Anivus/Humility
The gemara at the end of mesechet sotah discusses certain character traits and whether or not they still existed in the time of the gemara. The suggestion comes up that "anava"/humility/modesty no longer existed after the death of Rav Yehuda Hanassi.
Rav Yoseif stood up and said no, you can't say that it no longer exists, "d'ica ana" which literally means, because there's still me. This sounds like a very contradictory statement, bordering even on a joke.
There are numerous answers. One is, that he didn't mean himself. "ana" in this case should not have been translated, it was a proper noun. He was referring to another amora whose name was "ana". I don't know about you, I think it's a "cute" answer, but it doesn't really do it for me.
Maybe we have to discuss what humility and modesty is. Maybe, most likely, we don't truly understand it.
The Torah tells us that Moshe Rabbeinu was the greatest anav ever. What does that mean? Did he think that he was anything less than the leader of klal yisrael?
Not a chance. He knew exactly who he was. He knew that he was the only who could speak to Hashem face to face.
OK, so my understanding now of anava is not being clueless to who and what you are, but simply put, not taking credit for it. Moshe knew he was the manhig and that there was nobody else like him, but he didn't feel he was worthy, due to anything that he himself did. He gave Hashem all of the credit. That's anava.
If Hashem gives us special talents, and He gives some to each and every one of us, it is a shame for us not to recognize and appreciate those gifts/talents. It would be a crime not to utilize them. The trick is that while using them, accepting the fact and knowing full well, that they are gifts from Hashem and not chas v'shalom the results of "kochi v'otzem yadi".
Rav Yoseif knew who he was and that he was the most modest person alive at that time, but he didn't feel it was his doing, and under normal circumstances he didn't go telling everyone about it. He only mentioned it when he did, to prevent the thought that it no longer existed.
May we all recognize the talents within ourselves and recognize them as the gifts that they are from Hashem and use them to praise His holy name. Good Shabbos!
posted by A Frum Idealist | 6/09/2006 10:40:00 AM
12 Comments:
i think that when you admit your strengths come from hashem, you can also accept that your faults come from Him too. I think thats helpful in not getting bogged down in our failures. it can help us view them as challenges, as part of the big picture of reaching our potential using the tools we were given.
Those are the best kind of people... the ones who are awesome, know they are awesome, but dont take themselves too seriously and are modeh l'Hashem.
Mookie, I also like your take too.
This week, read beautiful article on Rav Shach -
one aspect of the article, speaks exactly of what you write..
R Shach once confronted the Agudas Yisrael Administration, vehemently stating a personal view on something controversial (ruling contradictory to most of gedolim)..-
this seemed to stand in blatant contradiction to his humility and extreme humbleness
When asked where he found the self-reliance and confidence to do so.. he answered...
'Because I have no self interest. This is why my decisions are pure and untainted'.
Upon several occasions, he reiterated this concept -"Open up my heart and you will see that it is wholly clean! I am prepared to stand before the Heavenly Throne and testify that it is pure and devoid of any self interest."
Humbleness cannot be attained if you don't know who you are..
I so agree!
For someone to put down their own capabilites or talents serves just to negate what strengths Hashem gave them. But to recoginse that it all stems from Him is true anuvus.
Great post!
Beautiful and important words.
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It is interesting when you find out about the people who are anavin b/c they dont show off. God wants us to see anivush but yet we dont always see it and realize it. How complicated. How do you know one has money if they dont show it off? How do you know when one is a Gadol if they dont speak their thoughts with anyone? Its a play on words.
My Rosh Yeshiva ..who was a great man...used to demand that everyone stand up for him when he entered the Beis Hamidrash...
He knows he's Rosh Yeshivah...He knows it's good fopr Bochurim to learn respect for Torah for the office...
m00k - very good points. all we have and all we are, comes from Hashem.
frumgirl - I'm glad you agree. :-D
towik - great story. there are many good ones about rav shach. the amazing thing is that until he was in his sixties or seeventies, he spent almost all his teime learning and not teaching and was a relative unknown.
kasamaba - :-)
swfm - thank you.
hbj - thanks and welcome back
chaverah - certain things are obvious, others are not. A person's wealth level though, shouldn't play into it.
david - "for the office"??
For the office of Rosh Yeshiva...
ie. position
(I've been out of yeshiva for awhile and it shows..lol)
david - The rosh hayeshiva isn't demanding kavod for the "office". It's not for himself. He is the embodiment of torah and therefore when you stand up for him, it's not actually him that you are standing up for, rather it's the torah inside him.
I heard an amazing first hand story from someone who was holding a sefer in one hand and holding the door open for Harav Yaakov Kamenetzky. To make a long story short, after an argument as to who should go first, Harav Yaakov, LITERALLY pushed this guy through the door. When questioned he explained that the only reason that you hold the door open for him is becuase of the Torah in his mind, but he pointed out that the young man was holding an actual sefer.
Similarly, there have been recent Rosh Hayeshivos (I think Rav Hutner or Rav Aharon Kutler among them) that used to carry a sefer, with them at all times, as justification so to speak, so that when doors were held open for them, it wasn't "levatala".
Now that's anava.....
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