says: "Do not explore after your heart." (Bamidbar 15:39) What does it mean, "Do not explore?" The Midrash teaches:

R. Yishmael says: "Do not explore after your heart," why was this written? Since it says: "Rejoice young man, in your childhood ... [and follow the path of your heart]" (Kohelet 11:9) – a straight path or the path of your choice? Therefore, it says: "Do not explore after your heart." (Sifrei)

This passage is astounding:

1. What is the question: Why does it say, "Do not explore after your heart?" Clearly, it is a commandment not to explore after the heart and the eyes, which can lead to sin!

2. What is the answer of the Midrash that it teaches that the pasuk, "Follow the path of your heart," does not mean to follow the path of your choice? Is it possible that the Torah would allow a person to follow any path that he wants? After all, there are 613 commandments in the Torah that a person has to abide by, so how could one even think that he should follow the path of his choice and end up sinning, Heaven forbid?!

The Netziv in Ha'amek Davar explains beautifully: "Do not explore" has the same meaning as "exploring the land," which refers to searching for something new. It would have been much simpler to write: "Do not follow after your heart," so why does it say, "Do not explore?" The Sifrei therefore explains that the intent here is not to exclude following a sinful path. Instead, the pasuk is referring to a person who is searching for a path in serving Hashem. Regarding this Kohelet writes: "Follow the path of your heart" – a person's path in serving Hashem should be according to the direction that his heart pulls him.

We find this in Masechet Shabbat (118b), where the Gemara asks: "In what was your father particularly observant?" One was careful about Shabbat observance, and another about tzitzit. Not everyone serves Hashem in the same way. One person studies Torah all day, while another performs charitable deeds – and both have pure intentions. Therefore, Kohelet says: "Follow the path of your heart" – choose your own path in the way you serve Hashem according to the direction that your heart pulls you.

Thus, we understand the Sifrei's dilemma: "A straight path or the path of your choice?" The intention here is not, Heaven forbid, to a completely sinful path, but rather, "the path of your choice" refers to a path in Hashem's service that does not come from the 613 mitzvot. Regarding this it says: "Do not explore after your heart," from the same root of, "from exploring the land." This means: Do not search for commandments that are not included in the 613 commandments of the Torah even if your intent is pure, because any path that does not appear in the 613 commandments – even though it comes from pure intentions – is forbidden.

Therefore, the passage concludes: "I am Hashem, your G-d, who has taken you out from the land of Egypt." (Bamidbar 15:41) This means that in the land of Egypt there still wasn't a Torah, and everyone would worship Hashem any way they chose. However, after the Torah was given and Am Yisrael received the 613 commandments – you must follow the Torah and the mitzvot, and not search after new mitzvot that are not written in the Torah.

With this we can understand why the mitzvah of tzitzit was written next to the story of the wood gatherer. Chazal say that he was gathering wood for the sake of Heaven, and he was sinning with a noble intent. (See Targum Yonatan and Tosfot B.K. 119b s.v. afilu) This was his mistake, though. He was looking for a new way to serve Hashem, and this is not a valid means of worship.

This is the meaning of the Mishna in Avot: "Rebbe says: What is the proper path that a person should choose for himself? Whatever is a glory to the one who does it and is a glory for the man." (Avot 2:1) According to the Netziv's commentary, "What is a proper path that a person should choose" refers to the path in worshipping Hashem that the person designates for himself, because not everyone worships Hashem in the same way – "Follow the path of your heart." A person who comes to choose a path should choose one "that is a glory to the one who does it," to one who follows the path of the Torah and mitzvot, and not new mitzvot that are not written in the Torah. It also should be "a glory for the man" – according to the way a man's heart pulls, whether to Torah or to charitable deeds. Through this a person will end up serving Hashem with personal satisfaction and a complete spiritual uplifting.

Shiur ID: 3799

Scan to load the shiur on the KBY website:

 

 

Do you have a comment or question on the shiur?
Comment below and we'll join the discussion

Add your comments:




Rav Zechariah Tubi, Rosh Kollel Rabbanut
Rav Zechariah Tubi, Rosh Kollel Rabbanut
ע
Rav Zechariah Tubi, Rosh Kollel Rabbanut
Rav Zechariah Tubi, Rosh Kollel Rabbanut
ע
Rav Zechariah Tubi, Rosh Kollel Rabbanut
Rav Zechariah Tubi, Rosh Kollel Rabbanut
ע
Rav Zechariah Tubi, Rosh Kollel Rabbanut
Rav Zechariah Tubi, Rosh Kollel Rabbanut
ע
Rav Zechariah Tubi, Rosh Kollel Rabbanut
Rav Zechariah Tubi, Rosh Kollel Rabbanut
ע
Rav Zechariah Tubi, Rosh Kollel Rabbanut
Rav Zechariah Tubi, Rosh Kollel Rabbanut
ע
Rav Zechariah Tubi, Rosh Kollel Rabbanut
Rav Zechariah Tubi, Rosh Kollel Rabbanut
ע
Rav Zechariah Tubi, Rosh Kollel Rabbanut
Rav Zechariah Tubi, Rosh Kollel Rabbanut
ע
Rav Aharon Friedman <br> Rosh HaYeshiva
Rav Aharon Friedman
Rosh HaYeshiva
E
Rav Mordechai Greenberg <br> Nasi Hayeshiva
Rav Mordechai Greenberg
Nasi Hayeshiva
ע
Rav Netanel Berkovitz
Rav Netanel Berkovitz
ע
Rav Mordechai Greenberg <br> Nasi Hayeshiva
Rav Mordechai Greenberg
Nasi Hayeshiva
ע