AN ALL out WAR AGAINST PRIDE (By Rabbi David Pinto Shlita)
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Publication HEVRAT PINTO Under Aegis of RABBI DAVID HANANIA PINTO SHLITA 32, rue du Plateau - 75019 PARIS - FRANCE Tel: +331 48 03 53 89 - Fax +331 42 06 00 33 www.hevratpinto.org - [email protected] Responsable of publication : Hanania Soussan 355 KI taVO 18 elul 5770 - 08/28/ 2010 AN ALL OUT WAR AGAINST PRIDE (BY RABBI DAVID Pinto SHlita) is written, “It will be when you Egypt for 400 years. The land of Israel had not This is some of the advice that the Torah enter the land that Hashem your been given to them on account of their own gives a person in order to prevent pride from G-d gives you…you shall take merit, but because of the Patriarchs Abraham, making its way into him and causing him to lose of the first of every fruit of the Isaac, and Jacob, who had wholeheartedly served the world. In general, when a person becomes ground…and you shall put it in Hashem by completely yielding to Him. Thus wealthy and his thoughts focus on business, he a basket and go to the place that Hashem your they had no reason to grow proud, especially begins to study less Torah. In fact the wealthier G-d will choose to make His Name rest there. since the gift of the land was based on the condi- he becomes, the further he strays from the words You shall come to the priest who will be in those tion that Jews study Torah and observe mitzvot. of Torah. Pride certainly comes to occupy the days…and the priest shall take the basket from Otherwise the Holy One, blessed be He, would space created by the diminishment of his study, your hand” (Devarim 26:1-4). take it from them and send them into exile. in which case he is liable to entertain wicked We know just how powerful the evil inclina- This idea is alluded to in the expression ki thoughts. tion is, for it can infuse a person’s heart with tavo (“when you enter” [Devarim 26:1]), the Because of our many sins, today the Temple pride in order to chase him from this world. As word tavo having a numerical value of 403. Of no longer stands. Therefore the place where a the Sages have said, “Envy, lust, and honor- this amount, 400 corresponds to the years of tzaddik lives is like the Temple, and the tzaddik seeking drive a man from the world” (Pirkei oppression they endured, as it is written: “Your is like the High Priest who officiates there. When Avoth 4:21). As such, not only will a person lose offspring shall be aliens in a land not their a person learns how to serve Hashem from the this world, but the World to Come as well. own…and they will oppress them 400 years” tzaddik, it is as if he had brought an offering to In fact the Holy One, blessed be He, detests the (Bereshith 15:13), while 3 corresponds to the the Temple. proud, as it is written: “Every haughty person is three Patriarchs, to whom Hashem promised the Furthermore, when we bring a gift to the an abomination to Hashem” (Mishlei 16:5). land after the exile in Egypt. tzaddik and see how he serves Hashem in a Although he was a great hero, King David’s This is why Hashem commanded that the first completely unselfish way, our hearts will be- heart did not wax proud. Instead he regarded fruits be brought to the Temple and that people gin to melt. We will then repent and become himself as nothing, as he said: “I am a worm and declare, “My father was a wandering Aramean, completely different people. In that case it is not a man, the scorn of humanity, despised of and he went down into Egypt…. The Egyptians like bringing the first fruits to the Temple, as people” (Tehillim 22:7). He also said, “My heart mistreated us and afflicted us, and they placed the Sages have said: “One who brings a gift to was not proud, and my eyes were not haughty” hard work upon us” (Devarim 26:5-6). As such a scholar, it is as if he had offered first fruits” (ibid. 131:1). He fully realized that all he pos- they would never forget their past, when they (Ketubot 105b). This is the meaning of the verse, sessed originated from Hashem, which is why were slaves in Egypt, nor the fact that they “When you enter the land that Hashem your he fought against the evil inclination as it tried inherited the land due to the merit of the holy G-d gives you” – remember that it is only your to convince him to take advantage of the honor Patriarchs, though only on condition that they land when you follow the path of the Patriarchs, bestowed upon him by the Holy One, blessed study Torah and perform mitzvot. Therefore and remember that you were a stranger for 400 be He. In fact King David chose to devote all everything the Children of Israel had was given years. The land does not belong to you – for “the his abilities and strength to increasing the glory to them entirely as a gift, which would obviously land is Mine” (Vayikra 25:23), and I gave it to of Hashem. lead them to humility, the opposite of pride, your fathers “and their descendants after them” When the Children of Israel were about to which destroys all that is good within people. (Devarim 1:8) – but only on condition that they enter the land of Israel, a land flowing with milk This is why they went to the Temple with their do not grow proud on account of their wealth. and honey (Shemot 3:8) – “a land where you baskets in hand and thanked Hashem for hav- Let them not think that the power of their own will eat bread without poverty; you will lack ing led them to the land of their forefathers, as hand has brought them this. nothing there” (Devarim 8:9) – the Holy One, it is written: “He brought us to this place and Above all, from here a person must learn that blessed be He, was concerned that wealth would gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and if he was poor and has become rich, he must lead the people to become proud and forget their honey. And now, behold, I have brought the remember his poverty. He must remember that Creator. As we read, “Yeshurun became fat and first fruits of the ground that You have given it was only because of Hashem’s compassion kicked – you became fat, you became thick, me, Hashem” (vv.9-10). By thanking Hashem and the merit of the holy Patriarchs that he was you became corpulent – and he deserted G-d for all the good that He did for them, they never given this gift. Hence he has no reason to grow his Maker” (ibid. 32:15). entertained forbidden thoughts such as, “My proud, for just as Hashem made him wealthy, He Hence the Holy One, blessed be He, reminded power and the might of my hand have gotten can also reclaim this wealth if he fails to follow them not to forget that they had been slaves in me this wealth.” the right path. The Greatest of All Blessings MUSSAR FROM THE PARSHA It is written, “All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you if you will listen to the voice of Hashem your G-d” Having Everything, Yet Having Nothing (Devarim 28:2). Rabbi Yaakov Loeberbaum of Lisa (the author of Netivot HaMishpat) It is written, “Hashem will send in your midst curse, confu- noted that our Sages have said: “There is no reward for mitzvot in this sion…” (Devarim 28:20). world” (Kiddushin 39b). It follows that all the good that the Holy One, Rashi explains: “Curse – similar to ‘an affliction that causes loss’ blessed be He, pours upon those who perform mitzvot is solely meant to [Vayikra 13:51]. Confusion – the sound of panic.” allow them to perform other mitzvot. Hence the verse states, “All these This is one of the verses of rebuke, dealing with a sense of loss, a blessings will come upon you and overtake you” – in order for you to sense of confusion and anxiety. A person can experience such feelings fulfill – “you will listen to the voice of Hashem your G-d.” despite lacking nothing. To understand how this can happen, let us look Rabbi Israel Meir of Radin (the Chafetz Chaim) would say, “The Holy at a story drawn from Yalkut Shimoni (Mishlei 950). Rabbi Dostai, a One, blessed be He, has many blessings at His disposition, but the greatest disciple of Rabbi Meir, was once studying the verse: “The tzaddik eats of all is ‘you will listen to the voice of Hashem your G-d.’ Happy is the to satisfy his soul, but the stomach of the wicked suffers want” (Mishlei man who receives this blessing from Heaven, for the one who benefits 13:25). Rabbi Dostai thought, “I can understand that a tzaddik eats to from it will automatically merit every other blessing in the world.” satisfy himself, for the tzaddikim are content with little, just like Rabbi – Parperaot LaTorah Chanina ben Dosa. But what does it mean that the stomach of the wicked suffers want? We know of wicked people who enjoy fame and glory, All Jews are Responsible for One Another and who eat to satisfaction every day, so what could they be lacking?” It is written, “All these curses will come upon you and overtake Finding no answer to his question, Rabbi Dostai addressed his teacher you” (Devarim 28:15).