Beis HaLevi #33 - Weighing the Sins of the Haughty

"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

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome to Lech Teich Moshe
• 0:37 Judgment for the Arrogant Person
• 0:58 Debate on God's Attributes of Mercy
• 1:48 Man's Insignificance and Divine Judgment
• 3:07 Humility's Reward vs Pride's Punishment

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:15

Okay, everybody, welcome back to the Lech Teich Moshe podcast. We continue with the Beis Alevi Ananova, chapter 7, parik Zayin Mokka M'mishpet L'Bal Ga'iva. So not only is the Ba'al Ga'iva subject to all the despicable, disgraceful attributes that we've mentioned in the past few days, but there's a special place of judgment for the Ba'al Ga'iva, which we never, ever want to encounter Rachman O', which we never, ever want to encounter Rahmanu Litzlan. Behold, in the reckoning of Hashem's 13 attributes of mercy, there's a machoikis amongst the Tanoim. One says that Hashem, in His mercy, lifts up the sins and one says he depresses the sins. So there's says he depresses the sins, so there's a machoikis. What does it mean when we say in the Yod Gimel Midas that Hashem is kind, so there's a machoikis. One says that, in Hashem's kindness, that Hashem lifts up the sins, and another, manda amar, says that he depresses, he makes the sins smaller. It's not understandable. Hold on, this is a Cheshbon of Gemara. We're going to get to the point. It is reasonable and logical. According to the one that says that Hashem lifts up, for when Hashem lifts up from the scale, the pen holding the sins, the merits will weigh down the scale. But according to the one that says that Hashem dep holding the sins, the merits will weigh down the scale. But according to the one who says that Hashem depresses the sins, why must Hashem push down the merits so that they weigh the scale down? So that's the kasher. If Hashem is going to depress the sins, then we know there's another possek talking about Hashem that he has to push down the merits. Why does Hashem have to push them down? If Hashem deflated them, then automatically they're going to go up.

Speaker 1: 2:08

The explanation is according to its importance in this lowly world. Let's explain Its. Punishment is not so great, for man resembles emptiness. He's empty and his deeds are astonishingly empty.

Speaker 1: 2:33

He's a psalm talking about how small we are, that we're like a little blossom and then we're cut down. And that we're like a little blossom and then we're cut down and then we flee like a shadow. So if a person is so small and we're such an insignificant being, then what do we even need judgment for if we're so little, we're so almost negligible? So what's the pshah? So the Baisalevi goes to the Gemara and explains that there are two ways in which Hashem spares us from punishment. One is he raises the sins above the upper worlds to a place so high that sins cannot reach. And the second one is he lowers them to this world and the Gemara comes out. The Gemara states that Hashem does this for one who is humble, and Hashem has this way of having kindness and of making men and forgiving, but this is only for the person who is humble. However, for a person who is arrogant, his sins remain in the middle worlds and he is punished for the great damage they cause.