Lechteich Mussar Podcast
Join us as we explore the depth of bitachon, as explained in the timeless sefer Shaar HaBitachon.
Lechteich Mussar Podcast
Beis HaLevi #32 - The Severity of Gaavah (Haughtiness)
"In his timeless essay on Anavah (humility), the Beis HaLevi, Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik, delves into the essence of this foundational trait and how it enhances our relationship with Hashem, with others and with ourselves. What does true humility look like? And how can we cultivate this vital quality in our own lives?" -ArtScroll Beis HaLevi on Anavah
Everybody. Welcome back to the Lech Teich Moshe podcast. We continue with the Bais Alevi on Anova Parik Dalid Oid al-Chemir ha-Gaiva. More on the severity of horiness. Rabbi Chamo Baruch Haninu.
Speaker 1:Omer Ki iwe bala rayes kulon, A person who is hori. It's as if the person has transgressed with all the forbidden relations. K'siv to'eva as it says in the Pesach an abomination to Hashem is everyone with a haughty heart. All these abominations were done by the inhabitants of the land of Canaan. Ulo says that a person who is haughty, a person who is a balgaiva, is as if he built a forbidden altar. As it says withdraw yourselves from the man who has breath in his naturals, For with what is he deemed worthy? This is hard to fathom, but we see that the Palsuk equates the sin of holiness to the combined sins of a Vedizara idolatry, denying the fundamental existence of Hashem and transgressing all of the forbidden relationships. So the next time a person wants to act as Gaiba, a person wants to go about being Ghodi and self-absorbed a person, should think of the terrible transgressions that come along with it.
Speaker 1:Parakei, chapter 5. Hamisga'eh Havimoyer. B'malchus Goes on, Gets even worse, even more severe. One who is haughty is rebelling against Hashem's kingship. B'zerach Kodesh Parashas V'Yishuv. It's good that we learned the B'salev in this, because not necessarily would we ever come across the Z and parishes of Yeshiv, so we can thank the Bais Alevi for this.
Speaker 1:Better off is the lowly one who serves for his keep than the one who is honored and revered who lacks bread. What does that mean? The one who is honored is one who thinks he's important. He combs his hair, he is prideful in his spirit. So what bread does he lack? He lacks bread. Referring to lacking faith, which is compared to bread, is spiritual lechem, spiritual bread.
Speaker 1:From all this it's apparent. From this we see that the haughty one is a rebel against Hashem, against the kingship of Shemaim, For haughtiness is the garment of a free man and a master. So how can a mere servant be prideful as he stands before his master? This person stands before his king and thinks he's so great, but the king looks at him, the master peers at him very attentively and sees all of his deficiencies, sees how low he is, sees how sinful he is, and therefore the holy one is like one who denies Hashem's essence and he says who is a master over me? This is the pshad and the gemara. That says anyone who goes with an erect posture, Even if he goes for a mere four amas, it's as if he pushes the feet of the Divine Shekhinah. The Divine Presence, the impulse of the entire world is Hashem's glory, Says the lady. Based on these gemaras that a person who has he's haughty, it's as if he's pushing away the Shekhinah, it's as if he's trampling it. That is what a person accomplishes with his Gaivo going on to Parag Vav.
Speaker 1:Oid B'Gnus HaGaivo Oid Ise B'Saita Shom. Learn of the G'moran. Saita O Merbe Lozer Kol Odom Shish. Begas as Ruach anyone who has Hori Spirit, Shechino MiY. So a person who wants to be perceived with fondness and joy and happiness from the Eber Shlug. We want to bring G-d to the Ruach. That's only going to come from a person who pushes down, who crushes his Geiva. But a person who is Hori, a person who is about Geiva, says the Shekhinah laments over him, which is a frightening thing. A person who's a Balgaivah must realize that while he thinks I'm the man, I'm the B'ol on end, all I'm in charge, I pull the shots. He totally forgot about the Ebbishter. And not only did he forget about the Ebbishter, but the Ebbishter and the Shechina is lamenting over him. How dreadful. Sh'nemar ki Rom Hashem v'sh. How dreadful, them Frightening.
Speaker 1:Hashem says over the person who possesses a haughty spirit. I and he cannot dwell together in the world. As it says, he who slanders his neighbor in secret, him, I will cut him down. One with a haughty eyes and an expansive heart, with him I cannot bear to dwell. Heifach mimashen emr ba'anovim. And this is the opposite. Mitothevim rubah. What is said about the humble eshkoin ezdaka u'shefa ruach, With a humble person, a person who is an onov zaktei v? I shall dwell with the despondent and lowly of spirit. We live in a very upside down, distorted, messed up world where we think the tough guy, the big guy, the guy who's in charge, the guy who's calling the shots, maybe he's just as excited about him. But Hashem has a very different point of view, as is communicated by the Navi Shaya. We look at the lowly guy, the guy who's humble, the guy who's timid, maybe perhaps introverted. We say, oh, he's a nebuch, he doesn't have what to say, not a manda amar, the Ebish to say something else. I shall dwell with him, the despondent and lowly of spirit.