Musar para sa Jeremias 6:15

The fourth quality is impudence. Know that the quality of impudence nullifies most of the worship of God, just as the prophet, Jeremiah, said (6:15), “They are not at all ashamed, neither know they how to blush.” For him who cannot be ashamed of his deeds before Him, the worship of God will not cleave to such a one, as Scripture says (1 Samuel 2:26), “And he increased favour both with the Lord and also with men.” Everyone who is modest before the Creator will be modest before every man. If this is so, then we can say that everyone who is impudent to men will also be impudent to the Creator. Therefore, every man must subdue his inclination to harbor this quality and remember the evil which exists in it. Let him be envious of the truly modest ones when he sees them or when he hears their praise on the tongue of every man. And if he wishes to remove this quality, let him accustom himself to humble his soul and be ashamed before all the children of man, and let him walk with bowed figure and with his eyes to the ground, and let him remember that impudence will destroy all of his service to God.

My children, know that the trait of brazenness is a quality greatly despised in the eyes of the Omnipresent, because it is like a branch of idolatry. Not only that, but because of brazen people the heavens are restrained from sending dew and rain, as it is said: “Therefore the showers have been withheld, and the latter rain has not come; yet you had the forehead of a harlot, you refused to be ashamed.” (Yirmiahu 3:3). Our Sages also said that Jerusalem was destroyed only because they had no sense of shame toward one another, as it is said: “Were they ashamed when they committed abomination? No, they were not ashamed at all, nor did they know how to blush.” (Yirmiahu 6:15). This disgraceful trait is not found among the pious and people of good deeds, but rather among the wicked, as it is said about them: “They have made their faces harder than rock.” (Yirmiahu 5:3). Our Sages further said that anyone who possesses brazenness may be called a wicked person to his face, as it is said: “A wicked man hardens his face.” (Mishlei 21:29). Anyone who has brazenness will in the end fall and be broken. And it was taught in the school of Elijah that the intimidating, the arrogant boasters, the brazen-faced, and the strong-armed, about them the verse says: “For the arms of the wicked shall be broken.”