We've been going through concepts of humility as they relate to the bitachon, and I have unbelievable thought to share with you today. The Gemara in Sotah says, “ Anyone that has arrogance, it’s befitting to chop him down like an Ashera,” which is a worshiped tree. There is a rule in the Gemara that when the same word shows up in two places, that causes us to link the two together. It says, “ the ones that are high of stature are chopped down, and it also says, “ The worshiped trees should be chopped down.” The same term, ‘ chopped down’ is used both for arrogant people and for worshiped trees. What exactly is the connection between the two? Why are we comparing an arrogant person to a worshiped tree? Why not compare him to a worshiped house or anything else that's worshiped. Why are we comparing him to a worshiped tree ? One explanation, from the Maharal is that it’s because there's a pasuk that says man is compared to a tree. But there's an additional, beautiful point. The Gemara in Masechet Avoda Zara page 45, tells us that normally, if something is worshiped it is forbidden to derive benefit from that object. So if you have an idol that’s been worshiped, you can't benefit from it. There's a question about how can people sell trinkets of certain type of items, which are related to idol worship. And the answer is that it's just a trinket. It's not really worshiped. Only something that's truly worshiped is forbidden to derive benefit from. Yet there's an exception. If someone bows down to a mountain or the sun or anything that's part of nature , we'll call it, it cannot be forbidden to derive benefit from those, because simply, how that would be the case? For example, we wouldn't be able to benefit from the sun, which is worshiped. So, the question is, why is there a concept called the worshiped tree ? A tree is also an item of nature. The answer, as the Gemara says, is that “ A tree has the clutches of man in i t.” Man planted the tree. There is a discussion about a trees that grew on its own, that man later did something to, but a tree is something that although is Godly, it is impacted by man, and therefore can become an Avoda Zara which the forces of contamination can dwell on. The sefer Siach Yitzhak says that likewise, a human being should not be capable of being worshiped, because he is a creation of God. But when a person becomes a Baal Ga’avah , he considers himself like he made himself, like Paroah who said, “ The Nile is mine, and I made myself.” A person who doesn't give credit to God for his creation, disconnects himself from God and is c onsidered like a human being is involved in his being, hence the term, self-made man , as in someone who believes he made himself. He now disconnects himself from his Creator and the forces of Tumah can dwell on him. On the other hand, the humble person realizes that every moment, he's under the control of God, that he can't do anything and that God is in total control of him, like Avraham Avinu who said, “I am dust and ash,” and Moshe Rabbeu and Aharon, who said, “ What are we?” He considers himself subjugated to God, and so in that way, he is not at all a human creation. There’s nothing to him but Godliness , and therefore, like God says, “ Wherever My name is mentioned, I will come to you, and I will bless you.” This person becomes a receptacle for God. Conversely, when something disconnects from God, and believes it has its own power, like the idol, a force of negativity, of Tumah , dwells on it. It's real. We don't understand what this means, but there's a real negative force. If someone has a bottle of wine and it's libated, you can't drink it. It's forbidden to benefit from it because there's a contamination that comes on it. What is that contamination? The contamination is a disconnect from God, and that's a negative force. But the opposite is also true-the one who's connected to God brings a spirit of holiness upon him, and a spirit of blessing. Therefore, the man who is arrogant becomes like that worshiped tree- Although the tree is inherently God's creation, and grew from the ground, man took an active role in that tree, and now the tree can become forbidden. So too, the human being, although he’s an act of God, can make himself into a worshiped item, by taking credit for his existence. We’ll end with an interesting little point, for the month of Elul, which is coming upon us. The rabbis tell us, the pasuk says, “ Hu Asanu/He made us, V’Lo Anachnu- which can mean either: We didn't make ourselves or We belong to Him . And the rabbis say both are true. If we say, “ He made us and we didn't make ourselves, ” then we belong to Him, and then we have all the blessings. And if we say that no, we made ourselves , then we don't belong to Him, and we get the opposite. So again, the humble person connects himself to God, realizes that he's not in control and is a source of all blessing. Have a wonderful day.