Pride is usually a negative trait, but when it concerns the service of Hashem, it is praiseworthy. One should be proud of his achievements and aspire to further heights. Our Sages say that one should thank Hashem for placing him amongst those who study Torah, and King Yehoshafat is praised for taking pride in the ways of Hashem. This kind of pride does not detract from humility; it makes a person happy with good virtues, while enjoying and caring for the honor of his peers.
Feeling Proud
This pride also helps one stand strong in the face of evildoers. In such cases, a person should act proudly even if he will be suspected of arrogance. However, in material matters, he should concede to others, beyond the letter of the law. The Baal Shem Tov taught that Jews should use their pride for Torah matters and their humility for worldly matters.
The Rebbe often emphasized that the way a Jew gains respect in the eyes of others is by showing unwavering commitment to his standards. There have been people who thought that by bending their standards they would be accepted and well liked, but the outcome was the opposite. When others saw that a Jew felt inferior, they treated him as such.
The Rebbe pointed out that this message may be learned from the words of the spies (Parshat Shelach): “We were like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and so” – that is, and therefore – “we were like that in their eyes,” in the eyes of the goyim.
The Rebbe once told someone at yechidus (private audience): “the fact that many Rabbis in America don’t have beards, and that Jews flee from a community when goyim move nearby, and that land in Eretz Yisrael is being given away – these are all rooted in the same problem: the inferiority complex the Jews have with regard to goyim. If only Jewish pride would be strong, all these issues would be resolved.”
A Jewish store-owner in Crown Heights noticed that when the Rebbe walked by his store daily, he greeted his non-Jewish neighbor with a few words, whereas to him the Rebbe would simply nod his head. When he asked the Rebbe about this, the Rebbe responded, “I never bow my head to a goy.”
Standing Tall
Once, while standing before Izgadar, the King of Persia, the amora (Sage from the Talmud) Huna bar Nassan was wearing his gartl too high. Noticing this, the king reached over, personally moved it to its place, and said, “you belong to a royal and holy nation, so you must look regal.” When Huna bar Nassan shared this story with Ameimar, he replied, “with you, a verse was fulfilled: ‘Kings will be your servants.’” The Rebbe notes that when a Jew stands confidently with the Torah and is not fazed by the non-Jews around him, even kings will come to his aid.
reprinted from The Weekly Farbrengen by Merkaz Anash, on-line at TheWeeklyFarbrengen.com
