Parshat Shmini-Parah March 26, 2011 20 Adar 2, 5771
Humility Does NotMean BelievingOneself To Be ANothing
After the deaths of the two sons of Aaron, Moshe toldAaron: "Of this didHaShem speak saying'I will be sanctifiedthrough those whoare close to Me and Iwill be honoredbefore the entirepeople.'" Aaron'sreaction was silence.[Vayikra 10:3]Rashi quotes thesource [based onZevachim 115b] forMoshe's assertion thatG-d would besanctified throughthose who wereclosest to him. Thepasuk [verse] says, "Ishall meet with theChildren of Israel,and it shall besanctified through Myhonor (v'nikdashb'kvodi)" [Shmos 29:43].According to thehomiletic interpretationof the pasuk, the wordb'kvodi is not read as itis vowelized - "b'kvodi -through My honor".Rather, it is read as if itwere vowelizedb'kvoday (through thosewho honor Me).The Gemara thereelaborates. Mosheconsoled Aaron bysaying "I knew that thisMishkan [Tabernacle]was going to besanctified through thedeath of someone closeto G-d. I thought that itwould be either you orme. I now see that they(Nadav and Avihu) weregreater than either of us".At first blush this seemsvery strange. Who said
Rabbi Frand on Parshas Shmini/Parah
"I thought it would beeither you or me,because we are theholiest ones here"?That is MosheRabbeinu talking -- themost humble of allmen. How could themost humble person inthe whole world sayabout himself, that he(or his brother) werethe holiest persons inthe entirecongregation?Rav Leib Chassmanpoints out that if wethink this statement isa contradiction toMoshe's humility, weare making a terriblemistake as to thedefinition of humility.If someone denies whohe is, that is notmodesty - that isfoolishness!A person who denieshis own identity and
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6:54 pm
Friday Mincha
6:55 pm
Hashkama 8:00 amYouth 8:30 amParsha Shiur 8:30 amMain Minyan 9:00 amBeit Midrash 9:15 amGemorah Shiur 5:50 pmMincha 6:50 pmShabbat Ends 8:03 pmMon., Thur. 6:35/7:45 amTues.Wed.Fri. 6:45/7:45 amMincha Sun/Fri. 7:00 pmLatest times forShema/Shmoneh EsreiMarch 26 9:54/10:56 amApril 2 9:48/10:51 amNext ShabbatTazriaCandle lighting 7:01 pmMincha 7:00 pmSundayMarch 278:30 am
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talents is not humble. He is deceiving himself.An 'anav' [humble person] can know preciselywho he is.There is a famous story which illustrates thispoint. Rav Chatzkel Abramsky, zt"l, once neededto testify in a case in which the Beis Din of London was sued by a shochet [ritualslaughterer] who had been fired. As the head of the Beis Din, Rav Abramsky had no choice, butto testify in secular court. His attorney asked himto state his name and his position. The attorneythen asked, "Is it true that you are the greatestliving halachic authority on the Europeancontinent?" Rav Abramsky said, "Yes. That istrue."At that point the judge interjected and said,"Rabbi Abramsky, is that not rather haughty onyour part? I thought that your laws and ethicsteach you to be humble." Without any hesitation,Rav Abramsky responded, "I know we are taughtto be humble. But I am under oath."The point of this story is that Rav ChatzkelAbramsky was aware that he was the greatestliving halachic authority on the Europeancontinent. Recognition of his true status was nothaughtiness.Rav Moshe Feinstein did not consider himself "an ignoramus". He knew that he was the posek [halachik authority] of his generation.Nevertheless, he was an extremely humbleperson.
26 Old Mill Road, Great Neck, NY 11023 (516) 487-6100 Shabbat Announcements Parshat Shmini-Parah 5771
What then is the key to humility? The key tohumility is to remember that whatever a personhas and is, is a gift from Heaven. "It is not mystrength and the power of my hand that haswrought me this great wealth" It is not mybrains. It is not my talents. It is not innate. It isall a blessing from G-d." A person remainshumble by realizing and remembering that allof his achievements in this world are onlythrough the good graces of G-d, and that he canlose them at any minute, G-d forbid.There is a famous Mishneh at the end of Maseches Sotah that states that when Rebbi(Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi, the editor of theMishneh) died, humility ceased. Rav Yosef inthe Gemara questions this Mishneh and saysthat it could not possibly be accurate "For I amhere". This comment of Rav Yosef begs forclarification.I once heard a beautiful homiletic interpretationof this Talmudic passage. Rav Yosef was notsaying, "I am humble. Therefore there arehumble people around." He was sayingsomething else. We learn elsewhere that RavYosef became blind. When he became blind, heforgot all his learning. This great Amora, RavYosef, whose opinion is found on so many folioof Shas, who learned so much, who taught somuch -- this same Rav Yosef forgot it all afterhis illness.Rav Yosef is saying is the following: Do notsay that there cannot be humble people aroundanymore -- because I am around. As long as Iam around, people can look at me and see whatcan happen to a person. Let them see that aperson can be an Amora, know all of theMishnayos, have hundreds of students and yetforget it all. If people bear that in mind, thenthere can still be humble people. For the key tohumility is realizing that everything is a giftthat can be lost at any time.
Great Neck SynagogueShabbat Activities Program
Dale Polakoff, RabbiIan Lichter, Assistant RabbiDr. Ephraim Wolf ,z”l, Rabbi EmeritusMichael Bleicher, Daniel Schwechter, Rabbinic InternsZeev Kron, CantorEleazer Schulman, z”l, Cantor EmeritusMark Twersky, Executive DirectorJoseph Hecht, PresidentHarold Domnitch, Chairman of the Board
Great Neck SynagogueShabbat Activities Program
Dale Polakoff, RabbiIan Lichter, Assistant RabbiDr. Ephraim Wolf ,z”l, Rabbi EmeritusMichael Bleicher, Daniel Schwechter, Rabbinic InternsZeev Kron, CantorEleazer Schulman, z”l, Cantor EmeritusMark Twersky, Executive DirectorJoseph Hecht, PresidentHarold Domnitch, Chairman of the Board
Annual Rabbinic Dialogue
A tradition of over 25 years
Teaching, analyzing and discussing through the perspectives of Orthodox, Conservative and Reform Judaism
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Hosted by Temple Beth-El of Great Neck5 Old Mill Road
Rabbi Dale Polakoff, Rabbi Howard Stecker, Rabbis Meir and Tara Feldman
This event is sponsored by: Great Neck Synagogue-- Men’s Club Temple Beth-El-- Brotherhood Temple Israel-- Men’s Club
9:15 AM--
complimentary light breakfast in the social hall
10:00-11:15 AM
--- DIALOGUE
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