The Ways of the Righteous Project -
Gate of Pride

1. The Torah warns us against becoming proud: “… you will say in your heart: my own strength and personal power has brought me all this prosperity. Then you must remember it is the Lord your God who gives you the strength to become prosperous”.
   Devarim 8:17-18
   
2. When pride grows in a man’s heart, it rules over him.
   Orchot Tzadikim: Shaar HaGa’avah
   
3. Pride leads to the pursuit of honour for the purpose of lording it over people (as with Korach, see BeMidbar 16).
   Orchot Tzadikim: Shaar HaGa’avah & www.bible.ort.org
   
4. In the proud man’s eyes, his wisdom, counsel, words, and deeds will always seem superior to those of his friends.
   Orchot Tzadikim: Shaar HaGa’avah
   
5. Though we do find instances of great men praising themselves, they did so only before their students and colleagues, so that they would follow in their ways and emulate their deeds.
   Gemara Megillah 28a
   
6. When you do a good deed, look into yourself to see from whom you expect reward. If from God, the deed is perfect; if from others, it is not.
   Orchot Tzadikim: Shaar HaGa’avah
   
7. One must not humble himself before the wicked, as Mordechai did not humble himself to Haman.
   Megillat Ester 3:2-3
   
8. One who has the trait of pride must exert himself and rid himself of it, because it is a bad defect.
   Orchot Tzadikim: Shaar HaGa’avah
   
9. When a man sees that the trait of pride is gaining ascendancy over him, he must think: “that he comes from a putrefying drop; that he will return to dust and his end will be worms and maggots; and that he will have to give an accounting to the King of kings, the Holy One Blessed Is He”.
   Avot 3:1
   
10. Whoever wishes to completely uproot pride from his heart cannot do this by thought alone, but he must begin by removing himself from haughtiness to the opposite extreme.
    Orchot Tzadikim: Shaar HaGa’avah
    
11. To conquer any evil trait, one must first remove oneself completely from it and remain in this position for a long time; then one must turn back and adopt the middle course.
    Orchot Tzadikim: Shaar HaGa’avah
    

Each of the following gates contains roughly 20
short teachings on that topic