For example: A great lord sent a clerk to one of his distant cities. While there, the clerk took all the honors for himself. The serfs did not know he was the lord’s servant, but assumed he himself was the lord. When they needed something from him, they would fall at his feet and show him all sorts of honor. They would also call him by all the titles of honor that were appropriate for a lord.
Once, the lord himself came there. When the clerk appeared before him, he asked him about the affairs of the country and why these serfs were not fulfilling their duties. [The clerk] called a foreman and the lord questioned him about the affairs of the city. Now, the foreman, the serf, did not know the lord, only the clerk, and he immediately fell at the feet of the clerk and showed him the honor that was due the lord. He answered him concerning the affairs about which [the lord] had asked. At that point, the clerk’s face “turned black like the bottom of a pot,” and he was very embarrassed. For there is no greater shame than this: that in the presence of the lord, they give him this honor.
Likewise, the principal honor [a man receives] is due only to the power of speech. For a limb of the human body, such as the hand, cannot impart him honor. This is because it is not possible to discern the human form from the hand itself. Likewise, even the human face is not exclusive to man himself, for there is also an animal that has a human face, such as the monkey. This, too, is not what defines man. Therefore, he only receives honor from speech, for this is what distinguishes man from the animal kingdom.
Now, being that the principal honor is in speech, and speech is the palace of the king—for HeYKhaL (palace) is numerically equivalent to ADoNoY (my God), the aspect of speech, as in (Psalms 51:17), “Adonoy, open my lips”—if so, he wants to receive honor in the palace of the King. As can be sensed, there is nothing more shameful than that. For a servant will certainly be very embarrassed if he is shown great honor in the king’s presence, as in the aforementioned example.
מִי שֶׁרוֹצֶה כָּבוֹד, הוּא שׁוֹטֶה.
Someone who wants honor is a fool.
כִּי לְמָשָׁל, שַׂר גָּדוֹל שָׁלַח פָּקִיד לְעִיר אֶחָד מֵהָעֲיָרוֹת שֶׁלּוֹ לְמָקוֹם רָחוֹק, וְהַפָּקִיד הַנַּ"ל לָקַח לְעַצְמוֹ שָׁם כָּל הַכָּבוֹד, כִּי הָעֲרֵלִים לֹא יָדְעוּ שֶׁהוּא עֶבֶד הַשַּׂר, וְסָבְרוּ שֶׁהוּא בְּעַצְמוֹ הַשַּׂר, וּכְשֶׁהָיוּ צְרִיכִים אֵלָיו הָיוּ נוֹפְלִים לִפְנֵי רַגְלָיו, וְנוֹתְנִים לוֹ כָּל הַכָּבוֹד, וְהָיוּ קוֹרְאִים אוֹתוֹ עִם כָּל הַכִּנּוּיִים שֶׁל כָּבוֹד הַשַּׁיָּכִים לְהַשַּׂר.
For example: A great lord sent a clerk to one of his distant cities. While there, the clerk took all the honors for himself. The serfs did not know he was the lord’s servant, but assumed he himself was the lord. When they needed something from him, they would fall at his feet and show him all sorts of honor. They would also call him by all the titles of honor that were appropriate for a lord.
פַּעַם אֶחָד בָּא הַשַּׂר בְּעַצְמוֹ לְשָׁם, וּבָא הַפָּקִיד לְפָנָיו, וְשָׁאַל לוֹ עַל עִסְקֵי הַמְּדִינָה, וּמַדּוּעַ אֵלּוּ הָעֲרֵלִים אֵינָם עוֹבְדִים עֲבוֹדָתָם. וְקָרָא לְשׁוֹטֵר אֶחָד, וְשָׁאַל אוֹתוֹ הַשַּׂר עַל עֵסֶק הָעִיר, וְהֶעָרֵל הָשּׁוֹטֵר לֹא הִכִּיר אֶת הַשַּׂר רַק אֶת הַפָּקִיד, וְתֵכֶף נָפַל לְרַגְלֵי הַפָּקִיד, וְחָלַק לוֹ כָּל הַכָּבוֹד הַשַּׁיָּךְ לְהַשַּׂר, וְהֵשִׁיב לוֹ עַל עֵסֶק שְׁאֵלָתוֹ. אֲזַי נִתְהַפְּכוּ פְּנֵי הַפָּקִיד כְּשׁוּלֵי קְדֵרָה, וְנִתְבַּיֵּשׁ מְאֹד, כִּי אֵין בִּזָּיוֹן גָּדוֹל מִזֶּה, שֶׁבְּעֵינֵי הַשַּׂר נוֹתְנִים לוֹ כָּבוֹד הַזֶּה.
Once, the lord himself came there. When the clerk appeared before him, he asked him about the affairs of the country and why these serfs were not fulfilling their duties. [The clerk] called a foreman and the lord questioned him about the affairs of the city. Now, the foreman, the serf, did not know the lord, only the clerk, and he immediately fell at the feet of the clerk and showed him the honor that was due the lord. He answered him concerning the affairs about which [the lord] had asked. At that point, the clerk’s face “turned black like the bottom of a pot,” and he was very embarrassed. For there is no greater shame than this: that in the presence of the lord, they give him this honor.
כְּמוֹ כֵן עִקַּר הַכָּבוֹד הוּא רַק מֵהַדִּבּוּר, כִּי אֵיבָר מֵהָאָדָם, כְּגוֹן יָד, אֵינָהּ יְכוֹלָה לַחֲלֹק לוֹ כָּבוֹד, כִּי גַּם אֵינוֹ נִכָּר בְּהַיָּד בְּעַצְמָהּ תַּבְנִית הָאָדָם, וְכֵן אֲפִלּוּ פְּנֵי הָאָדָם אֵינוֹ מְיֻחָד לְהָאָדָם בְּעַצְמוֹ, כִּי נִמְצָא גַּם חַיָּה שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהּ פְּנֵי אָדָם, כְּגוֹן קוֹף, וְאֵין זֶה גֶּדֶר הָאָדָם, וְעַל כֵּן אֵינוֹ מְקַבֵּל כָּבוֹד כִּי אִם מֵהַדִּבּוּר, שֶׁבָּזֶה מֻבְדָּל הָאָדָם מֵחַי,
Likewise, the principal honor [a man receives] is due only to the power of speech. For a limb of the human body, such as the hand, cannot impart him honor. This is because it is not possible to discern the human form from the hand itself. Likewise, even the human face is not exclusive to man himself, for there is also an animal that has a human face, such as the monkey. This, too, is not what defines man. Therefore, he only receives honor from speech, for this is what distinguishes man from the animal kingdom.
וְעַל כֵּן מֵאַחַר שֶׁעִקַּר הַכָּבוֹד הוּא בְּהַדִּבּוּר. וְהַדִּבּוּר הוּא הֵיכַל הַמֶּלֶךְ, כִּי "הֵיכָל" גִּימַטְרִיָּא "אֲדֹנָי", בְּחִינַת הַדִּבּוּר, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (תהילים נ״א:י״ז): אֲדֹנָי שְׂפָתַי תִּפְתָּח (ע' תיקון יח); אִם כֵּן רוֹצֶה לְקַבֵּל כָּבוֹד בְּהֵיכַל הַמֶּלֶךְ, וְאֵין בִּזָּיוֹן גָּדוֹל מִזֶּה, כַּיָּדוּעַ בְּחוּשׁ, שֶׁבְּוַדַּאי יִתְבַּיֵּשׁ הָעֶבֶד מְאֹד כְּשֶׁיַּחְלְקוּ לוֹ כָּבוֹד גָּדוֹל לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ, כַּנִּזְכַּר לְעֵיל בַּמָּשָׁל הַנַּ"ל:
Now, being that the principal honor is in speech, and speech is the palace of the king—for HeYKhaL (palace) is numerically equivalent to ADoNoY (my God), the aspect of speech, as in (Psalms 51:17), “Adonoy, open my lips”—if so, he wants to receive honor in the palace of the King. As can be sensed, there is nothing more shameful than that. For a servant will certainly be very embarrassed if he is shown great honor in the king’s presence, as in the aforementioned example.