Understanding Ourselves and Our Chanichim/Chanichot - Mishna Torah - Hilchot De'ot - Chapter 1

(1) Each and every human being has many dispositions, and each one is both very different and very distant from any other: One person may have a violent temper, always angry; but another's mind is at ease and he is never angry, or if they do feel anger it is a soft anger once in several years. A person may be very haughty, but another has a very humble disposition. A person may have very strong desires, never satisfied; but another may have a very pure heart, not even desiring those few things that the body requires. A person may be very greedy, not satisfied by all the wealth in the world, as it states, "A lover of money never has their fill of money" (Ecclesiastes 5:9). But another may have modest desires, and is satisfied with the smallest thing even if it is not truly enough for them, and they will not exert themself to acquire what they need. A person may torture themself with hunger and saves through this and does not eat from a farthing of their own, excepting in great duress. But another may consciously waste all of the money that is in their hand. And in these ways are the other dispositions - for example, the jolly [person] and the morose [one]; the stingy and the generous; the cruel and the merciful; the weak-hearted and the courageous, and similar to these.

(2) Between each pair of extremes, there is a middle disposition equidistant from each. There are some dispositions that are innate, and some that individuals are more predisposed to than other dispositions, and still others that are not innate at all, but are learned from others or self-taught, either because they decided to acquire [this trait] or they heard from others that it is a good one to have and he practiced it until it became part of their personality.

(3) Neither of the two extremes within each trait are appropriate ways to live, and one should not practice these extremes, and if he finds themself naturally inclined to one of them, or susceptible to one of them, or they already learned one of them, they should work themself back to the path of the good, that is the "straight path."

(4) The "straight path" is (generally) the middle trait within each [pair of] dispositions, equidistant from each extreme. Therefore the early sages commanded that a person should constantly evaluate they dispositions, measure them, and keep them on the middle path so that they might be physically healthy (lit. complete in his body). How is this? One should not be temperamental and easily angered, nor should he be numb like a corpse. Rather, they should be moderate - not getting angry except over something important that is worth it, and then just enough to ensure it won't happen again. Similarly, they only desire the things that the body actually needs to live as the matter that it states (Proverbs 13:25), "The righteous person eats to satisfy their body" (i.e. they enjoy healthy food in moderation, neither an ascetic nor a glutton). Similarly, they should only work enough to acquire that which they need for the moment, as the matter that it states (Psalms 37:16), "a little is good for the righteous" (i.e. neither lazy nor a workaholic), neither overly cheap nor generous. Rather they give as much charity as they can afford and give sensible loans to those who need. They should not be constantly jolly and joking, nor should they be sad and morose, but rather be calm and content, with a pleasant demeanor all his life, and so on for all his other dispositions. This path is the path of the sages; anyone whose dispositions are balanced may be called a sage.

(5) One who is carefully self-reflective, and who [thus] moves themself from a moderate disposition toward one side or the other is called pious. How is this? One who moves oneself away from proud-heartedness towards the opposite extreme and attains a very lowly spirit is called pious, and this is the trait of piety. But if they move themself only toward the middle [of the scale] and becomes humble, they are called wise, and this is the trait of wisdom. And [like] this is it with all the rest of the dispositions. The early pious ones would incline their dispositions from the middle of the scale toward one of the two extremes. There is a disposition where they would incline toward the first extreme and there is a disposition where they would incline toward the other extreme. This is going beyond what the law requires. We are commanded to walk in these intermediate paths which are good and straight, as it states (Deuteronomy 28:9), "and walk in His ways."

(6) They taught the following explanation of this commandment: "Just as God is called 'Gracious,' you too must be gracious. Just as God is called 'Compassionate,' you too must be compassionate. Just as God is called 'Holy,' you too must be holy." In this way did the Prophets call God by many appellations: "Slow to anger," "Abundant in kindness," "Just and Fair," "Pure," "Mighty," and "Powerful," and similar to these - in order to demonstrate that these are good and proper ways and that a person is obligated to accustom themself to act according to them, to imitate God, according to their ability.

(7) This is how one trains themself towards these dispositions until they become part of their personality: By constant, repetitive practice of the actions [characteristic of] moderate dispositions and drilling over and over, constantly, until these actions are easy and are no longer a burden upon them. And [these] dispositions will [then] become fixed in his personality. And since [these attributes] are names used to call the Creator and they are the middle path which we are obligated to walk, this path is called the "Path of God." This is what our father Abraham taught his sons, as it states (Genesis 18:19), "for I know him, so that he will command, etc." And one who follows this path brings good to himself as it states (Genesis 18:19), "in order to bring to Abraham all that He spoke of him."