Rav Kook: Midot Haraya - Humility | Rabbi Aaron Goldscheider | May 6 2026

All right, I think we can begin. We can begin. Great to see everyone. Beautiful to see everyone this morning, Yashikawa for uh for being here. And um we are going to begin again. We took a little bit of a hiatus and with with the war and with Pesak and coming back and we had Yatm so we touched on a couple of other topics and we missed many weeks but we are returning to midotay the very beautiful safer of the teachings of Rafuk that relate to character traits and uh the area really of muser of ethics and of building ourselves as people as people of faith and people of great midot of great character. So the mida that we're going to look at this morning is the mida of anava the mida the mida of humility and by the way in the book itself and I'll remind everyone he goes through the midot in alphabetical order. So as we're moving to ayin so we're making making our way to the uh to the end of the book towards the end of the book and that's going to be our topic this morning. Let me just before I forget just the the um the sponsor for today. So the sponsor is a regular sponsor that we have for the year and it's okay great. So let's jump into the topic of um I think for all of us we uh we would all agree that it's one of the basic uh one of the basic character traits when we think about a Jew when we think about the Jewish people as a whole. The idea that we are a people of humility by shimm they're people we are a people that are bashful people of of anivv that's something that that is almost second nature but we'll talk about the meaning of that and the beauty and uh the beauty of this of this character trait and how to how to bring it into our lives in a uh in a very very beautiful way. So I want to begin actually before we look at the the teaching when we'll look at a couple of teachings from Rafuk anava from his I want to begin with a classic source and a source that we are studying these days we're in the days of studying pureot the beautiful uh the beautiful tradition that these weeks between pes and shàuote on chabas that people study the uh the pyavos pavote and this is from perk dalid and mishna Al and we have the following statement. Rabbi Levitas is Yavnare. Rabi Levitas and I believe from one of the comments I saw this is the only place that uh that this name is is mentioned all of Mishna Orin Gamar I believe as well. It's not a name that we're familiar with and interesting that it that it's levitas that's going to talk about uh the this mida of humility. So he says the following that one needs to be very very [clears throat] and this is already going to be I would say his which we'll see the Rambam highlights. So it's not enough just to be humble. You need to be very very you need to be very very and interesting also the language of chafal ru which sounds like just not only anava but a real loneliness a loneliness of spirit the importance of a person being greatly humble and also what he describes as a way to think about humility is to think about one's life and everybody in life the tikvah the hope of everyone or or for all people the end is a no for all people is remma what does remma mean that we're going to unfortunately rem are the worms or the maggots remma so he says the end of life for every person no matter who you are no matter how much money no matter how much prestige you have the end of everyone after 120 years is that we're going to be placed in the earth we're going to be placed in the around and [clears throat] together with the worms and that is going to be the the end of life for everybody. So this is this is the language of Rab Levitas and here you see the emphasis the great emphasis on the importance of humility. The Rambam writes the following. Now we have the Rambam's commentary on the Mishna the Mishna in Perkyos and this is one of the famous and you may be familiar with this one of the famous teachings of the Rambam. The Rambam says you know when it comes to all midot when it comes to all character traits he says it's best to take the middle path the middle road the zahav right always go just you know normaly right to sort of just be in the middle let's say uh charity to be a charitable person you don't want to go to the extreme right you don't want to give everything away and um and a person you know should find the middle path in terms of the sedaka that they Okay. Also to be too stingy. So that's also not appropriate. But the Rambub says there's one exception to the rule and that is when it comes to humility. And it seems to be that's the way that he's interpreting this Mishna. The importance of being extreme when it comes to humility. Let me just read the words of the Rambam. You have it here. Actually just recently art scroll came out with the pay to the Rambam pure. So we have the help of art scrolls translation but I'll just read in the Hebrew. He says that when it comes to the middle path, so sometimes you have to veer a little bit in one direction until you have a balanced conduct until you find just that perfect middle row road. The way that you safeguard person needs to safeguard themselves in every mid to make sure that they are that they're doing what is appropriate except and here the Rambam famously says except for when it comes to the mida of arrogance on the other side humility referring to this mida this trait of all traits that a person has to stay far away from any arrogance. that we see. Look in the translation. For due to the great defect of this tree in the eyes of virtuous people and their recognition of its harm here, they distance themselves from it to the opposite extreme and incline entirely towards loneliness of spirit. So when it comes to gya, we run in the other direction. We do everything that we can. Says the Rambam, we're extreme. And that's what the Mishna says. Go extreme in this mid cloud. There shouldn't be an ounce. There shouldn't be even a smattering of in any way. So a person a person needs to rid themselves of any sense of gya gya that is an inappropriate kind of of arrogance. So where do we see this? Where where where is a great example of an of humility in the Torah and the Rambam beautiful and the Rambam goes on in his commentary and says of everything that God says about Mosher Rabenu what does he highlight? What does God highlight about the character trait of Moshe? the great anut the great melody humility of Mosher Rabenu and where do we find that puk it's found interestingly in the story in the episode of Miriam and Aon where they are criticizing they have some negative words to say about their brother the fact that he is separated from his wife and Hashem comes to Moshe's defense and says the following this is safer parake moheav interesting also the word we find it here as well that Hashem says this is this is the the words of God if you see parakeet in uh the third source a panama he is a person who is humble the most humble person on the face of this earth and I think one of the things to highlight here is the fact that Mosher Rabenu is being criticized by his brother and sister and in that [clears throat] criticism he doesn't take it. He has the humility just to allow that criticism just to uh not to affect him that he's unaffected by those words. [music] Now here I want to share with you the following and this is going to bring us into the the teachings of RVuk regarding humility and this is a comment that's made by the nitiv of Alajin in his dar. So the nitiva valin has a famous commentary in the Torah Hamed and by the way I'll point out that Ravk studied in the yeshiva and his rebi one of the great influences on his life is the nitiv yehuda berlin uh of the yeshiva and he writes the following and this he makes a very important point here and I'll read to you from the language of the nitiv What does it mean to be anav? And what is Hashem? This honor that Hashem is giving Mosherenu calling him the great Anavo. He's not concerned about his honor and the fact that he's being pained by his brother and sister. He's able to look away from that. He doesn't take that personally. And that's part of the humility and what it means to be humble. And here's the maybe the key line that I want to highlight. It's not that he thinks of himself in a lowly way. And in other words, he recognizes in himself his greatness, his potential, right? Who he is as a person, but he doesn't take it personally. the attack that from his brother and sister from Miriam and Aaron. Again, the distinction here is that he himself is aware and says the nitiv he himself is aware of his talents, of his of his skills, who he is as a person, his accomplishments, but but the fact that he's able to look away when somebody else is critical of him, that's the humility of Mosher Rabenu. He acts in a way that he's unaffected and that he's not looking for and here he's about to quote from the following gar which I'll share with you below and this is what Ravose said in so let's look at the following garra that the nits quotes the garra that's found in gamaress amal the gumar goes through a list of rabbis and it says when these rabbis has passed away. Once they passed away that mida was lost in the world. And look at what the and look at what the gamarra says. Mishrebi when rebi passed away but anava there was no longer enough in the world. In other words he was he was so great in anava he had mastered that trait of another the character trait of another anava that when he died nobody could compare to his anava the and he was a person the fear of sin that he had. So rav got up in the bish and he said latani said to the one who taught that low titan you shouldn't teach that anava was lost to the world why look at the words thea because I because I am a person of great an says don't say that anava was lost because I I'm a person of so this some say is one of the jokes they say there are there is some humor in the talmud and maybe this is one of the humorous lines in the Talmud But the but the idea here and the nativ points out this gamar in particular what was ravose saying ravio was teaching the following when it comes to anava and I think this is something that we that we're all aware of that we all agree to another does not mean that you don't recognize your talents it doesn't mean that you don't recognize your greatness your abilities but it means in this case for example where others are critical of you and and you might take that personally. That the humility that you have is that you that you're able to to to overcome that to step away to let that just slide off slide off your back and you're unaffected by that. That that's the humility that Mosherenu had. And then it says that's what it means to be humble, right? Humble means and we'll see now in the teachings of RVuk something that Rkook is going to highlight as well, right? That there is a balance that nuance, right? That you make that distinction between First of all, a recognition recognition of your potential, of your of your abilities, of uh of your character, of what you have accomplished, but you're able to step away and you're a you're unaffected by the criticism of others. Yes, please. >> Before we go on, just bothering me the word. >> Yeah, that the hope of man that that is that's all that we have left. Yeah, the hope. I I was going to say tifa is hope. >> Tifa is hope. That is the hope. In other words, there's nothing that that's all that's that's there's nothing more that we can hope for than that. That is the that's the end of man. And when we recognize that that that should that should impact our humility to recognize that that's there's nothing more there's there's nothing more to hope for than that. Yes, please. >> Maybe that to be humble isn't just to be able to let criticism did provide but rather also to be able to be somewhat you know the right amount >> selfcritical >> okay in other words when you realize when you when you know your own faults so then so then you're not necessarily that you're not necessarily bothered by the criticism of others okay good I think that's what's that >> you're an okay right you you're an unoff also because you know that you have faults and Okay, good. No, that's beautiful. I think that there's no question that's part of it. >> It's not about me though. [laughter] >> Okay, good. So, um so by the way, this idea of sort of like the criticism of of of others, this is something that RV cook faced in his own in his own lifetime. uh as many of us know especially all of us or those that have been studying the uh the teachings of Ruf cook and sort of the history of Rifk Cook that many of his ideas were not accepted across the board. It's still true today and there was a lot of there was a lot of criticism and and certain rabbis and students of those rabbis that uh that that caused a lot of harm to Rufk in his lifetime and um and he felt that. So here's one story I want to share with you. the following. There were many stories like this and one of the great qualities of RV cook was his ability again the humility to be able to step away from that. That's not always easy to do, right? Not always easy to do when others are critical when people say something that's inappropriate where say things that are uh that are demeaning to be able just to to to be unaffected by that and the humility um not to to be unaffected by that. So let me share with you the following. This is at the top of page two. One of my uh one of my favorite stories in this uh in this context of of the criticism of others and I'll just share share with you from the text itself. So there was a time and this is we still have this today what's called a pashkillan. Anybody know that term? These pashkill these are like the signs that they put. Yeah, the signs that they put up and it's still true today. If you walk in gula and nasharim, right? Well, they don't have other ways of, you know, communicating information. You put up big signs and that's a way, but sometimes these are like negative. It's coming out, you know, put put this person in or whoever it may be and these were signs that were put up and with with a lot of negative words towards RVuk at the time. U the low al when they saw that even though there are signs that were put up but this one kind of crossed the line at that point the students of they said we're not going to we're not going to take this you know in a quiet way and they went out and they were ready to really defend because they saw language that was ly inappropriate in this cruise in this pashkavilim katu alra they wrote the following words about the rav and this is a language that's taken from the garra and it has it here afra to fill his mouth with dirt they said about rkuk because he's saying things that are that are negative the Torah he should fill his mouth with dirt and that's it was a lang it's a language from the gamar itself which is a very harsh language They're ready to bring the rabbis together that they were going to put these people in that wrote this and and hung the posters saying this. They let the rabb like let the rav cook know about it. And he said that do not do anything. Do do not respond to uh to what they what they you know what they put up these posters. And he said the following. Why is it that you're getting so upset about this? The language that they use. Afraitist. He says the soil of Eritusel is holy soil and say I would love my mouth to be filled with the soil of Eritus. So this is RVuk again the humility of Rafuk to be able to to to see it in in in that light and to be forgiving of others and uh and and the humility to even in the face of uh of criticism and harsh words. That's humility. So humility is not that you don't recognize your talents and your abilities but one example of humility and this goes back to Mosherenu where others are critical that you can step away from that and it's not something that you take to heart because you are because of the kind of humble person that you are. Okay now we move into the midya. So what does RVuk say about humility? And one of the themes that Rafkuk highlights in the air of humility I think very much is uh is an extension of his rebi of the nitiv and that is the positivity. In other words that humility does not mean that you don't have self-esteem. It doesn't mean that you don't see your abilities and your greatness and your potential. So here we go. This is the opening teaching from Ravkuk in Anava. And as you see alava right below it says from ori surfuk when he speaks about he says well look at this term the term or heni which we're going to see in a moment it's a when a person says that's a term that reflects humility means that I am ready that I'm prepared A person who is humble is a person who is a person who's ready to act. Now that's an interesting combination. Interesting combination that there's humility and now who says heni in the Torah. >> Good. So Aram says we famously take a look at this. This is the when Hashem comes to Aram and says I want you to take your your son and to sacrifice your son and Aram says what does Rashi say? What does the word mean? This is the way that righteous people respond. What does he mean? It's [clears throat] who? I'm sorry. Right. Leashon zun. What does mean >> and it's similar to zun means? >> That I'm all that I'm prepared that I'm ready. >> Zun, right? Zimun. So interesting. Rashi says it as well. Now what is heni by the way? The word itself heni. What is what is what is the word heni? >> It's a combination of two words. >> Hine ani Hi, I am here. What's interesting about the word hi and I saw this in one of them is that it actually drops the word ani. In other words, the word is there but the word is not there. >> In other words, it's less about myself, right? It's not about myself. It's about something bigger than myself. >> It's about Israel and we'll see that in a moment. It's about about the the the uh the command of God. So is a combination. So humble when you talk about humility says RVuk humility is that you recognize your place. There's a there's humility that you recognize something larger than yourself and with that there is zon or zir. In other words, you now have a desire and you're ready to act upon whatever that is you're being called upon to do. >> Benching. >> Yeah. Very good. A misumment. That's correct. Ready. Right. Ready to bench. So there's another Hinani which is less I think less uh uh less known. Look at the next puk that I have here. Source number four is Yoseph. This is when Jacob is says to Yoseph that I want you to go and meet up with your brothers that they are shephering in. I want you to go to them vomo heni. Interesting. Yoseph also says the word hini. And what does the word hineni mean in this context, right? It's difficult for him to do what other he knows that [clears throat] he's about to encounter something that might be dangerous for him and that is to go and see his brothers. Indeed, it was dangerous for him to go and meet up with his brothers. But he said ini I'm putting aside my ani and I'm doing that which in this case Israel Jacob his father says that says asks of me to do now by the way look at the look at rashi what does rashi say in the word heni in this context anava anavas that combination of being anav of being humble and zaris and actually the two go together the fact that you are ana because you're humble and you put aside your own thoughts your your your intentions and you and instead you accept the will of in this case Yakov or the will of Hashem. So that's the anava that leads to his result. And by the way, that's exactly what Rukuk quotes here when he speaks about anava. What is heni who? Okay, beautiful. So that is the idea of what it means what it means to be humble is to recognize that there is something greater than myself. The will of God in this case the will of Yoseph, the will of his father. I put aside myself for a moment. I put aside what I might believe, you know, to be the best and I recognize that there is a will that I am uh to respond to. Beautiful. So, let's look at one other one other um statement or teaching of Ravkok regarding Anava and this is in again this section of and he writes the following and it's the last source five and six at the bottom of page two. He writes and you have the translation below is associated with is connected to to a wholeness a spiritual wholeness within a person may see when a person sees the world and understands the world and life around them that there is a perfection that one that we as Jews and as a person that we want to see the world reach that perfection all the needs of the community and of every individual community on the one hand he sees that he there's only so much and there's a limit to what a person can do and that brings about a sense of a feeling of humility there's this great world and there's a lot of a lot of uh a lot of imperfection in the world and I have this little place in this world. So there that the first step or the first reaction to that is humility that he's not able there's a limit to what he can grasp and accomplish that there's a limit on what he can do to bring wholeness and goodness to the world that brings about a certain humility a great a big world around you with a lot of imperfection and there's how much can I can I do to change that? However, with that understanding, then a person takes the next step. But then he recognizes with that sense of and that there's a greater world. There's something beyond myself, a greater obligation and mission. So with that sense of anivvoot he now accepts upon himself mission and that is how what can I do to change the world? What can I do to fix to fix this world to bring a tikun to this world? So that is so it's an an it's an anivoot it's humility that doesn't quash that doesn't limit a person's energies and goals but actually increases there's a humility to recognize that I am that that that that I have a role to play and a greater mission um in my life to fulfill beautiful so let's now turn to the top of page three and here this is from an article that Rabbi Doron Perez and he heads the world Misrai and uh he lost a son unfortunately in Gaza as well. Um and he writes about what what um what attracted him to the the writings of Rkook. And I'll just read the following to you. One of the many things that attracted me to the personality and writings of of Abrahamuk, [clears throat] the founding chief rabbi of pre-state Israel, was the way in which he signed many of his letters. After signing his name, he would state the following. This is what he wrote under his name in many of his letters. Evados al-Madesh, a servant of the holy people in the holy land. So he saw that such a beautiful that idea of being an EV. Now EV is humility, right? Eve, that's all I am. I'm just an EV. But e also means that I'm here with a mission. I I'm here with with a uh with an obligation to serve amados this holy nation on the holy land. Okay. So we we see that there is this a um a balance the balance between a sense of humility that a person has but also a sense that doesn't mean that one does not recognize their abilities and uh the their greatness as well. So I want to share with you two teachings from Ravkuk that both relate to uh to Davining and the way that we dav in particular the way that we bow in davining and how it relates to this idea of uh of humility and also a sense of self and of self-esteem. So I'm going to share with you the first teaching that's on page three. I'll share with you essentially we we we're not going to read the the source inside then we'll read a little bit from the uh from the second teaching. So saysuk when we say the amida and here I'll read the following from the gara when a person bows you bow down with the word zok and when you stand up ze you then stand up with a name when you say the name of hashem zufim. So how is it that when we how how do we say the amida we open the amida and we say baruk we bend our knees we say ata we bend over and with the name of god when we say the name of god our body is straight you are not to b you you are not to remain in a bowed position when you say the name of god so it's bar ata and the name of god you're standing straight with the name of god sok says the following rufuk says that When you are bowing, that is a posture of humility, right? You recognize that you are standing before God. You recognize your faults. You are shafal ru that we're standing before God. And we are in a posture of humility. But that posture of humility, it stops as soon as you say the name of God. You are not to be in that position when you say the name of God because what? Because what what does God's name represent? It represents the godliness that is within you. That you have a spark of godliness. That we have an ashama. That every person has an ashama. So there is a place for humility. But then we come out of that posture of humility and we recognize the greatness in man and in each of us as well. So that I think is a beautiful beautiful way of thinking about the uh thinking about the way that we bow and in particular the idea of standing erect when we say the name of God and one other gamarra and one other comment of cook this is on the last on page four that you have and here the gamarra says the following this is a gamaros damal it's something that we're all familiar with and the gamarra says the following tan ribbon our rabbis teach the following. These are the that a person bends down that he bows for we first bow down in the section of that's referring to the opening that we bow as it starts. I'm sorry that we bow down as we begin the section of the first paragraph in the beginning and the end also in the section of when we come to modim we do it as we start and as we conclude that section with the if a person wants to bow down at the end of every and if a person wants to bow down again throughout You want to bow down for all of them, not just the beginning and the end. What does the Gar say? Shalom. Teach the person not to bow down. So you bow down in the beginning, you bow down towards the end in aot. But if person wants to add to that says the gamar melamoto teach him shalishka not to bow down. So it's interesting to point out that there's a limit a limit to the bowing that we're doing. Rifkook teaches the following. We'll read one line in particular, the one that I have underlined. Bavuk says the following. As we begin the amida, as we're in the section of the avot. So we recognize the greatness of the avot and in their presence the humility that we are to have. In other words, the way that a and the way they related to God and they spoke to God and here we are speaking to God in their presence and in that context. So we feel a great sense of humility. That's the way the cookook understands why we're bowing as we begin the amida as we're talking about the forefathers we're talking about and yakov the humility that we feel in their presence. So that's one and then towards the end the section of we're giving thanks to God in the section of modim that's also a moment that we feel great humility when we thank God when we recognize and have gratitude for everything that God has given us and has given others and the Jewish people and the miracles at that moment also that that is a time for the humility to feel a great sense of humility. But how about the rest of the Amida? If a person wants to bow down and you would think if you want to bow down in other parts that would be appropriate. So Rook writes the following and look at I have it underlined for you right there's a a little arrow and an underline. when we recognize we're on page four, page four and right the towards the end of that paragraph which I have which I underlined the those uh that line for you the foundation of the recognition of humility that we are to have and the purpose the purpose of of humility of of surrender to Godam That a person should find means strength. The power in his should recognize the power that we all have that we can be uplifted to everyone is to recognize the great potential that we have the great heights the great elevation that all that every person can can reach. In other words, we start the Amida. Yes. in that place in a limited place when we're in the in the context of the avote we recognize the humility that we have in uh in their presence so to speak [snorts] but with that we also recognize that we are descendants of the avot and that we can as descendants of the avot the great things that we can accomplish as well therefore do not continue bowing that's the way the cookook understands this there's limits there's a real limit and it's limited where we bow in the amida that bowing is only a way for us. It's an opening. It's a way for us to then have the great confidence. We recognize that we come from Arab. We're descendants of Abraov. And that means that we have within us a great potential. And then we come to the modim at the end. Yes, we recognize the great um the great gifts and the gratitude that we are to have. But the fact that we're giving gratitude to God also means that we that we have an that we also have gifts that Hashem has given us. And therefore saysuk, we limit the bowing that we do. Yeah. Just to read on one more line in in so that we lift ourselves up from the more physical materialistic life. That's lowly. That's something lowly with the potential that we have. You shouldn't do too much too much emphasis on it's essential for a person to recognize to see all of the potential that a person has, all of the uh all of all of the gifts that a person has. all the that hashem has given and provided for us. So that is um again we see here when it comes to anava anava on the one hand humility but anava does not mean a humility where we do not recognize and in both cases ruk says when it comes to bowing we do not bow when we say the name of god that's a recognition of our godliness and bowing the amida is limited bowing just in the beginning we talk about avote in their presence so we bow in the modim we bow other than that to recognize the uh to recognize the great potential of every individual. Yes, please. >> But yet you don't really bow the same way. >> That's correct. Right. That's not right. That's not a full bow. That's not about Yeah. >> Say Cororean. I always wonder. >> Yeah. Why is it not not sure? Good question. Not sure if we're saying actually those words. Yeah. Good question. Not sure. Yeah. So that you said before the two things you said about Abra and Yseph those things were humility is it and then Mosher Abenu was humility because he did not respond to uh his sister in AR when they spoke about him and then the point that I wanted to make was about when Mosher Abenu argued with God in seven days about not going to be the leader and he said maybe AR should be was that humility or was that that he didn't feel he was qualified or was that what was that I'm trying to understand that was that wrong for him to do that God punished him at the end. >> Right. Right. >> I don't know. I mean, right. You have to analyze those stories. But it does seem that Hashem gets angry with him that he's that he's maybe being Again, that's that that's the the balance that we've been talking about this morning. The balance between humble humility, that sense of of the deep humility that a person feels and to find that to find the balance with also the recognition of of one's talents and um the humility that that energizes humility that you recognize mission something greater God's call that it's not about yourself. In Yoseph's case, it was about his father and um and in Afram's case, it was is it was about the call of Hashem, the command of God. It took it takes humility in order to hear that and to respond to that. And I think that's that's what Rivk Cookook is is emphasizing. I want to conclude with uh with two with two items uh about humility. One is something that I just discovered yesterday as I was uh as I was preparing a class. So, we'll begin with that. >> [clears throat] >> So there's a great work that was written by Rabbi Yoseph Halevi Salvetic and uh one of his classic [clears throat] works which is known as man is is so considered his uh one of his great contributions to uh to Jewish philosophy and Jewish writing is translated as man. And I was just I opened up the book yesterday just I'm I'm preparing a class for the night of Shabuis based on his teachings in Halikman and it's uh you know considered one of one of the great pieces of writing. It's really an essay, a book of of the last hundred years of a great Russia Shiva, his philosophy. there's not only is it Jewish philosophy, he has other philosophers that he mentions and uh it's considered a very complex work and one of the great again one of the great pieces of writing of of a great of a genius of a great rashiva and his philosophy and I I think in time magazine is time magazine still around today not sure if it's still if it's still there but they did they still around they did a review of man and in that review this goes back many years I It came came out in English I think in the in the early 80s. Um but they said this is a book that we will be but we will be reading for the next hundred years. In other words, it's like a a classic a classic work. So um and I highly recommend it's not not not easy. Um so this is and I I I was kind of going through the book and when you go through a book you always want to get you know I wasn't reading it cover to cover but I wanted to see the very end. you know when you're reading a novel let me just look at the the last page like what is what does he say you know how's the story going to end so I did the same like how's the story going to end in so this is what he writes this is the last paragraph I never took note of it and he writes the following these are but some of the traits of man here he's summarizing the book in other words everything that I've written the last 140 pages about again what's trying to define what it what does it mean to be a Jew that's really what the book is about what does it mean to be a Jewish person. How does a person how does a Jew live their life? It's a fascinating work. So he says, "These are but some of the traits of what he calls man. Much more than I've written here is imprinted in his consciousness. This essay is but a patchwork of scattered reflections, a haphazard collection of fragmentaryary observations, an incomplete sketch of but a few of Halah man's features. It is devoid of scientific precision of substantive and stylistic clarity. Now, by the way, just you see the language of of uh of Rabvesic. Indeed, it is an indifferent piece of work. Now, I looked up that word. By the way, when you read Rosalv, you can need a dictionary on the side. Now, we know the word indifferent, but I didn't really know what does it mean. This is an indifferent piece of work. So, indifferent, the way that it's used here, indifferent also means like med mediocre, like just an average, you know, work. So, this is Rabbi Salvetic writing actually one of the few books essays that he writes. And at the very end of the book, he writes that what I just wrote is a mediocre book. [laughter] Now, I've written a couple of books. I more like compiled a couple of books. I never thought for a moment to end the book by writing the book that I just wrote is is is, you know, it's it's okay. You know, it's it's it's mediocre. >> Humility. >> This is humility. This is humility. Rabbi Salvetic, this genius of geniuses, ends the work by saying this is this is the best that I could do. A collection of of some ideas, a sketch, not you know, not precise. It's an indifferent piece of work. But he writes the following, but is revealed. Here's the last last sentence or two. But it is revealed and known before him who created the world that my sole intention was to defend the honor of the hala and hahik men. For both it and they have often times been attacked by those who have not penetrated into the essence of ala and have failed to understand the alahu personality. Then the very last line and if I have aired may God in his goodness forgive me. [clears throat] What an And if I have aired, may God in his goodness forgive me. This is an a genius and a family of salivates and he ends his work. If I've made mistakes, please forgive me if this if if I if I didn't present this properly. So to me, when I read this, wow, this is when you talk about this is like a lesson in humility. I if I write another book, I need to write something like at least pretend that I'm a that I'm a humble guy and write something like that. Wow. Never noticed that before. Okay. So, that's that's humility. That's humility. That's a giant who and who writes and his last words to read is what I've written is is the best that I could do and and you know, forgive me for all the mistakes that I've made in the book. Yes, please. >> To go back to we bow in two different ways. >> Yes. >> We're in front of we are talkingirectly. Good. >> When you have >> right person, it's not. So maybe that's the reason that really like >> Okay. Good. Good. Yeah. Something to look into. But that's Yeah, I think [clears throat] >> sounds like the beginning of an answer. Okay. Let me share one uh yeah, one last uh one last story which I'm going to going to read to you. So this is a story from a beautiful work and I'm sure many of you are familiar with the name Rabbi Pesak Cron who is a very very special special Jew and um a well-known Moel. He actually was a mo for a couple of my children over the years and he wrote books he has about six or seven volumes what's called the Maggid series. It actually started with a Rav Shadran who lived here right here in Shahed and um he wanted to share his his stories. He he was a magg and it started with sharing the mag stories of Rav Shadran who who taught right here in the grashul and he lived here and then from there it became very popular and he began to share his own stories and collecting stories. Um and this is a story of the and a story about humility. And just to end with this and the had a relationship with Ravk they studied together at one point the both of both both of them are kohanim and both of them felt that we're getting closer to a messianic time and they said really said to that it's time for us to start learning the laws of the beta mikdash of the aoda. We're going to be called on. You're a cohen. I'm a cohen. This is saying that we're both on and the day is going to come. We're going to be called on and we have to know the and not just to study the you know the analysis in the garra. We need to know. So this is a they started a coal together and they learned with one another. At some point said I seek that you are unique in your leadership abilities. Le I want you to leave the coal and you have to start you have to be a rabbi. You have to be a rabbi of vishul. And from there he uh he does leave and becomes Rafuk the great leader of Amistrael. So here's a story about just it's a Ketim story and a story about humility. So I'll begin with the following. This is the introduction. Rabbi Pesakron writes this is from a book called the mag speaks. I think it was the maybe the second or third volume of Rabbi Cronhn's books. It is said that when one of our Gdole Torah great Torah scholars Ramos Sha Feinstein was breathing his last, he said weakly, "I have no more strength." Aside from the great scope of his Torah knowledge, a gut is one who bears the burdens of his nation and who feels the pains and frustrations of its individual members. the strength that the beloved Raosha felt ebbing from him was not only his personal vitality but his ability to continue carrying the accumulated burdens of his people. The following episode and its dramatic climax reveal the care and concern that a gutador has for an individual. The galador that sadic knows that he is a conduit to Hashem whose involvement on behalf on our behalf can deflect a harsh heavenly decree. Thus when someone approaches a sadic for a blessing and he acquiesces it is not merely an external expression of good wishes but an internal absorption of the problem adding weight to his enormous spiritual burden. Okay, that's introduction. Now the story about the a student who had been diagnosed as having a life-threatening illness came before his rebi the famous mayor in Raden to ask for a blessing. The physicians had already told the student and his family that they knew of no cure for his illness, and with each passing day, those concerned with his welfare were losing hope. The Kavitzkim listened to the young man and told him that he would give him advice, provided that he never revealed it to anyone. The student readily agreed. The then instructed him to go to a certain who lived in a small town. Tell him your situation and ask for a blessing, said the he will give you a braha and with God's help you will recover. Immediately the young man did so and in incredibly short time he became well. He continued his studies at the yeshiva eventually married, moved from Radin, raised a family and uh I'm sorry and as he had been instructed never told anyone about these events. More than 20 years later, long after his yeshiva days, the man's sister-in-law became ill with a mysterious illness. It soon became apparent to the man that she was suffering from the same illness with wi with which he had been ill so long ago, but he did not say anything. His wife, though, remembered that he had once spoken of a mysterious illness from which he had suffered many years ago. Every time she spoke about it, he became evasive and refused to talk about it. The more vague he tried to be, the more she pressed him in order to save her sister's life. Soon, both wife and sister-in-law were pleading with him to reveal what had happened and how he had been cured daily and incessantly. He told them that he was bound to secrecy, but they kept insisting. Finally, his resistance was worn down, and he rationalized that after so many years, perhaps he had already fulfilled the admonition. And so he told his wife what had happened. He revealed the facts of his appearance before the and that sadic's advice to go to a certain town of in a small town far away from Raden. His wife and sister-in-law became hopeful. Maybe this would be their salvation. But a short time later, the man himself began feeling ill. He became extremely frightened for his worst fears were being realized. He told his wife that he had to travel to the Kavitzkim. He made the long journey back to Radin and made his way to the Kavitim who was by then old and frail. Kavitim remembered their old encountered and encounter and listened quietly to the man's story. Then he spoke slowly. I wish I could help you, but what can I do? When you first had the illness, I was young myself and I fasted 40 days on your behalf so that you would be healed. Today I'm already too old and I cannot fast like that anymore. >> So Pesak then adds the following. What is incredible here is not only that the fasted 40 days on behalf of one of one of his students but that he used the scepterfuge of telling the bakr the young man to go to a in another town to get a blessing for himself so that when the student did indeed become well the would not get any credit for it. So this to me that's a story to me this is a story of of great humility the humility of the the beauty of of a gul of a gul aud the the humility of of he didn't want to reveal number one that he was fasting for him also this idea that he told them go to another rabbi that it's that rabbi's braha that's going to that's going to save you um the idea of anivv the the idea of humility is such a beautiful trait of of Amistra of the Jewish people saying that we should be inspired by Rafuk's humility and that beautiful story of the Afrauma of the the the dirt in the mouth and how wonderful it would be just to have the dirt of of of Aritel in my mouth and just be able to to step away from from controversy the humility as the nativity points out that when it came to uh to Mosha Raenu and his brother's brother and sister that he didn't hold didn't hold a grudge that that that that that's what it means to be a humble person. But a humble person as RV cook says and it says it doesn't mean that a person doesn't have a great sense of self and self-esteem right it's not to quash in any way it's not to limit the um the uh the goals and the mission of a person and actually it increases that it it enhances that sense of mission when you are humble when you realize that we are here that Hashem has put us on this earth all of us with a greater a greater goal in mind of Hashem's will, Hashem's command that we uh that there's humility, but humility that brings us to uh to uh to accomplish great things in in our lives. So, we wish everyone uh wish everyone well yak for for being here and we'll continue in our study of the midotaya.