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Humility

משלי ט״ו:ל״ג

(לג) יִרְאַ֣ת יְ֭הֹוָה מוּסַ֣ר חׇכְמָ֑ה וְלִפְנֵ֖י כָב֣וֹד עֲנָוָֽה׃

Proverbs 15:33

(33) The fear of the LORD is the discipline of wisdom;
Humility precedes honor.

ספר המדות, ענוה, חלק ראשון ו׳

(ו) ו. עַל יְדֵי עֲנָוָה מוֹסִיפִין לוֹ גְּדֻלָּה עַל גְּדֻלָּתוֹ.

Sefer HaMiddot, Humility, Part I 6

(6) One’s prestige and importance grows and grows on account of his humility.

ספר המדות, ענוה, חלק ראשון י׳

(י) י. כְּשֶׁאַתָּה רוֹאֶה שֶׁעֲנָוָה נִתְרַבָּה בָּעוֹלָם, תְּצַפֶּה לְרַגְלֵי דִּמְשִׁיחָא.

Sefer HaMiddot, Humility, Part I 10

(10) When you see an increase of humility in the world, you can look forward to the imminent arrival of Mashiach.

סנהדרין ל״ח א:י״ג

ת"ר אדם נברא בערב שבת ומפני מה שלא יהו המינים אומרים שותף היה לו להקדוש ברוך הוא במעשה בראשית דבר אחר שאם תזוח דעתו עליו אומר לו יתוש קדמך במעשה בראשית דבר אחר כדי שיכנס למצוה מיד

Sanhedrin 38a:13

The Sages taught in a baraita (Tosefta 8:7): Adam the first man was created on Shabbat eve at the close of the six days of Creation. And for what reason was this so? So that the heretics will not be able to say that the Holy One, Blessed be He, had a partner, i.e., Adam, in the acts of Creation. Alternatively, he was created on Shabbat eve so that if a person becomes haughty, God can say to him: The mosquito preceded you in the acts of Creation, as you were created last. Alternatively, he was created on Shabbat eve in order that he enter into the mitzva of observing Shabbat immediately.

סוטה ה׳ א:ח׳

וּמִסְתַּבְּרָא כְּמַאן דְּאָמַר אֲנִי אֶת דַּכָּא שֶׁהֲרֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא הִנִּיחַ כׇּל הָרִים וּגְבָעוֹת וְהִשְׁרָה שְׁכִינָתוֹ עַל הַר סִינַי וְלֹא גָּבַהּ הַר סִינַי לְמַעְלָה

Sotah 5a:8

The Gemara comments on this: And it stands to reason that the meaning of the verse is like the one who says: I am with the contrite person, as the Holy One, Blessed be He, disregarded all of the mountains and hills, and rested His Divine Presence on the lowly Mount Sinai, and He did not choose to raise Mount Sinai up toward Him. God chose to give the Torah on Mount Sinai, as it was a symbol of humility due to its lack of height, and He lowered His Divine Presence, as it were, to the mountain.

במדבר י״ב:ג׳

(ג) וְהָאִ֥ישׁ מֹשֶׁ֖ה עָנָ֣ו מְאֹ֑ד מִכֹּל֙ הָֽאָדָ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הָאֲדָמָֽה׃ {ס}

Numbers 12:3

(3) Now Moses himself was very humble, more so than any other human being on earth.

אבן עזרא על במדבר י״ב:ג׳

(א) ענו מאד. במשקל שלו והטעם שלא בקש גדולה על אחיו:

Ibn Ezra on Numbers 12:3

(1) WAS VERY MEEK. The word anav (meek) is similar to the word shalev (at peace) (Job 16:12). Its meaning is that Moses did not seek honor over his brother.

דברים ל״ד:י׳

(י) וְלֹא־קָ֨ם נָבִ֥יא ע֛וֹד בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל כְּמֹשֶׁ֑ה אֲשֶׁר֙ יְדָע֣וֹ יְהֹוָ֔ה פָּנִ֖ים אֶל־פָּנִֽים׃

Deuteronomy 34:10

(10) Never again did there arise in Israel a prophet like Moses—whom יהוה singled out, face to face,

The “secret of the twelve” is an oblique reference to his (Ibn Ezra’s) opinion that the last twelve verses of the Torah were not written by Moses but by Joshua, because they speak about Moses’ death and the mourning of the Israelites. What Ibn Ezra means here is that the last twelve verses of the Torah are only an example of a broader phenomenon of late editorial comments in the Torah. - Dr. Rabbi Zev Farber (https://www.thetorah.com/article/editorial-comments-in-the-opening-chapters-of-deuteronomy)

ואם תבין סוד [השנים] עשר, גם ויכתוב משה (דברים לא, כב), והכנעני אז בארץ (ברא’ יב, ו), בהר ד’ יראה (שם כב, יד), והנה ערשו ערש ברזל, (דברים ג, יא) תכיר האמת

If you understand the secret of the twelve—as well as “and Moses wrote” (Deut. 31:9), “and the Canaanites were then in the land” (Gen. 12:6), “on the mountain God will appear” (Gen. 22:14), “here is his iron bed” (Deut. 3:11) – you will recognize the truth. - Abraham Ibn Ezra (Copied from Dr. Rabbi Zev Farber's Article: https://www.thetorah.com/article/editorial-comments-in-the-opening-chapters-of-deuteronomy)

משנה אבות ד׳:ד׳

(ד) רַבִּי לְוִיטָס אִישׁ יַבְנֶה אוֹמֵר, מְאֹד מְאֹד הֱוֵי שְׁפַל רוּחַ, שֶׁתִּקְוַת אֱנוֹשׁ רִמָּה. רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן בֶּן בְּרוֹקָא אוֹמֵר, כָּל הַמְחַלֵּל שֵׁם שָׁמַיִם בַּסֵּתֶר, נִפְרָעִין מִמֶּנּוּ בְגָלוּי. אֶחָד שׁוֹגֵג וְאֶחָד מֵזִיד בְּחִלּוּל הַשֵּׁם:

Pirkei Avot 4:4

(4) Rabbi Levitas a man of Yavneh said: be exceeding humble spirit, for the end of man is the worm. Rabbi Yohanan ben Berokah said: whoever profanes the name of heaven in secret, he shall be punished in the open. Unwittingly or wittingly, it is all one in profaning the name.

ספר המדות, ענוה, חלק ראשון ט״ז

(טז) טז. מִי שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ הַכְנָעָה, אֵין בּוֹ יִרְאָה.

Sefer HaMiddot, Humility, Part I 16

(16) A person who is not humble does not fear God.

משנה אבות ד׳:א׳

(א) בֶּן זוֹמָא אוֹמֵר, אֵיזֶהוּ חָכָם, הַלּוֹמֵד מִכָּל אָדָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים קיט) מִכָּל מְלַמְּדַי הִשְׂכַּלְתִּי כִּי עֵדְוֹתֶיךָ שִׂיחָה לִּי. אֵיזֶהוּ גִבּוֹר, הַכּוֹבֵשׁ אֶת יִצְרוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (משלי טז) טוֹב אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם מִגִּבּוֹר וּמשֵׁל בְּרוּחוֹ מִלֹּכֵד עִיר. אֵיזֶהוּ עָשִׁיר, הַשָּׂמֵחַ בְּחֶלְקוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים קכח) יְגִיעַ כַּפֶּיךָ כִּי תֹאכֵל אַשְׁרֶיךָ וְטוֹב לָךְ. אַשְׁרֶיךָ, בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה. וְטוֹב לָךְ, לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא. אֵיזֶהוּ מְכֻבָּד, הַמְכַבֵּד אֶת הַבְּרִיּוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמואל א ב) כִּי מְכַבְּדַי אֲכַבֵּד וּבֹזַי יֵקָלּוּ:

Pirkei Avot 4:1

(1) Ben Zoma said:Who is wise? He who learns from every man, as it is said: “From all who taught me have I gained understanding” (Psalms 119:99). Who is mighty? He who subdues his [evil] inclination, as it is said: “He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that rules his spirit than he that takes a city” (Proverbs 16:32). Who is rich? He who rejoices in his lot, as it is said: “You shall enjoy the fruit of your labors, you shall be happy and you shall prosper” (Psalms 128:2) “You shall be happy” in this world, “and you shall prosper” in the world to come. Who is he that is honored? He who honors his fellow human beings as it is said: “For I honor those that honor Me, but those who spurn Me shall be dishonored” (I Samuel 2:30).

Jason Bonder