30 May TRUE HUMILITY

“V’ho-ish Moshe anav me’od mikol
ha’adam asher al pnei ha’adamah, And
the man Moshe was the most humble of
all people on the face of the earth.”
(Bamidbar 12:3)
In this week’s parshah, Moshe separates
from his wife Tzipora, in order to be “on
call” for his people and to be available to
hear HaShem’s words. As a response to
Miriam’s questioning her brother’s
actions, Moshe is described as an anav, a
modest, humble man.
Rashi interprets anav as one who is
“Shafel v’savlon, unassuming and
patient.” Traits that go hand-in-hand, for
if one is truly humble, he will not feel
superior to others, allowing for tolerance
and understanding.
There is so much more to say about
Moshe. “V’lo kom navi od b’Yisroel
k’Moshe, There will never be in Israel a

prophet as Moshe.” (Devarim 34:10)
Moshe who was a navi, a prophet of
HaShem, who brought HaShem’s Torah
to Bnei Yisroel. Moshe was the leader of
all leaders, fighting for his people’s
freedom, confronting Pharoah time and
time again. It was Moshe who led the
nation across the sea and through the
desert on their journey towards Eretz
Yisroel. Yet, it is Moshe’s humility that
the Torah emphasizes.
The Torah is conveying to us an important
life lesson. Society often judges greatness
in terms of intellectual capabilities, the
Ivy League school degree, making partner
in a prestigious law firm, being a doctor
in a “big” hospital. We also tend to judge
others by their looks… she could be a
model… he looks straight out of GQ. And
it goes without saying that many-a-time
how we rate a person is by the size of
their bank accounts.
Torah teaches otherwise. “Moshe was the
most humble.” Torah instructs us to judge

one by his middos, by his character
traits. One can be an accomplished
individual, yet not a great person
by Torah values. Moshe Rabbeinu
may have been a Torah giant, but
he was most known for his
modesty.
The Talmud tells us that a person
should say “B’shvili nivrah
ha’olam, The world was created for me.”
(Sanhedrin 37a) How do we balance the
feeling that the entire world was created
just for me with the virtue of living a
humble life? Several Torah giants,
amongst them Rav Simcha Bunim of
Peshicha and The Alter of Slabodka, Rav
Nosson Zvi Finkel, would often tell their
students to always keep a note in one
pocket which reads “Be’shvili nivrah
ha’olam, The world was created for me”,
while in the other pocket have a note
which reads “V’anochi ofor v’eifer, I am
but dust and ashes.” (Bereishes 18:27).
My mother would often quote HaShem’s
words to Avraham Avinu. “V’heyeh
bracha, Be a blessing.” Ima would say
it was an obligation upon each of us to
bring blessing into the world, in
whatever way we can.
“The world was created for me” is a
mandate to take responsibility and do
whatever we can to make it a better
place. To be available to help others. In
doing so, we help ourselves. Be a
Blessing.
Moshe lived with these words. He was
there for his people. From Moshe we
learn the meaning of true humility.
Humility doesn’t mean denying one’s
capabilities… protesting that I can’t do
it… I don’t have sufficient knowledge…
talents… strength or ability. Rather,
humility means saying that HaShem
entrusted me with certain talents and
abilities, G-d given gifts that I will use
to make the world a better place.
Humility means saying that with
HaShem’s help, I hope to accomplish.
In this week’s chapter of Pirkei Avos,
we study some of the teachings of
Hillel, among which is
“Negid sh’mei avad sh’mei, He who
seeks to make his name great, causes
his name to be destroyed.” (Pirkei Avos

1:13) One who seeks prestige, wanting to
be the name in the headlines, to always be
on Instagram, in the spotlight, and
pursues self-aggrandizement, he will be
the one whose reputation and even his
good name will ultimately be lost. What a
powerful message.
Rabbi Moshe Lieber, in ArtScroll’s Pirkei
Avos, cites a teaching of the Mahral, that
a humble person is one who recognizes
that it is HaShem who is the Source and
Provider to all living things. One who is
humble and views himself as dependent
on the Source, allows himself to receive
life. On the other hand, people who are
conceited and haughty, perceiving
themselves to be the grand providers,
sever their connection to HaShem – the
true source of life.
When my father was ill, my mother
accompanied him to meet different
doctors. At the conclusion of an
appointment with a surgeon, my mother
said, “May you be a good shaliach, a
messenger from G-d, and may G-d guide
your hand.” The doctor gruffly replied
that he doesn’t “believe in that stuff”. My
mother said afterward that she just didn’t
have a good feeling.
Recently, I had reason to take a cue from
my mother’s wise words and say them
over to a doctor with whom I met. This
time, the doctor said to me “You must
pray”.
I felt like my mother was giving me a
wink from Above, telling me that with
HaShem’s help, all will be good.
Miriam couldn’t understand Moshe
leaving his wife and devoting himself to
his people. In the following posuk the
Torah tells us that Moshe is an anav, a
humble, modest man, living his life as if
the world was created for him to blessing
into the world. Life with a responsibility
to others, always acknowledging HaShem
at his side, a most humbling experience.