Superiority

1. One who instills inordinate dread upon the public not for the sake of Heaven, does not see a son as a Torah scholar.

2. One who begins a matter of a Mitzvah, and does not finish it, he is brought down from his greatness.

3. When the Holy One Blessed is He, takes retribution upon the enemies of Israel (t.n this is a euphemism for Israel), He appoints for them directors whom are not good.

4. The son of a righteous man is raised when he does not go in a straight path, in order that he should go in a straight path.

5. Through (giving) charity, one rises.

6. A man does not rise to greatness unless he is forgiven for all his sins.

7. When [Heaven] raises an important man, they do not bring him down.

8. Through wisdom, humility, and being social, one's words are fulfilled above.

9. When [Heaven] wants to raise a righteous man and publicize him, [Heaven] sends discord between the evil people.

10. When someone humiliates you, and you accept it happily, through this you will merit respect and promotion with joy.

11. One who does not accept rebuke through this he does not grow (become great).

12. Superiority comes to one who constantly reviews his learning.

13. Superiority comes through rebuke.

14. One whom Hashem his G-d is with him, he will have an ascent.

15. Through a change of name comes a change in fortune.

16. Through the traveling one does from village to village and from city to city, his words are not heard (accepted).

17. One who judges Israel favorably merits to a great ascent.

18. One who has superiority, and fears lest he need die because his friend's time has come to receive this superiority, he should flee from this superiority, or he should employ a scheme that his friend should flee from this city.

19. When people come to one and say to him, "Teach us the Way of G-d", it is certain that he will have superiority.

20. A man does not become famous, unless the Holy One Blessed is He appears upon him from above.

21. Superiority comes through having trust (in G-d) in time of trouble.

22. Someone with intelligence will certainly ascend (to greatness) quickly.

23. When the tzadik is raised to great height, everyone is in wonderment over him.

24. One who hates theft rises to greatness.

25. Through wisdom or success, one becomes famous.

26. A man to whom the nations of the world give him gifts, should know that his superiority has been prepared (correct/established) by the blessed G-d.

27. Through saying Tehillim (Psalms), one is elevated on high.

28. When a man attains superiority, it is if he was newborn.

29. Due to mentioning names of idolatry, one does not rise (gain superiority).

30. Through learning Aggadah (non legal lore of the Talmud and Medrash) at night, one rises (See also Contention #48).

31. Eminence comes about through hating falsehood.

32. Through loving the righteous (tzadikim), one rises.

33. Through serving G-d with cognizance, and not by rote, one will certainly rise.

34. Superiority comes through spoken words (statements, insights, maxims, or the like).

35. Also through submission (before G-d).

36. Through sanctifying the name of G-d, one is raised high.

37. Superiority comes through having mercy.

38. Through faith, one rules over the arrogant.

39. One who appoints a judge who is not worthy will in the end be judged by (lit. fall into the hand of) gentile judges.

40. Through giving rebuke for the sake of Heaven, one merits to superiority.

41. Through building a house in the Land of Israel, one merits to superiority.

42. Through giving respect to the Torah, one merits to superiority.

43. Not always can a man rule his presidency, for sometimes there comes a time which this time has vitality only from a different president.

44. Someone whom the Holy One Blessed is He has elevated, accord him respect and go to (be by) him.

45. The ascent of a man is a goodness of the hour.

1. One who infringes his friends territory, his greatness is diminished.

2. The Holy One Blessed is He does not give greatness to a man until He tests him with something small.

3. Through confusion of the mind, fear (of G-d) is ruined. Also through confusion of the mind, one's dominion falls.

4. Through zeal, one merits to be a faithful leader (lit. shepherd). A hint for this is in the passage, "Go to the ant, lazy one (Mishlei-Proverbs 6:6)", and it is also written "From there the shepherd of the stone of Israel (Bereshit 49:24)" (the end letters of the words in this passage spell "ant").

5. When one bribes an official to be appointed to a position, that someone else should be removed and he should be appointed, this is like witchcraft.

6. Thoughts of idolatry, and promiscuous thoughts, and spilling blood, and slander come upon one who is accustomed to swearing oaths. However, they are annulled through the city's leader, who sets the collections and taxes on each person according to his worth, that he can bear.

7. When an evil person becomes great, it is difficult to bring out a new explanation in the rulings of the authorities of the Halacha (Jewish law). Also, the words of judges are not heard (accepted/sensible) by the litigants.

8. A kosher man must humble himself when he sees the sovereignty of an evildoer.

9. One who appropriates a position of authority for himself, through this his daughter becomes a prostitute.

10. One who leaves the needs of the community and engages in his own needs, is as if he takes bribery.

11. Through confession, one merits to superiority.

12. Through the sanctity of the blessed G-d's name, the rule of the leaders of the generation has full power and might, and through this the Mitzvah of hospitality is highly regarded in everyone's eyes, and through this those that study (the Torah) merit that the Halacha (final legal ruling on a matter of the Torah) is like them.