Avraham's Humility Versus Bilam
במשנה מי שיש בו ג' דברים הללו מתלמידיו של אאע"ה
In the Mishnah it is taught: Whoever possesses these three qualities is among the disciples of Avraham Avinu, peace be upon him.
The Sfas Emes opens with the Mishnah in Avos that lists three traits which mark a person as a talmid of Avraham Avinu.
פי' שהאבות הקדושים פעלו כל אלה המדות לדורות וכל מה שמתקן האדם עצמו ידע שהוא בכחם
The meaning is that the holy Avos brought all of these middos into being for all generations, and whenever a person sets himself aright, he should know that it is through their power.
He explains that the Avos planted these character traits as a spiritual force available to every later generation, so any self-improvement a person achieves draws on the merit and power the Avos established.
רק כמ"ש הבוחר בדרכיהם ועי"ז עושה כמעשיהם
This is precisely as it is written, 'Who chooses their ways,' and it is through this that a person comes to do as they did.
The pasuk 'Who chooses their ways' shows that by attaching ourselves to the path of the Avos, we are enabled to actually replicate their deeds.
לכן כל מי שיש בו אלה המדות הוא מתלמידיו של אאע"ה שכשאמר אנכי עפר ואפר ביטל עצמו וכל זרעו אחריו להשי"ת
Therefore, whoever possesses these middos is among the disciples of Avraham Avinu, peace be upon him, for when he declared, 'I am but dust and ashes,' he nullified himself and all his offspring after him to Hashem Yisbarach.
Anyone bearing these middos is a disciple of Avraham, because Avraham's words 'I am but dust and ashes' expressed a total bittul that he bequeathed to all his descendants before Hashem.
וכן זה לעומת זה
And so too, in the opposite direction, 'this corresponding to that.'
Since creation is built on opposites, there is a counterfeit mirror-image of Avraham's holy humility on the side of evil.
הרשע בלעם חפר דרך שקר לדורות להראות דרך הכנעת שוא כמ"ש במ"א מזה בשם <b>מו"ז ז"ל</b> כי באותו הכנעה עצמו שאמר אם יתן לי בלק כו' הי' רק להתגאות עצמו:
The wicked Bilam dug out a false path for the generations, to display a way of counterfeit submission, as is explained elsewhere on this matter in the name of my grandfather, of blessed memory, that with that very 'submission' in which he said, 'If Balak were to give me his houseful of silver and gold,' his sole intent was in fact to exalt himself in pride.
Bilam forged a false version of humility for the generations: his statement that even a houseful of silver and gold could not move him looked like submission, but the Sfas Emes, citing his grandfather, reveals it was really a vehicle for his own arrogance.
Summary: The Sfas Emes builds on the Mishnah in Avos that whoever bears three particular middos is counted among the disciples of Avraham Avinu. He teaches that the Avos established these character traits as a living power for every generation, so that all genuine self-rectification a person achieves flows from their strength, as the pasuk says, 'Who chooses their ways.' The root of these middos is Avraham's declaration 'I am but dust and ashes,' a complete bittul of himself and all his offspring to Hashem Yisbarach. Yet because Hashem made 'this corresponding to that,' there exists a counterfeit mirror of this humility in the realm of evil. Bilam, citing the Rebbe's grandfather, embodied this false submission: his words that no fortune from Balak could sway him appeared to be humility, but in truth served only to magnify his own pride.