In the passage before us, Shlomo Hamelech continues to address the character traits of the soul, focusing on one of the most detestable traits: pride. The two verses before us - "Pride goes before destruction" and "Better to be of a lowly spirit with the humble" - are interconnected. Through the commentaries of Rabbeinu Yonah, the Vilna Gaon, and the Malbim, we will learn what pride is, what humility is, what haughtiness of spirit entails versus lowliness of spirit, and how each brings a person to his ultimate end.
לִפְנֵי־שֶׁבֶר גָּאוֹן וְלִפְנֵי כִשָּׁלוֹן גֹּבַהּ רוּחַ׃ - Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling.
Rabbeinu Yonah explains that this verse directly continues what was stated earlier: "He who guards his way preserves his soul" - and "way" refers to one's character traits. I told you to guard your soul from evil character traits, and now I give you an example of one of them: arrogance, haughtiness of spirit, and pride, regarding which it is said, "Every haughty heart is an abomination to Hashem." This is a destructive trait, for such traits bring a person to ruin: from arrogance he will reach destruction, and from a haughty spirit he will stumble.
The Vilna Gaon distinguishes between the two concepts. Ga'on refers to outward pride where a person exalts himself over others and seeks to dominate them. He carries himself among them with haughtiness, constantly proclaiming who and what he is, demanding their honor and endless deference. This is the way of ga'on - his arrogance reaches the skies as he lords it over everyone. Govah ruach (a haughty spirit), on the other hand, is an internal feeling within the heart. He does not project it outwardly and does not try to rule over others; rather, he carries an inward sense that he is extraordinarily valuable, that he is someone truly special.
Correspondingly, there is a distinction between shever (destruction) and kishalon (stumbling). Shever denotes something shattered by an outside force - someone knocked him down, someone broke him. A kishalon occurs on its own: he was walking, stumbled, and fell, even though no one tripped him.
Therefore, explains the Vilna Gaon: Who brings down the one who exalts himself over others? The others do. Because he domineers over them, people wait for him around the corner, looking for an opportunity to trip him up. Thus, "Pride goes before destruction" - do not imagine this will last; ultimately someone will break you. But one who merely possesses an internal haughtiness of spirit does not boast over others, so no one seeks to trip or break him; instead, his downfall comes from within. A person with a haughty spirit feels no need for anyone's advice and refuses to be taught, and through his inflated self-reliance he brings about his own ruin. Others will not break you - but you will break and undermine yourself.
טוֹב שְׁפַל־רוּחַ אֶת־[עֲנָוִים] (עניים) מֵחַלֵּק שָׁלָל אֶת־גֵּאִים׃ - Better to be of a lowly spirit with the humble than to divide spoil with the proud.
The plain meaning of the words: it is better to be lowly in spirit among the humble than to share in the spoils of the proud. Rashi explains: it is better to join with the humble and share in their lowliness, than to divide the plunder of the proud and seem elevated alongside them - but in the company of the arrogant.
Rabbeinu Yonah explains: It is good to acquire lowliness of spirit with the humble, for by associating with them a person acquires this trait and learns the ways of humility. When one is in the company of people who do not pursue grand and wondrous things, he behaves like them as well. Better this than accumulating wealth and dividing spoils while being with the proud - for when you associate with high society, with the arrogant, you inevitably adopt their traits.
Notice the ketiv (written text) and keri (read tradition) in the verse: the ketiv is "עניים" (the poor) and the keri is "ענווים" (the humble). And the two are interlinked, for poverty generally leads to humility, whereas "the rich answers with insolence." Therefore, it is preferable not to chase after money and instead keep company with the poor, rather than chasing after wealth and dividing spoils - where who is your company? Arrogant people, each one reeking of pride, boasting of how much he has, how much he made, what deals he closed, and how much he achieved.
The Vilna Gaon adds a principle: generally, the keri represents the revealed meaning and the ketiv represents the hidden meaning. But there are isolated places where the opposite is true - the ketiv is the revealed meaning and the keri is the hidden, and such is the case here. The primary focus of our verse is specifically the word "עניים" (the poor), which is only the ketiv, more so than the word "ענווים" (the humble) that is read aloud. That is to say: it is better to be lowly in spirit and sit with the poor in lowliness than to divide spoils in the company of the proud, even though spoils are being distributed there.
As an example of a verse where the ketiv overrides the keri - where it is more essential and precise than what is uttered aloud - the Vilna Gaon cites Psalm 24: "A Psalm of David: To Hashem belongs the earth and its fullness, the world and those who dwell in it. For He founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. Who shall ascend the mountain of Hashem, and who shall stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul in vain, and has not sworn deceitfully. He shall receive a blessing from Hashem, and righteousness from the God of his salvation."
The straightforward phrasing is "who has not lifted up his soul in vain" (nafsho), for the entire verse speaks of the person in the third person: "Who is the man" - he has clean hands, he has a pure heart, he has not lifted up his soul in vain, he has not sworn deceitfully. Yet "נפשו" (his soul) is only the ketiv, while the keri is "נפשי" (My soul); and if one reads "נפשי", the verse should have continued, "I have not lifted up My soul in vain and I have not sworn deceitfully." Thus, the written ketiv "נפשו" fits the explanation of the verse better and is the plain meaning (peshat), more so than the spoken keri "נפשי" - contrary to the usual rule where the ketiv is written in small letters and disregarded, while the keri is the peshat. Here the reverse occurs: we read "נפשי", but the true peshat is "נפשו". So too in our verse: the ketiv is "עניים" (the poor), and the plain meaning aligns better - it is good to be lowly in spirit together with the poor, sitting in their company, rather than dividing spoils in the company of the proud.
The Vilna Gaon offers another explanation. When a person strives for wealth - why, really? What good will another hundred thousand dollars or another million do him? It is to satisfy his cravings and desires: to drive such a car, live in such an apartment, wear such clothes, and upgrade his status. Yet when a person becomes haughty, who can compare to him and who is his equal? That is, he never reaches a point of feeling, "That is it, I have arrived, I have achieved it." For the soul is never satisfied, and for someone who is proud, the problem lies in the soul; therefore, he constantly strives for more and more, and "no person dies with half of his desires in hand."
Therefore, Shlomo advises: "Better to be of a lowly spirit" - do not be haughty, do not pursue things too great or wondrous for you, be content with what you have, and be with the poor, with those people who do not seek wealth. "Lowly in spirit" and "poor," says the Vilna Gaon, refers to the contrite and humble in spirit, who are the opposite of the haughty spirit and expansive appetite of the proud. A "haughty spirit" refers to arrogance of heart, while an "expansive soul" refers to the cravings of the heart - the soul is never satisfied, constantly demanding more desires and more wants. The proud always want more, always racing to divide spoils, yet they never attain contentment and never arrive, for "no person dies with half of his desires in hand." Is it not better, then, not to enter this entire race in the first place?
The Malbim explains that the two verses are connected - "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be of a lowly spirit with the humble than to divide spoils with the proud" - and prefaces that humility and pride both depend on a person's free will. The proud person elevates himself beyond his true standing: he is on a certain level and feels that he is something extraordinary. The humble person, by contrast, recognizes his true worth; he knows that he has no genuine reason to be boastful, that he is unworthy of special honor, and that he is ultimately flesh and blood. As the sacred texts phrase it: How can man crave pride when he passed through the channel of urine and blood - a human born of a woman, a state most lowly and debased, on account of which he is completely unworthy of honor? This is the definition of humility.
And what is the difference between humility and "lowliness of spirit"? Humility is the middle path: recognizing one's worth and knowing that one has nothing of his own. Lowliness of spirit is the other extreme: one who actively humbles his stature and standing even lower. The lowly in spirit is a person who, if humiliated, feels no sting whatsoever, because he has attained a state of equanimity and it makes no difference to him at all, so deeply humbled is his spirit. The humble person, by contrast, does not pursue grand and wondrous things and does not hold himself to be greater than he is, yet if someone insults and humiliates him, he feels it. But the lowly in spirit, who is at the very bottom, is not hurt when humiliated - after all, how much lower could they bring him?
In all character traits, the proper path is to choose the middle way, as the Rambam states that one should walk in the intermediate path. But regarding arrogance this is not so; rather, "Be exceedingly humble in spirit" - one must go to the far extreme of humility, becoming the lowliest of the lowly, so that even if people demean him, he feels nothing at all. Yet take note: not every humble-spirited person is praiseworthy. One who is humble-spirited by nature and feels nothing - that is not the virtue. The verse says, "humble in spirit with the meek," meaning that his lowliness stems from conscious humility. Just as humility is a matter of free choice, where through free will one chooses not to boast, recognizes one's true state, and conducts oneself with humility, similarly, there is a person who is lowly by nature - born into this state and naturally inclined this way - and for this he will not receive a great reward. Who receives reward? The humble person, in whose mind fantasies of pride arise, yet he silences them and says to himself: Who are you, and why should you be proud? So too with the praiseworthy humble-spirited person - one who truly chooses to be humble of spirit, humbles his spirit, and allows no path for pride to enter.
The Malbim now turns to explain what "haughtiness of spirit" means: a person who harbors fantasies of pride, even if he has not yet translated them into action. He walks around feeling as though he is something extraordinary, sensing that he is so great, so wise, so discerning, and so talented - yet it all remains in the realm of imagination. The Malbim explains: the heart is the ruling faculty over these imaginations, and the heart has the power to humble the spirit. But if these thoughts influence the heart to the point where the heart not only ceases to fight against this imaginary pride, but on the contrary actively fuels it - walking around feeling in his heart, "You are tremendous, you are great, you are talented, you are unique" - such a person is already deemed an abomination.
Why? Because as long as the governing faculty, the power of the heart, remains in your control, there is an inner voice wrestling and contending against those fantasies. Every person experiences imaginations of pride before acting upon them, and as long as a person controls his heart, the heart fights back and says: What reason do you have to be proud, who are you to be arrogant, and why do you think you are superior to him? But if the heart has fallen vanquished to those fantasies, and he genuinely believes, "I am tremendous, I am great, people just haven't recognized it yet, but I really am that great" - that is already "haughty of heart." This pride is not mere passing conceit; it is a pride that governs the heart, and overcoming it is extremely difficult. Therefore, "Every haughty-hearted person is an abomination to Hashem" - this refers to pride against which one puts up no fight at all, where one's very heart feels that he is great and mighty.
One in whose heart the trait of pride resides is called a ga'eh (proud). If, in addition to this, he is also wealthy and powerful, it is said that he has ga'on (haughtiness) in his heart. The difference is: the ga'eh is proud without credentials, even without possessing any real merit. The ga'on is proud with credentials - he has something to point to: "I control such-and-such assets, I am the minister closest to the king, my word is final here." That is, he possesses external circumstances that seem to warrant pride, and therefore it is said that he has ga'on in his heart. But one who lacks these credentials and is nonetheless arrogant is called a ga'eh.
From here we understand the verse. A person who has ga'on is close to ruin, as it is written: "Before destruction, the heart is haughty," and as it is written here: "Pride goes before destruction." The Holy One, blessed be He, elevated him and granted him merit, assets, wealth, and authority - he genuinely possesses them; yet his pride in this real advantage is what will bring him to ruin. On the other hand, one who merely possesses "haughtiness of spirit" and is not "haughty of heart," in whom pride has not come to govern the heart, is in a better situation, for the heart, which is the governing faculty, still strives to fight. Nevertheless, the Malbim explains that this person is close to stumbling. Why? Because this pride involves a struggle, and when a person fights, there are battles he wins and battles the evil inclination wins. The person with haughtiness of spirit is in a constant battle against haughtiness, making him vulnerable to adversity and stumbling, as he may succeed at times and fail at others. Therefore: "Pride goes before destruction" - one who is completely arrogant over his possessions is liable to be shattered; "and a haughty spirit before stumbling" - one who has not yet succumbed completely to pride, but merely has haughtiness of spirit, faces a constant battle, and at times the inclination may prevail.
And when he stumbles, what follows the stumbling? Shattering. The Malbim demonstrates that stumbling precedes falling and shattering, as it is written: "They slumped and fell." First comes an obstacle: "Do not place a stumbling block before the blind" - I placed a stone before him, his foot tripped, and that is a stumble; then he falls prostrate to the ground, which is a fall. So too: "Many among them shall stumble, fall, and be shattered" - stumbling, followed by falling, followed by shattering. These are always the stages. And who will be the first to be shattered? "Pride goes before destruction" - one whose haughtiness of spirit governs his heart to the point where he boasts of his greatness, he is the one who will meet destruction.
Thus, Shlomo tells you: it is better to be humble in spirit alongside the meek. Up to this point, he explained the previous verse: one who is arrogant, whose heart is ruled by pride, will ultimately meet destruction; one who has a haughty spirit and has not yet become a ga'on, but experiences thoughts of pride and battles against this evil inclination, is prone to stumbling - it is not certain he will reach destruction, but stumbling is the beginning of the fall, since he faces a perpetual struggle. Therefore, "Better to be humble in spirit with the meek" - that a person should be lowly of spirit to the utmost degree among the humble, and through this he will not stumble, let alone be shattered. And this is better "than dividing spoil with the proud," for even if it seems to him that he divides spoil and great wealth alongside the haughty - since "proud" relates to ga'on, and the ga'on genuinely possesses wealth and property - nevertheless, it is better to be humble in spirit with the meek than to boast of what you have together with the proud, for "Pride goes before destruction." Do you have wealth and boast about it? That is exceedingly dangerous, and you may thereby reach a state of ruin; for ruin is far worse than stumbling, as stumbling is followed by falling and then by shattering - and in a single moment, you fall and are shattered.
Thus, one can be a titan with an investment empire and say, "Relax, my soul," and suddenly a downfall strikes - "Pride precedes ruin." Someone with an understanding of business once recounted reading in a financial newspaper about a study examining how an ordinary person, through everything he has in his home, sustains a single tycoon. When asked how this could be, he explained: Do you use toothpaste from such-and-such a company? He holds shares there. Then for breakfast, did you buy this product or that product? He holds shares there. And so on, from the morning glass of milk until going to sleep, it demonstrated how ninety percent of everything a person did provided income for him. Here is ga'on (pride and eminence) - someone who genuinely has something to boast about, possessing vast wealth. This does not refer to any specific individual personally, nor is it known whether he takes pride in his assets; he may very well be humble and unassuming. Yet we see that a person can reach ga'on, having grounds for pride because of his vast holdings - and "pride precedes ruin": after ga'on arrives, a fracture, Heaven forbid, is liable to follow. If so, what does a person have to be proud of, when he does not know what tomorrow may bring?
"Pride precedes ruin, and a haughty spirit precedes a stumble" - the person of ga'on, who exalts himself over others and boasts of what he possesses, will ultimately be broken by others; whereas one who has a haughty spirit (govah ruach), whose pride is internal, causes himself to stumble. And when pride already governs the heart - "the haughty of heart" - there is no longer anyone to battle against it, and this is an abomination to Hashem. In contrast, the humble person recognizes his true worth and the lowliness of his state, and the praiseworthy person of lowly spirit chooses to humble his spirit to the utmost, thereby neither stumbling nor breaking. Therefore, "Better to be of a lowly spirit with the humble" - it is better to sit in the company of the humble and the poor and acquire from them the trait of lowliness of spirit, than to divide spoil with the proud, adopt their traits, and enter an endless race, for "no man dies with half his desires attained."