Chovot HaLevavot facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Chovot HaLevavot (meaning Duties of the Hearts) is a very important book for Jewish people. It was written by a wise rabbi named Bahya ibn Paquda. He lived in Zaragoza, Spain, around the year 1080.

The book was first written in Judeo-Arabic, which is Arabic written with Hebrew letters. Its original title meant Book of Direction to the Duties of the Heart. Later, it was translated into Hebrew by Judah ben Saul ibn Tibbon between 1161 and 1180.

What the Book is About

The Duties of the Heart is split into ten main parts, called "gates." Each gate talks about a different important idea for a person's spiritual life. Rabbi Bahya used many ideas from the Bible and other Jewish teachings like the Talmud in his book.

Understanding God

The most important idea in the book is knowing that God is the one and only Creator of everything. The first section, called "Gate of the Divine Unity," explains this. It starts with the famous Jewish prayer, "Hear, O Israel: the Lord is our God, the Lord is One."

Bahya teaches that it's not enough to just believe in God without thinking, like a child does, or just because your parents told you to. He says we should use our minds to understand God. The Torah (Jewish law) actually encourages us to use our reason and knowledge to find proof of God's existence. So, it's our job to think deeply about God to truly believe.

Bahya explains that nothing can create itself. Everything that exists must have a cause, and these causes eventually lead back to one first cause: God. God has always existed and will always exist.

He also says that the world is like a beautifully organized house. The sky is the ceiling, the earth is the floor, and the stars are the lamps. Humans are like the owners, and animals, plants, and minerals are there for us to use. Everything in the universe, from the smallest ant to the biggest elephant, shows amazing design and wisdom. This proves there must be one wise Creator.

God is One

Bahya gives several reasons why God must be one:

Everything in the world connects back to one main cause.
The harmony and order in nature, and the amazing design of all living things, point to one great designer.
There's no reason to think there's more than one creator, because the world shows only one plan and order everywhere.
If there were many creators, they would either be exactly the same (meaning they are really just one) or different (meaning they are not perfect and must have been created themselves).
Any group of things starts from a single unit, so even if you thought there were many gods, you'd still have to believe in an original, single Divine power.
God cannot be like His creations. Having many parts would make God less than perfect.
If there were two creators, they would either be incomplete or get in each other's way. Only one, all-powerful God makes sense.

How We Describe God

Bahya explains that God is so great that we can't fully understand Him with our minds. He talks about two kinds of ways we describe God:

Essential attributes: These are things that are part of God's very nature, like His existence, His unity, and His eternity. But Bahya says these are really "negative" descriptions – they tell us what God is *not* (He is not non-existent, not divided, not temporary).
Attributes from activity: These are descriptions we use when God acts, like "God is merciful" or "God is powerful." The Bible uses these kinds of human-like descriptions to help us understand God, even though God isn't actually like a human. A smart person will realize that God is far beyond any human qualities.

Since we can't fully know God's true nature, the Bible gives us God's name to focus our respect and tradition. Thinking about God's greatness and goodness, which we see in all of creation, is one of our most important duties.

Wisdom in Creation

Bahya shows how God's wisdom is seen in many ways:

How the elements (earth, water, air, fire) are combined.
The amazing design of humans, who are like a small version of the whole universe.
How our bodies and minds work.
The order of the animal and plant kingdoms.
Human inventions, arts, and industries.
Divine revelation (how God teaches us) and the well-being of all people.

He says we should think about our own amazing bodies to understand the wisdom of our Creator. Even things like memory and forgetfulness are important for our well-being. Looking at the sky, the movement of things, light and darkness, and the variety of colors in nature, all help us feel thankful for God's love and wisdom.

Serving God

Understanding God's wisdom naturally leads us to worship Him. The third section of the book talks about "Divine Worship." Bahya says that when someone helps us, we feel thankful. God's help comes from pure love, without any thought for Himself. Humans, on the other hand, depend on God's loving help from birth to death.

Worshipping God by following the Jewish Law is important because it helps us control our lower desires and focus on higher goals. However, just following the rules because of fear or for reward isn't the highest form of worship. True worship comes from the heart.

Jewish law is necessary because people can tend to live only for their senses or, on the other hand, ignore the world completely and only focus on spiritual life. Both extremes are harmful. Jewish law shows us a "middle way" – a balanced path that avoids being too focused on worldly pleasures or completely rejecting the world. The Law helps teach everyone, young and old, how to truly serve God with their hearts.

Trusting God

The fourth gate is about "Trust in God." Bahya says that trusting God is more powerful than any magic. Someone who trusts God is content with what they have and feels peaceful. We can trust God completely because His wisdom and goodness cover all times and situations. God provides for all His creatures out of true love, knowing what is best for each one.

Trusting God doesn't mean we shouldn't work to earn a living or protect ourselves from danger. It's foolish to put too much trust in money or rich people. Everything the world offers will eventually disappoint us. That's why many wise people in the past chose to live simple lives dedicated only to God.

The Soul Lives Forever

Bahya talks about the hope of the soul living forever. He believes this is a spiritual idea, not just about the body coming back to life.

Being Honest

The fifth gate is about "Sincerity of Action." Bahya says that pretending to be good (being a hypocrite) is very bad. We must always be careful to make sure our actions are pure and honest.

Being Humble

The sixth gate, "Humility," teaches us to be kind to others, whether they are equal or superior to us, and especially to God. Humility comes from remembering where we came from, how life changes, and our own mistakes compared to God's greatness. This helps us avoid being proud of ourselves.

While we shouldn't be proud of our possessions or put others down, there's a good kind of pride that encourages us to learn and do good things. This kind of pride can actually help us be more humble.

Saying Sorry and Changing

The seventh section, "Gate of Repentance," is about saying sorry and changing our ways. Bahya says that many good people are not those who never sinned, but those who sinned and then truly regretted it. Repentance means:

Fully understanding our wrong actions and deeply regretting them.
Deciding to change our behavior.
Honestly telling God about our sin and asking for His forgiveness.
Having a complete change of heart.

True repentance shows itself in respecting God's justice, feeling sorry, and making changes in our lives, like being more moderate and thoughtful. The most important part is stopping bad habits, because the longer we keep them, the harder they are to break.

Looking Inside Ourselves

The next gate, "Gate of Self-Examination," encourages us to take life seriously. We should think about our duties and chances to improve our souls. This helps us become purer and understand deeper mysteries of God and a higher world.

Living Simply

The "Gate of Seclusion from the World" talks about how being truly religious relates to living a simple life. Bahya says that some self-control is needed to manage our desires and turn our souls towards higher goals. However, human life also needs us to live in the world God created and to continue the human race. So, extreme simple living is only for a few special people who serve as examples.

There are different ways to live simply. Some people become hermits and completely leave the world, which Bahya says goes against God's plan. Others live a quiet life in their own homes. The best way, according to Jewish law, is to participate in the world but live a life of moderation and self-control, seeing this world as preparation for a higher one. The goal is to control our passions and use everything we have to serve God.

Loving God

The last section, "The Gate of the Love of God," is about loving God. This means our soul longs for God, the source of its life, even when there are difficulties. Those who truly love God find it easy to make sacrifices for Him, and their love is pure and unselfish.

Bahya also says that a person who helps others become righteous and love God is even greater than someone who is holy but only focuses on their own soul.

Translations

Chovot HaLevavot has been translated into many languages besides Hebrew.

Judaeo-Spanish

It was translated into Judaeo-Spanish (a language spoken by some Jews) before the 1600s. It was printed many times.

Latin

Someone planned to publish the original Arabic text with a Latin translation in 1643.

Portuguese

A Portuguese translation was published in Amsterdam in 1670.

German

Several German translations were published in the 1700s and 1800s.

Italian

An Italian translation came out in 1847.

English

Many English translations have been published, including one by Moses Hyamson (starting in 1925) and another by Menahem Mansoor (1973). There is also a full English translation available online at Gateoftrust.org.