The ways of life of the upright, chapter 2.

This is the explanation of the attribute of "Watchfulness." In the matter of "watchfulness" that the person will be very attentive to the nature of his works and with his affairs. As it is said, he will watch and observe his actions and if these ways are good or not. So that he will not forsake his soul to the danger of destruction, heaven forbid. and his feet will never go in the way of great darkness.

And behold , this says that this way of thinking will certainly bring him life. For there other people knowledge and intelligence to rescue them from that spirit of self- destruction of their Neshamah. How is it possible that he would desire the world over matters of his salvation?

And there is certainly a lower evil debauchery than this for you.. And his works are lower than that of the beasts and living things .They at least have a nature to safeguard themselves from danger, and they will flee away from anything they see that is harmful for them. And he goes blissfully on his way in this world without understanding if his way is good or evil. And behold, that he is like a blind man that walked along the edge of the river unaware danger that was near him.

Because there is an inability to safeguard himself, either because of natural blindness or because he desires to be blind. He explains the shutting of the eyes as a voluntary desire of that one. And behold, Jeremiah was complaining about the evildoing of the children of his generation because they were rejoicing in having this attribute. For they followed their actions blindly without examining their heart see the reason for them. For they had foresaken the work of examining their own heart , and it was said about them in Jeremiah 8. Jer 8:6. I have listened and heard. They speak untruth; no man relents of his evil, saying " What have I done?" They all follow their course like a horse racing headlong in war. They follow their desires as a horse that is horsewhipped into war. And he explains that they chase in the way of their desires and their habitual ways.

He doesn't leave a set time time for himself specifically to examine his works and his ways. And we find that he falls into evil without even perceiving that it exists. This explains an attribute (not) watchfulness, Indeed, this is in truth of of the tricks of the Yetzer Harah. And to cunningly increases the pace of his life for people until there will not remain for them time to examine themselves and to think about the ways they are going.

For we know that because of their vain pursuits , that influence of heaven in their heart does little to protect their ways. Certainly, if they started to examine their actions, they would repent their ways, and overpower them in themselves until they depart the sin completely. And this was the consideration of the matter of the counsel of the Evil Pharoah, as it is said in Shemot 5:9. That the glory of the service of the great men, etc. that was from Tikkun. Is that they will not dedicate for themselves rest, the rule is that except I force the heart or will force them to hear counsel opposite him.

The Yetzar Harah was making an effort to strip their heart from all the the understandings with powerful continuous service (to everything) except for me. So they could not stop and realize the counsel of the Yetzer Harah over the son of people.. For the man from the his wisdom and from the teaching about his craftiness. (This refers to Proverbs 1)

And there I will explain about the delivering of him from these with abundant MY wisdom and watching. That the prophet screamed as it says in Chaggai 1. You will set your heart upon your ways and be whole. He said in the wisdom of mishlei 6. Mishlei 6:4 Give not sleep to your eyes or slumber to your eyelids, (because the yetzer never sleeps) Mishlei 6:5 be rescued like a deer from the (hunter's) hand and a bird from the fowler. Like it is said by the sages of blessed memory in Moed Qatan 4, to see the salvation of the Holy One, blessed is He. And strips him,so that even if the person shall be terrified of Him, He did not choose to be in His Shadow, but the Holy One, Blessed is He, assisted him, For the yetzer harah will greatly fixed, And as it is said in Tehillun 37, Tehellum 37:32: The wicked one watches for the righteous and seeks to kill him. Tehillum 37:33:

But Hashem will not forsake him to his hand, nor let him be condemned when he is judged. But it is only if the person watches over himself, that the Holy One, Blessed is He, assists him, and then we are saved from the Yetzer Harah, But if he does not watch over himself, then certainly, the Holy One, Blessed is He, will not watch over him. For if he does not (watch for himself) , heaven forbid, who will have mercy on him? And this is seen in what is said by the Rabbis of blessed memory in Berachot 33. All who do not have knowledge of him, he turns from having mercy on him.

And this is why it is said in Avot 3 if we I am not for myself, who is for me?