Humility and not a Personality Ritual

Parsha and its Implementation - Korach - Rabbi Eliezer Shenvald- 5779

In the midst of the crisis with Dathan and Abiram it is said:

"וַיָּ֣קָם מֹשֶׁ֔ה וַיֵּ֖לֶךְ אֶל־דָּתָ֣ן וַאֲבִירָ֑ם וַיֵּלְכ֥וּ אַחֲרָ֖יו זִקְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

Moses rose and went to Dathan and Abiram, the elders of Israel following him". (Bamidbar 16:25)

In spite of his high status, Moshe, the humble man, dismissed his honor, and went to Dathan and Abiram to try to extinguish the flames of the dispute: "Moses rose and went," Rav Ashi said: It teaches us that there is no reason to keep a dispute. "(Sanhedrin 110a) "For if Moshe had not gone to them, they would have continued in their dispute, and he tried to go to them, perhaps he would put out the fire of dispute, etc." (Torah Temimah on Torah ibid).

It is said of Moshe Rabbeinu:

וְהָאִ֥ישׁ מֹשֶׁ֖ה עָנָ֣יו מְאֹ֑ד מִכֹּל֙ הָֽאָדָ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הָאֲדָמָֽה׃

"Now Moses was a very humble man, more so than any other man on earth" (Bamidbar 12: 3). In addition to the expressions of humility in the spiritual and interpersonal spheres, his modesty shaped his leadership patterns and the way he dealt with the national crises in the desert: "The man, Moshe [was] most humble. The meaning of humble is that Moshe paid no attention to his honor or pains. This was not because he felt lowly and did not realize that such a lack of respect and pain was not worthy of him. Rather, it was because he conducted himself without concern for honor" (Haamek Davar on Bamidvar 12:3).

Already at the outbreak of the first crisis, the crisis of the Slav (quail) and the Manna, a month after the exodus from Egypt, Moshe answered in his humility to the people's complaints: וְנַ֣חְנוּ מָ֔ה כִּ֥י תַלִּ֖ינוּ עָלֵֽינוּ׃ "For who are we that you should grumble against us?" (Shmot 16:7). "lit., and we, what? means and we, what are we accounted (of what importance are we?) " (Rashi ibid.) "And this is a humble way, for who are we to blame us that we have brought you out of the land of Egypt?" (Ramban, ibid.).

Moshe's humble saying does not mean negativism - the lack of recognition of his unique self-worth as a prophet and no one else like him, who had only just taken them out of Egypt. And it does not ignore his status as a superior leader of the people with all the control in his hand".

Humility is a positive approach - it is an insight that accurately identifies that most human talents, powers, and abilities were not created by the man himself, but were given as a gift from G-d at birth. Although man tends to ignore this fact and appropriate all his talents to himself and make them seem as they depend only on his efforts and his own right. As if he created himself. Humility is an approach that is especially necessary for those who are in positions of leadership and are given over-authority, so that they will not be mistaken to think that they are above the people and possess super-human qualities, for which they deserve it.

"אמר להם הקדוש ברוך הוא לישראל חושקני בכם שאפילו בשעה שאני משפיע לכם גדולה אתם ממעטין עצמכם לפני נתתי גדולה לאברהם אמר לפני (בראשית יח, כז) ואנכי עפר ואפר למשה ואהרן אמר (שמות טז, ז) ונחנו מה לדוד אמר (תהלים כב, ז) ואנכי תולעת ולא איש..."

• §The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to the Jewish people: I desire you, since even at a time that I bestow greatness upon you, you diminish, i.e., humble, yourselves before Me. I granted greatness to Abraham, yet he said before Me: “And I am but dust and ashes” (Bereshit 18:27). I granted greatness to Moses and Aaron, yet Moses said of the two of them: “And what are we” (Shmot 16:7). I granted greatness to David, yet he said: “But I am a worm, and no man” (Tehillim 22:7)" (Chullin 89a).

Moshe's leadership was also reflected in the reception of Yitro: of Moshe, Aharon and the elders: "...

וַיָּבֹ֨א אַהֲרֹ֜ן וְכֹ֣ל ׀ זִקְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל לֶאֱכָל־לֶ֛חֶם עִם־חֹתֵ֥ן מֹשֶׁ֖ה לִפְנֵ֥י הָאֱלֹקים׃

…and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to partake of the meal before God with Moses’ father-in-law. " (Shemot 18:12).

The Scripture hides Moshe, who is the main character:

— But where had Moses gone? Was it not he who had gone out to meet him and had been the cause of all the honour shown to him? But the explanation why he is not mentioned as having come to eat bread with Jethro is that he was standing by and waiting upon them (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 18:12:2). — (Rashi ibid).

Moshe left his honor as the leader of the nation and served his guests at a meal he had held in honor of his father-in-law, with human simplicity, without asking for any special respect or ceremony.

There is also another layer in Moshe's humble behavior. Moses fought against the 'cult of personality'!

Every person has the human tendency to develop a 'personality ritual' to admire himself, to attribute himself super qualities, and to ignore his shortcomings. Sometimes this tendency is very strong, more than the norm. They tend to strive for public leadership positions, where they may gain admiration that will strengthen their personality ritual. Often, they initiate ceremonies that intensify this. On the other hand, the public has a human emotional need for leadership. For an authority that would provide him with security in the face of existential helplessness in things beyond his control. A Super-figure that can bring hope; to admire, trust, and place the fate in their hands. Therefore, there is a tendency to attribute superhuman qualities to the leaders, to invent legends about their rare abilities (whose basic truth is probably small to nonexistent) in order to justify the attitude towards them.

'A Personality ritual' can be devastating to the public and to the leader. To the public - who will be disappointed when they find out the truth at the time of the test. And to the leader, when the personality ritual is intensified, he may believe that he truly possesses superhuman abilities and is admirable. In such a situation he may believe that he is allowed to 'afford' things that are forbidden to others. And hence the slippery slope that could lead to its collapse (reminds you of something? ... at your own risk!).

Moshe works as hard as he can to prevent the people and himself from this personality ritual.

Apparently, this was one of the reasons for Rabbi Kook's opposition to "adherence to the righteous" that developed in Hasidism (Orot Yisrael 3: 3).

This must also be connected to the concealment of Moshe Rabbeinu's burial place, as part of his legacy forever. So that even after his death, his grave will not become the focus of pilgrimage and a "personality ritual": "And why is Moshe's burial not known? so that the Jews would not come to the place and make the Beit Hamikdash there". (Midrash Lekach Tov Dvarim- Parshat Vezot Habracha).