HONOR People should minimize their own dignity and give as much honor as they can to the Creator. One should avoid honor and make no attempt to win people’s admiration. Then he will be worthy of receiving honor from God, and no one will raise questions about whether he is really entitled to the respect he enjoys. But someone who chases after the respect and admiration of his fellow men will never be worthy of God’s honor. Even if he does attain a position of respect, people will constantly look at him askance and want to know who he is that he should be accorded such respect (Likutey Moharan I, 6:1).
כָּבוֹד וּגְדוּלָּה וְמַנְהִיגוּת
א. צָרִיךְ כָּל אָדָם לְמַעֵט בִּכְבוֹד עַצְמוֹ וּלְהַרְבּוֹת בִּכְבוֹד הַמָּקוֹם. וְלֹא יִהְיֶה רוֹדֵף אַחַר הַכָּבוֹד, רַק יִבְרַח מִן הַכָּבוֹד, וַאֲזַי הוּא זוֹכֶה לְכָבוֹד אֱלֹקִי. וְאָז אֵין בְּנֵי אָדָם חוֹקְרִים עַל כְּבוֹדוֹ אִם הוּא רָאוּי אִם לָאו. אֲבָל מִי שֶׁרוֹדֵף אַחַר הַכָּבוֹד אֵינוֹ זוֹכֶה לְכָבוֹד אֱלֹקִי. וְעַל־כֵּן אֲפִלּוּ כְּשֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ כָּבוֹד, הַכֹּל חוֹקְרִים אַחֲרָיו וְשׁוֹאֲלִים, מִי הוּא זֶה וְאֵיזֶהוּ שֶׁחוֹלְקִים לוֹ כָּבוֹד הַזֶּה. וְחוֹלְקִים עָלָיו, שֶׁאוֹמְרִים שֶׁאֵינוֹ רָאוּי לַכָּבוֹד הַזֶּה: (לק"א סי' ו' אות א')
HONOR
People should minimize their own dignity and give as much honor as they can to the Creator. One should avoid honor and make no attempt to win people’s admiration. Then he will be worthy of receiving honor from God, and no one will raise questions about whether he is really entitled to the respect he enjoys. But someone who chases after the respect and admiration of his fellow men will never be worthy of God’s honor. Even if he does attain a position of respect, people will constantly look at him askance and want to know who he is that he should be accorded such respect (Likutey Moharan I, 6:1).