Three festivals uproot desire, jealousy, and honor

בשם אא"ז מו"ר ז"ל כי הג' רגלים הם לבטל ג' מדות רעות קנאה תאוה כבוד.

In the name of my grandfather, my teacher z"l: that the three Regalim (festivals) serve to nullify the three evil traits — jealousy (kinah), desire (taavah), and honor (kavod).

The Sefas Emes cites his grandfather: the three pilgrimage festivals correspond to and uproot the three destructive middos — envy, lust, and the pursuit of honor.

ונראה שהם מיוחדים לג' אלה בכל לבבך נפשך מאודך.

And it appears that these [festivals] are aligned with these three [traits], corresponding to "with all your heart, your soul, and your might (b'chol levavcha, nafshecha, m'odecha)."

He suggests that the three festivals also align with the three expressions of love for Hashem in the Shema — heart, soul, and might — each one rectifying a corresponding flaw.

כי התאוה בלב.

For desire (taavah) is in the heart.

Physical craving and lust reside in the heart, and so they are countered by serving Hashem "with all your heart."

והקנאה בנפש.

And jealousy (kinah) is in the soul.

Envy is rooted in the nefesh, the life-force, and is rectified by loving Hashem "with all your soul."

והכבוד בנכסים.

And honor (kavod) is in possessions.

The chase after honor expresses itself through wealth and possessions, corresponding to "with all your might (m'odecha)," which Chazal read as "with all your money."

ועל אלה הג' אל יתהלל חכם כו' וגבור כו' ועשיר כו' כי אם בזאת.

And concerning these three it is said: "Let not the wise man glory [in his wisdom], nor the mighty man… nor the rich man… but only in this."

The Sefas Emes connects the three middos to Yirmiyahu's three categories — the wise, the mighty, and the rich — each warned not to take pride in his own attainment, but only "in this."

פי' בזאת שיודע שהכל מהבורא ית"ש.

The meaning of "in this" is that he knows that everything is from the Creator, blessed be His Name.

The only fitting source of pride is the recognition that all one has — wisdom, strength, wealth — comes entirely from Hashem.

ובזאת שאינו מהלל עצמו כו' בזה יתהלל המתהלל כו':

And "in this" — that he does not glorify himself, etc. — "in this let the one who glories take glory," etc.

True self-worth lies precisely in not exalting oneself but in attributing everything to Hashem; that humble bittul is the only "glory" the verse permits.

Summary: Citing his grandfather, the Sefas Emes teaches that the three Regalim uproot the three corrupting traits — taavah (desire), kinah (jealousy), and kavod (honor) — which dwell respectively in the heart, the soul, and one's possessions, paralleling "with all your heart, soul, and might." These map onto Yirmiyahu's wise, mighty, and rich man, none of whom should glory in himself. The only true pride is the bittul of knowing that everything comes from Hashem.