The Trait of Cleanliness (Nekiyut)

Chapter 10: The Trait of Cleanliness (Nekiyut)

מִדַּת הַנְּקִיּוּת הִיא הֱיוֹת הָאָדָם נָקִי לְגַמְרֵי מִכָּל מִדָּה רָעָה וּמִכָּל חֵטְא. לֹא דַּי מִמָּה שֶׁהַחֵטְא בּוֹ מְפֻרְסָם וְגָלוּי, אֶלָּא גַּם כֵּן מִמָּה שֶׁהַלֵּב נִפְתֶּה בּוֹ לְהוֹרוֹת הֶתֵּר בַּדָּבָר, שֶׁכַּאֲשֶׁר נַחְקֹר עָלָיו בֶּאֱמֶת נִמְצָא שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה הַהֶתֵּר הַהוּא נִרְאֶה לוֹ, אֶלָּא מִפְּנֵי הֱיוֹת הַלֵּב עֲדַיִן נָגוּעַ קְצָת מִן הַתַּאֲוָה, כִּי לֹא טָהַר מִמֶּנָּה מִכֹּל וָכֹל, עַל כֵּן תִּמְשְׁכֵהוּ לְהָקֵל לוֹ.
The trait of Cleanliness is that a man be completely clean of all bad traits and all sins. [This applies] not only for sins which are familiar and recognized but also for those to which one's heart is enticed to rationalize that it is permissible; but when we truthfully examine the matter, we find that it appeared to the person justified only because his heart was afflicted by some desire and not entirely purified of it. Therefore, it pulled him to be lenient.
אַךְ הָאָדָם אֲשֶׁר טָהַר מִזֶּה הַנֶּגַע לְגַמְרֵי וְנָקִי מִכָּל רֹשֶׁם רַע שֶׁמַּשְׁאֶרֶת הַתַּאֲוָה אַחֲרֶיהָ, הִנֵּה רְאִיָּתוֹ תִּהְיֶה בְּרוּרָה לְגַמְרֵי וְהַבְחָנָתוֹ זַכָּה וְלֹא תַּטֵּהוּ הַחֶמְדָּה לְשׁוּם דָּבָר, אֶלָּא כָּל מָה שֶׁהוּא חֵטְא, אֲפִלּוּ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה קַל שֶׁבְּקַלֵּי הַחֲטָאִים, תַּכִּירֵהוּ שֶׁהוּא רַע וְתַרְחִיקֵהוּ מִמֶּנּוּ. וְכַלָּשׁוֹן הַזֶּה אָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים עַל הַשְּׁלָמִים הַמְטַהֲרִים מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם טָהֳרָה רַבָּה שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה בָּהֶם אֲפִלּוּ נִדְנוּד דָּבָר רַע (סנהדרין כג): נְקִיֵּי הַדַּעַת שֶׁבִּירוּשָׁלַיִם.
But the man who was completely purified from this affliction and has been cleansed of all trace of evil which lust leaves behind it, behold his vision will be perfectly clear and his discernment will be pure. He will not be swayed by any desire. He will recognize anything which is a sin. Even for the most minuscule, he will see its evil and will distance from it. On this our Sages referred regarding the men of Sheleimut (Wholeness) who purified their deeds to such a great extent as to leave not even a stirring of evil - "the clean minded men of Jerusalem" (Sanhedrin 23a).
וְהִנְּךָ רוֹאֶה עַתָּה הַהֶפְרֵשׁ שֶׁבֵּין הַזָּהִיר וְהַנָּקִי, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁקְּרוֹבִים הֵם זֶה לָזֶה בְּעִנְיָנָם, הַזָּהִיר הוּא הַנִּזְהָר בְּמַעֲשָׂיו וְרוֹאֶה שֶׁלֹּא יֶחֱטָא בְּמָה שֶׁכְּבָר נוֹדַע לוֹ וּמְפֻרְסָם אֵצֶל הַכֹּל הֱיוֹתוֹ חֵטְא.
You can now see the distinction between the Watchful and the Clean man. Even though both are similar in their matters, the Watchful is cautious in his deeds and sees to it that he does not sin in what he already knows and which is familiar to everyone that it is a sin.
אָמְנָם עֲדַיִן אֵינֶנּוּ אָדוֹן בְּעַצְמוֹ שֶׁלֹּא יִמָּשֵׁךְ לִבּוֹ מִן הַתַּאֲוָה הַטִּבְעִית, שֶׁלֹּא תַּטֵּהוּ לְהַרְאוֹת לוֹ הֶתֵּרִים בְּאֵיזֶה דְּבָרִים שֶׁאֵין רָעָתָם מְפֻרְסֶמֶת.
But he is still not master over himself to keep his heart from being pulled by natural lusts so that they do not sway him to rationalize that certain things are permitted regarding the things whose evil is not so well known.
וְזֶה, כִּי אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהוּא מִשְׁתַּדֵּל לִכְבֹּשׁ אֶת יִצְרוֹ וְלִכְפּוֹת אֶת תַּאֲווֹתָיו, לֹא מִפְּנֵי זֶה יְשַׁנֶּה אֶת טִבְעוֹ וְלֹא יוּכַל לְהָסִיר מִלִּבּוֹ הַתַּאֲוָה הַגּוּפָנִית, אֶלָּא שֶׁיִּכְבֹּשׁ אוֹתָהּ וְיֵלֵךְ אַחַר הַחָכְמָה וְלֹא אַחֲרֶיהָ, אַךְ עַל כָּל פָּנִים חֵשֶׁק הַחָמְרִיּוּת עוֹשֶׂה אֶת שֶׁלּוֹ לְהַסִּיתוֹ וּלְפַתּוֹתוֹ.
For even though he strives to conquer his evil inclination and to subdue his lusts, he will not change his nature because of this. He will not be able to remove bodily lust from his heart. He will at most be able to subdue it and be governed by wisdom instead of it. But nevertheless the darkness of the physical will inevitably do its work to entice and seduce him.
אָמְנָם, אַחַר שֶׁיִּתְרַגֵּל הָאָדָם הֶרְגֵּל גָּדוֹל בַּזְּהִירוּת הַזֶּה עַד שֶׁיִּנָּקֶה נִקָּיוֹן רִאשׁוֹן מִן הַחֲטָאִים הַמְפֻרְסָמִים, וְיַרְגִּיל עַצְמוֹ בָּעֲבוֹדָה וּבִזְרִיזוּתָהּ, וְתִגְבַּר בּוֹ הָאַהֲבָה אֶל בּוֹרְאוֹ וְהַחֶמְדָּה אֵלָיו, הִנֵּה כֹּחַ הַהֶרְגֵּל הַזֶּה יַרְחִיק אוֹתוֹ מֵעִנְיְנֵי הַחֹמֶר וְיַדְבִּיק דַּעְתּוֹ אֶל הַשְּׁלֵמוּת הַנַּפְשִׁיִּי עַד שֶׁסּוֹף סוֹף יוּכַל לְהַגִּיעַ אֶל הַנִּקָּיוֹן הַשָּׁלֵם, שֶׁכְּבָר יִכְבֶּה אֵשׁ הַתַּאֲוָה הַגּוּפָנִית מִלִּבּוֹ בְּהִתְגַּבֵּר בּוֹ הַחֶמְדָּה הָאֱלֹהִית, וְאָז תִּשָּׁאֵר רְאִיָּתוֹ זַכָּה וּבָרָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתַבְתִּי לְמַעְלָה, שֶׁלֹּא יְפֻתֶּה וְלֹא יַשִּׂיגֵהוּ חֵשֶׁק חָמְרִיּוּתוֹ, וְיִנָּקֶה בְּמַעֲשָׂיו מִכֹּל וָכֹל.
But after a man habituates himself to a great extent in Watchfulness till he has cleansed himself a first cleansing of the well known sins and has habituated himself in the service of G-d with Zeal, and love and yearning to his Creator has grown strong within him, behold the power of this habituation will distance him from physical matters and cling his intellect towards spiritual perfection, and eventually he will be able to attain perfect Cleanliness. The fire of bodily lust will extinguish from his heart due to the intensifying within him of the yearning to G-d. Then his sight will be clear and pure as I wrote earlier, so that he will not be seduced nor deceived by the darkness of the physical and his deeds will be completely clean.
וְהִנֵּה עַל מִדָּה זוֹ, הָיָה דָּוִד שָׂמֵחַ בְּעַצְמוֹ וְאוֹמֵר (תהלים כו): אֶרְחַץ בְּנִקָּיוֹן כַּפָּי וַאֲסֹבְבָה אֶת מִזְבַּחֲךָ ה'. כִּי בֶּאֱמֶת רַק מִי שֶׁיִּנָּקֶה לְגַמְרֵי מִכָּל נִדְנוּד חֵטְא וְעָוֹן, הוּא הָרָאוּי לִרְאוֹת אֶת פְּנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ ה'. כִּי זוּלַת זֶה, אֵין לוֹ אֶלָּא לֵבוֹשׁ וּלְהִכָּלֵם מִלְּפָנָיו, וּכְמַאֲמַר עֶזְרָא הַסּוֹפֵר (עזרא ט): אֱלֹהַי בֹּשְׁתִּי וְנִכְלַמְתִּי לְהָרִים אֱלֹהַי פָּנַי אֵלֶיךָ.
On possessing this trait David would rejoice saying: "I will wash my hands in Cleanliness and I will go around Your altar, O G-d" (Tehilim 26:6). For in truth, only he who is completely clean from any trace of sin or iniquity is fit to appear before the presence of the King, G-d. For without this, he has only to feel shame and disgrace before Him as Ezra the Scribe said: "O my G-d, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift up my face to You [for our iniquities have increased over our head...]" (Ezra 9:6).
וְהִנֵּה וַדַּאי כִּי מְלָאכָה רַבָּה הִיא לָאָדָם לְהַגִּיעַ אֶל שְׁלֵמוּת הַמִּדָּה הַזֹּאת, כִּי הָעֲבֵרוֹת הַנִּכָּרוֹת וִידוּעוֹת קַלּוֹת הֵם לְהִשָּׁמֵר מֵהֶם, כֵּיוָן שֶׁרָעָתָם גְּלוּיָה. אַךְ הַדִּקְדּוּק הַזֶּה הַמִּצְטָרֵךְ לַנְּקִיּוּת, הוּא הַקָּשֶׁה יוֹתֵר, כִּי הוֹרָאַת הַהֶתֵּר מְכַסָּה עַל הַחֵטְא, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתַבְתִּי. וְהוּא כְּעִנְיַן מָה שֶׁאָמְרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם בְּרָכָה (ע"ז יח): עֲבֵרוֹת שֶׁאָדָם דָּשׁ בַּעֲקֵבָיו, סוֹבְבוֹת אוֹתוֹ בִּשְׁעַת הַדִּין.
Certainly, it requires great work to attain Shelemut (perfection) in this trait. For the recognized and well known sins are easy to guard from for their evil is apparent. But the scrutiny which is necessary for Cleanliness is the most difficult. For the sin is concealed by rationalizations that it is permitted as I wrote and as the sages of blessed memory said: "the sins which a man treads with his heels surround him at the time of Judgment" (Avodah Zara 18a).
וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ זֶה אָמְרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (בבא בתרא קסה): רֻבָּם בְּגָזֵל, וּמִעוּטָם בַּעֲרָיוֹת, וְכֻלָּם בַּאֲבַק לָשׁוֹן הָרַע. כִּי מִפְּנֵי רֹב דַּקּוּתוֹ, כָּל בְּנֵי אָדָם נִכְשָׁלִים בּוֹ בְּמָה שֶׁאֵין מַכִּירִים אוֹתוֹ.
Along these lines they said (Bava Batra 165a): "the majority of people are guilty of [forms of] theft, a minority in immorality, but all are guilty of the dust of slander" (i.e. traces of slander). For due to its extremely fine details, all human beings stumble in what they fail to recognize of it.
וְאָמְרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (איכה רבתי טו): שֶׁדָּוִד הָיָה נִזְהָר וּמְנַקֶּה עַצְמוֹ נִקָּיוֹן גָּמוּר מִכָּל אֵלֶּה, וְעַל כֵּן הָיָה הוֹלֵךְ לַמִּלְחָמָה בְּבִטָּחוֹן חָזָק, וְהָיָה שׁוֹאֵל (תהלים יח): אֶרְדּוֹף אוֹיְבַי וְאַשִּׂיגֵם וְלֹא אָשׁוּב עַד כַּלּוֹתָם, מָה שֶׁלֹּא שָׁאֲלוּ יְהוֹשָׁפָט אָסָא וְחִזְקִיָּה לְפִי שֶׁלֹּא הָיוּ מְנֻקִּים כָּל כָּךְ.
The sages of blessed memory said David was watchful and cleansed himself completely from all these things. Therefore, he would engage in war with strong trust in G-d requesting "May I pursue my enemies and overtake them, not turning back till I have destroyed them" (Tehilim 18:38), something not asked by Yehoshafat, Asa, and Chizkiyahu since they had not attained such perfect cleanliness (see Midrash Eicha Raba peticha 30).
וְהוּא מָה שֶׁאָמַר הוּא עַצְמוֹ בְּתוֹךְ דְּבָרָיו (שם): יִגְמְלֵנִי ה' כְּצִדְקִי כְּבֹר יָדַי יָשִׁיב לִי. וְאָמַר עוֹד (שם): וַיָּשֶׁב ה' לִי כְצִדְקִי כְּבֹר יָדַי לְנֶגֶד עֵינָיו, וְהוּא הַבּוֹר וְהַנִּקָּיוֹן הַזֶּה שֶׁזָּכַרְנוּ. וְאָז חָזַר וְאָמַר (שם): כִּי בְךָ אָרוּץ גְּדוּד וְגוֹ', אֶרְדֹּף אוֹיְבַי וְאַשִּׂיגֵם. וְהוּא עַצְמוֹ אָמַר עוֹד (שם כד): מִי יַעֲלֶה בְהַר ה' וּמִי יָקוּם בִּמְקוֹם קָדְשׁוֹ נְקִי כַפַּיִם וּבַר לֵבָב.
This is what David himself said later in his words: "Reward me, O G-d, according to my righteousness, according to the purity of my hands repay me" (ibid 18:21) and "the L-rd has recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the purity of my hands before His eyes" (ibid 18:25). This refers to this purity and cleanliness which we have mentioned. He then further said: "For by You I run upon a troop... I have pursued my enemies and overtaken them" (Tehilim 18:30). And he himself further stated: "Who will ascend upon the mountain of G-d, who will stand in His Holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart." (Tehilim 24:3).
וְאָמְנָם וַדַּאי, שֶׁהַמִּדָּה הַזֹּאת קָשָׁה, כִּי טֶבַע הָאָדָם חַלָּשׁ וְלִבּוֹ נִפְתֶּה עַל נְקַלָּה, וּמַתִּיר לְעַצְמוֹ הַדְּבָרִים שֶׁיּוּכַל לִמְצֹא בָּהֶם כְּדֵי הַטְעָאָה. וּבְוַדַּאי שֶׁמִּי שֶׁהִגִּיעַ לְזֹאת הַמִּדָּה, כְּבָר הִגִּיעַ לְמַדְרֵגָה גְּדוֹלָה, כִּי בִּפְנֵי מִלְחָמָה חֲזָקָה עָמַד וְנִצַּח. וְנָבוֹא עַתָּה לְבָאֵר פְּרָטֵי הַמִּדָּה הַזֹּאת.
Certainly this trait is difficult to attain for man's nature is weak. His heart is easily seduced and he permits for himself things that allow for self-deception. Undoubtedly, one who has attained this trait has already reached a very high spiritual level. For he has stood in the midst of the raging battle and emerged victorious. We will now explain the details of this trait.
Previous ChapterNext Chapter