Hebrew Texts a supplemental and more intensive level of A Season of Mussar

Transcription

1 Hebrew Texts a supplemental and more intensive level of A Season of Mussar This week s Hebrew selection on the topic of honor comes from the Pele Yoetz, written by Rabbi Eliezer Papo ( ), who was born in Sarajevo, Bosnia and served most of his rabbinical career in Bulgaria. In this instance, you have the entire (though short) chapter on kavod ha briyot [honoring people] and a selection from the chapter on kavod [honor] itself. The former selection focuses on the honor one must give to others; the latter is on the danger of seeking honor for oneself. This is a good example of the dual nature of middot very often, what we must do profusely for others we also need to do sparingly for ourselves, and vice versa.

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4 Pele Yoetz 1 By Rabbi Eliezer Papo Honor for Human Beings S o great is the honor for human beings that it even pushes off a negative commandment of the Torah (Berachot 19b). It is known in the statement of our sages, may their memories be for a blessing, (Derech Eretz Rabbah, chapter 5), Honor all men as you would Rabban Gamliel, and suspect them as you would robbers. The saying of the wise man is known, who used to say: It is proper to honor every man. If he is wiser than me, it is proper to honor him for his wisdom; and if I am wiser than him, I find that he is more righteous than me, for I sin knowingly, whereas he sins unintentionally. If he is rich, then it is proper to honor him for his wealth, for behold, the great sages of Israel, Rebbe and Rabbi Akiva, they honored rich people (Eruvin 86a), for the king desires his honor. And if I am wealthy and he is poor, then I am a sinner, for I do not do acts of charity as I should be, whereas he is righteous in this way. The sages said in the Talmud (Pesachim 113b), Whoever knows that his friend excels in one matter more than he is obligated to behave toward him with honor. I remember that I saw in a midrash that it is proper to honor a poor person and to rise before him in order to honor God, as it is written (Psalms 109:31), For He stands at the right of an impoverished person. Known is the teacher s statement (Pirkei Avot 4:1), Who is honored? One who honors others. Furthermore, he said (ibid), Do not scorn anyone. It is not good to do as one who shows honor to the rich and is condescending to the poor, for God will plead their case and avenge their insult. People who do thus increase the pain [of poor people] and cause them to vilify the attributes of the Holy One Blessed Be He. When a person makes a festive meal and invites his guests, how

5 good and pleasant it is that rich people and poor people sit at the same table, for in this they [the poor people] are honored. And so, any wealthy person who displays a pleasant countenance to an impoverished person, who speaks with him and shows him honor, it is considered a great mitzvah, for he has revived the heart of the downtrodden and has gladdened the heart of the unfortunate. And particularly if his relatives are bitterly poor, he should not be embarrassed for it to be seen that they are his kin. Rather, he should draw close his poor relatives and visit with them on their celebrations and festivals. This is his honor. It is proper for a man to emulate his Maker, Who cherishes the poor and visits them, as it is written (Yishayahu 57:15), I dwell with the lowly. It is known that doing the will of a person is to honor him. It is proper to discern the real thought of every person and to do his will, and to negate one s will before that of others. It has already been told about out teacher, the Arizal, that one time there was a Torah scholar who did not recognize him and wanted to walk ahead of him, and he [the Arizal] chose to walk behind him in order to fulfill his will and honor him. And on that day, a person should reason how proper it is for one to be careful with the honor of the King of honor.

6 Honor T he rabbis taught (Pirkei Avot 4:21), Envy, lust and honor remove a person from the world. The reason is that each one of them brings about a whole group of bad attributes which consume both body and soul. Because one who pursues honor, all his days are painful, because all he see, and his desire, and his will are that people honor him. He strains to become rich and then he spends excessively so that people honor him, and if it ever happens that people do not show him respect or they do something for him which to his mind is not in accord with his honor or that disparages, he is hurt to the flesh, and, if possible, he will argue and dispute. The flame of the fire of controversy ascends to the heart of heaven. All of the arguments in the world are caused by arrogance, as a person wants to ascend with his pride, because he thinks that he is worthy and deserving of honor. He believes that his words should never be left unfulfilled, and to the one who disparages his honor and who does not hearken to the voice of his words, he will avenge and bear a grudge like a serpent. Every evil that he can do against him, he does, and if he is incapable of doing anything to him, at any rate he loudly voices his complaint, and he hates his brother in his heart, and his hatred lasts forever. He sees and is angry; he grates his teeth over his inability to do anything until he descends grieving and in mourning to the grave. This is his punishment in this world; how much more so in the World to Come because his pursuit of honor is not just a reflection of himself; it is also a derivative of the impurity of arrogance. It has derivatives and derivatives of derivatives of impurity. Whatever emerges from impurity is impure! It is proper for a person to flee from honor like one flees from fire, because it is a fire that totally eats up a person. Every bad trait that the evil inclination of man desires and covets requires that a person strengthen himself with great might in pure thoughts in order to distance himself from them, because the punishment for bad character traits is harsh, particularly those that remove a man from this world. A person must think and say, What am I and what is my life a putrid drop, dust and ashes, worms and maggots, a

7 vessel filled with feces, shame and embarrassment. What are we? A thing that really has no substance. What will it do for me and what will it add for me if people just like myself honor me or disgrace me? Both they and I are vanities. If I am honored before the King of honor, what do I care about the imaginary honor of human beings? If I am disgraced and shamed before the King of honor and all of the heavenly hosts, why am I alive and why do I need the honor of human beings? May the day I was born be destroyed. It is very likely that I am a sinner and despised above. For if it was proper that I be worthy of honor, then heaven would merit that I be honored. Rather, I must certainly be a sinner and my sins withhold honor from me. God said, Curse him! For all of these reasons, a person must humble his heart and accept the judgment of Heaven with happiness. About this he should surrender his heart and receive the judgment of heaven gladly, not complaining about any man, and he must not argue with any man. For what can a living man complain about; a man for his sins?