In the context of describing the mitzvah of Tzitzit, the Torah makes an intriguing statement:

במדבר טו:לט

וְהָיָ֣ה לָכֶם֮ לְצִיצִת֒ וּרְאִיתֶ֣ם אֹת֗וֹ וּזְכַרְתֶּם֙ אֶת־כׇּל־מִצְוֺ֣ת יְהֹוָ֔ה וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם אֹתָ֑ם וְלֹֽא־תָת֜וּרוּ אַחֲרֵ֤י לְבַבְכֶם֙ וְאַחֲרֵ֣י עֵֽינֵיכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־אַתֶּ֥ם זֹנִ֖ים אַחֲרֵיהֶֽם׃

Bamidbar 15: 39) This shall be fringes for you, and when you see it, you will remember all the commandments of the Lord to perform them, and you shall not wander after your hearts and after your eyes after which you are going astray.

We are commanded not to wander after our hearts, often a stand-in term for the mind, and after our eyes. But the order seems reversed. We encounter the world with our eyes before it is beheld by our minds; it is prior in our perceptual system. Why are we warned then about the mind before the eyes?

Our minds influence how we perceive the world around us. We can control what is exposed to our eyes to varying degrees. But it is our minds that determines our interpretation. Perhaps this can help us to understand Rashi’s comments on our verse.

רש"י במדבר ט ו:לט

ולא תתורו אחרי לבבכם – כמו: מתור הארץ (במדבר י״ג:כ״ה). הלב והעין הם מרגלים לגוף, מסרסרים לו את העבירות, העין רואה, הלב חומד, והגוף עושה העבירה.

Rashi 15:39) and you shall not wander after your hearts: Heb. וְלֹא תָתוּרוּ, like “from scouting (מִּתּוּר) the Land” (13:25). The heart and eyes are the spies for the body. They are its agents for sinning: the eye sees, the heart covets and the body commits the transgression. - [Mid. Tanchuma 15]

Rashi makes an interesting connection between the term used in the prohibition “to turn (taturu) after our hearts” and the spies returning from scouting (tur) the land. What is the connection Rashi is making between the spies and not being drawn after one’s mind and eyes?

The spies followed their mission and scouted the land. Nothing about the facts of their report was inaccurate. But their interpretation was tainted. They further spread this tainted interpretation to the rest of the people, causing them to misinterpret their own situation to grave consequences. We have lots of perceptual tools to perceive the world around us. But it is ultimately our hearts and minds that influence how we interpret our world.

This concept extends into the intellectual sphere as well. The Rambam discusses certain parameters surrounding the consideration of erroneous ideas:

רמב"ם עבודה זרה וחוקות הגוים ב:ג

ולא עבודה זרה בלבד הוא שאסור להיפנות אחריה במחשבה, אלא כל מחשבה שגורמת לו לאדם לעקור עיקר מעיקרי התורה מוזהרין אנו שלא להעלותה על ליבנו, ולא נסיח דעתנו לכך ונחשב ונימשך אחר הרהורי הלב, מפני שדעתו של אדם קצרה, ולא כל הדעות יכולות להשיג האמת על בוריו, ואם יימשך כל אדם אחר מחשבות ליבו, נמצא מחריב את העולם לפי קוצר דעתו:

כיצד, פעמים יתור אחר עבודה זרה, ופעמים יחשב בייחוד הבורא שמא הוא שמא אינו, מה למעלה, מה למטה, מה לפנים, מה לאחור, ופעמים בנבואה שמא היא אמת שמא אינה, ופעמים בתורה שמא היא מן השמים שמא אינה, ואינו יודע המידות שידון בהן עד שידע האמת על בוריו, ונמצא יוצא לידי מינות:

ועל ענין זה הזהירה תורה ונאמר בה "ולא תתורו אחרי לבבכם ואחרי עיניכם אשר אתם זונים אחריהם" (במדבר ט"ו:ל"ט), כלומר לא יימשך כל אחד מכם אחר דעתו הקצרה וידמה שמחשבתו משגת האמת. כך אמרו חכמים, "אחרי לבבכם", זו מינות, "ואחרי עיניכם", זו זנות. ולאו זה, אף על פי שהוא גורם לאדם לטרדו מן העולם הבא, אין בו מלקות:

Rambam Mishna Torah - Laws of Idol Worship 2:3

The worship of false gods is not the only subject to which we are forbidden to pay attention; rather, we are warned not to consider any thought which will cause us to uproot one of the fundamentals of the Torah. We should not turn our minds to these matters, think about them, or be drawn after the thoughts of our hearts.

In general, people have limited powers of understanding, and not all minds are capable of appreciating the truth in its fullness. [Accordingly,] were a person to follow the thoughts of his heart, it is possible that he would destroy the world because of his limited understanding.

What is implied? There are times when a person will stray after star worship, and times when he will wonder about God's oneness: Perhaps He is one, perhaps He is not? [He might also wonder:] What exists above, [in the heavenly realms]? What exists below [them]? What was before time? What will be after time? Similarly, [one might wonder about] prophecy: Perhaps it is true, perhaps it is not? And [one may also wonder] about the Torah: Perhaps it emanates from God, perhaps it does not?

Since he may not know the guidelines with which to evaluate [ideas that will lead him] to the truth in its fullness, he may come to heresy. The Torah has warned about this matter, saying [Numbers 15:39]: "Do not stray after your hearts and eyes, which have led you to immorality" - i.e., each one of you should not follow his limited powers of understanding and think that he has comprehended the truth.

Our Sages [interpreted this warning]: "After your hearts," this refers to heresy; "after your eyes," this refers to immorality. This prohibition - though [severe,] causing a person to be prevented [from attaining a portion] in the world to come - is not punishable by lashes.

It is interesting that we have a commandment governing what we can think about. According to the formulation in the Rambam, we are prohibited to think about an idea that is contrary to the fundamentals of the Torah. How does one come to the proper conclusions without giving an idea due consideration?

A careful study of the Rambam’s words reveals some key elements. He notes that “not all minds are capable of appreciating the truth in its fullness” (ibid). Further, “Since he may not know the guidelines with which to evaluate [ideas that will lead him] to the truth in its fullness, he may come to heresy” (ibid). The Rambam is not saying we can never think about anything that might be contrary to the Torah’s ultimate conclusions. That would be impossible to fulfill in the context of honest investigation. Rather, we are obligated to recognize our intellectual limitations in the course of our investigation.

We are exposed to many different ideas, philosophies, sights, and sounds. As much as we might wish to think of ourselves as capable and clear thinkers at all times, an accurate look at ourselves will quickly remind us that we can make mistakes. We can easily be hoodwinked, drawn into making errors in perceptions and judgements. The Rambam quotes our sages statement on our verse, “‘After your hearts,’ this refers to heresy; ‘after your eyes,’ this refers to immorality” (ibid). What is the relationship between heresy and immorality? Engaging in a prohibited relationship might be the result of responding to an instinctual draw. But we can be drawn after erroneous notions as well. Just because an idea is appealing doesn’t mean it is true.

ספורנו במדבר טו:לט

וראיתם אתו, וזכרתם את כל מצות ה' – תזכרו שאתם עבדים לאל יתברך, ושקבלתם מצותיו באלה ובשבועה, וזה בראותם הציצית שהוא כחותם המלך בעבדיו. ובזה תחדלו מתור אחרי לבבכם – להשיג שרירות לבכם בעשר וכבוד אפילו בגזל, ואחרי עיניכם – להשיג תאוות שנתתם עיניכם בהן. אשר אתם זנים אחריהם – מטים נפשכם השכלית בהן מדרכי חיי עולם לדרכי אבדון ומות.

Sforno Bamidbar 15:39

'וראיתם אותו וזכרתם את כל מצות ה, you will be reminded that you are God’s servants whose commandments you have accepted reinforced by oaths known as אלה and שבועה. This reminder will be due to your looking at the “fringes” that may be viewed as if their king had placed a stamp on your bodies confirming that the wearer is one of his subjects. This in turn will lead to your ceasing to follow the inclination of your hearts and eyes to indulge your diverse urges, originating in your bodies. Without these fringes as a constant reminder of your purpose on earth, you would be likely to fall prey to these urges inspired by the evil urge. This would eventually diminish the influence of your mind over your body to such an extent that it would lead to your premature death both in this world and in the hereafter.

As the Sforno explains, Tzitzit remind us of our commitment to our creator. We indeed are pulled in many different directions. But we aim not to let these pulls cloud our judgement regarding what is essential. Our minds are to be our guide. The Rambam beautifully states, “were a person to follow the thoughts of his heart, it is possible that he would destroy the world because of his limited understanding.” We must operate in the world with careful and thoughtful consideration. Through the process of research, debate, reflection, and evaluation, we aim to identify our own mistakes in thinking and reach an accurate perception of the truth.

References

Maimonides, M., Touger, E., Kaplan, B., Abramson, Z., & Silverstein, S. (2007). Mishneh Torah. New York: Moznaim Pub. Retrieved from: https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/682956/jewish/Mishneh-Torah.htm

Rosenberg, A. (1980). A new English translation of the Hebrew Bible text and Rashi, with a commentary digest. New York: Judaica Press. Retrieved from: https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/

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