Proper Outlook on Life and Religious Cognizance

From Halachipedia

Involvement in the physical world

  1. Even within the permissible activities that could be pleasurable, a person shouldn’t intend to get benefit and pleasure physically from this world but rather in order to serve Hashem as it says “BeChol Darchecha DaEhu” – “In all your ways you shall know Him”. All man’s endeavors should be for the sake of heaven. [1]
  2. Even the permissible actions such as eating, drinking, walking, sitting, standing, relations, speech, and all of a person’s needs should be done for the service of Hashem or for something that causes a service of Hashem. [2]
  3. A man who is hungry and thirsty and eats and drinks for his benefit isn’t praised, however, one should think that one is eating and drinking according to one’s health in order to serve Hashem. [3]
  4. Some pious people used to say before they ate that they were eating in order to be health and strong to serve Hashem Yitbarach. [4]
  5. Similarly, one who sits amongst upright people, stands with Tzaddikim, or follows advice of the pure, if one does so for one’s pleasure and in order to fill one’s desires it’s not praiseworthy, however, one who does for the sake of Heaven is praised. [5]
  6. Similarly, regarding sleep, it’s needless to say that at a time when one could learn or do מצות that a person shouldn’t indulge in sleep for pleasure, but even at a time when one is tired and needs to sleep in order to rest from one’s exhaustion, if one does so for pleasure one is not praised, rather one should intend to sleep and rest to be healthy so that one’s mind isn’t unsettled and unable to study Torah because of one’s tiredness. [6]
  7. Similarly, relations mentioned in Torah, if done with intent is to fulfill one’s pleasure, that’s disgraceful, if one intends to have children to serve him and fill his place, that’s not praiseworthy, rather one should intend to have children that will serve Hashem or intend to fulfill the mitzvah just like repaying a debt. [7]
  8. Similarly in speech, even speech of wisdom one must have intent for the service of Hashem or something that leads to His service.
  9. The general rule is that a person is obligated to pay attention on his ways and to weigh his actions with the scales of intellect, and when one sees something that leads to the service of Hashem, do it, and if not, don’t do it. Someone who practices these guidelines serves Hashem all the time.[8]

Cognizance of the Creator

  1. One should think “שויתי ה' לנגדי תמיד” meaning, "Hashem is before me always" and it should remind us to act in the proper way (with fear of heaven) at all times and places (even in private). [9]

Fulfilling the 6 constant mitzvot

  1. There are six mitzvot which one is constantly obligated in fulfilling by thinking about them at all times: 1)Belief in Hashem, 2)Believing there is no other god 3)Hashem is one 4)Love of Hashem, 5)Fear of Hashem, and 6)Not straying after the sights of one's eyes (inappropriate sights) and the thoughts of one's heart (which contradict Torah values). [10] Some explain that this doesn't obligate us to actually think about fulfilling these mitzvot all the time but rather that whenever one does think about these mitzvot one fulfills a mitzvah or alternatively by acting in the proper way with a sense of fear of heaven and faith (as above) one fulfills these constant mitzvot. [11]

Believing everything is for the best

  1. A person should accustom oneself to say כל מה דעביד רחמנא לטב עביד “everything that Hashem does is good". [12]

Fulfilling mitzvot in public

  1. One should fulfill mitzvot and not be embarrassed even if there are scoffers and detractors watching. [13] Nonetheless one should not do so if this will cause a fight because the Middah of brazenness is a disgraceful quality to have. [14] This limitation only applies when performing mitzvot in front of scoffers, however, if one performing mitzvot before Apikorsim who seek to subvert a true Torah way of life and one tried to speak peacefully but was rejected, it's a mitzvah to perform to stand up for Torah even if it will lead to a fight. [15]
  2. If one is in the company of pious and righteous individuals one shouldn't be embarrassed to perform the mitzvot there but it's preferable to perform one's mitzvot privately. [16]
  3. If one is in the company of average individuals it's encouraged to perform the mitzvot publicly to teach others about these mitzvot. [17]

Sources

  1. ↑ S"A 231
  2. ↑ S"A 231
  3. ↑ S"A 231
  4. ↑ Mishna Brurah 231:5
  5. ↑ S"A 231
  6. ↑ S"A 231
  7. ↑ S"A 231
  8. ↑ S"A 231
  9. ↑ This is the Rama's (1:1) first comment on Shulchan Aruch.
  10. ↑ Beiur Halacha 1:1 s.v. Hu quoting from Sefer HaChinuch's introduction.
  11. ↑ Piskei Teshuvot 1:3
  12. ↑ S”A 230:5
  13. ↑ Rama 1:1
  14. ↑ Mishna Brurah 1:5 quoting the Bet Yosef
  15. ↑ Beiur Halacha 1:1 s.v. VeLo Yitbayesh. See also Piskei Teshuvot 1:4 who says that nowadays one may perform mitzvot and not be concerned for haughtiness in performing mitzvot (Yuhara) as long as one has pure intent.
  16. ↑ Mishna Brurah 1:6
  17. ↑ Mishna Brurah 1:6
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