Small tidbits and Sparks of wisdom

One of the pious once said: “Whoever does no more than his duty fails in his duty; but going beyond one’s duty is acceptable only after fulfilling one’s duty.”

Our sages taught that we are permitted—and even obligated—to go beyond what is required. As they said: “We add from the profane to the sacred” (Yoma 81b). They encouraged additional fasting, prayer, and almsgiving, and advised restraint from overindulgence in permitted yet superfluous pleasures. They warned against swearing in God’s Name even when telling the truth; against speaking too much even when speaking truthfully; against meddling in other people’s affairs even without ill intent; against praising someone excessively even when he deserves praise; and against scorning those who fall short in observance, even when they may deserve reproach. Such moderation, restraint, and humility reflect a heart trained toward serving God with purity rather than self-indulgence.

Learning What Is Evil to Guard the Good

It is now proper to illustrate this second kind of temptation—subtle spiritual deviation—with examples. For every form of good, there exists a counterforce that can corrupt or destroy it. The wise person must therefore be aware of the illnesses that afflict the soul, for he who knows only the good but not the dangers that undermine it will not retain any of it. Ignorance of evil leads one to fall victim to it. Thus, one of the pious taught his disciples: “First learn what is evil, in order to avoid it; then learn what is good and do it,” as Scripture says: ‘Plow up your unplowed field! Do not sow among the thorns!’ (Yirmeyahu 4:3).

Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai once said concerning fraudulent weights and measures: “Woe to me if I speak of them, and woe to me if I do not speak of them! If I speak of them, cheats might learn from my words; but if I remain silent, they will continue unchecked.” Later the question arose: Did he indeed speak of them or not? The answer given was: “He did speak of them,” as it is written, ‘For the ways of God are straight; the upright walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them’ (Hoshea 14:10, Bava Basra 89b). Truth must be spoken, though it may be misused by the corrupt; yet silence would be worse.

The Temptation of Spiritual Pride

If the evil inclination fails to sow doubt in a man’s heart, it will change its approach. It will argue, reasoning falsely, to discredit his convictions and weaken his faith. When one recognizes the falsity of such arguments, the inclination tempts him differently—it flatters his soul.

The evil impulse whispers: “I am so happy that you have reached such a state, that your faith is strong and your heart undivided toward God. You have attained a piety beyond any of your generation. Surely you have done enough for the Creator’s kindness and grace.”

Then it continues: “You should also conduct yourself well toward other people. Fulfill your obligations to them, for they can help or harm you. If they are pleased with you, you will rise in honor; but if they are displeased, you will fall into oblivion. Therefore, try to win their favor. As our Masters said: ‘Anyone in whom the spirit of his fellow creatures takes pleasure, the spirit of the Omnipresent takes pleasure’ (Avos 3:10).”

Answering the Yetzer Hara

Such reasoning sounds holy, but it is deceptive. The pious man answers: “What good will it do me to find favor with men as weak as I, who possess neither power to help nor to harm me? As Scripture says, ‘Forget about man whose breath is in his nostrils, for what account is he?’ (Yeshayahu 2:22). Even if such a debt to mankind existed, how could I possibly repay it, when I cannot even satisfy the expectations of my own household, much less all people?”

He continues: “As to the saying of our Sages, that one should win the favor of others so that the spirit of God may rest upon him—it does not mean to please everyone or to seek universal approval. It means rather to live in a way that pleases God, and thereby one will also find favor in the eyes of the righteous. As the wise man said to his son: ‘My son, it is impossible for you to win the favor of all people. Try, rather, to win God’s favor, and He will make you pleasing to people.’ For it is written: ‘When God is pleased with a man’s ways, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him’ (Mishlei 16:7).”

True Favor Comes From God

True piety therefore seeks not human applause but divine favor. Yet the world mistakes one for the other. When someone is praised by both the pious and the wicked, young and old alike, this is proof that God has given him grace in their eyes as a sign of His own pleasure. But when a pious person strives deliberately to gain human praise for his service of God, it betrays an impurity in motive and departs from the code of the truly devout.

Hence one must beware of this subtle temptation of the yetzer hara, which leads a man down the road of hypocrisy. When it praises him, let him answer: “You commend me for being aware of my obligations to God? On the contrary, your praise condemns me—for I know my duty and still fail to fulfill it. This is not a claim in my favor, but a charge against me.”

Even if one were to perform his duties perfectly, would that suffice as gratitude for the Creator’s countless favors? How could a man, whose life is fleeting, ever repay the infinite blessings bestowed upon him? Compared to the endless span of the universe, what are the few days of a human life? Not even all the years of eternity would be enough to recount the Creator’s beneficence. How much less, then, can any man repay even a fraction of what he owes?

The Humility of the Pious

Such awareness humbles the heart and guards it from pride. It teaches that spiritual excellence lies not in visible accomplishment but in sincere awareness of one’s debt to Heaven. The true servant of God does not measure himself by the applause of others, nor by his own sense of completion, but by the infinite distance that still remains between his deeds and the divine perfection he strives to imitate.

The sages’ warning—“Whoever does no more than his duty fails in his duty”—points to this very truth. Service of God is not a mechanical fulfillment of command, but a movement of the heart beyond mere obligation. To “add from the profane to the sacred” means to elevate the mundane aspects of life—speech, thought, and conduct—so that they too become acts of worship. Moderation in speech, humility in praise, restraint in pleasure, and compassion toward others are not optional refinements but necessary extensions of devotion. They are how the heart demonstrates its allegiance beyond what is written, reflecting love, not only fear.

The Balance Between Zeal and Humility

This teaching stands against the modern illusion that righteousness is satisfied by legality alone. The Torah Jew understands that the letter of the law is but the foundation; the house must be built higher. To fast beyond requirement, to give beyond calculation, to refrain even from permitted indulgence—these are the signs of a soul that has turned its will toward Heaven.

But the danger lies near. The yetzer hara, failing to lure one through indulgence, will attempt to corrupt him through piety itself—by feeding pride, vanity, or the desire for admiration. The righteous must recognize that every good deed has its shadow. Every mitzvah can be undone by ego. Therefore, vigilance and humility are greater than zeal and knowledge.

To walk in God’s ways is to balance obedience with self-suspicion, striving with surrender. When a person reaches that state, he neither exalts in his deeds nor despairs of his flaws. He sees himself as always indebted, always aspiring, and always aware that all perfection belongs to God alone.