The Duties of the Heart

by Bahya ben Joseph ibn Paquda, Bachya Ibn Pakuda

The Duties of the Heart (Chovos Halevovos) is Rabbi Bachya ibn Pakuda's classic theological work on the Jewish principles of faith and man's inner relationship to himself and to God.
By outlining and defining ten indispensable principles of faith and by guiding the reader toward devout adherence to these principles, Ibn Pakuda teaches each and every Jew the way to perfect his or herself and, in this way, to draw closer to God.
Bachya ibn Pakuda defines the following principles, expounds upon their significance, and reveals how to foster and practice the Wholehearted Acceptance of God's Oneness, Reflection, Service to God, Trust in God, Dedicating Our Actions, Surrender, Repentance, Introspection, Abstinence, and the Complete Love of God. Ibn Pakuda also warns the reader about what to avoid so as not to falter on the path to perfection.
The Duties of the Heart also provides the reader with a broad treatment of certain existential issues, including the nature of the soul, reward and punishment, Divine Providence, and free will. Ibn Pakuda offers proof of God's existence, addresses the Jew's place in the great multitudinousness of the universe, confronts power and subservience, explores the restoration of true health and vitality, and reveals the primal oscillation of the soul alternately toward and away from God.
Perhaps the most fundamental issue addressed in The Duties of the Heart is the nature of our inner selves and our inner relationship to God. Until the nineteenth century and the advent of modern psychology in the Western world, it was widely believed that all our motivations were conscious and rational. But the theory of an unconscious mind, only brought to the fore by Sigmund Freud and his contemporaries, was in fact the foundation for eleventh-century Ibn Pakuda's belief in the relationship between the soul of man and the World to Come.
Yaakov Feldman renders a lucid and contemporary translation of the classic eleventh-century work The Duties of the Heart, making it accessible for the first time to the modern reader who seeks to incorporate meaning, discipline, and spirituality into his or her way of life.
The reader may conclude, after studying Ibn Pakuda's work, that God's presence is within each and every Jew and, hence, even closer and more approachable to him or her than someone who is as emotionally and personally close as possible, yet remains a separate, physical entity. By delving into his or her inner self, the reader will discover God's presence in his or her life and enjoy the fruits of revelation and truth.

Genres: Judaism, Jewish, Religion, Philosophy, Judaica, Spirituality, Nonfiction

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1040

About the author

Bahya ben Joseph ibn Paquda (also: Pakuda, Bakuda) was a Jewish philosopher and rabbi who lived at Zaragoza, Spain, in the first half of the eleventh century. He is often referred to as Rabbeinu Bachya.

He was the author of the first Jewish system of ethics, written in Arabic in 1040 under the title Al Hidayah ila Faraid al-Qulub, Guide to the Duties of the Heart, and translated into Hebrew by Judah ibn Tibbon in the years 1161-80 under the title Chovot HaLevavot, The Duties of the Heart.

Little is known of his life except that he bore the title of dayan, judge at the rabbinical court. Bahya was thoroughly familiar with the Jewish rabbinic literature, as well as the philosophical and scientific Arabic, Greek and Roman literature, quoting frequently from the works of non-Jewish moral philosophers in his work.

Bahya says in the introduction to Duties of the Heart that he wished to fill a great need in Jewish literature; he felt that neither the rabbis of the Talmud nor subsequent rabbis adequately brought all the ethical teachings of Judaism into a coherent system.

Bahya felt that many Jews paid attention only to the outward observance of Jewish law, "the duties to be performed by the parts of the body" ("Hovot HaEvarim"), without regard to the inner ideas and sentiments that should be embodied in this way of life, "the duties of the heart" ("Hovot HaLev"). He also felt that many people disregarded all duties incumbent upon them, whether outward observances or inner moral obligations.

Reviews

[Lorelei]

I really liked this book, which is excerpts from a work by Rabbi Bachye translated into English. I wish I could read the whole thing and, I wish I could read it in Hebrew. It is very clear, it is logical, and I really appreciate the idea that in order to follow the laws of Gd, one must study the real world - in fact neglecting science, geography, mathematics and so on makes one prideful as well as foolish. I am very glad to have come across this little book.

[Ari]

Nearly a thousand pages, nearly 10 months of prayerful contemplation of this text. I took my time with it to really sit with it, to incorporate it. Taking the time the text deserved feels like a luxurious blessing, and the first thing I want to do now that I've finished is start over again. Bahya is one of my favorite teachers of all time. He's a medieval Islamic-influenced Jewish philosopher in the way that Maimonides is, but he's also a clear ascetic and mystic in ways pretty much no one else in his 'category' is. He won me over in the introduction, almost lost me in early gates, and then from the 5th gate on blew my mind. Stick with the text, it gets better. In fact, it gets really great.
The text is broken down into ten sections (called 'gates') through which Bahya teaches what we'd now categorize as mussar, kavvanot, liturgy, and more. A number of original parables and prayers originate in this work that have become known over time as well. This edition ends not with the end of the text, but with an addition of two of Bahya's lengthier prayers and an acrostic piyyut.

[Abby]

finished with best chavruta ever :)

[Rachel-Cassia]

Best book ever! A must have in every Jewish home and a gem to reference often. Especially the prayer poem at the end!

Puts things in perspective like no other.

Logical clear and to the point.

[Jim George]

An eleventh century esoteric search for some truth. A very simple 30 page translation/synopsis of an older Jewish/Spanish rabbi's work of the same title.

[Zechy]

Brilliant. Wish I could have read the whole thing.

[Reza]

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