“And the man, Moshe, was extremely humble, more than any man on the face of the earth.” [12:3]
Some people think that to be humble means to think nothing of yourself. But obviously, Moshe could not be quite so self-effacing. He was able to face the entire Nation of Israel, and tell them they were all wrong! To do that, he must have known that he knew the Divine Will better than they did.
Rather, to be humble means to recognize the source of all your attributes. If you have success in any area, know it, know its Source, and use it wisely. And Maimonides says this is the one area where there is no “middle path” — one should always avoid haughtiness and be humble. Good advice to everyone, but especially one commencing Jewish adulthood…
Mazal Tov to the immediate and extended Menken and Rosenfeld families on the occasion of the Bar Mitzvah of my son, Zvi Elimelech, n”y. May we all share many happy occasions in the future!
Good Shabbos!
Rabbi Yaakov Menken
Director, Project Genesis / Torah.org
