Honorable Haughtiness

Reb Mottel, a follower of the Alter Rebbe, (Reb Shneur Zalman of Liadi)was wont to serve G-d with haughtiness. How so? Well, the Yetzer Hora, the evil inclination, would approach him and say, "Mottel, do such and such a sin...."

And Reb Mottel would bellow in response "WHAT?? I should sin? I am a follower of the Rebbe! I am fabulously wealthy and learned! Yet, you dare tell me to sin?"

In essence, each of us can use this approach. The Alter Rebbe observed that "a Jew neither desires, nor can, be separated from G-dliness and it is only his evil inclination that forces him." As such, the Yetzer Hora can be rebuffed by way of haughtiness.

When the evil inclination tries his tactics to get us to sin, G-d forbid, we should be firm: "I am a descendant of Avrohom, Yitzchok and Yakov; I stood at Mt. Sinai and accepted the Torah. The Mishna even says: "The world was created for me" - the entire world rests on me! You want me to degrade myself and blindly follow my sinful desires? I have more than enough power to ignore your enticements!"

This is honorable haughtiness.