Musar su II Samuele 6:27

Michal, for rebuking David for dancing outside before the Ark was punished by not having children during her lifetime and dying in childbirth (Shmuel II 6:20).

Come and see the greatness of the eminence of one who upholds the Torah, and benefits a Torah scholar with his possessions and draws close to him, Scripture considering it as if he [thereby] cleaved to the Shechinah. As Chazal (Kethuvoth 111a) say on the verse (Deuteronomy 4:9): "And you that did cleave to the L-rd your G-d are all alive this day." Now is it possible for a man to cleave to the Shechinah? Is it not written (Ibid. 24): "For the L-rd your G-d is a consuming fire!" The intent is, rather, if one weds his daughter to a Torah scholar, or does business for a Torah scholar, or benefits a Torah scholar with his possessions, it is accounted to him as if he cleaved to the Shechinah." And they stated further (Ibid. 10b): "All who lodge Torah scholars in their homes and offer them of their fare are regarded by Scripture as presenters of daily ['continual'] sacrifices." And (Ibid. 63b): "R. Nechemiah opened [his discourse] in honor of the host, expounding (I Samuel 15:6): 'And Saul said to the Keni: Go, depart, go down from the midst of Amalek, lest I destroy you with him — and you have done lovingkindness with all the children of Israel': Now does this not follow a fortiori? If Yithro, who befriended Moses only for his own honor had this accorded [to his descendants, the Keni], then one who is host to a Torah scholar, and feeds him, and gives him to drink, and treats him of his possessions, how much more so!'… R. Elazar b. R. Yossi Haglili opened [his discourse] in honor of the host, expounding (II Samuel 6:11): 'And the L-rd blessed the house of Oved-Edom… because of the ark of G-d' [which he kept in his house]. Now does this not follow a fortiori? If the ark, which did not eat and did not drink — because they swept and sprinkled before it, thus [were they rewarded], then one who is host to a Torah scholar, and feeds him, and gives him to drink, and treats him of his possessions, how much more so!'"

So too in our case, for no one recognizes the illness of the evil inclination and its powers except for the Creator who created it. And He Himself cautioned us that the only remedy for it is Torah. Who then will abandon it, take something else instead and expect to live? Certainly the darkness of the physical will advance and strengthen over him level after level, without his realizing it until he finds himself immersed in evil, so distantly far from the truth that even thoughts of seeking [the truth] will not enter his heart.

Although this detrimental factor we have discussed is the most prevalent, nevertheless it is the easiest to escape from, for he who wants to escape it.

FINAL WORDS: The general principle: the desire for honor is one of the biggest stumbling blocks before a man and it is impossible to be a faithful servant to his Master all the time that he is concerned for his own honor. For then he will need to detract from the honor of heaven due to this foolishness. This is what King David, peace be unto him, said: "I shall be even less than this still and be low in my own sight" (Shmuel II 6:22).

Behold, this is the type of examination and contemplation proper for every person whose intellect is straight and not perverse. When this will become clear to him, he may be called a truly humble person, for he is humble in his heart and inner being. This is as David said to Michal: "I was lowly in my own eyes" (Shmuel II 6:22).

To what is this similar? To a pig-herder who rose to become the king. As long as he remembers his early days, it will be impossible for him to become arrogant. Likewise, when one considers that at the end of all his greatness, he will return to the earth to be food for maggots, all the more so will his pride be submitted and his roaring arrogance quieted. For what is his good and his greatness if his end is shame and dishonor?