Duties of the Heart

Duties of the Heart is available from Amazon

written by

R. Bachya Ben Joseph ibn Pakuda (also known as Beḥay and Baḥie)

in Arabic and translated into Hebrew by 

R. Jehuda ibn Tibbon

Translated into English by Daniel Haberman

Feldheim Publishers, N.Y. 1999

ISBN 1-58330-432-0

For a complete description of the contents of

this book set, please go to the following article in the

Jewish Encyclopedia

During the few years that I have been researching texts
on the spirituality of the heart, I have wondered about
the possible existence of specific texts from the Jewish
tradition, on the purification of the heart and on the 
possibility of having communion with God, in the heart,
through prayer.

Is there textual evidence in the Jewish oral or written
tradition of a deeper spirituality, beyond the fulfillment
of the commandments in an outward manner?

Of course we know that the Scriptures of the Old Testament; the Law, the Prophets and the Writings, are full of this teaching. Particularly the Book of Psalms is a text that vividly portraits the need of having a change of heart, i.e., inner personal sanctification. It actually unveils the experience of King Prophet David and other psalmists, while going through this process, as described by our Orthodox saints, Fathers, monastics and ascetics.

All the stages of the spiritual life are there; the tragedy of  sin, faith, repentance, God's visitation, striving for purification and holiness, the need of inner wholeness, God's silence, man's weakness and restoration, the increase in the knowledge of God, awareness of God's Presence everywhere and filling all things; finally, the acquisition of love and the settling of the heart in the pursuit of God. (For a discussion in detail on the stages of the spiritual life as experienced by the Orthodox Faithful, monastics and ascetics please go here and here)

R. Bachya wrote his 'Duties of the Heart' in 1040 c.e. He was a dayyan, a judge at the rabbinical court. In his book he makes the observation that unfortunately the outward fulfillment of the law, is often not preceded by a holy disposition of  the heart. He writes,

"The wisdom of the Torah (the Pentateuch or the five books of Moses, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus and Deuteronomy) can be divided into two parts: knowledge of the 'duties of the limbs', i.e, wisdom that is manifested externally; and knowledge of the 'duties of the heart', duties which belong to the hidden, private realm of the heart; it is the wisdom of the inward life", p.7 

Bachya laments that he could not (among Jewish writings) "find a book devoted to the knowledge of the inward life" p.11. He writes, "This came as a shock to me, and I began

to wonder : Perhaps these duties are not obligatory"...

"But when I investigated the matter...from the point of view of reason, Scripture and tradition, I found them (the duties of the heart) to be the basis of all the commandments!

If they were to be undermined, there would be no point to any of the duties of the limbs." 

Bachya  writes, "Once I became convinced, based on what has been presented here, of the need for the duties of the heart and of the obligation that we have to fulfill them; after observing that they have been neglected...it was one of God's graces upon me that He moved me to investigate the knowledge of the inner life.". p.31 This is truly remarkable! Notice how aware he is of God's Grace acting in his heart.

I am so moved by the writer's warmth of heart, by his devotion to God and by his humble zeal and compassion. This text is a love letter, an encomium to each and every person seeking righteousness and holiness, in the spirit of meekness.

I find it striking that Bachya, writing in the 11th century; like St John Climacus, who writes the Ladder of Divine Ascent in the beginning of the 7th; traces a starkly similar path towards the learning of the 'duties of the heart', the progression in virtue. 

Bachya is a great observer of human behavior, like St John, and like him, notes many of the same 'gates' (steps, in the Ladder) such as; that there is One God, reflection on creation, service, trust in God, devotion, prayer, humility, fear of God, repentance and abstinence from selfish desire i.e. the right ordering of the powers of the soul, mainly the intellect, (and by his text, I believe he is referring to what we, in Greek, would call the nous), which should rule over base desires and anger.

Bachya encourages anyone who is trying to learn the duties of the heart by stating that "What he cannot realize in deed he should master in knowledge, express longing for, in his speech and yearn for, in his heart. (Duties of the Heart 8:2). p.III

The end of this journey is, as we know, love of God. Then the Word of the Lord will be fulfilled in us as He spoke to His Prophet Ezequiel, "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statues, and you will keep My judgments and do them." Ezequiel 36:26-27 NKJV

In the words of King David,**

"Ashrei temimei derech" ("Happy are those whose way is perfect")

"Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it
with my whole heart. Lead me in the path of your commandments,
for I delight in it. Turn my heart to your decrees, and not to selfish
gain. Turn my eyes from looking at vanities; give me life in your
ways. Psalm 119:1, 34-37**

Note
**"The Rabbis of the Talmud and Midrash, followed by Rashi and Radaq, maintain that Psalm 119 was composed by King David. This should come as no surprise, since there are other instances of "orphan psalms" that we know were penned by David (take, for example, Psalm 105, and the commentaries there)." Source