Lessons on Pathways in Personality Development
Fear of Sin - Punishment and Loftiness
Ideally, a person should distance himself from sin due to God's loftiness. How can man, God's own handiwork, even consider acting in opposition to the will of his Creator? Such fear, fear of God's loftiness, befits wise and enlightened individuals.
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed | 5762
Fear of Sin - Punishment and Loftiness
Ideally, a person should distance himself from sin due to God's loftiness. How can man, God's own handiwork, even consider acting in opposition to the will of his Creator? Such fear, fear of God's loftiness, befits wise and enlightened individuals.
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed | Tuesday, 14 Elul 5767
51. Sanctity
Sanctity is the highest rung on the ladder of desired character traits: Torah leads to caution, caution to alacrity, alacrity to cleanliness, cleanliness to abstinence, abstinence to purity, purity to piety, piety to humility, to fear of sin, to sanctity.
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed | Monday, 8 Menachem Av 5767
49. The Components of Humility
A person should hate possessing authority but not avoid positions of authority. One should accept such positions with a desire to serve the public, not to control the public. Hence the sages tell us to “love labor and hate authority.”
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed | Sivan 5762
46. Humble and Happy
It is important to realize that a humble person is not miserable and unhappy. Neither is a conceited person happy and blissful. To the contrary, it is humility that brings happiness and bliss, while pride leads a person to misery and discontent.
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed
45. Conceit and Divine Service
God said to Israel: I treasure you, for even as I bestow greatness upon you, you humble yourselves before me. Abraham said, "I am but earth and dust." Moses and Aaron said "What are we worth?" And King David said "I am not a man - I am but a worm."
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed
44. Tales of the Sages
Reading stories about the virtuous deeds of great rabbis is a most effective way to nurture desirable character traits. Parents who wish to instill in their children a love for the Torah should give them books on the lives of the sages of Israel.
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed | Adar 5676
