True Humility
Moses was overwhelmed, awe stricken and humbled when he was shown the Jews of the last generation of exile, who could remain steadfastly committed to the Torah, despite the suffering, hardships and temptation. LIGHT FROM THE FUTURE ESSAYS ON PARSHAS BEHA’ALOSECHA
Now I’m Perfect
The story is told about a person who no one wanted to marry because of his arrogance. When he inquired of a friend as to why no one would marry him, he was told, bluntly, that his ego was a serious problem. His friend counseled him to work on that very serious flaw. A few weeks later he returned to his friend and very happily stated: “I’ve worked on my ego problem, and now that I’m humble I am truly perfect…”
Another story is told about the rabbi who, on Yom Kippur, stood in front of the ark and berated himself. “I’m a nothing, a nobody, etc., etc.”
Upon hearing this impressive display of self-effacement, the president of the congregation got up and repeated the same exercise in humility, “I’m a nobody, a nothing, etc., etc.”
ESSAYS ON PARSHAS BEHA’ALOSECHA
One of the congregants, seeing the way in which these distinguished people humbled themselves before the congregation and G-d, stood up and derided himself, as well: . “I’m a nobody, a nothing, etc., etc.”
When the rabbi heard this simple Jew’s self-deprecation, he turned to the president and said indignantly, “Who does he think he is to call himself a nothing, a nobody…”
And there is even a true story about false humility. The Previous Rebbe relates in his memoirs how several hundred years ago, someone wanted to call attention to the false humility exhibited by some of the rabbis in the shul. On Simchas Torah, the man announced that the first honor of carrying a Sefer Torah would be given to the most humble individual. Pandemonium broke loose. There was a mad rush to grab the first Torah. When one person seized the Torah, another protested, “I was entitled to be the first, but because of my infirm condition, the other rabbi got there ahead of me…”
Knowing Your Qualities
In this week’s Torah portion we are told that Moses was the most humble person on the face of the earth. We are also told that Moshiach will be characterized by his humility.
ESSAYS ON PARSHAS BEHA’ALOSECHA
The question begs itself. How could people of the caliber of Moses and Moshiach be humble knowing their qualities? Moses obviously knew that he was the greatest prophet that ever lived. In fact, he even knew that the Torah said that he was the most humble person that ever lived.
How could he have maintained his humility knowing this about himself?
The Talmud (end of tractate Sotah) relates how Rav Yosef stated that the trait of humility was still alive and well. He then cited his own humility as proof of his claim! And indeed, in another passage, the Talmud extols the virtue of Rav Yosef’s humility. The question here is even stronger. How could he be regarded as humble if he was so conscious of his own humility?
The answer to these questions lies in a more precise definition of humility.
Humility is not the denial of one’s qualities. Humility is the realization that all of the qualities that one possesses are not one’s own, but are entirely G-d given.
Accordingly, Moses knew that he was endowed with extraordinary talents and virtues. However, he possessed the knowledge that these qualities were all G-d given. Furthermore, Moses imagined that, had G- ESSAYS ON PARSHAS BEHA’ALOSECHA d blessed any other individuals with these gifts, they would have been able to accomplish even more than he had.
Moses could, therefore, appreciate the fact that he was humble, for humility means to know that you have no personal talents that are not G-d’s gifts to us.
We can now understand what Rav Yosef meant when he said that he was proof humility was still extant. He meant to say that he knew that any virtue he possessed was not really his, but a gift from Above. He, like Moses, did not feel superior to anyone else, even those who did not possess his qualities. Rav Yosef, obviously didn’t o go around telling everyone that he was humble, rather he wanted people to know that true humility—not the feigned and fake humility—was achievable by everyone. Every person is capable of recognizing that, their grand achievements notwithstanding, they are not necessarily superior to others.
Moses’ Unique Humility
To know that our talents are G-d given is something everyone can appreciate and is not unique to Moses. While it is true that there is a wide gap between knowing one’s true status and actually feeling it, ESSAYS ON PARSHAS BEHA’ALOSECHA nevertheless, it is in reach of everyone to realize that our assets and accomplishments are gifts from G-d. The question can be raised: What makes Moses’ humility stand apart from all others?
In truth, although the humility discussed now is possible for everyone, there was something that so humbled Moses that no one else in all of history was able to feel it.
According to Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi (known as the Alter Rebbe, the founder of Chabad Chassidus), Moses was humbled to the core when, according to the Talmud, he was shown by G-d the future generations of Jews. When G-d came to the end of exile, and Moses was shown the self-sacrifice, relatively simple Jews exhibited, he was overwhelmed with a sense of awe and humility. That Jews, despite their suffering and hardships, could withstand the pressures and resist the temptations, and remain steadfastly committed to the Torah, was a most powerful realization to Moses. And it was this realization that made him humble.
We can now understand how Moses’ humility was more profound than anyone else’s. Whereas other humble people will not allow their talents and achievements to go to their heads, Moses went far beyond that.
He felt inferior, specifically to the generation that ranks low in comparison with preceding generations.
ESSAYS ON PARSHAS BEHA’ALOSECHA
Giants Standing on Giants
This last point can serve as a response to those who ask, why should we merit the Redemption, when our forebears were so much more learned and committed to the Torah than ourselves?
The classical answer is that, notwithstanding our lowliness, we are like a
“dwarf standing on the shoulders of giants” and can see further than the giants themselves.
However, in light of the above explanation of Moses’ humility it emerges that our generation, in fact, is like the giant standing on the proverbial giants of the past. While they are giants in learning, piety and spiritual sophistication, we are, in one sense, superior to our ancestors. We have lived through the worst persecution and encountered the most potent forces of assimilation. That we have seen the light through the darkness and persevered is a testimony to a unique quality that we possess that, as stated above, even humbled Moses.
Our generation is eminently qualified to bring Moshiach for ourselves and for all of the preceding generations. It will then emerge that in one sense our forebears are the giants standing on our shoulders because ESSAYS ON PARSHAS BEHA’ALOSECHA it is specifically our generation that will be credited with bringing Moshiach and the complete Redemption.
From the book Light from the Future: Parshas Behalosecha by Rabbi Heschel Greenberg, published by the Jewish Discovery Center.
