How one acquires it The manner to acquire the trait of submission and the way to facilitate its acquisition is for one's thoughts and reflections to be set on seven topics:
(1) The root and origin of his existence is from a putrid drop (of human seed) and blood, after they became foul and stenchful. Afterwards, he was nourished from blood of tuma, all the days of his stay in his mother's belly. Afterwards, he exited, and was weak and fragile in body and limbs. Then, he advanced from stage to stage until most of his years have passed. Afterwards, he will become ill from old age until he completes his days (dies).
One of the wise men would say on this matter: "I am amazed at how one who has passed through the pathway of urine and blood two times can be proud and haughty?" Contemplating this or similar things regarding the nature of man necessarily brings humility, as king David said: "O L-ord, what is man that You should regard him, the son of man, that You should consider him?" (Tehilim 144:3), and "Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble" (Iyov 14:1), and "But I am a worm and not a man" (Tehilim 22:7), and "How much less man, that is a worm? and the son of man, which is but a maggot?" (Iyov 25:6).
(2) When one contemplates the severity of the tribulations that befall a man in this world such as hunger and thirst, cold and heat, sickness, accidents, worries, which one has no assurance against until death. When an understanding person puts all this to heart, and he realizes how weak he is, how limited and helpless he is from protecting himself from all of this, he will recognize his predicament. He is not only similar to a prisoner in this world, he truly is a prisoner! And so he will humble himself like the humbling of a prisoner who is placed in a dungeon, and who has no strategy or ability to free himself without his master's consent, as written: "May the cry of the prisoner come before You" (Tehilim 79:11), and "Bring my soul out of prison"(Tehilim 142:8).
(3) When one considers his fleetingness, and the swift coming of death, and the abrupt cutting off of his desires and aspirations at that time. He must leave all of his possessions, and abandon hope that he can take with him any of them as provisions or that any of them will be of use to him when he is in the grave. The countenance of his face has already dimmed, its appearance darkens. And his flesh (after death) will bring up worms, decay and putrid liquid. The signs of his physical beauty vanished and an increasingly rotten odor will exude from him,as if he had never washed or scrubbed or put on a good fragrance. When he puts this or similar considerations to mind, he will feel humble and lowly. He will not become arrogant. His heart will not arise and become high and proud, as written: "Withdraw yourselves from man whose breath is in his nostrils, for in what is he to be esteemed?" (Yeshaya 2:22), and "men of low degree are but vanity, and men of high degree are but a lie; were they to be put on a scale, together they would equal nothing" (Tehilim 62:10).
(4) When one contemplates on the service he owes to G-d for the benevolent goodness and abundant kindness bestowed on him, and he considers how much he has neglected the precepts and fallen short in their observance, both those which reason mandates and those which the torah commands, and how his pleas and excuses will be cut short when the day of reckoning comes and he will be full of regret on the great day of assembly. Then he will be submitted and his spirit will be broken, as written "For lo, the day comes, glowing like a furnace, and all the audacious sinners and all the perpetrators of wickedness will be stubble. And the sun that comes shall burn them up so that it will leave them neither root nor branch, says the L-ord of Hosts" (Malachi 3:19), and "who can endure the day He comes" (Malachi 3:2).
(5) When one contemplates the greatness of the Creator and His infinite might, who observes one's outer and inner life. When one fixes his mind on this great theme and considers what our sages report regarding the impressive and awesome presence of the pious sages in previous generations, for example "he (Rav Sheshes) gazed his eyes on him and the man (died and) became a pile of bones" (Berachos 28a), or as it was said of Yonatan ben Uziel: "when he would expound the torah, any bird that would fly over him was instantly burnt."
And there is no doubt that the prophets were greater than them, and you will find that the prophets' strength melted and they bent their knees and prostrated themselves when they were visited by angels, as written by Daniel, Yehoshua, and many like them. And you will find in the books of the prophets that the angels bow and prostrate themselves before the Creator, as written "the hosts of the heavens bow to You" (Nechemia 9:6), and "Behold, He does not trust His servants and He casts reproach upon His angels" (Iyov 4:18), and "in His temple does every one speak of His glory" (Tehilim 29:9), and "And one cried unto another, and said, 'Holy, holy, holy, is the L-ord of Hosts'" (Yeshaya 6:3).
And when one reflects what is manifested to our intelligence in what He created, such as the sun, moon, stars, the celestial spheres, and the earth and all that is in it such as minerals, plants and animals - this should be sufficient for anyone who has understanding and intelligence, as written "How great are Your works, O L-ord! Your thoughts are exceedingly deep; A brutish man knows not; [neither does a fool understand this]" (Tehilim 92:6), and "all the nations are as nothing before Him" (Yeshaya 40:17), and "all the inhabitants of the earth are as nothing" (Daniel 4:32).
When an understanding man considers his significance relative to all of humanity, and the significance of humanity relative to the earth, and the earth relative to the lunar sphere, and the lunar sphere relative to the cosmos, and that everything relative to the greatness of the Creator is as nothing, he will be humbled in his soul and will lower himself before the Creator, as written "[when I contemplate Your sky, the moon and the stars..] What is man that You should be mindful of him?" (Tehilim 8:5).
(6) When one reads the books of the prophets and he sees the great punishment meted out to the arrogant and proud and also G-d's great protection over the humble and the lowly. Regarding the arrogant and proud it is written: "The lofty eyes of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the L-ord alone shall be exalted on that day"(Yeshaya 2:11), and "For the day of the L-ord of Hosts shall come upon everyone that is proud and lofty, and upon everyone that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low" (Yeshaya 2:12).
Regarding both types, it is written: "The L-ord lifts up the meek: He casts the wicked down to the ground" (Tehilim 147:6), and "Though the L-ord be high, yet has He respect unto the lowly: but the proud He knows from afar." (Tehilim 138:6), and it is said about the lowly "the humble shall inherit the land" (Tehilim 37:11), and "the L-ord has anointed me to bring good tidings to the humble" (Yeshaya 61:1), and "With the lofty and the holy ones I dwell, and with the crushed and humble in spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the crushed"(Yeshaya 57:15), and "Before destruction comes pride, and before stumbling [comes] a haughty spirit" (Mishlei 16:18), and "Before ruin, a man's heart becomes haughty, but before honor there is humility." (Mishlei 18:12).
(7) When one observes the changing of people's situations in this world, the swift changing of governments and rulers, and the passing of people from one condition to another, and the fall of one nation promoting the rise of another, while the end of all is death, as written "Like sheep, they are destined to the grave; death will devour them" (Tehilim 49:15), he will submit and will not pride himself on any worldly possessions, and he won't place his trust on any matter of them, as written "Praiseworthy is the man who made the L-ord his trust, and did not turn to the haughty and those who turn to falsehood" (Tehilim 40:5).
If a man's mind is never empty of these seven matters we mentioned, he will always be humble and lowly. Humility will cling to his nature and will not separate from him. When he clings to humility, all the snares of arrogance, haughtiness, and pride will keep far from him, as we mentioned. He will be saved from sin and from stumbling as written "and that His fear may be before your faces, that you sin not" (Shemos 20:20). And our sages said: "Reflect upon three things and you will not come to sin. Know from where you came and where you are going and before whom you are destined to give account and reckoning. From where have you come? - from a putrid drop. Where are you going? - to a place of dirt, worms, and maggots. Before whom are you destined to give account and reckoning? - before the supreme King of kings, the holy One, blessed be He" (Avos 3:1).
אֲבָל אָפְנֵי קְנוֹת הַכְּנִיעָה וְהַדֶּרֶךְ שֶׁמֵּקֵל אוֹתָהּ עַל הָאָדָם הוּא שֶׁתִּהְיֶה מַחְשַׁבְתּוֹ וְרַעֲיוֹנוֹ תָּמִיד בְּשִׁבְעָה דְּרָכִים.
How one acquires it
The manner to acquire the trait of submission and the way to facilitate its acquisition is for one's thoughts and reflections to be set on seven topics:
אֶחָד מֵהֶם שֹׁרֶשׁ הֲוָיָתוֹ וְהַתְחָלָתוֹ מִן הַלְּבוֹנִית וְהַדָּם אַחֵר הִתְעַפְּשָׁם וּבְאֹשׁ רֵיחָם וְאַחַר כָּךְ הוּא נִזּוֹן מִדַּם הַטֻּמְאָה כָּל יְמֵי עָמְדוֹ בְּבֶטֶן אִמּוֹ, אַחַר כָּךְ יֵצֵא וְהוּא חָלוּשׁ וְדַל בְּגוּפוֹ וְאֵבָרָיו וְאַחַר כָּךְ יַעֲלֶה מִן הַמַּדְרֵגָה הַזֹּאת אֶל הַסְּמוּכָה לָהּ עַד שֶׁיַּגִּיעַ לְרֹב שְׁנוֹתָיו, אַחַר כָּךְ יָחֵלּוּ יְמֵי הַזִּקְנָה עַד שֶׁיִּמְלְאוּ יָמָיו.
(1) The root and origin of his existence is from a putrid drop (of human seed) and blood, after they became foul and stenchful. Afterwards, he was nourished from blood of tuma, all the days of his stay in his mother's belly. Afterwards, he exited, and was weak and fragile in body and limbs. Then, he advanced from stage to stage until most of his years have passed. Afterwards, he will become ill from old age until he completes his days (dies).
וְאָמַר אֶחָד מִן הַחֲכָמִים: אֲנִי תָּמֵהַּ מִמִּי שֶׁעָבַר בְּמַעֲבַר הַשֶּׁתֶן וְהַדָּם פַּעֲמַיִם הֵיאַךְ יִתְגָּאֶה וְיִגְבַּהּ לִבּוֹ כִּי הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה בָּזֶה וּבַדּוֹמֶה לוֹ מֵעִנְיַן הָאָדָם מְחַיֶּבֶת הַכְּנִיעָה כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר דָּוִד המע״ה (תהלים קמד) ה׳ מָה אָדָם וַתֵּדָעֵהוּ וְאָמַר (איוב יד) אָדָם יְלוּד אִשָּׁה וְאָמַר (תהלים כב) וְאָנֹכִי תוֹלַעַת וְלֹא אִישׁ וְאָמַר (איוב כה) אַף כִּי אֱנוֹשׁ רִמָּה וּבֶן אָדָם תּוֹלֵעָה.
One of the wise men would say on this matter: "I am amazed at how one who has passed through the pathway of urine and blood two times can be proud and haughty?" Contemplating this or similar things regarding the nature of man necessarily brings humility, as king David said: "O L-ord, what is man that You should regard him, the son of man, that You should consider him?" (Tehilim 144:3), and "Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble" (Iyov 14:1), and "But I am a worm and not a man" (Tehilim 22:7), and "How much less man, that is a worm? and the son of man, which is but a maggot?" (Iyov 25:6).
וְהַשֵּׁנִי: כְּשֶׁהוּא חוֹשֵׁב בְּעֹצֶם מָה שֶׁיַּגִּיעַ אֵלָיו בָּעוֹלָם מִמִּינֵי הַנִּסָּיוֹן בָּרָעָב וּבַצָּמָא וּבַקֹּר וּבַחֹם וּבֶחֳלָאִים וּבַפְּגָעִים וּבַדְּאָגוֹת אֲשֶׁר אֵין לוֹ מְנוּחָה מֵהֶם כִּי אִם בַּמָּוֶת וְכַאֲשֶׁר יִתֵּן הָאִישׁ הַנִּלְבָּב אֶל לִבּוֹ כָּל זֶה וְיָבִין חֻלְשָׁתוֹ וּמִעוּט הַשָּׂגָתוֹ וְקִצְרַת יָדוֹ מִדְּחוֹת מֵעַל נַפְשׁוֹ כָּל זֶה. יַכִּיר מִצּוּרַת מַעֲמָדוֹ כִּי הוּא אֵינוֹ כְּמוֹ אָסִיר בְּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה אֲבָל הוּא אָסִיר בֶּאֱמֶת וְיִכָּנַע כְּנִיעַת הָאָסִיר הַמּוּשָׂם בַּבּוֹר אֲשֶׁר אֵין לוֹ תַּחְבּוּלָה וְלֹא יְכֹלֶת לְהַתִּיר אֶת עַצְמוֹ מִבִּלְתִּי אֲדוֹנָיו כמ״ש (תהלים מט) תָּבוֹא לְפָנֶיךָ אֶנְקַת אָסִיר וְאָמַר (שם קמב) הוֹצִיאָה מִמַּסְגֵּר נַפְשִׁי.
(2) When one contemplates the severity of the tribulations that befall a man in this world such as hunger and thirst, cold and heat, sickness, accidents, worries, which one has no assurance against until death. When an understanding person puts all this to heart, and he realizes how weak he is, how limited and helpless he is from protecting himself from all of this, he will recognize his predicament. He is not only similar to a prisoner in this world, he truly is a prisoner! And so he will humble himself like the humbling of a prisoner who is placed in a dungeon, and who has no strategy or ability to free himself without his master's consent, as written: "May the cry of the prisoner come before You" (Tehilim 79:11), and "Bring my soul out of prison"(Tehilim 142:8).
וְהַשְּׁלִישִׁי: כַּאֲשֶׁר יַחְשֹׁב בַּחֲלִיפָתוֹ וּבוֹא אֵלָיו הַמָּוֶת מְהֵרָה וְהֶפְסֵק מַאֲוַיָּיו וְתִקְוָתוֹ בָּעֵת הַהִיא וְעָזְבוֹ כָּל קִנְיָנָיו וְהִתְיָאֲשׁוּ מִקַּחַת מֵהֶם מְאוּמָה לְצֵדָה וּמֵהוֹעִיל בָּהֶם בְּעָמְדוֹ בַּקֶּבֶר וּכְבָר חָלַף אוֹר פָּנָיו וְשָׁחַר מַרְאֵהוּ וַיָּרֻם תּוֹלָעִים וְעִפּוּשׁ וּמֻגְלָא וַיַּחַלְפוּ סִימָנֵי יֹפִי גּוּפוֹ וְיֶחֱזַק בְּאוֹשׁ רֵיחוֹ כְּאִלּוּ לֹא רֻחַץ וְלֹא מֹרַק וְלֹא הֵפִיחַ רֵיחַ הַטּוֹב, כִּי כַּאֲשֶׁר יַעֲבֹר עַל לֵב אָדָם זֶה וְכַיּוֹצֵא בוֹ יִכָּנַע בְּנַפְשׁוֹ וְיָשֹׁחַ וְלֹא יִתְגָּאֶה וְלֹא יִגְבַּהּ לִבּוֹ וְלֹא יִתְנַשֵּׂא וְלֹא יִתְגַּדֵּל כמ״ש (ישעיה ב) חִדְלוּ לָכֶם מִן הָאָדָם אֲשֶׁר נְשָׁמָה בְּאַפּוֹ כִּי בַמֶּה נֶחְשָׁב הוּא וְאָמַר (תהלים סג) אַךְ הֶבֶל בְּנֵי אָדָם כָּזָב בְּנֵי אִישׁ וְגוֹ׳.
(3) When one considers his fleetingness, and the swift coming of death, and the abrupt cutting off of his desires and aspirations at that time. He must leave all of his possessions, and abandon hope that he can take with him any of them as provisions or that any of them will be of use to him when he is in the grave. The countenance of his face has already dimmed, its appearance darkens. And his flesh (after death) will bring up worms, decay and putrid liquid. The signs of his physical beauty vanished and an increasingly rotten odor will exude from him,as if he had never washed or scrubbed or put on a good fragrance. When he puts this or similar considerations to mind, he will feel humble and lowly. He will not become arrogant. His heart will not arise and become high and proud, as written: "Withdraw yourselves from man whose breath is in his nostrils, for in what is he to be esteemed?" (Yeshaya 2:22), and "men of low degree are but vanity, and men of high degree are but a lie; were they to be put on a scale, together they would equal nothing" (Tehilim 62:10).
וְהָרְבִיעִי: כַּאֲשֶׁר יַעֲבִיר עַל לִבּוֹ מָה שֶׁהוּא חַיָּב בּוֹ מֵעֲבוֹדַת הָאֱלֹהִים עַל רֹב חַסְדּוֹ עָלָיו וְגֹדֶל טוּבוֹ אֵלָיו וְהִתְעַלְּמוּתוֹ מִן הַמִּצְוֹת הַשִּׂכְלִיּוֹת וְהַשִּׁמְעִיּוֹת וְקִצּוּרוֹ בָּהֶן וְהֶפְסֵק טַעֲנוֹתָיו וַאֲמַתְלְאוֹתָיו בְּבוֹא יוֹם הַחֶשְׁבּוֹן וַחֲרָטָתוֹ בְּמַעֲמַד הַגְּמוּל יִכָּנַע וְתִשָּׁבֵר רוּחוֹ כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר (מלאכי ג) כִּי הִנֵּה הַיּוֹם בָּא בֹּעֵר כַּתַּנּוּר וְגוֹ׳ (שם) וּמִי מְכַלְכֵּל אֶת יוֹם בּוֹאוֹ.
(4) When one contemplates on the service he owes to G-d for the benevolent goodness and abundant kindness bestowed on him, and he considers how much he has neglected the precepts and fallen short in their observance, both those which reason mandates and those which the torah commands, and how his pleas and excuses will be cut short when the day of reckoning comes and he will be full of regret on the great day of assembly. Then he will be submitted and his spirit will be broken, as written "For lo, the day comes, glowing like a furnace, and all the audacious sinners and all the perpetrators of wickedness will be stubble. And the sun that comes shall burn them up so that it will leave them neither root nor branch, says the L-ord of Hosts" (Malachi 3:19), and "who can endure the day He comes" (Malachi 3:2).
וְהַחֲמִישִׁי: כַּאֲשֶׁר יַחְשֹׁב בִּגְדֻלַּת הַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרַךְ וְעֹז גְּבוּרָתוֹ הַמַּשְׁקִיף עַל נִרְאֵהוּ וְנִסְתָּרוֹ וְיִתֵּן אֶל לִבּוֹ הָעִנְיָן הַגָּדוֹל הַזֶּה כְּמוֹ שֶׁזָּכְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זַ״ל עַל הַרְבֵּה חֲסִידִים שֶׁהָיוּ בַּדּוֹרוֹת הָעוֹבְרִים מִן הַמּוֹרָא וְהַגְּדֻלָּה וְהוּא מָה שֶׁאָמְרוּ נָתַן עֵינָיו בּוֹ וְנַעֲשָׂה גַּל שֶׁל עֲצָמוֹת וְאָמְרוּ עַל יוֹנָתָן בֶּן עֻזִּיאֵל כְּשֶׁהָיָה דּוֹרֵשׁ בַּתּוֹרָה כָּל עוֹף שֶׁהָיָה פּוֹרֵחַ עָלָיו מִיָּד נִשְׂרָף.
(5) When one contemplates the greatness of the Creator and His infinite might, who observes one's outer and inner life. When one fixes his mind on this great theme and considers what our sages report regarding the impressive and awesome presence of the pious sages in previous generations, for example "he (Rav Sheshes) gazed his eyes on him and the man (died and) became a pile of bones" (Berachos 28a), or as it was said of Yonatan ben Uziel: "when he would expound the torah, any bird that would fly over him was instantly burnt."
וְאֵין סָפֵק שֶׁמַּעֲלַת הַנְּבִיאִים לְמַעְלָה מִמַּעֲלָתָם וְתִמְצָא הַנְּבִיאִים כִּי הָיָה כֹּחָם נָמֵס וְכוֹרְעִים וּמִשְׁתַּחֲוִים בִּפְגִיעַת הַמַּלְאָכִים כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר בְּדָנִיֵּאל וִיהוֹשֻׁעַ וְהַרְבֵּה כְּמוֹהֶם וְתִמְצָא בְּסִפְרֵי הַנְּבִיאִים כִּי הַמַּלְאָכִים כּוֹרְעִים וּמִשְׁתַּחֲוִים לַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרַךְ כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר (נחמיה ט׳:ו׳) וּצְבָא הַשָּׁמַיִם לְךָ מִשְׁתַּחֲוִים וְאָמַר (איוב ד) הֵן בַּעֲבָדָיו לֹא יַאֲמִין וְגוֹ׳ (תהלים כט) וּבְהֵיכָלוֹ כֻּלּוֹ אֹמֵר כָּבוֹד וְאָמַר (ישעיהו ו׳:ג׳) וְקָרָא זֶה אֶל זֶה וְאָמַר קָדוֹשׁ וְגוֹ׳.
And there is no doubt that the prophets were greater than them, and you will find that the prophets' strength melted and they bent their knees and prostrated themselves when they were visited by angels, as written by Daniel, Yehoshua, and many like them. And you will find in the books of the prophets that the angels bow and prostrate themselves before the Creator, as written "the hosts of the heavens bow to You" (Nechemia 9:6), and "Behold, He does not trust His servants and He casts reproach upon His angels" (Iyov 4:18), and "in His temple does every one speak of His glory" (Tehilim 29:9), and "And one cried unto another, and said, 'Holy, holy, holy, is the L-ord of Hosts'" (Yeshaya 6:3).
וּבְמָה שֶׁהוּא נִרְאֶה לְדַעְתֵּנוּ מִצַּד בְּרוּאָיו כְּמוֹ הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וְהַיָּרֵחַ וְהַכּוֹכָבִים וְהַגַּלְגַּל וְהָאָרֶץ וְכָל אֲשֶׁר עָלֶיהָ מִמּוּצָק וְצֶמַח וְחַי דַּי לְמִי שֶׁיָּבִין וְיַשְׂכִּיל כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר (תהלים צב) מַה גָּדְלוּ מַעֲשֶׂיךָ ה׳ מְאֹד עָמְקוּ מַחְשְׁבֹתֶיךָ אִישׁ בַּעַר לֹא יֵדָע וְגוֹ׳ וְאָמַר (ישעיהו מ׳:י״ז) כָּל הַגּוֹיִם כְּאַיִן נֶגְדּוֹ וְאָמַר (דניאל ד) וְכָל דָּיְרֵי אַרְעָא כְּלָא חֲשִׁיבִין.
And when one reflects what is manifested to our intelligence in what He created, such as the sun, moon, stars, the celestial spheres, and the earth and all that is in it such as minerals, plants and animals - this should be sufficient for anyone who has understanding and intelligence, as written "How great are Your works, O L-ord! Your thoughts are exceedingly deep; A brutish man knows not; [neither does a fool understand this]" (Tehilim 92:6), and "all the nations are as nothing before Him" (Yeshaya 40:17), and "all the inhabitants of the earth are as nothing" (Daniel 4:32).
וְכַאֲשֶׁר יַחְשֹׁב הַנִּלְבָּב הַמֵּבִין בְּעֵרֶךְ הַמְּדַבְּרִים וְעֵרֶךְ הַמְּדַבְּרִים אֶל כַּדּוּר הָאָרֶץ וְכַדּוּר הָאָרֶץ אֶל גַּלְגַּל הַיָּרֵחַ וְגַלְגַּל הַיָּרֵחַ אֶל גַּלְגַּל הָעֶלְיוֹן וְהַכֹּל אֵצֶל גְּדֻלַּת הַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרַךְ כְּאַיִן יִכָּנַע בְּנַפְשׁוֹ וְיִשְׁפַּל לִפְנֵי בּוֹרְאוֹ כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר (תהלים ח) מָה אֱנוֹשׁ כִּי תִזְכְּרֶנּוּ וְגוֹ׳.
When an understanding man considers his significance relative to all of humanity, and the significance of humanity relative to the earth, and the earth relative to the lunar sphere, and the lunar sphere relative to the cosmos, and that everything relative to the greatness of the Creator is as nothing, he will be humbled in his soul and will lower himself before the Creator, as written "[when I contemplate Your sky, the moon and the stars..] What is man that You should be mindful of him?" (Tehilim 8:5).
וְהַשִּׁשִּׁי כְּשֶׁקּוֹרֵא בְּסִפְרֵי הַנְּבִיאִים וְרוֹאֶה חֹזֶק עֹנֶשׁ הַגֵּאִים וְהַגְּבוֹהִים כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר בַּגַּאֲוָה וְהַגַּבְהוּת (ישעיהו ב׳:י״א) עֵינֵי גַּבְהוּת אָדָם שָׁפֵל וְשַׁח רוּם אֲנָשִׁים וְנִשְׂגַּב וְגוֹ׳ וְאָמַר (שם) כִּי יוֹם לַה׳ צְבָאוֹת עַל כָּל גֵּאֶה וָרָם וְעַל כָּל נִשָּׂא וְשָׁפֵל.
(6) When one reads the books of the prophets and he sees the great punishment meted out to the arrogant and proud and also G-d's great protection over the humble and the lowly. Regarding the arrogant and proud it is written: "The lofty eyes of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the L-ord alone shall be exalted on that day"(Yeshaya 2:11), and "For the day of the L-ord of Hosts shall come upon everyone that is proud and lofty, and upon everyone that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low" (Yeshaya 2:12).
וְאָמַר בִּשְׁתֵּי הַכִּתּוֹת (תהלים קמז) מְעוֹדֵד עֲנָוִים ה׳ מַשְׁפִּיל רְשָׁעִים עֲדֵי אָרֶץ וְגוֹ׳ וְאָמַר (שם קלח) כִּי רָם ה׳ וְשָׁפָל יִרְאֶה וְגוֹ׳ וְאָמַר בַּשְּׁפָלִים (שם לז) וַעֲנָוִים יִירְשׁוּ אָרֶץ וְאָמַר (ישעיהו ס״א:א׳) יַעַן מָשַׁח ה׳ אֹתִי לְבַשֵּׂר עֲנָוִים וְאָמַר (משלי טז) לִפְנֵי שֶׁבֶר גָּאוֹן וְאָמַר (שם יח) לִפְנֵי שֶׁבֶר יִגְבַּהּ לֵב אִישׁ.
Regarding both types, it is written: "The L-ord lifts up the meek: He casts the wicked down to the ground" (Tehilim 147:6), and "Though the L-ord be high, yet has He respect unto the lowly: but the proud He knows from afar." (Tehilim 138:6), and it is said about the lowly "the humble shall inherit the land" (Tehilim 37:11), and "the L-ord has anointed me to bring good tidings to the humble" (Yeshaya 61:1), and "With the lofty and the holy ones I dwell, and with the crushed and humble in spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the crushed"(Yeshaya 57:15), and "Before destruction comes pride, and before stumbling [comes] a haughty spirit" (Mishlei 16:18), and "Before ruin, a man's heart becomes haughty, but before honor there is humility." (Mishlei 18:12).
וְהַשְּׁבִיעִי כְּשֶׁיִּרְאֶה תַּהְפּוּכוֹת עִנְיְנֵי הַבְּרוּאִים בָּעוֹלָם וּמְהִירוּת הִתְחַלְּפוּת הַמַּמְלָכוֹת וְהַמֶּמְשָׁלוֹת בּוֹ וְהֵעָתְקוּת אֲנָשָׁיו מֵעִנְיָן אֶל עִנְיָן וְהַשְׁחָתַת עַם לְתַקָּנַת עַם אַחֵר וְסוֹף הַכֹּל אֶל הַמָּוֶת כמ״ש (תהלים מט) כַּצֹּאן לִשְׁאוֹל שַׁתּוּ מָוֶת יִרְעֵם וְגוֹ׳ יִכָּנַע וְלֹא יִתְגָּאֶה בִּמְאוּמָה מֵהוֹן הָעוֹלָם וְלֹא יִבְטַח לִבּוֹ עַל דָּבָר מִמֶּנּוּ כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (שם מ) אַשְׁרֵי הַגֶּבֶר אֲשֶׁר שָׂם ה׳ מִבְטַחוֹ וְלֹא פָנָה אֶל רְהָבִים וְגוֹ׳.
(7) When one observes the changing of people's situations in this world, the swift changing of governments and rulers, and the passing of people from one condition to another, and the fall of one nation promoting the rise of another, while the end of all is death, as written "Like sheep, they are destined to the grave; death will devour them" (Tehilim 49:15), he will submit and will not pride himself on any worldly possessions, and he won't place his trust on any matter of them, as written "Praiseworthy is the man who made the L-ord his trust, and did not turn to the haughty and those who turn to falsehood" (Tehilim 40:5).
וּכְשֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה לֵב הָאָדָם רֵיק מֵאֶחָד מֵאֵלֶּה הַשִּׁבְעָה עִנְיָנִים אֲשֶׁר זָכַרְנוּ יִהְיֶה תָּמִיד נִכְנָע וְשָׁפֵל עַד אֲשֶׁר תִּהְיֶה לוֹ הַכְּנִיעָה טֶבַע דָּבֵק לֹא יִפָּרֵד מִמֶּנּוּ וְכַאֲשֶׁר יִדְבַּק בַּכְּנִיעָה תַּרְחִיק מִמֶּנּוּ כָּל פִּגְעֵי הַגַּאֲוָה וְהַגֹּבַהּ וְהַגְּדֻלָּה כַּאֲשֶׁר הִקְדַּמְנוּ וְיִנָּצֵל בָּהּ מִן הַחֵטְא וְהַמִּכְשׁוֹל כמ״ש (שמות כ׳:י״ז) וּבַעֲבוּר תִּהְיֶה יִרְאָתוֹ עַל פְּנֵיכֶם לְבִלְתִּי תֶחֱטָאוּ וְאָמְרוּ חֲכָמֵינוּ זַ״ל הִסְתַּכֵּל בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה דְּבָרִים וְאֵין אַתָּה בָּא לִידֵי עֲבֵרָה דַּע מֵאַיִן בָּאתָ וּלְאָן אַתָּה הוֹלֵךְ וְלִפְנֵי מִי אַתָּה עָתִיד לִתֵּן דִּין וְחֶשְׁבּוֹן. מֵאַיִן בָּאתָ מִטִּפָּה סְרוּחָה וּלְאָן אַתָּה הוֹלֵךְ לִמְקוֹם עָפָר רִמָּה וְתוֹלֵעָה וְלִפְנֵי מִי אַתָּה עָתִיד לִתֵּן דִּין וְחֶשְׁבּוֹן לִפְנֵי מֶלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא:
If a man's mind is never empty of these seven matters we mentioned, he will always be humble and lowly. Humility will cling to his nature and will not separate from him. When he clings to humility, all the snares of arrogance, haughtiness, and pride will keep far from him, as we mentioned. He will be saved from sin and from stumbling as written "and that His fear may be before your faces, that you sin not" (Shemos 20:20). And our sages said: "Reflect upon three things and you will not come to sin. Know from where you came and where you are going and before whom you are destined to give account and reckoning. From where have you come? - from a putrid drop. Where are you going? - to a place of dirt, worms, and maggots. Before whom are you destined to give account and reckoning? - before the supreme King of kings, the holy One, blessed be He" (Avos 3:1).