Source · Mussar · תשפ״ו
Chovot HaLevavot
R. Bachya ibn Pakuda's 11th-century treatise on the duties of the heart — belief, trust, humility, repentance. Still studied eight centuries later without denominational confinement.
Open Chovot HaLevavot on Sefaria ↗
Where to begin
- Duties of the Heart, Introduction ↗Why inner work matters as much as outer practice.
- Duties of the Heart, First Treatise on Unity ↗On knowing the unity of the Creator.
Source links open at sefaria.org. The text lives there; Ryzowy only orients you toward it.
Questions to bring a rabbi about this text
- Which sha'ar (gate) should I begin with at my current stage?
- Should I read it alongside a contemporary mussar text or alone?
- Which translation is most reliable?
Return to the first shelf → or read alongside the Return Path → and questions for a rabbi →.