The Navi laments: זהב יועם איכה, Alas—the gold is dimmed. הטוב הכתם ישנא, the finest gold is changed. חוצות כל בראש קודש אבני תשתפכנה, Sacred stones are scattered at the head of every street (Eichah 4:1).
The Navi seems to be referring to the beautiful stones of Yerushalayim and the Beis HaMikdash. But the next pasuk sheds light on what the Navi is really referring to: בפז המסולאים היקרים ציון בני, the precious children of Tzion who are comparable to fine gold. The people of Yerushalayim were so precious and elevated—but now: יוצר ידי מעשה חרש לנבלי נחשבו איכה, alas—they’re now treated like earthen jugs. Look at the way they’re behaving... preoccupied with what others think of them. Is this a child of Tzion?! This is the greatest indication that they lack kirvas Elokim.
If this person derived pleasure from his davening, he would be disgusted by flattery and honor. If he had kirvas Elokim, he would abhor all of this foolishness.
If he would have a taste in Shemoneh Esrei, it would bother him very little what others say, and if someone would offend him, it wouldn’t hurt him at all. If someone would embarrass him, it wouldn’t require באהבה יסורים קבלת—and he wouldn’t even feel like his sins are now being forgiven. It would simply not affect him very much. For why would he care what someone else says when he’s now coming from an audience with the Ribbono shel Olam! His nefesh is filled with deveikus in Hashem, which is so much stronger than all of the silliness around him.
