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This Jewish Inspiration Podcast is dedicated to learning, understanding and enhancing our relationship with Hashem by working on improving our G-d given soul traits and aspiring to reflect His holy name each and every day. The goal is for each listener to hear something inspirational with each episode that will enhance their life.
Welcome back, everybody, to way number 29. You know, I've never done a promo for this podcast. So, you know, I'm just gonna ask everyone, you get a chance, you can go to your Apple podcast or your Spotify and give a five stars to the podcast if you like it. If you don't like it, just don't leave any comments. But if you do like it, and you're listening, so please make it, give it a five star, write a nice review so that,
because that helps the algorithms of the system to push it so other people can be aware of these podcasts. So whenever you get a chance, I'd appreciate it very much. But till then, let's continue, way number 29. Ve'enomach zik tova latzmo. Don't take pride, don't take credit. We need to realize that this is arrogance. The Mishnah tells us in a very nice way what arrogance is. Someone who takes credit for things that they really have no business taking credit for.
If someone is a gifted singer, and they walk around like nobody sings like I do, right? Me, the big singer. Guess what? Who gave you that voice? Who can take away that voice in one moment, in one instant? Mishnah warns us, Mishnah tells us, you wanna maximize life? Stop taking credit for things you don't deserve credit for. No one likes to be around the big shot. No one likes to be around the show-off. If this is a gift that you've received,
what right do you have to take pride? The difference between arrogance and humility is that someone who's humble has the same gifts as someone who's arrogant. But the person who's humble realizes it's a gift from above. The person who's arrogant thinks it's a gift from within. It's me. If you're busy patting yourself on the back for what you've achieved, you won't make an effort to do more. Which is generally the case. You have athletes who are extremely, extremely talented,
but all they wanna be good at is be better than you, but not be the best they can be. Not to excel themselves to the highest level. If you're constantly defending your opinions, you'll never be open to hearing new ideas. This is part of it. Part of this whole thing of people need to be open to things that are not about them, or themselves. Not everything's about you. Sometimes another opinion is worthwhile listening to. If you are arrogant about your ideas,
then you're limiting your own self. If you're grateful, you realize that you have to be thankful for whatever you have, then you'll always be growing. If you experience pleasure in doing the right thing, then look for more pleasure. Do more of the right thing. One who takes pride is lacking in faith of Hashem. Hashem malach ge'us lavesh. Hashem is the king who wears the clothes of arrogance. What does it mean, God wears the clothes of arrogance? God is the giver.
God is the creator of everything. All arrogance that you want to take, all arrogance that you want to associate, look at me, I'm so great, it's all God's. It's God's garments, don't put it on yourself. It's God's doing. My grandfather would say, from Rav Dessler, he would say that anybody who's arrogant, ultimately, deep down, would love to remove God from his throne and sit in God's place. That's the real extent of what they want to accomplish with their arrogance. And that's very dangerous.
The Mishnah tells us, one who runs after honor, honor runs from him. One who runs from honor, honor runs to him. All right, al tamin be'atzmechad yom hoscha. Don't believe in yourself till the day you die. What happens on the day we die? That's where everything comes to clarity. The moment someone is on their deathbed, they suddenly have clarity. All of the confusion, all the misprioritization of life, suddenly hits them. They have clarity.
We could be very confident that we know the right way. Comes that day we die, and suddenly we realize, uh-oh. I may have made a mistake or two. A couple, three mistakes. Hashem malach ge'us l'vesh. Hashem is the one who gives us everything we have. So the summary of today, of this way, way number 29, is a constant recognition, a constant recognition that everything comes from Hashem. The Proverbs, chapter 31, is Esh Eschayel, the woman of valor. And over there we say,
sheker ha'chen ve'hevel ha'yofi, beauty, grace. Those are things that are a gift. You either have it or you don't. It's given by the Almighty. Praising that is false. What did you do for it? You got it as a gift. Did nothing for it. It's false. But Esh Eshayeras Hashem, he teshalo. But someone who's God-fearing, that's hard work. The Talmud says, ha'kol b'dei shamayim, everything is from the hands of Hashem, except for yir ha'shamayim, serving God,
fear of heaven, attaining good traits. That is hard work. That is a person's doing. That is praiseworthy. He teshalo, that you can praise. So we have to be careful not to hold ourselves too high of an esteem on things that we didn't earn. And that concludes way number 29.