Jewish Inspiration Podcast · Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe

00:00 - Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe (Host)
Welcome back, my dear friends, to day 25. We're on page 131 in the Treasure for Life edition of the Orchah Tzaddikim Har. Be'anofim tovim tzomchim mishoresh anova. Many great things sprout from the root of humility. Ha'onof husavlon, one who's humble, is very patient, u'me'asavlon us yavosholom. And what comes from patience? Peace. Ki anova, yashkit kas shel odom hako esol. And what comes from patience, peace. When someone is humble, it'll calm his anger. When anger comes about, he's able to quiet it down with his humility, as the verse states. That one who's soft turns away wrath. Ve'a sholom hi mida tov ha'me'od, and peace is a super duper trait. Ha'onav yesh lo chayin, someone who is a humble person has a charm, has a grace about them. She'nem har v'lanav yitin chayin. A charm, has a grace about them, as the verse states, and to the humble he gives favor. Additionally, we see one who's humble. His prayer is desired and accepted in front of the Almighty Yan kihu, maver amidosu v'begal zen iskablo tfiloso shor be'kiva shomer avinu malkeinu. And we know that when someone is humble, god accepts the praise. And we see this with Rabbi Kiva, who said our father, our king, and his prayer was accepted. Ha'on of zechel isch was accepted. Someone who's humble also benefits that he will become smart Because he'll always humble himself before those who are wise and he will humble himself and sit by the dust of their feet, as the verse states in the Mishnah, in in Ethics of Our Fathers, it says meaning if you're able to humble yourself, you'll go to the righteous, you'll go to the wise and you'll get close to them and you'll learn from their ways. One who goes to the ways and looks at the ways of the wise, he will become increasingly wise. Another benefit of one who is humble they have special mercy and pity upon such a person from the heavens, as the verse states, and he who confesses and forsakes evil will be pitied and the Almighty will shower mercy upon them. Someone who is humble runs away from honor and flees positions of power, and this brings about, as the verse states, and walk modestly with your God.

03:13
Someone who's modest is happy with his share that Hashem has given to him. Hashem gives me my shir. I'm happy with it. Hein rav, hein me'at. Whether Hashem gives him an abundance or Hashem gives him a limited amount, whatever it is, a small or large amount, he is happy with it and fulfilled by it and pleased because this is what Hashem has designated for him. It's more precious to the righteous the modest amount that they get than all of the great wealth that goes to the wicked. And then, when he's happy with his shiur, he doesn't have to be busy oh, I need to make more money, I need to do more, I need more and more and more. And then, when he's not worried about, oh, how am I going to make my next deal and how am I going to make my next buck? He knows that he can now invest his time in the wisdom and to the service of Hashem. What else? What's another benefit? Someone who is a humble person will judge all people favorably.

04:38
One of the righteous and pious people was once asked how did you become a master of the men of your generation? How did you become a master of the men of your generation? How did you become such a great leader? He says Because every person I met, I considered them to be greater than me. If he was wise, I'd say that he's wiser than me and he is more God-fearing than me because he has greater wisdom. If he was less wise than me, he is an unintentional sinner and I am a willful sinner. If he was older than me, then he has more merits because he's been around for longer. If I was older than him, then I would have been older than him. His sins are fewer than my sins. And if he was like me in age and in wisdom, his heart is better tuned to the Almighty than mine is, because I know the sins I've done, but I don't know the sins he's done.

06:11
And if he was wealthier than me, I would say that he's giving. Wealthier than me, amarti. I would say shahu oise tzedakis, yoyser menin, that he's giving more charity than me. Vimaya dalmi, many of you is poorer than me. Amarti, I would say ki hu dako shfal urach, yoyser menin, he is humbler than I am because I have money. I'm arrogant about it, he says, and for these reasons I would honor people and I would humble myself in front of people. And that is the reason they crowned me as their ruler, as their leader in my generation.

06:53
And the flaws this is? The author is telling us that the flaws of one who is humble are forgotten Because people want to honor a humble person and therefore they forget their flaws. They forget their flaws. And he has many helpers. Many people want to help out because such a humble person who doesn't want to be close to him.

07:19
They said about one of the kings that many people were sitting by him one night and he himself got up. Talking about a king, he got up to fix one of the lamps that were about to get extinguished, that he's fixing it so that it doesn't extinguish. Why didn't you? The people asked, why didn't you ask us? We were all here, we could have helped you. You're the king. He says guess what? I helped you. You're the king. Amr lehem melech kamti o melech shafti. He says guess what? I stood up, I was a king, and when I sat down and when I returned to my throne, I was still a king. Nothing happened. I can put on my pants alone, right, I don't need anyone to dress me. I can do the things that I need to do, even though I'm the king.

08:13
Many envy all qualities of mankind except that of humility, and he who is despised in his own eyes is great in the eyes of others.

08:26
Nivze doesn't mean that a person is not despised or belittled, but rather they understand their place, they know exactly who they are and they don't live with a pretentious view of who they are. One has to be very, very careful, though, warns the author that we stay away from being humble before the wicked. We have to be very careful about that. As a muddled fountain, as a muddled fountain and a polluted spring, is a righteous man lowering himself before a wicked man. And if he has the power to do so, you should take revenge of the wicked for the sake of Hashem and adamantly oppose them and stand up against them as a roaring lion to rescue the robbed from the robber.

09:57
And he should guide people to the ways of Hashem and he should reprimand them in the proper way, with his intelligence, in a very, very pleasant way. And if they still don't listen when he's very soft and when he's soft and gentle, then still he should reprimand them or criticize them in a constructive way. He should use the proper tactic that is required and he should guide them on the good path and warn them of the not so good way. He should speak to them meaning, use words that are encouraging, use words that are persuasive According to your abilities. He must be quick to exact the duties of Hashem from those owing them and he must not humble or lower himself in doing so. So we see here that there are great, great qualities, great great virtues to one who is truly humble. Someone who is humbled is loved by the Almighty. This concludes day 25. I look forward to continuing day 26.