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Looking Only at Yourself


“Do not climb up to My altar by steps.” - Exodus 20:23
Rabbi Isaac Meir of Gur interprets:  Two blind people wishes to reach a rooftop, and tried to figure out how to do it.  One of them got himself a ladder and the other got himself a long plank to serve as an inclined ramp.  Each of them ascended.  But the difference between the two of them was this.  The one who climbed on the ladder [the rungs of which recall the steps proscribe din the verse] knew at each step exactly how much higher he was, and exactly how many steps he still had to ascend.  But the one who ascended by the ramp – as long as he was not at the rooftop, he had no idea where he was situated and just how high he was…  Similarly here: “Do not climb up to My altar by steps” – that is, do not look around, just continue to do good works and to engage in the service of God.”  Quoted by  Rabbi Daniel Greyher
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