A person's thoughts can rise very high and shine a great light, while his heart plods along slowly. Every person has the ability to understand important principles of the ideal ways to conduct his life, but they are much more difficult to actually implement in real life. A person might know how despicable it is to be haughty, yet finds that haughtiness has taken root in his heart despite his intellectual understanding of its repulsiveness. There is a great gulf between the mind and the heart.
Our sages taught us to careful not to be people whose understanding is greater than our deeds. Not to live a life of "Do as I say, and not as I do." Don't be fooled into thinking that just because you have something clear in your mind, that your heart is in touch with it as well. The heart transforms slowly, the mind is much faster. A person need to apply himself to "Instilling within his heart," and not assume that his mind is shining into his heart without specific effort to that end.
Our sages taught us to careful not to be people whose understanding is greater than our deeds. Not to live a life of "Do as I say, and not as I do." Don't be fooled into thinking that just because you have something clear in your mind, that your heart is in touch with it as well. The heart transforms slowly, the mind is much faster. A person need to apply himself to "Instilling within his heart," and not assume that his mind is shining into his heart without specific effort to that end.
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