Kutipan untuk Ulangan 16:18

Judges [shoftim] and Officers etc - we explain this through what is written in the Gemarah "the righteous are ruled [shoftan] by their inclination to good etc." (Berakhot 61b). The explanation is that the way of the righteous is that they have (internally) a rebuker that rebukes them on every action they take, it rebukes them on their faces and shows them that even in their good deeds how they are lacking, and how they did not do them appropriately (lit. according to the halakha) so as to do them for the sake of the Creator Praised Be, and this is "the impulse to do good rules them". This is not what happens to the evil ones, to whom all is upside down, since all their deeds are good in their eyes, and even the evil deeds they do the impulse to do evil shows them that they did a good thing, and this is "the impulse to do evil rules them." "Middling people are ruled by both", as the tanna says "like us, middling". That is, a person needs to strengthen oneself with these two ways, to always dispute internally regarding one's deeds, seeing oneself all the time as lacking in one's work (avodah, also worship) to the Holy One, and that one has not fulfilled one's obligation. As a person does one of the mitzvot of God, one needs to understand and comprehend very well that one did not do it with all the requirements regarding clearness (lucidity) and merit as fitting for Hashem The Praised, and then one will see oneself as humble and despised in one's eyes, and yet one should not, God forbid, hold oneself to be evil, because in that case one won't be able to have heart to do a mitzvah or [study] Torah or pray, and what would this be? A kosher and direct happening? [Of course not] One [in that case] despairs and says that one is not capable to do this. We find that a person needs to strengthen these two levels (intenally) together so they will be perfect within oneself, as the rabbis of blessed memory say "with all your hearts - with your two inclinations", and this is "like us, middling" and "middlings are ruled by both."

And one whose heart is presumptuous in giving a judicial decision, is foolish, wicked and arrogant (Avot 4:7). And one could understand this as it the verse 'You shall appoint judges and officers for your tribes.' And there are seven gates to the soul. And a person needs to judge themselves, such as the eyes should be turned to see only what is appropriate to be seen; and the ears should only listen to words of Torah and mitzvot, and the mouth should only speak words of Torah and prayer. And an individual is [also] called 'city', as it is written in Kohelet "a small city with a few men in it" (Ecclesiastes 9:14-15), and so one needs to judge and direct oneself towards the good path that they should take, particularly in the times of the counting of the Omer, and even more in the sixth week, when one has to fix the aspect of Yesod, which is symbolized by the verse "Yours, Ad-nai, are greatness, might, splendor, triumph, and majesty—yes, all that is in heaven and on earth; to You, Ad-nai, belong kingship and preeminence above all." (I Chronicles 29:11). And its targum [explanation, Zohar Bereshit 35:339] is "only One in heaven and earth", since Yesod hints that the Holy One of Blessing is the Yesod [basis] and the essence of all the worlds, and this is "only One in heaven and earth", and this is "And one whose heart is presumptuous in giving a judicial decision" is that they are presumptuous in thinking that they do not need to judge themselves, and that they think that do not impair themselves when they see inappropriate things, it is just seeing. And the truth is also found in the simple meaning: when one becomes arrogant and presumptuous, immediately a spirit of foolishness enters in one's heart.