HONOR.
30. The revelation of God’s glory depends entirely on man. Therefore, when some new honor comes to a person, he must be scrupulous about not taking any of it for himself. He must make sure that he gives all the glory to God (Likutey Moharan II, 71).
31. A person who insults God’s honor falls from the mentality of the “Land of Israel” – which is the source of true understanding and wisdom – to the mentality of “outside the Land.” This is the root of strife and factionalism (ibid.).
32. One who is jealous of a friend who rises to greatness can lose his faith and turn into an atheist. We must be extremely careful about this (ibid. II, 80).
33. In our times there is no one whose motive for seeking power is purely for the sake of Heaven. In previous generations there were such people, but today, no one should seek out positions of power. All honor and authority should be avoided (ibid.).
34. Anyone with a clear mind can see that all the affairs of this world are utterly futile and foolish. This is especially true of earthly prestige, power and fame. The truth is that these give no pleasure or satisfaction even in this world. They are always attended by suffering and abuse from other people (Rebbe Nachman’s Wisdom #47).