Paths of Faith: Honor is the Language of the Soul

Our soul, which is a part of Hashem from above, is also called "honor." As King David says in Psalms (30:13): "That my soul may sing praise to You and not be silent." Who is the honor that sings? It is our soul, which is called honor. This soul will sing to Hashem and will not be silent forever. The soul that sings and praises its Creator here on earth will continue to do so even after a hundred and twenty years and will not cease.

Hashem is the "King of Glory" (Psalms 24:10), "and in His temple, everyone says, 'Glory!'" (Psalms 29:9), "His glory fills the world" (Kedushah). The soul, which is a part of Hashem, is called honor, and its original language is honor.

Through this soul of ours, whose essence is honor, we are able to honor and seek back a language of honor, for this is our true self. Our true self is the soul, which understands only the language of honor.

Honor is the essence of our soul and it's something natural to us, though at times we may have corrupted it. The late Rebbetzin Kanievsky told me that the higher and more elevated a person's soul is, the more respectful it is toward others, as they have not corrupted the essence of the soul – the honor. As we indeed see in the great sages of Israel, they honor every person, for their essence is honor. Similarly, any person who is in closer connection with their soul spreads more respect around them.

On the verse in Proverbs (28:12) "When the righteous triumph, there is great glory, but when the wicked rise, a man is hidden," Rabbeinu Yonah explains that the righteous glorify all human virtues, whereas the wicked humiliate others. The righteousness of a person is measured by the level of honor they accord to others, and conversely, a person's wickedness is measured by the amount of humiliation and contempt they shower on others.

Since honor is the essence of the soul, everyone needs honor, and this honor is a profound and significant need for every individual, from the youngest to the oldest, from the simplest of people to the presidents and nobles. It's fascinating to see how even infants need honor, and how small children are hurt by derogatory words or an inconsiderate tone. You can also see that when you compliment an older child, the younger one will shout: "I am a good child too"... Children, as well as adults, need honor.

Honor is the language of the soul, this is the language that the soul knows. It is not foolish or petty honor – but a high need of the soul for recognition and approval.

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