Coming to Eretz Yisroel is loaded with unending goodness; taking over homes and cities and vineyards and all kinds of loads of goodness that we didn’t have to produce. The Canaanim did the work, and we just moved in since it was all ready-made for us. This is a major danger; i.e., when everything is spoon-fed to you and you are loaded with שָׁבְדוּ בָלָח תַבָז ץֶרֶא a land flowing with milk and honey. You lose that “broken soul” side of you, which brings you closer to Hashem.
Look how the Torah has to warn: תֶא ָתְּחַכָשְׁו ˃ֶבָבְל םָרְו 'ה די ח בקע you may become a Baal Ga'ava, and forget Hashem. Moshe Rabeinu was: ןוֹשָׁל דַבְכוּ הֶפּ דַבְכ ַו לַרֲﬠםִיָתָפְשׂ handicapped in the area of his mouth, tongue, and lips, 3 different major Chesronos in speech. Punkt in the area that every leader must have! Such a person is broken, and he relies on Hashem more and more. I once had a talk with R' Yehuda Jacobs Zatzal about how when people are learning Shaar HaBitachon, that’s a sign that something in that person’s life is not going well.
/ You feel like a nebach. / You’re full of anxiety. / You had bad relationships back home. / You’re lacking in Kishronos (ability). / You have “rough edges” in your personality. / You are weak physically or mentally. / You’re suffering with your Parsha of Shalom Bayis. / Aggravation from your kids. / You have a mental block in your learning. / You’re too quiet and depressive. / You have no friends. / People aren’t Machshiv you. / You aren’t so Ehrlich or honest or Oisgehalten (trustworthy) in your business dealings. / Your family wants you out. / You’re that black sheep. / You’re forgetful. / You aren’t M’sudar. / You have a bad reputation. / You have an issue with Ka'as or Ta'ava or jealousy. / You eat too much. / You aren’t “one of the boys”. / You’re too frum or too rigid or too modern. / You’re in the wrong community. / Your physical appearance makes you self-conscious. / You have no self-esteem. / You never really became what you could have become and all kinds of difficulties.
Believe it or not, these are examples of leadership qualities, since they bring you close to Hashem. Look at Moshe, Yosef, and Dovid; all were away from home because they got into trouble.
Being Inadequate Is a Bracha in Disguise, but “Having It All” Can Be a Grave Danger
And Yehoshua was very weak in learning and they called him a Tipesh (fool)! (Chazal). One of the famous shortcomings these days is not being M’sudar’dik (organized). And it can cause havoc on your productivity. People are annoyed with you, and they are right! Do you know who was 100% M’sudar’dik? The cruel, wicked Amaleki Germans! By them, everything was done with efficiency and order and professionalism. And Hitler, Y'mach Sh'mo, was a fantastic speaker! And they were very intelligent and capable, Y'mach Sh'mam! (P.S. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try to improve!)
Remember how Moshe Rabeinu had constant difficulties, like when he said: עוֹ ד יִנֻלָקְסוּ טַﬠְמ בשלח יז ד They are on the verge of stoning me! And: םֶכְביִרְו םֶכֲאַשַּׂמוּ םֶכֲחְרָט יִדַּבְל אָשֶּׂא הָכיֵא בי א םירבד How can I deal with the everyone’s squabbling all by myself? This is the normal mode, since Moshe is an example for the Klal. So don’t think that there is something wrong with you. On the contrary! It is a Ma'ala to have those unwanted issues and weaknesses. They save you from becoming an arrogant Amaleki type, Rachmana Litzlan!
Being Impressed by Scary or Important or Talented People Diminishes Your Self-Worth
Twice the Torah calls Avoda Zara: הָתָחְשַׁה destruction. When you get carried away by the greatness of certain people and other fascinating creations of Hashem, you are destroying yourself, Chas V'shalom. You are a Tzelem Elokim, and when you focus your Hispa'alus mode on scary or important or talented people (or the fascinating sun and moon and stars and any creation), then you diminish your self-worth.
םָדָאָבּ חַטְבִי רֶשֲׁא רֶבֶגַּה רוּרָא ירמיה יז ה Cursed is the man who has Bitachon in a human. Getting impressed and worshipping anything outside Hashem is a form of Avoda Zara, which pulls you down. It makes a person cheap, since he forgets Hashem who created everything. A person himself is the: ֵנ ֶז ַה ר ְבּ ִר ָאיה crown of creation, and he is M'chuyav to respect himself. Birds, animals, fish, people, celestial bodies; they can all become forms of Avoda Zara. Just because you enjoy “nature” doesn’t mean that it’s giving you Yiras Shamayim.
The evil Germans were fascinated with “nature” and look what they did to the world! When you see the greatness of Hashem inside all His creations, then you grow. They were meant to give us Yiras Shamayim, but if you focus only on them, then you’ve got symptoms of Avoda Zara. This includes those fascinating trees, those amazing, delicious foods, and everything! Including those wonderous airplanes and skyscrapers, and anything interesting in this universe.
