The corrupting effect of arrogance TB Baba Batra 98

 Tomorrow night begins Rosh Hashanah 5785. As we enter the new year, today’s daf TB Baba Batra 98 gives us a little musar. Musar provides us guidelines how to initiate our hearts to better ourselves and the world, drawing on a body of ancient teachings develop just for this purpose.[1]

Rav Ḥiyya bar Yosef, as Rav Ḥiyya bar Yosef believes that a person’s arrogant attitude causes wine to spoil and become vinegar. The purchaser has no one to blame but himself when he buys wine that turns bad. “Rav Ḥiyya bar Yosef says: With regard to wine, it is the owner’s poor fortune that causes the wine to go sour, as it is stated: “And moreover, wine is a treacherous dealer; the haughty man abides not” (Habakkuk 2:5), which is interpreted to mean that the wine of a haughty man will betray him, as it will sour as a punishment for his arrogance. Accordingly, since the wine soured after the buyer purchased it, he cannot place the blame upon the seller.” (Safaria.org translation)

“The Gemara offers additional homiletic interpretations of the verse just cited. Rav Mari said: One who is haughty is not accepted even by the members of his household, as it is stated: “The haughty man abides not” (Habakkuk 2:5). What does the phrase “abides [yinveh] not” mean? It means that even in his abode [naveh], he is not accepted.

“Rav Yehuda says that Rav says: With regard to anyone who glorifies himself by wearing a garment of the style worn by a Torah scholar, but in reality he is not a Torah scholar, he will not be brought within the boundary of the Holy One, Blessed be He, in the World-to-Come. This is alluded to by the fact that it is written in the verse here: “Abides [yinveh] not,” and the meaning of the word yinveh may be derived from that which is written in a verse there: “To Your holy habitation [neveh]” (Exodus 15:13).” (Safaria.org translation)

Our tradition has always considered  arrogance or conceit as a spiritual impediment. Psalms 5:5 makes this point explicitly, “The arrogant cannot stand in Your presence; You hate all who do wrong.”

 “Rabbi Rafael of Barshad told a story that captures  just how unfitting it is to think overly highly of oneself :  ‘When I get to heaven,  they’ll ask me, why didn’t you learn more Torah? And I’ll tell them that I wasn’t bright enough. Then they’ll ask me, why didn’t you do more kind deeds for others?  And I’ll tell them that I was physically weak. Then they’ll ask me,  why did you give more to charity? And I’ll tell them that I didn’t have enough money for that. And then they’ll ask me: If you were so stupid, week and poor, why were you so arrogant? And for that I will have an answer.”[2]

If you define humility as being nothing and worthless, then too much humility is just as bad. Every human individual created in God’s image is special, unique, and deserving of respect. I like Rabbi Abraham Twersky’s definition of humility. A humble person says I have not yet reached my full human potential.

As we enter Rosh Hashanah 5785, we would do well by curbing our arrogant tendencies by walking humbly before God.

Shanah Tovah

 

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[1] Everyday Holiness by Alan Morinis, page 4

[2] Ibid., page 47-8