Machshavot HaLev - Yeshivat Lev HaTorah

176
Shelach
(Don’t) Follow Your Heart
Rav Michael Cytrin
T he Torah seemingly confronts us with contradictory advice. On the one hand,
the verse in our parsha exhorts us not to follow the whims and fancies of our heart:
“םכבבל ירחא ורותת אלו,“ “Do not go astray after the desires of your heart” (Bamidbar
15:39). The Torah provides a framework of laws and duties incumbent on each Jew.
We are not free to follow every whimsy, nor should we be seduced into following
every desire.
On the other hand, Shlomo HaMelech tells us: “Rejoice young man in your youth; go
after the ways of your heart” (Kohelet 11:9). Seemingly, Shlomo is telling us the very
opposite—follow your heart!
Rebbe Yishmael notes this contradiction in the Sifri (Shelach 115):
רוחב חמש רמוא אוהש יפל רמאנ המל םכיניע ירחאו םכבבל ירחא ורותת אלו רמוא לאעמשי ’ר
.םכבבל ירחא ורותת אלו ל”ת הצרתש ךרדב וא הרשי ךרדב )ט אי תלהק( ךבל יכרדב ךלהו ךתודליב
Based upon the pasuk in Kohelet, one may think that it is permissible (or even
commendable) to follow one’s heart and do as he pleases. Therefore the Torah needs to
teach us the verse from our parsha—“Do not go astray after the desires of your heart.”
If so, what is Shlomo teaching us when he advises us to “go after your heart”?
The Netziv answers: “The verse “v’halech b’darchei libecha” teaches us that not every
person’s avodat Hashem is equal. One engages in intensive Torah study all day,