We continue discussing the topic of arrogance and humility. The Gemara in Masechet Sotah makes a very powerful statement, “Anyone that has arrogance, Hashem says, ‘I cannot live with him in the same world.’” The Gemara then quotes a pasuk that says, “Someone who has haughty eyes and a wide heart, I can't handle him.”
I can't stand him, so to say, and therefore God says, “I cannot be in his presence.” It's a very, very heavy statement. The Shevet Musar, in chapter 52, says that Ga’avah was one of the causes of the destruction of the Bet Hamikdash. Firstly, because it's the source of all sin, and furthermore, because, as we said, the whole concept of the Bet Hamikdash is for God to dwell amongst us, as it says “Make a Bet Hamikdash for Me and I will dwell in them.” It doesn't say ‘dwell in it’ but ‘in them,’ meaning the Jewish people. Hashem first has to dwell in the Jewish people, and only then is there a place for Him in the mishkan. But if the people are arrogant and there's no room for God in them, that's going to cause the Bet Hamikdash’s destruction. Therefore, he says, we have to correct the sin of arrogance in order to have the Bet Hamikdash be rebuilt.
And with this, we're going to answer the question of the Chatam Sofer that was asked yesterday. The Chatam Sofer asks why the ladder, which seemingly is going high up, is a symbol of Har Sinai (Sinai has the same numerical value as Sulam/ladder). Har Sinai symbolizes humility, but the ladder seemingly symbolizes arrogance.
He answers that a ladder is a sign of humility. How so? He says, if you take a ladder and you stand it straight up, you can't walk up that ladder.
You will fall off. What do you have to do in order to be successful on a ladder? You have to put the ladder on a tilt, which means you humble the ladder, and then you're able to walk up. He says it’sthe same thing with the talents God gives us. Talents are like a ladder. If we take them and stand them up erectly, and we're in an arrogant stance, then that talent is going to cause us to fall. Rather, we are supposed to humble ourselves and bend the talent, so to say, like a ladder, and then you'll be able to go up the ladder without causing any damage.
The Shevet Musar further says about humility, that if a person is standing all day, eventually he's going to collapse. You can't stand all day. You’ll have no energy. You have to sit or lie down, and then you'll have the energy to continue. And he says, it’s the same thing in life. If you're always in that arrogant pose, always standing up, and you don't lower yourself, you're not going to be able to survive.
Furthermore, he says, if you're walking in the street and you see a jewel on the floor, you can’t get the jewel unless you bend down to pick it up. He says, in life, in order to get talents, sometimes you have to bend yourself down, humble yourself, and then you're able to acquire the talent.
These are interesting little tidbits on the concept of a ladder not being a symbol of greatness, but rather, a symbol of humility.
*Bend your ladder and then you'll be able to climb up the rungs.
There was a story with the Ben Ish Chai, that relates to another reason a ladder is a symbol of humility. There was a king whose servant had a dream that there was a ladder with a hundred rungs, and the king was on the ladder, on rung number 97. The king was all excited and he rewarded the servant with a great treasure. There was another man who was a charlatan, who decided to try the same. He said, “I had a dream that the king was on rung number 100.” But the king said, “Off with your head, you're a liar. You never had such a dream, because no one's at the top of the ladder. You're always going up.” That's why the ladder of Yaakov Avinu’s dream was going up and going down- to symbolize humility, because no one's at the top of the ladder. We're always moving up the ladder.
*As high as you are, there are more rungs to climb.
These are the different symbolisms we have of the ladder.
And one last cute one from the Sefer Gematria of Yehuda HaHassid. He says the words, “ A ladder with its feet on the ground,” has the same gematria as, “A wheel that turns in the world.”
What does that mean? The Gemara says that poverty and wealth are like a wheel that turn in the world. They don’t stay in one place. Someone could be at the top of the Ferris wheel, or at the bottom of the Ferris wheel, and with just one push the button, you flip around. That's life, and that's another reason not to be arrogant. Realize that if we push the button, the guy on the top is now all the way on the bottom.
There are techniques to remain humble, even at the top. Shlomo Hamelech wore a ring with three letters, Gimmel, Zayin, Yud- that stood for Gam Zeh Ya’avor/this tool will pass.
When he was at the top of his wealth, he said, “This too will pass.” And when at his lowest poverty, he said, “This too will pass.” That's the ladder. We're going up, we're going down. We never have one set spot. And that should cause us to be humble.
Have a wonderful day.