The Smell of Arrogance

Once there was a man who was visited by Eliyahu Hanavi. They were walking and they passed a maloderous beggar. The man pinned his nose shut from the smell, but Eliyahu barely seemed to notice.

Later, they passed an extremely arrogant person. Eliyahu held his nose closed.

The man asked Eliyahu, "Why did the smell bother you when we passed the arrogant person, but when we passed the beggar it did not bother you."

Eliyahu replied that the arrogant man was repulsive to G-d, and this caused him anguish.

- adapted from Meam Loez


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