Emuna Daily

“Just as we expect more from those who are blessed with materialistic wealth, so do we expect more from those rich in knowledge.  Whereas the spiritually poor do mitzvos simply, those who are enriched with ruchnius are expected to perform the same mitzvos precisely, and with extra prudence.” ~ Chafetz Chaim as quoted in Torah Tavlin

“Rabbi Avraham Pam explains: If a Jew looks around him and sees a world of immorality, deceit, and fraud, if he often encounters underhandedness and an insatiable pursuit of material goals, he can easily rationalize to himself and say, “With the performance of even one mitzvah, I have already achieved a much greater status than those in the secular world.”  He might even become smug with the feeling that he has achieved a degree of holiness far beyond those who do no mitzvos at all.  Therefore, God says, “You shall be holy, for I, Hashem your God, am holy (Leviticus 19.2).  Don’t compare your holiness to the holiness of others; you are children of God and are answerable to a higher standard.  Be holy, for I am holy.  Use me, not the nations of the world, as a barometer, and then you will know what is expected of you.”  ~ The Pirkei Avos Treasury