Said Correctly, Meant Not at All |
The Ramchal opens the Mesillas Yesharim with a demand most sefarim skip. Before he discusses a single practice, before mussar or middos or avodah, he insists on something else first:
“The foundation of piety and the root of perfect service is for a person to clarify and verify what his obligation is in this world, and toward what goal he should direct his vision and aspiration in all that he labors throughout his life.”
His point is not about what we do. It is about whether we know what we are doing it for. A person can be scrupulously frum and spiritually directionless. The observance is real. The orientation is missing. This failure is hard to see because it hides behind a life that looks fine.
The brachah is where this........