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The sages teach: "Jealousy, greed, and honor remove a person from the world." Great difficulties have come to the world on account of the pursuit of honor. What caused Korah and all of his followers to be destroyed? Their desire for personal honor. It is an explicit verse: "Do you also seek the priesthood?" (Numbers 16:10). The sages say that the entire argument of Korah was due to the fact that he saw that Elitzafan ben Uziel was a prince. Korah wanted to be prince instead of him.
According to our sages, personal honor is what caused the spies to slander the land of Israel. They were worried that they would lose their honored status when Israel entered the land, for they would be replaced as presidents by others. This led to their own death and the death of the entire generation because it is what caused the Sin of the Spies, the evil report of the land of Israel.
Pathways in Personality Development (52)
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed
24 - 24. Jealousy
25 - 25. The Pursuit of Honor
26 - 26. abstinence and Permissible Pleasures
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Were it not for the pursuit of honor, people would be know how to be satisfied with what they have. Their livelihood come easily and they would not have to struggle and labor to raise their living standard all the time. However, people are unwilling to lag behind others. The desire for honor does not allow them to appear less than others.
Some people will bear the disgrace of hunger and receive charity from others before they stoop down to accept work that does not meet their standard of personal honor. They think that if they deal in simple labor their honor will be damaged. But the opposite is true.
This, however, is not true honor. The sages have already spoken about this matter, saying (Avot 1:10): "Love work and hate acting the superior," and (Pesachim 113a) "Skin a carcass in the marketplace and do not say 'I am an important person,' or 'I am a Cohen.'" It is preferable to deal in abject work and to make a living than to be idle and to be dependent on others. They also say (Baba Batra 110a): "A person should forever be ready to do work that is strange to him and not become dependent upon the public."
In sum, honor is one of man's greatest stumbling blocks, and it is impossible for a person to serve God and to be a truly faithful servant so long as he is worried about his own honor. The sages teach (Avot 6:3): "There is no honor but Torah, as it says: 'The wise shall inherit honor'" (Proverbs 3:35). Anything else is seeming, delusive honor, utterly meaningless and worthless, and one should cleanse himself of it completely.
Indeed, it is not at all simple to clean oneself of the desire for honor, but it is possible, and one needs to keep in mind that it is not as difficult as it seems at first sight. One who overcomes this trait in fact frees himself from bondage and attains happiness.
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Some of the the translated biblical verses and talmudic sources in the above article were taken from, or based upon, Davka's Soncino Judaic Classics Library (CD-Rom).
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 8- "Answering Questions on the Kuzari's Proof from Mass Revelation
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Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 9 - "Seeing is Believing" (parag. 21-30)
These paragraphs elaborate on the theme that seeing and knowing is better than any attempt to prove logically, and begins explaining the difference between Israel and gentiles.
Ein Aya Various Universal Stages of the Geula Process
Rav Kook examines the various stages of redemption, explaining how (in addition to the obvious oft-mentioned stages of ingathering the exiles, reviving the Hebrew language, army, state etc.) the messianic dream of world prosperity, the State of Israel and world unity can and are realistically and logically gradually coming true.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 8- "Answering Questions on the Kuzari's Proof from Mass Revelation
How do we know that the "claim" of mass revelation to 2,000,000 witnesses at Mt. Sinai is really true? This important class answers all of the questions skeptics ask about this claim of the Kuzari.
Ein Aya Armies Still Necessary for Balance & the War Against Wars
Rav Kook explains why the world was originally divided into the various seemingly contradicting ideologies and cultures, in order to develop each one respectively. Swords or armies symbolize how each respective ideology defends themselves, as well as deters their opposing ideologies and cultures. On the other hand, the messianic era will be one of peace, and Rav Kook explains the transition to that stage, which mankind is already undergoing.
The Land of Israel LGBT'S IN ISRAEL
The question was asked, how can one make Aliyah with the LGBT parades?
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 7 - Five Accumulative Proofs of G-d
As a preparation for the Kuzari's classic proof of G-d from the mass-revelation at Sinai, we start here with 5 other directions to strengthen our belief which also contribute to what the Kuzari will present as well.
Ein Aya Muscle & Meaning: The Dual Nature of Gevurah (Physical Strength)
Is physical strength and fitness a necessity or an ideal? Although it if often totally overlooked among topics of Judaism, Rav Kook writes that it clearly is also a necessity to deter the many enemies of Israel, but even in Y'mot HaMashiach, in the Messianic era, to a certain extent, it's ideal continues even after our enemies will have been finished off.
