To the physically sick the bitter tastes sweet, and the sweet bitter. Of among the sick there may be one who craves and desires food which is unfit for consumption, for instance, dirt and coal, and despises good food such as bread and meat, according to the seriousness of the disease. Even so are people whose souls are sick; they desire and love the evil tendencies, and hate the good way, and are lazy to follow it, for it becomes a very heavy load upon them, in proportion to their ailment. Even so does Isaiah speak of such people: “Woe unto those that say of the evil it is good, and of the good it is evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter” (Is. 5.20). Respecting their like it is said: “Who leave the path of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness” (Prov. 2.13). And what is the corrective measure for the soul-sick? Let them go to the wise who are doctors of the souls and they will heal their disease with tendencies wherein they will instruct them until they will bring them back to the right way. And they that are conscious of their evil tendencies and do not go to the wise to be cured by them, concerning them Solomon said: “Wisdom and instruction fools alone despise” (Ibid. 1.7).
