חוֹבוֹת הַלְּבָבוֹת · שַׁעַר הַכְּנִיעָה · פֶּרֶק שְׁבִיעִי

אֲבָל הַסִּימָנִים שֶׁבָּהֶם תִּתְבָּרֵר הַכְּנִיעָה מִן הַנִּכְנָע, כְּשֶׁיֵּרָאוּ בּוֹ, הֵם חֲמִשָּׁה.

Now, the signs by which true submission is verified in a humble person, when they are seen in him, are five.

אֶחָד מֵהֶם: בְּעֵת חֹזֶק כַּעֲסוֹ עַל מִי שֶׁמְּבַזֶּה אוֹתוֹ, בֵּין בְּמַאֲמָר בֵּין בְּמַעֲשֶׂה, שֶׁאִם יִמְשֹׁל בְּרוּחוֹ וְיִמְחֹל אַחַר הַיְּכֹלֶת לְהִנָּקֵם, מֵעֲנָוָה וְשִׁפְלוּת, יוֹרֶה עַל בֵּרוּר כְּנִיעָתוֹ.

The first of them is at the moment of his intense anger toward someone who insults him, whether in word or in deed; if he rules over his spirit and forgives, despite having the ability to take revenge, doing so out of humility and lowliness, this points to the genuineness of his submission.

וְהַשֵּׁנִי: כְּשֶׁיִּפְגָּעֵהוּ פֶּגַע בְּמָמוֹנוֹ, אוֹ יִקְרֵהוּ מִקְרֶה בִּקְרוֹבָיו, אִם יַגְבִּיר הַסֵּבֶל עַל הַחֲרָדָה, וְיִרְצֶה בִּגְזֵרַת הַבּוֹרֵא וְיַצְדִּיק אֶת דִּינוֹ, יוֹרֶה עַל כְּנִיעָתוֹ הַטּוֹבָה וְשִׁפְלוּתוֹ לֵאלֹהִים, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב עַל אַהֲרֹן בְּמָה שֶׁאֵרְעוֹ בְּמוֹת נָדָב וַאֲבִיהוּא: "וַיִּדֹּם אַהֲרֹן"; וְאָמַר דָּוִד: "דּוֹם לַה׳ וְהִתְחוֹלֵל לוֹ"; וְנֶאֱמַר: "לָכֵן הַמַּשְׂכִּיל בָּעֵת הַהִיא יִדֹּם".

The second is when he is struck with a loss in his wealth, or some calamity occurs to his relatives; if his patience and fortitude overcome his panic, and he willingly accepts the Creator's decree and justifies His judgment, this points to his proper submission and lowliness before Elokim, just as the verse says of Aharon regarding what befell him at the death of Nadav and Avihu, "And Aharon was silent," and David said, "Be silent to Hashem and wait patiently for Him," and it is said, "Therefore, he who is prudent shall keep silent at that time."

וְהַשְּׁלִישִׁי: כְּשֶׁיִּתְפַּרְסֵם עִנְיָנוֹ אֵצֶל בְּנֵי אָדָם בְּטוֹבָה אוֹ בְּרָעָה.

The third is when his affairs become known among people, whether for good or for bad.

שֶׁאִם יְשַׁבְּחוּהוּ עַל טוֹבָה שֶׁעָשָׂה, יָבֹז לִמְשַׁבְּחוֹ עָלֶיהָ, וְתִהְיֶה נְקַלָּה בְּנַפְשׁוֹ וּקְטַנָּה בְּעֵינָיו מֵהֱיוֹתָהּ מְקֻבֶּלֶת וּרְצוּיָה אֵצֶל הַבּוֹרֵא, לְקַטְנוּתָהּ נֶגֶד מָה שֶׁהוּא חַיָּב בּוֹ מִכִּפְלֵי הַטּוֹבָה הַהִיא.

For if they praise him for a good deed he performed, he will look down on the one praising him for it, and the deed will seem insignificant in his own soul and small in his eyes to be accepted and pleasing to the Creator, because of its smallness compared to the many times more service he actually owes Hashem for all the goodness He has bestowed upon him.

וְיֹאמַר לִמְשַׁבְּחוֹ: "רַב לְךָ, אָחִי, כִּי אֵינָהּ נֶגֶד עֲוֹנֹתַי אֶלָּא כְּנִיצוֹץ מִן הָאֵשׁ בַּיָּם; ואפי׳ אִם תִּהְיֶה נֶחֱשֶׁבֶת לִמְאוּמָה, אֵיךְ אֵדַע אִם הִיא נִצֶּלֶת מִפִּגְעֵי הַהֶפְסֵד הַמַּשִּׂיגִים אוֹתָהּ, עַד שֶׁיְּקַבְּלֶנָּה הַבּוֹרֵא מִמֶּנִּי וְלֹא יְשִׁיבֶנָּה עָלַי וְיַשְׁלִיכֶנָּה בְּפָנַי, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: 'כִּי תָבֹאוּ לֵרָאוֹת פָּנָי מִי בִקֵּשׁ זֹאת וְגוֹ׳', וְאָמַר: 'לֹא תוֹסִיפוּ הָבִיא מִנְחַת שָׁוְא וְגוֹ׳'?".

And he will say to the one praising him: "Enough, my brother! For compared to my sins, this deed is like a single spark of fire in the sea. And even if it were to be considered of some value, how do I know if it was saved from the spiritual defects that ruin a mitzvah, so that the Creator will accept it from me and not return it to me and throw it back in my face, as it is written, 'When you come to appear before Me, who requested this of you, to trample My courts?' and it says, 'Bring no more vain meal-offerings...'?"

NoteThe "spiritual defects" refer to insincerity, pride, or seeking honor, which the author discussed in Gate 5 (Shaar Yichud HaMaaseh).

כָּל שֶׁכֵּן אִם יְשַׁבְּחֶנּוּ בְּשֶׁקֶר, שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לְהַרְחִיק הַדָּבָר הַהוּא מֵעַצְמוֹ, וְיֹאמַר לַמְּסַפֵּר: "דַּי לִי (ס״א: לְךָ) אָחִי בְּקִצּוּרִי בְּמָה שֶׁאֲנִי חַיָּב בּוֹ לַבּוֹרֵא, אַל תְּקַבֵּץ עָלַי עֲוֹן קִצּוּרִי וַעֲוֹן הַשֶּׁבַח בְּמָה שֶׁלֹּא עָשִׂיתִי, כִּי אֲנִי יוֹדֵעַ עֲוֹנֹתַי וּפִשְׁעִי יוֹתֵר מִמְּךָ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר דָּוִד ע״ה: 'כִּי פְשָׁעַי אֲנִי אֵדָע'".

How much more so if someone praises him falsely, where he must reject that praise from himself and say to the speaker: "It is bad enough, my brother, that I fall short in my obligations to the Creator; do not add to my account the sin of my shortcomings together with the sin of accepting praise for what I did not do! For I know my sins and my transgressions better than you do, as David, peace be upon him, said: 'For I know my transgressions.'"

וְאִם יִזְכֹּר בְּרָעָה שֶׁעָשָׂה, יוֹדֶה עַל נַפְשׁוֹ בְּקִצּוּרוֹ, וְאַל יַחֲזֹר אַחַר אֲמַתְלָאוֹת לְהִנָּקוֹת מִמֶּנָּה וּלְזַכּוֹת עַצְמוֹ, כמ״ש יְהוּדָה: "צָדְקָה מִמֶּנִּי"; וְאַל יִשְׁתַּדֵּל לְהַכְלִים (ס״א: לְהַכְחִישׁ) הַמְסַפֵּר, וְאַל יַאֲשִׁימֶנּוּ עַל אֲשֶׁר גִּלָּה אוֹתוֹ.

And if someone mentions a bad deed that he actually did, he should admit his shortcoming and not search for excuses to clear himself of it and justify himself, just as Yehudah said, "She is more righteous than I"; and he should not try to embarrass or deny the speaker, nor blame him for exposing him.

אֲבָל יֹאמַר לוֹ: "אָחִי, מָה שִׁעוּר מָה שֶׁהִשְׁקַפְתָּ עָלַי מֵרֹעַ מַעֲשַׂי אֵצֶל מָה שֶׁלֹּא יָדַעְתָּ מִמֶּנִּי, אֲשֶׁר הֶאֱרִיךְ לִי הַבּוֹרֵא סִתְרוֹ בָּהֶם? וְאִלּוּ הָיָה נִגְלֶה לְךָ רֹעַ מַעֲשַׂי וַעֲוֹנֹתַי, הָיִיתָ בּוֹרֵחַ מִמֶּנִּי וּמְפַחֵד מֵעֹנֶשׁ הַבּוֹרֵא עֲלֵיהֶם, כמ״ש אֶחָד מִן הַמְּשׁוֹרְרִים: 'חֲטָאַי לוּ יְרִיחוּן בָּם שְׁכֵנַי, אֲזַי בָּרְחוּ וְרָחֲקוּ מִן גְּבוּלִי', וְאָמַר אִיּוֹב: 'אִם כִּסִּיתִי כְאָדָם פְּשָׁעָי'".

Rather, he should say to him: "My brother, how small is the bad you have observed in my deeds compared to what you do not know about me, which the Creator in His patience has kept hidden? If the bad of my deeds and my sins were revealed to you, you would flee from me, fearing that the Creator's punishment for them would strike you too, as one of the poets said: 'If my neighbors could smell my sins, they would flee and keep far from my border,' and Iyov said: 'Did I cover my transgressions like Adam?'"

וְאִם מָה שֶׁסִּפְּרוּ עָלָיו שֶׁקֶר, יֹאמַר לַמְּסַפֵּר: "אָחִי, אֵין מִן הַתֵּמַהּ מָה שֶׁהִצִּילָנִי הַבּוֹרֵא מֵעֲשׂוֹת מָה שֶׁתָּלִיתָ בִּי אֵצֶל רֹב הַטּוֹבוֹת אֲשֶׁר גְּמָלַנִי, אַךְ הַתֵּמַהּ סִתְרוֹ עָלַי בְּמָה שֶׁהוּא יוֹתֵר מְגֻנֶּה וְגָדוֹל מְאֹד מִמָּה שֶׁסִּפַּרְתָּ עָלַי; הֶרֶף, אָחִי, וַחֲמֹל עַל זְכוּיוֹתֶיךָ שֶׁלֹּא תֹּאבַדְנָה מִמְּךָ וְלֹא תַּרְגִּישׁ".

And if what they said about him is false, he should say to the speaker: "My brother, it is not surprising that the Creator saved me from doing what you accuse me of, considering the abundance of goodness He has bestowed upon me. What is truly surprising is His keeping hidden far worse and greater faults of mine than what you have spoken about! Stop, my brother, and have pity on your own merits, lest you lose them without even realizing it."

כִּי כְּבָר נֶאֱמַר עַל אֶחָד מִן הַחֲסִידִים שֶׁזָּכְרוּ אוֹתוֹ לְרָעָה, וְכֵיוָן שֶׁהִגִּיעוֹ הַדָּבָר, שָׁלַח לַמְּדַבֵּר בּוֹ כְּלִי מָלֵא מִזִּמְרַת אַרְצוֹ, וְכָתַב אֵלָיו: "הִגִּיעַנִי שֶׁשָּׁלַחְתָּ לִי מִנְחָה מִזְּכוּיוֹתֶיךָ, וּגְמַלְתִּיךָ בָּזֶה".

For it was already told of one of the pious men that someone spoke badly of him, and when the matter reached him, he sent the speaker a vessel filled with the choicest fruits of his land, and wrote to him: "I have been informed that you sent me a gift of your spiritual merits, so I have rewarded you with this."

וְאָמַר אֶחָד מִן הַחֲסִידִים: "הַרְבֵּה בְּנֵי אָדָם יָבוֹאוּ לְיוֹם הַחֶשְׁבּוֹן, וּכְשֶׁמַּרְאִים לָהֶם מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם, יִמְצְאוּ בְּסֵפֶר זְכֻיוֹתָם זְכוּיוֹת שֶׁלֹּא עָשׂוּ אוֹתָם, וְיֹאמְרוּ: 'לֹא עָשִׂינוּ אוֹתָם'; וְיֵאָמֵר לָהֶם: 'עָשָׂה אוֹתָם אֲשֶׁר דִּבֵּר בָּכֶם וְסִפֵּר בִּגְנוּתְכֶם'.

And another of the pious men said: "Many people will come to the Day of Reckoning, and when they are shown their deeds, they will find in the book of their merits good deeds that they did not perform. They will say, 'We did not do these!' and it will be said to them, 'The one who spoke against you and related your disparagement performed them.'

NoteThis refers to the spiritual reality that speaking lashon hara transfers the speaker's merits to the victim.

וְכֵן כְּשֶׁיֶּחְסַר מִסְפַּר זְכוּיוֹת הַמְסַפְּרִים בִּגְנוּתָם, יְבַקְשׁוּ אוֹתוֹ בָּעֵת הַהִיא, וְיֵאָמֵר לָהֶם: 'אָבְדוּ מִכֶּם בְּעֵת שֶׁדִּבַּרְתֶּם בִּפְלוֹנִי וּפְלוֹנִי'.

And likewise, when the count of merits of those who spoke disparagingly is missing, they will search for them at that time, and it will be said to them, 'You lost them at the time you spoke against so-and-so.'

וְכֵן יֵשׁ מֵהֶם גַּם כֵּן שֶׁיִּמְצְאוּ בַּסֵּפֶר חוֹבוֹתָם חוֹבוֹת שֶׁלֹּא עָשׂוּ, וּכְשֶׁאוֹמְרִים: 'לֹא עֲשִׂינוּן', יֵאָמֵר לָהֶם: 'נוֹסְפוּ עֲלֵיכֶם בַּעֲבוּר פְּלוֹנִי וּפְלוֹנִי שֶׁדִּבַּרְתֶּם בָּם', כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: 'וְהָשֵׁב לִשְׁכֵנֵינוּ שִׁבְעָתַיִם אֶל חֵיקָם חֶרְפָּתָם אֲשֶׁר חֵרְפוּךָ ה׳'.

And likewise, some of them will also find in the book of their liabilities sins that they did not commit, and when they say, 'We did not do these,' it will be said to them, 'They were added to you because of so-and-so whom you spoke against,' as it is said: 'And return to our neighbors sevenfold into their bosom their reproach with which they reproached You, Hashem.'

וְעַל זֶה הִזְהִירָנוּ הַכָּתוּב בְּאָמְרוֹ: 'זָכוֹר אֵת אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ לְמִרְיָם בַּדֶּרֶךְ'".

And regarding this, the verse warns us by saying: 'Remember what Hashem your Elokim did to Miriam on the way.'"

וְהָרְבִיעִי: כְּשֶׁיֵּיטִיב לוֹ הָאֵל בְּטוֹבָה גְּדוֹלָה, וּבְחָכְמָה יְתֵרָה וּתְבוּנָה רַבָּה, אוֹ עֹשֶׁר גָּדוֹל, אוֹ כָּבוֹד אֵצֶל הַמַּלְכוּת, וְהַדּוֹמֶה לָזֶה מִמַּה שֶׁנָּהֲגוּ בְּנֵי אָדָם לְהִתְפָּאֵר בָּהֶם וּלְהִתְגָּאוֹת בַּעֲבוּרָם, וְיִשָּׁאֵר עַל עִנְיַן שִׁפְלוּתוֹ קֹדֶם לָכֵן, וְלֹא הוֹסִיף אֶלָּא עֲנָוָה וְשִׁפְלוּת לִפְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים וְכָבוֹד וְטוֹבָה לִבְנֵי אָדָם.

The fourth is when Hashem bestows upon him a great benefit, such as exceptional wisdom, great understanding, immense wealth, honor from the government, or similar things that people usually use to boast and become haughty, and yet he remains in his state of lowliness just as before, only increasing in humility and lowliness before Elokim, and showing honor and goodness to other people.

כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר אַבְרָהָם עֵת שֶׁשִּׁבְּחוֹ הַבּוֹרֵא וְאָמַר: 'הַמְכַסֶּה אֲנִי מֵאַבְרָהָם וְגוֹ׳' - 'וְאָנֹכִי עָפָר וָאֵפֶר'; וְאָמַר מֹשֶׁה: 'וְנַחְנוּ מָה'; וְאָמַר דָּוִד ע״ה: 'וְאָנֹכִי תוֹלַעת וְלֹא אִישׁ'.

Just as Avraham said when the Creator praised him and said, 'Shall I hide from Avraham...', and he said, 'And I am but dust and ashes'; and Moshe said, 'And what are we?'; and David, peace be upon him, said, 'But I am a worm and not a man.'

אָז יִתְבָּרֵר מַצְפּוּנוֹ וְתֵאָמֵן כְּנִיעָתוֹ; וְאָמַר הֶחָכָם בָּעִנְיָן הַזֶּה: 'אִם רוּחַ הַמּוֹשֵׁל תַּעֲלֶה עָלֶיךָ וְגוֹ׳'.

At such a time, his inner thoughts are clarified and his submission is proven true; and the wise man said regarding this matter: 'If the spirit of the ruler rises up against you, do not leave your place...'

וְהַחֲמִישִׁי: כְּשֶׁהוּא מוֹכִיחַ אֶת נַפְשׁוֹ, וְנוֹתֵן דִּין הַבּוֹרֵא מֵעַצְמוֹ, אעפ״י שֶׁאֵין יְכֹלֶת לָדִין עַל זֶה, תִּתְבָּרֵר כְּנִיעָתוֹ לֵאלֹהִים וְשִׁפְלוּתוֹ וְשַׁחוּתוֹ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: 'אֲנַחְנוּ מָעַלְנוּ בֵּאלֹהֵינוּ וְגוֹ׳', וְנֶאֱמַר: 'וַיִּתְּנוּ יָדָם לְהוֹצִיא נְשֵׁיהֶם'.

The fifth is when he rebukes himself and accepts the Creator's justice upon himself of his own accord, even though there is no human authority with the power to enforce this judgment on him; this clarifies his submission to Elokim, his lowliness, and his humility, as it is written: 'We have trespassed against our Elokim...', and it says: 'And they gave their hand to send away their wives.'

NoteThis refers to taking responsibility and correcting one's spiritual wrongs voluntarily, even when there is no external pressure or court forcing one to do so.

וְעִם הַמְּאֹרָעִים הָאֵלֶּה וְהַדּוֹמִים לָהֶם, יִתְקַיְּמוּ סִימָנֵי הַכְּנִיעָה לָאֵל יִתְעַלֶּה וְהַשִּׁפְלוּת מִן הַנִּכְנָעִים, וְתֵרָאֶה אֱמוּנַת לְבָבָם בָּהֶם.

Through these situations and others similar to them, the signs of submission to Hashem, may He be exalted, and the lowliness of the humble will be established, and the sincerity of their hearts in these traits will be made manifest.