Intellect: True or False?

Rabbi Yehoishophot Oliver

Using the intellect involves absorbing information, giving explanations, drawing distinctions, making comparisons, reaching conclusions, and so on.

Yet although this is the nature of intellect, it is not the goal of intellect, for all these intellectual processes can be carried out in a correct, true way or in a twisted, false way. The goal of intellect is to transcend selfish, emotional considerations and reach a pure, unbiased understanding of a concept.

True intellect knows that it is liable to be blinded by self-interest, and so it actively seeks to divest itself of this corrupting influence.

To explain, the Torah warns us: “Bribery blinds the eyes of the wise.”[1] No matter how refined, knowledgeable, and experienced a judge may be, when he stoops to take a bribe, he creates an inner emotional bias that makes it impossible for him to judge fairly, leading inevitably to a travesty of justice.

If at first the judge was inclined to rule against the accused, when he accepts a bribe, he does not necessarily rule leniently in order to consciously fulfill his side of the dishonorable deal he made when he took the bribe. Rather, accepting the bribe sways his judgment, inducing his mind to devise of all kinds of pretexts to acquit the accused.

Likewise, consider two parties who come to court, each one pleading his side. Even when the case is highly complex and two-sided, each litigant will present a long list of claims in his own favor—including elaborate, advanced, and even innovative arguments. This will even happen when one or both sides has done things that outsiders would consider egregiously wrong.

Each one is convinced beyond any shadow of doubt of his own righteousness, even to the extent that he is simply incapable of acknowledging any merit in his opponent’s claims. Moreover, instead of partially conceding the perspective of his opponent, he turns around his opponent’s every argument to further bolster his own case. In fact, even simple, completely uneducated people can come up with such arguments.[2]

The reason for this amazing capacity for rationalization is the tremendous personal investment that each side has in winning the case.

The challenge of the judge is to examine the case with zero personal bias and apply the law to the specifics of the case before him faithfully and correctly.

Likewise, Hashem endowed us with intellect and charged us with the task of using it to assess the world and our fellow the dilemmas that we face in life in a mature, true, and objective manner.

When emotions are strong, the person is at risk of rendering intellectual decisions that are incorrect and ethical decisions that are unjust. This danger is completely unrelated to the extent of his intellectual development. No matter how high his IQ and how vast his knowledge, if his emotions are allowed to affect his intellect, all his arguments will be false. On the contrary, the brighter he is, the greater the danger that he may persuade others to adopt his false ideas.

Generally speaking, an immature person relates to the world through his emotions, and his intellect is not true intellect, but intellect recruited—rather, hijacked—for the benefit of his emotions. In the language of Chassidus, only the intellect of his Bestial Soul is active. This is also known as mochin de’katnus, “immature intellect.”

In contrast, an intellectually mature person assesses every issue that he analyzes objectively. Not only is his judgment not colored by his feelings, but even when his personal feelings directly contradict the conclusion warranted by intellect, he reaches the conclusion correctly.

In short, his intellect is not controlled at all by his emotions, but only by the dictates of the faculty of intellect.[3] Although this may seem like a high level, it is one that we should all strive towards. 

This is not to say that this person’s emotions are nonexistent or even that that they are weak. Nor is refining his emotions a prerequisite. One can possess fiery, unrefined emotions, and still possess an intellect with the power to utterly disregard those emotions. This is maturity in intellect. In the language of Chassidus, this is a person whose Nefesh HaSichlis (Intellectual Soul) truly dominates. This is also known as mochin de’gadlus, “mature intellect.” (See here and here.)

However, it should be noted that although some people are more naturally gifted with the ability to reach this level than others,[4] one can only truly attain it when one predicates the use of one’s intellect on faith in Hashem and humble submission (“bittul”) to His will as revealed in our holy Torah.[5]

Based on the Previous Rebbe’s Sefer HaMaamarim 5691, pp. 162-163;
cf. the Rebbe Rashab’s Sefer HaMaamarim 5679, p. 181; ibid. 5671, p. 91. 

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[1] Shemos 23:8.
[2] Hayom Yom, Elul 9.
[3] Chassidus calls such a person a “chochom be’etzem ko’ach chochmoso.”
[4] See Tanya ch. 2, end, which explains that the spiritual level of a child depends upon the purity of the parents’ thoughts and behavior during conception. The Tzemach Tzedek explains (Kitzurim Ve’Ha’oros LeTanya p. 75) that this is referring to the degree of the refinement of the child’s Nefesh HaSichlis.
[5] Cf. Likkutei Sichos, vol. 3, pp. 889-890.



Dedicated by Shmuel and Sara Rochel Markel in honor of the birth of their daughter, Yehudis bas Shmuel Leib. Yegadluha leTorah, lechuppah, ulemaasim tovim mitoch harchavah!

Dedicated in the merit of a speedy release for the captives Yonasan ben Malka (Jonathan Pollard), Alan Gross (Aba Chonah ben Chava Chana), Sholom Mordechai Halevi ben Rivka (Sholom Rubashkin), and Zeva Rochel bas Chaya (Wendy Weiner Runge).



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