Siman 421

(15.) He said: "Tzaddikim — even these tzaddikim of today — are also very precious in the eyes of Hashem Yisburach. And even if there were nothing more to say of them than that they distance themselves from the ways of the frivolous ones who conduct themselves precisely in the ways of the nations — and walk in the ways of philosophical inquiry and secular wisdom — whose intention is specifically to make themselves resemble in their manner, clothing, and customs the customs of the nations — as has spread now, due to our many sins And if the tzaddikim would do nothing more than distance themselves from them, that also would be something. For every leader, however he conducts himself in his service, is at any rate far from their ways — and likewise those who draw close to them. For since they are meticulous not to leave the hair at the back of the head — the forelocks — untrimmed, it follows that they do not grow the peyes (sidelocks) which are called in their language "bye-har," and it further follows that they are far from the customs of the nations and from the blows of the philosophers and the investigators who conduct themselves in such ways. And this is a very great thing, for the ways of philosophical inquiry and philosophy are the greatest evil of all evils, and there is no evil worse than this — fortunate is one who is far from them. He said further that even the tzaddikim of today are also in the category of mingling with them, for they conduct their households like the customs of the ministers and the lords. As they say now about the tzaddikim — that they conduct themselves now like ministers — by this consideration they are also counted as mingling with them, and because of this they cannot speak Torah. Even though they say a little of what pertains to the world, even so, complete Torah they cannot speak. And since they do not know Torah, they do not know anything at all. For even prophecy is also small compared to Torah, for the Torah is greater than everything and includes everything, and this depends on that: since they conduct themselves in the ways of the ministers, they do not know Torah. And since they do not know Torah, through this they conduct themselves in the customs of the ministers. For since they do not know Torah, they are compelled at any rate to conduct themselves in the aforementioned customs (for without this, in what would their greatness and importance be recognizable, seeing that they are not sons of Torah). And this is the aspect of that which is written (Eicha 2): "Malkah vesariha bagoyim ein Torah — Her king and her ministers are among the nations, Torah is no more; also her prophets find no vision from Hashem":