LEV919 How does the traditional Jew remind himself or herself (especially in ancient times) that the focus is about God and not about him? In almost every endeavor (in the time of the Torah when most of the economy was connected to farming), the Torah says that before a Jew can enjoy the fruits of his or her labor, before a person pats himself on the back for his achievements, he must first give something back to God and acknowledge that it was God that made this all possible [this verse; also, Exodus 23:9, Numbers 15:20, Deuteronomy 18:4]. Therefore, in an agrarian society, where possessions were not measured by how much money was in the bank, but by crops and sheep, before a person could eat any food he or she had produced with his or her hands and months of toil, he or she first had to give a small percentage to God. This is Jewish law with regard to grain, domestic animals that are born, and any other physical achievement in that society. We could and should learn to translate that pattern to many activities today, besides the usual ten-to-twenty percent to set aside for Tzedaka-charity, in Jewish law. Sefer HaChinuch explains the reasons for these Commandments in the manner described above (Sefer HaChinuch, Mitzvah 606). One lowers one's own self esteem if one realizes that no achievement could have been accomplished without God's help. In order to preclude people developing a self-esteem that is too strong, the Rabbis also advise acting like Hillel, who was very modest, and not with the personality of exactitude that was displayed by Shammai (Shabbat 30b). On the other hand, Hillel was no shrinking violet who thought very little of himself. As he entered a Sukkot celebration, Hillel once remarked, "If I am here, all is here" (Sukkah 53a). (This statement should not be understood on the simple level, since a modest person would never say something so outlandish. The explanation is beyond the realm of this volume.) But a balance must be struck between a good, healthy self-esteem and too much or too little self-worth, both of which cause the person problems. That is why right after stating that man is "nothing," equal to a mosquito, the next verse states that man is just a little lower than the angels (Psalms 8:5-6 with Midrash, Yayikra Rabbah 14:1). A person with low self-esteem should concentrate on the second verse, while a person who has too much self-esteem should study the first verse. The prophet Jeremiah warned about the person who has so much success in areas such as knowledge, strength, and finances. These achievements can easily go to the person's head and raise his or her self-esteem to an unacceptable level. Therefore, he says that a person should not attribute achievements to oneself, but only to God, and only he who concentrates on becoming closer to God can truly be proud (Jeremiah 9:22-23). And a little anxiety in this area--lowering one's self-esteem--is good for a person, to help prevent that individual from becoming evil (Proverbs 28:14). Finally, although the verse in its simple reading seems to say, "God's Torah is perfect and revives the soul," (Psalms 19:8), the term "Meshivat Nafesh" can be translated as "self-esteem." Thus, when a person realizes that it is God's Torah, not his or her Torah, and that all efforts in life should be God-centered, then that individual's self-esteem will be perfected.