Question:
We know that there are Midos of a person that are extremely undesirable, for example, jealousy, anger, etc… But isn’t it somewhat admirable when for instance, a person is envious of the Tzidkus of a righteous person or the Torah learning of a Talmid Chochom? Wouldn’t a person feel anger if he sees Chilul Shabbos or a Chilul HaShem?
Answer:
You are very right. The word middah, which we normally translate as attribute, has another meaning to it- measurement. The reason for this is because all character traits are good to a certain degree, but when taken to an extreme then it isn’t correct anymore. For example, the Rambam in Hilchos Daos says that the middle ground its usually the correct path, and a person shouldn’t not be emotional like a stone that nothing bothers him, etc. By the same account, it is beneficial for a person to want to have the good attributes and torah accomplishments that another person has attained, as this will encourage him to strive for a higher level. Therefore all middos are good and bad when taken out of the correct proportion
Sources:
Hilchos Daos Chap. 3-1.
