Mesilas Yesharim, Perek 11 Part 7/11

AI summary (may contain mistakes)

Why is working on midos harder than guarding against aveiros? Midos are part of a person's nature, so fighting them is a war against oneself. The yetzer hara's weakness is that what he says is false, so clear seichel and knowing that everything comes from Hashem defeat bad midos. Gaiva comes first, with a warning about a false anava that gives up and a gaiva d'kedusha that recognizes one's worth as a gift from Hashem.

Key points

• The real gibor overcomes himself, and that war is bigger than any battlefield.
• The Mesilas Yesharim takes up gaiva, kaas, kinah and taavah, all against seichel.
• The Gemara in Shabbos notes that the letters of emes stand on a base, but sheker's do not.
• Mida means measure, so every mida can be used for good or for bad.
• Feeling worthless and giving up is false anava, while gaiva d'kedusha knows Hashem made one chashuv.

In this shiur

1. 0:00Midos harder than actions
2. 1:39The bigger war against oneself
3. 3:12Every action stems from a mida
4. 4:55The four bad midos
5. 6:17Bad midos against seichel
6. 10:05The letters of emes and sheker
7. 16:28Defining gaiva and the word mida
8. 19:20Gaiva d'kedusha and anava pesula

Topics

• Mesilas Yesharim
• Gaiva
• Anava
• Midos