היאך ירגיל האדם עצמו במדות התפארת: אֵין סָפֵק שֶׁמִּדַּת הַתִּפְאֶרֶת הוּא הָעֵסֶק בַּתּוֹרָה, אָמְנָם צָרִיךְ זְהִירוּת גָּדוֹל שֶׁלֹּא יִתְגָּאֶה אָדָם בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה שֶׁלֹּא יִגְרֹם רָעָה גְּדוֹלָה, שֶׁהֲרֵי כְּמוֹ שֶׁהוּא מִתְגָּאֶה כָּךְ גּוֹרֵם שֶׁמִּדַּת הַתִּפְאֶרֶת שֶׁהִיא הַתּוֹרָה תִּתְגָּאֶה וְתִסְתַּלֵּק לְמַעְלָה חַס וְשָׁלוֹם אֶלָּא כָּל הַמַּשְׁפִּיל עַצְמוֹ בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה גּוֹרֵם אֶל הַתִּפְאֶרֶת שֶׁתֵּרֵד וְתַשְׁפִּיל עַצְמָהּ לְהַשְׁפִּיעַ לַמַּלְכוּת. וַהֲרֵי לְמַטָּה מֵהַתִּפְאֶרֶת אַרְבַּע סְפִירוֹת וְלָהֶן שָׁלֹשׁ מִדּוֹת: Chapter 7 - How a person can accustom himself with the trait of splendor (tiferet): There is no doubt that the trait of Splendor is involvement in Torah. However, a person needs great care not to become haughty with words of Torah, that he not cause great evil. As behold, [just] like he becomes haughty, so does he cause the trait of Splendor - which is the Torah - to become haughty and withdraw Above, God forbid. Rather anyone that lowers himself with words of Torah causes Splendor to descend and lower itself, to flow to Kingship. And behold, there are four Sefirot below Splendor and they have three traits.
רִאשׁוֹנָה - הַמִּתְגָּאֶה עַל תַּלְמִידִים גּוֹרֵם שֶׁהַתִּפְאֶרֶת יִתְגָּאֶה וְיִתְעַלֶּה מֵעַל נֶצַח וָהוֹד שֶׁהֵם לִמֻּדֵי ה' תַּלְמִידֵי הַתִּפְאֶרֶת, וְהַמַּשְׁפִּיל עַצְמוֹ וּמְלַמְּדָהּ בְּאַהֲבָה, גַּם הַתִּפְאֶרֶת יַשְׁפִּיל עַצְמוֹ אֶל תַּלְמִידָיו וְיַשְׁפִּיעֵם, לְפִיכָךְ יִהְיֶה הָאָדָם נוֹחַ לְתַלְמִידָיו וִילַמְּדֵם כַּאֲשֶׁר יוּכְלוּן שְׂאֵת, וְהַתִּפְאֶרֶת בִּזְכוּתוֹ יַשְׁפִּיעַ בְּלִמּוּדֵי ה' כְּפִי בְּחִינָתָם הָרְאוּיָה אֲלֵיהֶם. The first: One who becomes haughty over his students causes Splendor to be haughty and rise above Victory and Majesty, which are 'Those taught of God' - the Students of Splendor. But one who lowers himself and teaches it with love, [brings that] Splendor will also lower Itself towards Its Students and teach Them, according to what They can carry. And in his merit, Splendor will flow upon 'Those taught of God' according to Their aspect that is fitting for them.
שֵׁנִית - הַמִּתְגָּאֶה בְּתוֹרָתוֹ עַל הֶעָנִי וּמְבַזֶּה אוֹתוֹ, כְּהַהוּא עוּבְדָּא דְּאֵלִיָהוּ שֶׁנִּדְמֶה לְרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן אֶלְעָזָר כְּעָנִי מְכֹעָר, נִבְזֶה וְנִמְאָס, לְהַכְשִׁילוֹ, שֶׁזָּחָה דַּעְתּוֹ עָלָיו וְגִנָּה אֶת הֶעָנִי וְהוּא הוֹכִיחַ עַל פָּנָיו מוּמוֹ (תַּעֲנִית כ.), כִּי הַמִּתְגָּאֶה עַל הֶעָנִי גּוֹרֵם שֶׁהַתִּפְאֶרֶת יִתְגָּאֶה עַל הַיְסוֹד וְלֹא יַשְׁפִּיעַ בּוֹ, וְאִם תִּהְיֶה דַּעְתּוֹ שֶׁל חָכָם מְיֻשֶּׁבֶת עָלָיו עִם הֶעָנִי אָז הַתִּפְאֶרֶת יַשְׁפִּיעַ בַּיְסוֹד. לְפִיכָךְ יֵחָשֵׁב הֶעָנִי מְאֹד אֵצֶל הֶחָכָם וִיקָרְבֵהוּ, וְכָךְ יֵחָשֵׁב לְמַעְלָה הַיְסוֹד אֵצֶל הַתִּפְאֶרֶת וְיִתְקַשֵּׁר בּוֹ. The second: One who makes himself haughty with his Torah over the poor person, like that occurrence of Eliyahu who appeared to Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar like an ugly disgraced and disgusting poor man (Taanit 20a), in order to make him stumble. As his head had swelled [from his Torah knowledge] and he disgraced the poor man, and [so Eliyahu] rebuked him for his blemish. As one who is haughty over the poor, causes Splendor to be haughty over Foundation and not to flow upon It. But if the mind of the sage is settled [in his dealings] with the poor person, then Splendor will flow onto Foundation. Hence a poor person should be very important to the sage, and he should bring him close; and so will Foundation be considered above to Splendor and [the Latter] will connect with [the Former].
שְׁלִישִׁית - הַמִּתְגָּאֶה בְּתוֹרָתוֹ עַל עַמָּא דְאַרְעָא שֶׁהוּא כְּלַל עַם ה', גּוֹרֵם שֶׁהַתִּפְאֶרֶת יִתְגָּאֶה מֵעַל הַמַּלְכוּת וְלֹא יַשְׁפִּיעַ בָּהּ אֶלָּא יִהְיֶה דַּעְתּוֹ מְעֹרֶבֶת עִם הַבְּרִיּוֹת וְכָל עַם הַיִּשּׁוּב חֲשׁוּבִים לְפָנָיו, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהֵם לְמַטָּה בְּסוֹד הָאָרֶץ וְחַס וְשָׁלוֹם אִם קוֹרֵא אֹתָם חֲמוֹרִים מוֹרִידָם אֶל הַקְּלִפּוֹת לְכָךְ לֹא יִזְכֶּה לְבֵן שֶׁיִּהְיֶה בּוֹ אוֹר תּוֹרָה כִּדְאִיתָא בַּגְּמָרָא (נְדָרִים פא.). אֵלֶּה יִתְנַהֵג עִמָּהֶם בְּנַחַת עַל פִּי דַרְכָּם, כְּעֵין הַתִּפְאֶרֶת שֶׁהוּא מַשְׁפִּיעַ לַמַּלְכוּת וּמַנְהִיגָה כְּפִי עֲנִיּוּת דַּעְתָּהּ, כִּי דַּעְתָּן שֶׁל נָשִׁים קַלָּה (שַׁבָּת לג:) וּבִכְלַל זֶה שֶׁלֹּא יִתְגָּאֶה עַל כָּל חֲלוּשֵׁי הַדַּעַת שֶׁהֵם בִּכְלַל עֲפַר הָאָרֶץ. וּמִפְּנֵי זֶה הַקַּדְמוֹנִים לֹא הָיוּ מִתְגָּאִים בַּתּוֹרָה כְּעוּבְדָּא דְּרַב הַמְנוּנָא בְּפָרָשַׁת בְּרֵאשִׁית (דַּף ז.) וּכְעוּבְדָּא דְּרַבִּי חַגַּאי (זֹהַר חֵלֶק א' דַּף קנח.) וּבַתִּקּוּנִים (סוֹף תִּקּוּן כ"ו, דַּף ע"ב, ב) הַהוּא סָבָא דְּבָעוּ לְנַשְּׁקָא לֵיהּ פָּרַח, שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה רוֹצֶה לְהִתְגָּאוֹת בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה. The third: One who becomes haughty from his Torah upon the people of the land - which is the general people of God - causes Splendor to become haughty over Kingship and not to flow upon it. Rather, his disposition [should] be pleasant with the creatures and all the people of the settlement be important in front of him - as they are below in the secret of the Land. And God forbid, if he calls them donkeys, he lowers them to the husks. Hence he will not merit to have a son that will have the light of the Torah in him, as it is [found] in the Gemara (Nedarim 81a). Rather, he should behave with them gently, according to their way, similar to Splendor that flows to Kingship and guides Her according to the poverty of Her mind - as the "minds of women are weak" (Shabbat 33b). And included in this is that he not become haughty over the weak of mind that are included in the 'dust of the earth.' And because of this, the ancient ones would not become haughty from their Torah, like [in] that occurrence of Rav Hamnuna in [the Zohar,] Parshat Bereishit and like the occurrence of Rabbi Chagai (Zohar, Part I, p. 158a), and in the Tikkunim (the end of Tikkun 26, p. 72b) of that elder who fled when they wanted to kiss him, as he did not want to become haughty with words of Torah.
עוֹד יִהְיֶה רָגִיל בִּהְיוֹתוֹ נוֹשֵׂא וְנוֹתֵן בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה לְכַוֵּן אֶל תִּקּוּנֵי שְׁכִינָה לְתַקְּנָהּ וּלְקַשְּׁטָהּ אֶל הַתִּפְאֶרֶת דְּהַיְנוּ הֲלָכָה אֶל הָאֱמֶת, וְזֶהוּ מַחְלֹקֶת לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם דְּהַיְנוּ חֶסֶד וּגְבוּרָה לָבֹא אֶל הַתִּפְאֶרֶת - שָׁמַיִם, לְהַסְכִּים הֲלָכָה עִמּוֹ. וְכָל מַחְלֹקֶת שֶׁיֵּצֵא מִן הַשּׁוּרָה הַזֹּאת יִבָּדֵל מִמֶּנּוּ כִּי לֹא יִרְצֶה הַתִּפְאֶרֶת לְהִתְאַחֵז בַּחוּץ אֲפִלּוּ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה, אִם הוּא לְקַנְטֵר סוֹפָהּ גֵּיהִנֹּם חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, וְאֵין לְךָ מַחְלֹקֶת שֶׁלֹּא יִפְגֹּם הַתִּפְאֶרֶת אֶלָּא מַחְלֹקֶת הַתּוֹרָה לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם, שֶׁכָּל נְתִיבוֹתֶיהָ שָׁלוֹם וְאַהֲבָה בְּסוֹפָהּ. He should also be accustomed in his going back and forth (his discussion and argument) in the words of Torah to intend the reparation of the Divine Presence, to repair It and adorn It to Splendor - which is the Law to the Truth. And this is [the meaning of] a 'disagreement for the sake of the Heavens' - which is [for] Kindness and Severity to come to Splendor, the Heavens - to have the Law correspond to It. And he [should] separate from any disagreement that goes out of this line, as Splendor will not want to grasp what is outside, even if it be with words of Torah. If it is [just] to argue, its end will be Geihinom, God forbid. And you have no disagreement that does not harm Splendor besides a disagreement of the Torah for the sake of the Heavens - as 'all of its paths are peace' and love is at its end.
וְהָאוֹכֵל הֲנָאוֹת מִדִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה פּוֹגֵם בַּמִּדָּה הַזֹּאת שֶׁהִיא קֹדֶשׁ וּמוֹצִיאָהּ אֶל דִּבְרֵי חוֹל, וְכַאֲשֶׁר יַעֲסֹק בַּתּוֹרָה לַהֲנָאַת גָּבוֹהַּ אַשְׁרֵי חֶלְקוֹ. וְעִקָּר הַכֹּל הוּא לְצָרֵף דַּעְתּוֹ בְּמִבְחַן הַמַּחְשָׁבָה וּלְפַשְׁפֵּשׁ בְּעַצְמוֹ דֶּרֶךְ מַשָּׂא וּמַתָּן אִם יִמָּצֵא שֵׁמֶץ עֶרְוַת דָּבָר יַחֲזֹר בּוֹ, וּלְעוֹלָם יוֹדֶה עַל הָאֱמֶת, כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּמָּצֵא שָׁם הַתִּפְאֶרֶת מִדַּת אֱמֶת: And one who consumes pleasures from the words of Torah hurts this trait, as it is holy and he [makes] it words of the mundane. But when one is involved in words of Torah for the pleasure of the Higher Realm, happy is his portion. And the essence of everything is to refine his mind through the aspect of thought, and to examine himself by way of give and take. If there be found a trace of an improper thing, he [should] go back on it; and he [should] always concede to the truth, so that Splendor - the trait of Truth - will be found there.