## Tzava'at HaRivash Chapter 76

###### Tzava'at HaRivash 76:1
[Tzava'at HaRivash 76:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tzava%27at%20HaRivash/r/76:1)

**מריב״ש: כי לא מחשבותי מחשבותיכם** ולא דרכיכם דרכי. פירוש כי כאשר האדם מפריד א"ע מהשי"ת מיד הוא עובד עבודה זרה ואין דבר ממוצע. וזה וסרתם ועבדתם.

**The Way of The Baal Shem Tov. Adapted into English by Rabbi Amiram Markel and Yehudah Shimon Markel, 2020:**
Rabbi Yisrael Baal Shem Tov taught: The verse states,¹²⁴ “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, and not your ways are My ways.” The explanation is as follows: The moment a person separates himself from *HaShem*, blessed is He, he immediately is worshiping idolatry. There is no middle ground in this, and this is the meaning of the verse,¹²⁵ “You turn aside, and serve other gods.”

footnotes:
¹²⁴ Isaiah 55:8
¹²⁵ Deuteronomy 11:16


###### Tzava'at HaRivash 76:2
[Tzava'at HaRivash 76:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tzava%27at%20HaRivash/r/76:2)

מכל מקום אמרה הגמרא ישב אדם ולא עבר עבירה חשוב כאילו עשה מצוה וזהו ולא דרכיכם דרכי:

**The Way of The Baal Shem Tov. Adapted into English by Rabbi Amiram Markel and Yehudah Shimon Markel, 2020:**
Nevertheless, the Talmud states,¹²⁶ “One who sits and does not commit a transgression is considered as if he fulfilled a commandment-*mitzvah*.” This is the meaning of, “and not your ways are My ways.”¹²⁷

footnotes:
¹²⁶ Talmud Bavli, Makkot 23b
¹²⁷ In other words, “If you desist and do not do your ways, I will consider it as if you did it My way.”