Musar do Ezechiela 33:6

I say further, now that it has been explained that the soul effects its action in itself and on things beyond itself, and that just as it knows things other than itself, it knows its own self, and whatever it can do to others, whether to know others or to make known any knowledge to others, it can do it for itself, to know itself, and to cause itself to know additional knowledge. Behold, it would appear from our words that just as the intelligent person can teach others, he can teach himself and does not need someone else to teach him. But the soul sets a firm foundation and is in itself a foundation, and because man has within him the power of being able to warn himself, he is liable to receive punishment for the evil which he does and reward for the good. For he has the power to warn himself and does not require anyone else to warn him. Animals cannot warn others and they cannot warn themselves, and so is it with children and with those lacking in knowledge and with the deaf and the dumb. With them there can be no punishment, for they are not able to warn themselves, nor do they have a reward. For they cannot do righteous deeds by intention. But because there is in man the power to warn other souls, we must say that that is the power which guards him, and if the guardian blunders and the one guarded is lost or perishes, then the guardian must be punished. Similarly, if the rational soul blunders and he does not guard himself and perishes, we say that he perishes through his own sin. And he, therefore, receives the additional punishment of not having guarded himself. This makes clear what is said (Ezekiel 33:6), “But if the watchman see the sword come and blow not the horn and the people be not warned, and the sword do come and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand.” Since the soul is both the guardian and the guarded, if it perishes, it perishes by its own sin, and, moreover, because it is also the guardian of other souls, it will be punished, and this is an important explanation of reward and punishment in the world to come. Know that the quality of being guarded cannot belong to those who are lacking in intelligence. For the Creator joins only with rational men, as it is said (Amos 3:2), “You only have I known of all the families of the earth.” Therefore, since the Creator does join in the companionship of rational men and brings them near to himself, he punishes them but does not punish the wicked ones who are far away from him. It is said (Leviticus 10:3), “Through them that are nigh unto Me I will be sanctified.”