Editing Machshovos Zoros - Foreign thoughts (section)

== Types of Foreign Thoughts ==
There are different types of foreign thoughts, such as thoughts related to parnassa that confuse a person and prevent concentration, or forbidden thoughts like thoughts of sin or thoughts of avodah zarah.

Although usually the term refers to various thoughts that arise in a person's mind during avodas Hashem, in a more general sense any action that a person does with personal motives is considered a 'foreign thought', since these thoughts and interests are 'foreign' to what they are involved in<ref>Sicha of 12 Tammuz 5713 (1953) and others.</ref>.

The Torah forbids a person from dwelling on foreign thoughts<ref>This concept is learned from the verse (Bamidbar 15:39): "and you shall not follow after your heart," which is recited in Krias Shema.</ref>, but if it wasn't expressed in actual deed, the person is not punished for the thought, since one cannot be punished for matters of thought.