Q:
Someone told me that I shouldn’t learn the sefer דעת תבונות from the Ramchal. What does the Rav say?
A:
Nothing wrong with דעת תבונות. Nothing wrong at all. Only that Mesillas Yesharim comes first. The Mesillas Yesharim is very important and it has kadimah. That’s his sefer; that’s his masterpiece. That’s the one to learn.
Now, if you learn the Mesillas Yesharim well. And you learn it again. And again and again. It begins to penetrate your mind and become part of your personality. And you start practicing it. So then, there’s no harm to take a look in his דעת תבונות as well. But no matter what, the Mesillas Yesharim Yesharim comes first because you need that more than anything else to succeed in life.
TAPE # E-169 (November 1998)
