Tuesday, May 18, 2004
We continue our countdown to Mattan Torah with short daily quotes from Messilat Yesharim:
-- From Ch. 22
"To this point we have spoken about humility in our thoughts. We will now concentrate upon humility in our actions, which can be divided into four sub–sections: conducting oneself in a humble manner; enduring insults; detesting power and avoiding honor; and attributing honor to others.'
"The first -- conducting oneself in a humble manner -- should show in your speech, the way you walk, the way you sit, and in all of your movements. Regarding how it should show in your speech our sages said, (Yomah 86a) 'One's speech with others should always be gentle.'"
"Regarding the way you walk, our sages said, (Sanhedrin 88b) 'Who is of the world to come?-- the humble and bent-of-knee who enter humbly and exit humbly', who do not walk with a haughty stance or with great dignity, heel to toe, but rather like those who just go about their business."
"Regarding the way you sit -- your place should be amongst the lowly and not amongst the proud."
"The second aspect is the endurance of insult .... It is said regarding the humility of Baba ben Butah, (Nedarim 66b) 'A man of Babylon left to go to Israel to get married. He told his wife to cook something for him and to break it over the top of the gate ('baba' in Aramaic). Baba ben Butah was presiding over the court at the time. The woman came to him and broke what she had over his head. He said, 'What have you done?' And she said, 'My husband told me to do that!' To that he responded, 'Since you are doing the will of your husband, may G-d provide you with two sons like Baba ben Butah.'"
"Regarding detesting power and avoiding honor the Mishna explicitly states, (Avot 1:10) 'Love doing the work but detest the power.' .... The point of the matter is that authority is nothing but a great burden on the back of those who bear it. For while you are an individual among many, you are subsumed in the many, and are only responsible for yourself. But when you are put into a position of authority and power, you are in the clutches of everyone under you, for you have to be responsible for them."
"Honor is vanity of vanities. It has a man challenge his own judgments as well as that of his Creator, and to forget his obligations (Devarim Rabbah 1:10). One who recognizes this will certainly be disgusted by it and grow to hate it. The very praises lauded on him by others will burden him. He will see them lavish praise upon him inappropriately, and he will be abashed and full of grief not only for the fact that his many faults so outnumber his good points, but that he is being further burdened with false praise so that he might be even more embarrassed."
"The fourth subsection involves attributing honor to others. And so we learn, (Avot 4:1) 'Who is honorable?-- one who honors others.' .... [True] honor dwells with the righteous and never leaves them."
(c) 2004 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman
You can always contact Rabbi Feldman at feldman@torah.org
May this series on Messilat Yesharim, which is offered in loving memory of my recently departed uncle, Chaim ben Avraham Stone a"h, serve as an aliyah for his neshama.
********************************
Get your own copy of Rabbi Feldman’s translation of “The Gates of Repentance” by logging onto http://www.aronson.com/jbookstore/ and typing in "The Gates of Repentance".
Rabbi Yaakov Feldman has translated and commented upon "The Gates of Repentance", "The Path of the Just", and "The Duties of the Heart" (Jason Aronson Publishers). And his new work on Maimonides' "The Eight Chapters" will soon be available from Judaica Press.
His works are available in bookstores and in various locations on the Web.
Rabbi Feldman also offers two free e-mail classes on www.torah.org entitled "Spiritual Excellence" and "Ramchal".
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-- From Ch. 22
"To this point we have spoken about humility in our thoughts. We will now concentrate upon humility in our actions, which can be divided into four sub–sections: conducting oneself in a humble manner; enduring insults; detesting power and avoiding honor; and attributing honor to others.'
"The first -- conducting oneself in a humble manner -- should show in your speech, the way you walk, the way you sit, and in all of your movements. Regarding how it should show in your speech our sages said, (Yomah 86a) 'One's speech with others should always be gentle.'"
"Regarding the way you walk, our sages said, (Sanhedrin 88b) 'Who is of the world to come?-- the humble and bent-of-knee who enter humbly and exit humbly', who do not walk with a haughty stance or with great dignity, heel to toe, but rather like those who just go about their business."
"Regarding the way you sit -- your place should be amongst the lowly and not amongst the proud."
"The second aspect is the endurance of insult .... It is said regarding the humility of Baba ben Butah, (Nedarim 66b) 'A man of Babylon left to go to Israel to get married. He told his wife to cook something for him and to break it over the top of the gate ('baba' in Aramaic). Baba ben Butah was presiding over the court at the time. The woman came to him and broke what she had over his head. He said, 'What have you done?' And she said, 'My husband told me to do that!' To that he responded, 'Since you are doing the will of your husband, may G-d provide you with two sons like Baba ben Butah.'"
"Regarding detesting power and avoiding honor the Mishna explicitly states, (Avot 1:10) 'Love doing the work but detest the power.' .... The point of the matter is that authority is nothing but a great burden on the back of those who bear it. For while you are an individual among many, you are subsumed in the many, and are only responsible for yourself. But when you are put into a position of authority and power, you are in the clutches of everyone under you, for you have to be responsible for them."
"Honor is vanity of vanities. It has a man challenge his own judgments as well as that of his Creator, and to forget his obligations (Devarim Rabbah 1:10). One who recognizes this will certainly be disgusted by it and grow to hate it. The very praises lauded on him by others will burden him. He will see them lavish praise upon him inappropriately, and he will be abashed and full of grief not only for the fact that his many faults so outnumber his good points, but that he is being further burdened with false praise so that he might be even more embarrassed."
"The fourth subsection involves attributing honor to others. And so we learn, (Avot 4:1) 'Who is honorable?-- one who honors others.' .... [True] honor dwells with the righteous and never leaves them."
(c) 2004 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman
You can always contact Rabbi Feldman at feldman@torah.org
May this series on Messilat Yesharim, which is offered in loving memory of my recently departed uncle, Chaim ben Avraham Stone a"h, serve as an aliyah for his neshama.
********************************
Get your own copy of Rabbi Feldman’s translation of “The Gates of Repentance” by logging onto http://www.aronson.com/jbookstore/ and typing in "The Gates of Repentance".
Rabbi Yaakov Feldman has translated and commented upon "The Gates of Repentance", "The Path of the Just", and "The Duties of the Heart" (Jason Aronson Publishers). And his new work on Maimonides' "The Eight Chapters" will soon be available from Judaica Press.
His works are available in bookstores and in various locations on the Web.
Rabbi Feldman also offers two free e-mail classes on www.torah.org entitled "Spiritual Excellence" and "Ramchal".
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