Q&A: Repentance for Bad Character Traits
Repentance for Bad Character Traits
Question
Hello Rabbi,
Maimonides wrote in the Laws of Repentance: “Do not say that repentance applies only to sins that involve an action, such as sexual immorality, robbery, and theft. Just as a person must repent of these, so too he must examine the bad traits he has and repent of them: from anger, from hostility, from jealousy, from competitiveness, from mockery, from the pursuit of money and honor, and from the pursuit of foods, and the like—from all of them one must return in repentance. And these sins are harder than those that involve action, because when a person is immersed in these, it is hard for him to separate from them. And so it says: ‘Let the wicked forsake his way, and the man of iniquity his thoughts’ (Isaiah 55:7).”
All my life I have wondered about these words of Maimonides. Seemingly, the implication of his words is that the very existence of a bad trait is itself a transgression; to be someone with an angry or lazy disposition is problematic.
In my understanding, that is not so. A bad trait is only a “preparation for transgression”—someone who has bad traits is more likely to sin, but the bad trait itself is not a transgression. The Torah does not mention that it is forbidden to have bad character traits.
What do you think?
Answer
Let me begin by saying that I do not understand what is so puzzling here about Maimonides. At most, you think differently. Fine—and he thinks differently from you.
I have written here more than once that in my opinion there is intrinsic value in refining one’s character traits, and it is not merely a means to good deeds. This also resolves a difficulty about Rabbi Chaim Vital’s question, where he asked why the Torah does not command the refinement of character traits. And I have always wondered about that question, because the Torah does in fact command it: to cleave to His traits. This is a commandment counted by Maimonides and other enumerators of the commandments. According to my approach, this is resolved, because Rabbi Chaim Vital asked about refining character traits, whereas the commandment is about refining actions (the Holy One’s “traits” are not something clearly definable. The point is to imitate His conduct, as the Sages indeed expound: just as He is compassionate, so you too should be compassionate…).
Discussion on Answer
Thank you very much. I’ll phrase the question differently (maybe you answered me, but I didn’t understand):
According to Maimonides, someone who has the trait of anger must repent for it, even if it did not lead him to an act of transgression.
1. From where did Maimonides derive this? Where were we commanded about this?
2. One more thing—what is the logic of this? Why would the Holy One, blessed be He, care if I get angry but do not commit any transgression as a result?
“Cleave to His traits” plainly refers to practical behavior, not to the trait itself (just as with the Holy One, blessed be He, we know only the external expression of the trait).
That is exactly what I wrote: the commandment of cleaving to His traits applies only to practical behavior. But beyond that, good character traits have value, and that is a matter of reason. Just as ethics / morality is a matter of reason, one can say that just as the Holy One, blessed be He, cares about ethics / morality, He also cares about character traits. This reasoning can also be learned from the verses, such as “Now the man Moses was very humble,” and the like. As I said, I am not sure that this is what Maimonides means.
I would add that from Maimonides’ words here, there is no necessity to interpret this as referring to traits independent of actions. It may be that he means that when a person’s traits are not refined, then the actions that stem from them are harder to correct.