In a conversation regarding Tomar Devorah, by Rabbi Moses Cordovero, we came across a very disturbing passage regarding a method for removing pride:
"Now I have found a cure by which a man can accustom himself to these things little by little so that he may be cured of the disease of pride and enter the gates of humility. This ointment is made up of three balms. The first is that he accustom himself to flee honor as much as possible, for if he allows honor to be paid him he will become attuned to such matters of pride and his nature will find satisfaction in it and he will find it difficult to be cured. The second is that he should train his thoughts to appraise his own worthiness, saying: "What does it matter if people do not know how despicable I am, do I not know myself that I am despicable in this and that thing?" whether in lack of knowledge, or lack of power, the disgrace of eating and of excrement, and so forth, until he becomes despicable in his own eyes. The third is that he constantly think on his sins, desiring purity and rebuke and suffering. And he should say: "What are the best sufferings in the world, which will not deter me from God's service?' There are none better than that he be insulted, despised and railed against. For these will not withold his strength from him and he will not be sick. Nor will his food and clothing be witheld nor his life nor the lives of his sons. If so he should actually desire them saying: "Why should I fast and afflict by myself with sackcloth and flagellation which weaken my strength for God's service that I bring them upon myself? It is far better that I suffer men's contempt and insult that my strength does not depart and is not weakened.' In this way when insults are meted out to him he will rejoice in them and, on the contrary, desire them. From these three ingredients he should compound and ointment for the heart and accustom himself to this all his days (chapter 2 - Keter)."
For those used to Western ways of thinking, the idea of self-degradation seems quite dangerous. It might lead to things as extreme as self-mutilation or even suicide. How do we, as contemporary Jews, view a passage like this? Can we simply ignore this recommendation for removing pride, or is there a different way to read this passage? Someone suggested that the passage, being written in question form, never tells a person to personalize the answers. Merely asking the questions might be enough.
Personally, I have trouble with even asking the questions, for they can lead to answers, thus beginning the vicious cycle. However, it is part of our daily liturgy, for during the Korbanot part of the service, there is a paragraph which contains questions like, 'Who are we?' 'What are our lives?' The primary question is, can we pick and choose what we like from ethical works, or do we need to choose one path and see it through, even if it might go against modern conceptions of the human psyche?
"Now I have found a cure by which a man can accustom himself to these things little by little so that he may be cured of the disease of pride and enter the gates of humility. This ointment is made up of three balms. The first is that he accustom himself to flee honor as much as possible, for if he allows honor to be paid him he will become attuned to such matters of pride and his nature will find satisfaction in it and he will find it difficult to be cured. The second is that he should train his thoughts to appraise his own worthiness, saying: "What does it matter if people do not know how despicable I am, do I not know myself that I am despicable in this and that thing?" whether in lack of knowledge, or lack of power, the disgrace of eating and of excrement, and so forth, until he becomes despicable in his own eyes. The third is that he constantly think on his sins, desiring purity and rebuke and suffering. And he should say: "What are the best sufferings in the world, which will not deter me from God's service?' There are none better than that he be insulted, despised and railed against. For these will not withold his strength from him and he will not be sick. Nor will his food and clothing be witheld nor his life nor the lives of his sons. If so he should actually desire them saying: "Why should I fast and afflict by myself with sackcloth and flagellation which weaken my strength for God's service that I bring them upon myself? It is far better that I suffer men's contempt and insult that my strength does not depart and is not weakened.' In this way when insults are meted out to him he will rejoice in them and, on the contrary, desire them. From these three ingredients he should compound and ointment for the heart and accustom himself to this all his days (chapter 2 - Keter)."
For those used to Western ways of thinking, the idea of self-degradation seems quite dangerous. It might lead to things as extreme as self-mutilation or even suicide. How do we, as contemporary Jews, view a passage like this? Can we simply ignore this recommendation for removing pride, or is there a different way to read this passage? Someone suggested that the passage, being written in question form, never tells a person to personalize the answers. Merely asking the questions might be enough.
Personally, I have trouble with even asking the questions, for they can lead to answers, thus beginning the vicious cycle. However, it is part of our daily liturgy, for during the Korbanot part of the service, there is a paragraph which contains questions like, 'Who are we?' 'What are our lives?' The primary question is, can we pick and choose what we like from ethical works, or do we need to choose one path and see it through, even if it might go against modern conceptions of the human psyche?
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