How Important It Is to Be M'chabed Ourselves and Others
As much as I talk about the Ma'ala of Bizyonos and how important it was in Novardok, you have to realize that every Midda has an opposite side to it. There is a story with the Netziv where a Yid didn’t care about writing a letter in a way that he would be M'vazeh himself. The Netziv was white in the face and very disturbed by this.
The Gemara makes certain people who are M'vazeh themselves: פָסוּל לְעֵדוּת (disqualified to serve as a witness) because they lack basic shame. וּבְהֵיכָלוֹ כֻּלּוֹ אֹמֵר כָבוֹד (Tehillim 29:9) – In Hashem’s palace, there is total Kavod. The whole Tzara of Amalek is their cheapening life. Nothing counts or matters, and before you turn around, human life is also cheap. No fear and Yiras Shamayim. Just live a base, Hefker (unrestricted) “who cares?”, Treife, Goyishe life!
How important it is to be M'chabed ourselves and others. A Tzelem Elokim! To value our Torah and our words and actions, and not belittle our even slight efforts in a positive direction. This minimal is also the source of the greatness of Simcha. The only reason that the Torah mentions for the giant horrific Tochacha (the horrible punishments mentioned at length in Parshas Ki Savo), is: תַּחַת אֲשֶׁר לֹא עָבַדְתָּ אֶת ה' אֱלֹקֶיךָ בְּשִׂמְחָה וּבְטוּב לֵבָב (Devarim 28:47) – having no Simcha.
The Orchos Tzaddikim says that you get 1000 times more Schar if a Mitzva is done B'simcha. The Gemara says that the reason for the Churban was: שֶלֹּא בֵּרְכוּ בַּתוֹרָה תְחִלָּה (Nedarim 81a) – they did not say a Bracha before learning Torah, which the Ran explains that they didn’t value and appreciate their own Torah. Dovid HaMelech said that Doeg HaEdomi shouldn’t get any Olam HaBah and Hashem listened to him. Doeg was a massive Talmid Chochom who was bigger than everyone.
Perhaps we can explain based on Chazal who say that Dovid learned for ½ the night, and sang the other ½ of the night. And what was he singing about? He sang in thankfulness and appreciation for the Torah he learned during the first half of the night. (R' Zundel of Salant Zatzal). Doeg is a Lashon of: דְאָגָה worry, and perhaps he was missing in his appreciation and Simcha of his own Torah! Just as: שֶלֹּא בֵּרְכוּ...
