Do not make any meal offering that is sacrificed to G‑d out of leavened dough; for no leaven and no honey shall be burned as a fire offering to G‑d. (ibid. 2:11) The inner meaning of leaven and honey is pride, which rises up, like the arrogance that inflates a person’s heart. These are the Judgments of smallness-mindedness, for a child wants to be big, and a small person jumps to the lead.⁸ 12b. About this, the verse says, “for no leaven and no honey shall be burned as a fire offering to G‑d” – meaning, do not serve Him with arrogance; rather, with “your first offerings.” That is, only when you begin to draw close to G‑d can be done amidst haughtiness. Afterward, do not offer it as a sweet fragrance on the Supernal altar. For G‑d does not take pleasure in pride. “The proud in heart are all an abomination to G‑d” (Proverbs 16:5), on which our Rabbis commented: “even a little bit.”⁹ 5a. Kesser Shem Tov, part 2, p. 18b

footnotes: ⁸ Megilah ⁹ I.e. even a little bit of arrogance. Sotah