Alright, buckle up! We're diving into Chapter 6 of Rambam’s "Eight Chapters," where he’s about to drop some serious wisdom about self-control, righteousness, and—get this—the difference between the good guy who secretly wants to be bad but holds back, and the guy who’s genuinely good down to his core. Let’s break it down, millennial-style, with a sprinkle of humor to keep things light.
So, here’s the deal. Rambam kicks things off by comparing two types of people: the one who fights their inner demons daily (picture someone eyeing that last donut at work but resisting), and the one who doesn’t even break a sweat because they’re just naturally inclined to do good. According to the philosophers Rambam talks about, the second guy—the naturally righteous one—is the real MVP. Why? Because he doesn’t even want to do bad things. His desires are totally in line with his actions. He’s the kind of person who doesn’t just skip the donut; he genuinely doesn’t even crave it.
On the flip side, our friend who battles his bad desires but still does the right thing? He’s admirable too, but in a “good job, buddy, keep trying” kind of way. According to Rambam, the struggle is real, and while this guy might win a few rounds, he’s still in the ring fighting, which means he’s not as perfectly virtuous as the naturally righteous person. Think of it like this: if you have to talk yourself out of doing something bad every time, sure, you’re showing strength, but wouldn’t it be better if you didn’t have those temptations in the first place?
Rambam doesn’t leave us hanging with just the philosophers' viewpoint. He pulls Solomon into the chat, citing verses from Proverbs. Solomon backs up the idea that true joy comes from doing the right thing naturally, while those who are wicked, or at least struggling with wicked desires, find doing good to be a real drag. Basically, Solomon is saying, "If you’re not loving doing the right thing, something’s off."
But then Rambam throws us a curveball. According to the Rabbis, it turns out that the guy who *does* struggle and still chooses the right path might actually be more praiseworthy. What? Why? Because the struggle itself is proof that he’s fighting for something important. And let’s be real: nothing worth having comes easy, right? The Rabbis even go so far as to say that the bigger your struggle, the bigger your reward. It’s like life’s version of “no pain, no gain.” If you’re sweating through the effort of being good, then when you finally get it right, it’s a huge deal.
Now, you might be thinking, “Wait a second, isn’t there a contradiction here?” On the one hand, the philosophers and Solomon are saying that being naturally good is the ideal, and on the other hand, the Rabbis are giving props to the guy who has to struggle against his bad instincts. Rambam is here to tell us: no contradiction, folks. Both perspectives are true, just in different contexts.
See, when the philosophers talk about "evil," they’re referring to stuff that everyone agrees is bad—murder, theft, lying, etc. If you’re tempted by these things, then yeah, that’s a problem, and it shows that your soul isn’t where it should be. The truly virtuous person isn’t even tempted by this stuff because their soul is in perfect alignment with what’s right.
But when the Rabbis talk about the struggle being worthy of praise, they’re talking about things that are only “bad” because the Torah says so—like not mixing meat and milk, or avoiding certain types of fabric. These are things that, if it weren’t for the Torah, you might not even consider wrong at all. So, if you’re tempted by them but choose to follow the rules anyway, that’s a sign of strong commitment to the Torah. And that’s something worth celebrating.
So what’s the big lesson here? Well, it’s all about understanding what true virtue is and where your struggles lie. If you find yourself constantly battling against doing something you know is wrong, that’s a sign you’re still working on refining your soul. And that’s okay—Rambam isn’t here to judge (well, maybe a little). He’s here to guide. The key is to keep pushing yourself towards that higher state where doing the right thing becomes second nature, not just a constant battle.
But if your struggle is more about sticking to the Torah’s rules when they don’t seem to make sense in the natural world (like dietary laws), then that’s a different kind of challenge. And according to the Rabbis, conquering that challenge is something to be proud of because it shows your dedication to HaShem and His commandments.
In the end, whether you’re naturally inclined to good or you have to fight for it every day, the important thing is the direction you’re heading. Keep aiming for that alignment where your actions, desires, and thoughts all work together in harmony. Because when you get there, not only will you be on a higher plane of virtue, but you might just find that life gets a whole lot easier—and a whole lot more joyful too.
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