## Tzava'at HaRivash Chapter 131

###### Tzava'at HaRivash 131:1
[Tzava'at HaRivash 131:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tzava%27at%20HaRivash/r/131:1)

**"כל ימי עני רעים"** על פי מה שאמרו רז"ל אין עני אלא מן הדעת כך פירושו. כל ימי עני שהוא בדעת רעים ר"ל שאין תפלתו ולמודו נחשבת כלל לפניו ית' כי בוודאי הם בלא דחילא ורחימא ולא פרחת לעילא.

**The Way of The Baal Shem Tov. Adapted into English by Rabbi Amiram Markel and Yehudah Shimon Markel, 2020:**
It states in Proverbs,²¹⁵ “All the days of the poor are bad.” This may be understood in accordance with what our sages, of blessed memory, stated,²¹⁶ “There is no one poorer than a person who lacks knowledge of *HaShem*-*Da’at*.”²¹⁷. We may therefore understand the verse in Proverbs to mean, “All the days of a person who is poor in the knowledge of *HaShem*-*Da’at* are bad.” That is, *HaShem,*blessed is He, takes no notice of his prayer and Torah study, for certainly they lack love of *HaShem* and fear of *HaShem*, and thus do not ascend to *HaShem* above.²¹⁸

footnotes:
²¹⁵ Proverbs 15:15
²¹⁶ Talmud Bavli, Nedarim 41a
²¹⁷ Which as previously mentioned in section 98 is a term of adhesion and bonding, Dveikut
²¹⁸ Tikkunei Zohar 10:25b


###### Tzava'at HaRivash 131:2
[Tzava'at HaRivash 131:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tzava%27at%20HaRivash/r/131:2)

ופריך והא איכא שבתות וימים טובים רצה לומר שבוודאי בימים הללו בא לכל אדם התעוררת מלמעלה ובוודאי מתפלל בכוונה בהם. ותירץ שנוי ווסת רצונו לומר אף שמתפלל עתה בכוונה ורואה את עצמו מתפלל בכוונה ומחמת זה באה לו גיאות וגדלות בלבו ורואה את עצמו שעלה עתה במדרגה עליונה לכן אף עתה הם רעים לפי ששינוי ווסת היא תחילת חולה מעיים רצונו לומר שאין היצר הרע מתגרה אלא מתוך אכילה ושתי' ומחמת זה באה לו הגאוה וד"ל:

**The Way of The Baal Shem Tov. Adapted into English by Rabbi Amiram Markel and Yehudah Shimon Markel, 2020:**
The Talmud, however, questions this, stating,²¹⁹ “But aren’t there days such as Shabbat and Holidays, when even the poor eat well?” That is, certainly on those days every person is roused from Above and surely prays with greater devotion. However, the Talmud responds, “A change in one’s eating habits is the start of intestinal disease.” In other words, even though on such days he prays with greater devotion, he is aware of his greater devotion, which brings him to pride and self-aggrandizement. This is because he perceives himself as having now ascended to a high supernal level. Therefore, even now, “his days are bad,” since, “a change in one’s eating habits is the start of intestinal disease.” In other words,²²⁰ “The evil inclination only incites on account of eating and drinking,” and it is through this that he comes to be prideful. This will suffice for the understanding.

footnotes:
²¹⁹ Talmud Bavli, Ketubot 110b
²²⁰ Zohar Vol. 1, 110a