Talmud Bavli
Talmud Bavli

Musar for Avodah Zarah 40:10

מכאן א"ר פנחס בן יאיר תורה מביאה לידי זהירות זהירות מביאה לידי זריזות זריזות מביאה לידי נקיות נקיות מביאה לידי פרישות פרישות מביאה לידי טהרה טהרה מביאה לידי חסידות חסידות מביאה לידי ענוה ענוה מביאה לידי יראת חטא יראת חטא מביאה לידי קדושה קדושה מביאה לידי רוח הקודש רוח הקודש מביאה לידי תחיית המתים וחסידות גדולה מכולן שנאמר (תהלים פט, כ) אז דברת בחזון לחסידיך

From here R. Pinchas b. Yair said: Torah leads to caution, caution leads to eagerness, eagerness leads to cleanliness, cleanliness leads to separation, separation leads to purity, purity leads to righteousness, righteousness leads to humility, humility leads to fear of sin, fear of sin leads to holiness, holiness leads to the holy spirit, the holy spirit leads to resurrection, and righteousness is greater than any of these, as its says, “Then you spoke in visions to Your righteous ones” (Psalms 89:20).

Shenei Luchot HaBerit

The greatest virtue of all the virtues that exist is the virtue of humility. This is why the greatest of all prophets is credited in the Torah with only this virtue. Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair lists a number of virtues, possession of each one is a stepping-stone to still higher virtues, the highest one being ענוה, humility. If the first human being who was the direct creation of G–d Himself (and could have displayed pride therefore) is described as having been formed of earth, this is a subtle hint that we must practice humility. Man was also called אדם because this word is an acronym for the words אפר, דם, מרה, as mentioned in tractate Sotah. The title אדם was bestowed only on the Jewish people, to the exclusion of the Gentile nations. We became heir to this title because of the humility of our great leaders.
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