From Rabash’s lesson: A person must study on the basis that faith obliges him, not because others say that he is righteous, thus giving him strength and inspiring him to work. It’s because then this strength is based on pride and honor, not on faith, meaning on egoism instead of holiness.

Thus, one needs to be very careful not to receive any external endorsement. It is just the opposite: If the environment ignores the person, it is really a gift from Above because he is being given the opportunity to continue to work for the sake of bestowal.

And if one is honored, he thereby is given energy to work egoistically, for the sake of respect. And no matter how much you try to explain it to the person, nothing will help—this is the way our body, our ego, works.

Thus, it is not easy to detach from reward or punishment that comes from the environment, working only in one line directed straight to the goal of creation. But without this detachment, all of our work will benefit the impure forces, Pharaoh, our ego.

According to how influenced a person is by the world’s good or bad attitude toward him, by feedback he receives from the external world, we can see clearly where he is. If he doesn’t pay attention to this and continues on his way, he receives all sorts of criticism as help from Above. The more he is attacked from all the sides, the more they help him.  
[75854]
From the Preparation for the Lesson 4/20/2012

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