Parashat Beha’alotecha- Humility Defined
The Torah in Parashat Beha’alotecha (12:3) describes Moshe Rabbenu as "the most humble person on the face of the earth." There are numerous stories of famous sages such as the Hafetz Haim and others demonstrating a nearly unfathomable level of humility. In this verse, the Torah attests to the fact that Moshe’s humility surpassed them all. Nobody before or after Moshe ever achieved the kind of humility that he obtained.
What exactly is humility? What does it mean to be a humble person?
Many people instinctively assume that humility means thinking lowly of oneself, viewing oneself as unaccomplished and unimpressive.
But this cannot be the correct meaning of humility – and the proof comes from Moshe Rabbenu himself. Moshe wrote down and taught every verse of the Torah, including the famous verse at the end of the Torah (Debarim 34:10), "No prophet ever arose like Moshe…" This verse establishes the qualitative difference between Moshe Rabbenu and other prophets. He achieved a level of prophecy and closeness with God that no other prophet reached. Moshe did not skip this verse. He wrote it down in the Torah, and he taught it – along with the rest of the Torah – to Beneh Yisrael. He knew full well that he was the greatest prophet that ever lived or will live. This is not something he could deny, no matter how humble he was!
There were other great Sadikim who were similarly exceedingly humble but clearly recognized their greatness. Rabbi Moshe Feinstein (1895-1986), one of the greatest sages of 20th-century America, was renowned for both his Torah scholarship and humility. Once, he was called upon to rule on a Halachic matter involving the surgical separation of Siamese twins. He felt that in order to properly analyze the situation, he needed to consult with a medical expert who would explain to him the scientific facts. And so, a meeting was arranged with the Surgeon General of the United States, and the two spoke for three hours. After the meeting, the Surgeon General commented that he had never met a man with such brilliance and such humility as Rabbi Feinstein.
On another occasion, Rabbi Feinstein was scheduled to undergo a certain medical procedure. Minutes before the operation, he was seen thinking and contemplating, as though he had to issue a complex Halachic ruling. Somebody inquired as to what subject the Rabbi was contemplating, and he explained that he was thinking about whether the scar from the operation would render him a "Ba’al Mum" – a person with a physical blemish. When Mashiah arrives, he said, he will probably be invited to sit on the Sanhedrin, the head Rabbinical Court of the Jewish nation, and people with a physical blemish are disqualified from serving in this capacity. Therefore, before undergoing this procedure, he wanted to make sure that he would still be able to sit on the Sanhedrin.
Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, one of the most humble people of his time, was well aware of his credentials. He did not ignore or deny his accomplishments. He knew that he was one of the nation’s leading scholars and worthy of occupying a seat on the Sanhedrin.
So, what makes a person humble?
Humility means acknowledging that one has yet to fully reach his potential. A humble person does not deny what he has achieved, but recognizes what he could have achieved. Rather than priding himself for what he has accomplished, he is humbled by the realization of what he has not yet accomplished. If only he had worked harder and used his time more productively, he could have achieved even more.
Moshe Rabbenu knew that he was the greatest prophet who ever lived. But he also knew that he could have been even greater. And this made him the most humble person on earth.
The lesson for us is the need to constantly look for ways to grow and improve. We should never deny our significant accomplishments; this would be dishonest. But we must always remain keenly aware of how we could improve, how much greater we could still be. This awareness will ensure a lifelong process of growth, and guarantee that we will continue to improve ourselves, every day, inching closer toward the full realization of our potential.
