Sichot HaRan Chapter 103
Can copy this into an AI, or connect the whole library to your assistant. For deeper learning, you can directly use the original seforim, sites, and apps.
טוֹב יוֹתֵר לִהְיוֹת פֶּתִי יַאֲמִין לְכָל דָּבָר, דְּהַיְנוּ לְהַאֲמִין אֲפִלּוּ בִּשְׁטוּתִים וּשְׁקָרִים, כְּדֵי לְהַאֲמִין גַּם בְּהָאֱמֶת. מִלִּהְיוֹת חָכָם וְלִכְפֹּר בַּכֹּל ח"ו.
It is better to be “a fool believing everything” (Proverbs 14:15) – even that which is foolish or false – and end up believing the truth, than to be smart and skeptical of everything, God forbid. It is good to be such a fool.
דְּהַיְנוּ לִכְפֹּר בִּשְׁטוּתִים וּשְׁקָרִים, וְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה נַעֲשֶׂה הַכֹּל לֵיצָנוּת אֶצְלוֹ וְכוֹפֵר גַּם בְּהָאֱמֶת ח"ו.
One can begin by ridiculing foolishness and falsehood,but eventually, ridiculing everything and end up denying even the truth.
"וּמוּטָב שֶׁאֶקָּרֵא שׁוֹטֶה כָּל יָמַי וְאַל אֶהְיֶה רָשָׁע שָׁעָה אַחַת לִפְנֵי הַמָּקוֹם" (עֵדֻיּוֹת ה).
As one of our greatest sages once said, “It is better that I be called a fool all my life and not be wicked for even one moment before God” (Eduyot 5:6).