Trying To Imitate Avoda from a Different Dor Can Get You into Big Trouble

Trying To Imitate Avoda from a Different Dor Can Get You into Big Trouble

Sometimes you can get into big trouble trying to imitate Avoda from a different Dor or a different mentality. A Menahel (principal) once told a staff member: “You're a Tzaddik, and I'm just a plain person”. The staff member told him: "By calling me a Tzaddik, you gave me lots of stress, since now I have to live up this title".

“To yourself, you gave a relaxed and an easy life, since you don't look at yourself like a special person". There are people who thrive off being called a Tzaddik, or a nice person, or a smart person. Some people are much happier when they see themselves as plain nobodies. A person read my Bitachon Weekly, and he questioned my telling people to relax and to eat pickles. "R' Chaim Kanievsky Zatzal didn't do that! Isn't he the example for Klal Yisroel??"

I replied that there are 12 Shevotim, and each have totally different Avodas Hashem. For a nervous wreck, who isn't capable of learning like R' Chaim, it could be the biggest Mitzva to eat and enjoy life. And indeed, for R' Chaim, perhaps it would be a serious sin. Many years ago, building yourself up could have been a serious sin of Ga'ava. Today, it could be a true big Mitzva. You'll get plenty of Schar for calling yourself a big Tzaddik, for being Dan yourself L'kaf Zechus, and for loving yourself more than anyone else! Besides the fact that this could be Pikuach Nefesh Mamash, it is also a Mitzva of breaking Middos and going against your Tevah (nature(. אַשְׁרֵי חֶלְקְךָ! Fortunate is your lot! It's an even bigger Mitzva, since you don't have that good feeling of being a Tzaddik. When a depressed type of person sins, he needs to defend himself and say: כָּל הַגָּדוֹל מֵחַבֵרוֹ יִצְרוֹ גָדוֹל הֵימֶנוּ : סוכה נב א the greater the person, the greater is his Yetzer Hara. And when people praise him, he doesn't say "I just lost my Olam HaBah with all this Kavod".

Those who dream for Madregos that aren't for them, they are in the hands of the Yetzer Hara who thrives on getting everyone depressed for not becoming R' Elyashiv, the Satmar Rebbe, R' Ahron Kotler Zatzal, & all those energetic and talented people who are so admired by the whole world

The Eifod and Choshen were the only parts of the Mishkan and Bigdei Kehuna that had gold threads. They had the 12 Shevotim, and symbolize the uniqueness of each individual Shevet, and this is truly gold