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Beit Midrash
- Jewish Laws and Thoughts
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- Anava - Humility
- Jewish Laws and Thoughts
- Pathways in Personality Development
- Humility, Holiness and Fearing Hashem
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Yehudah ben Hadasah Hinde Malkah
Additionally, a humble person walks in an unassuming manner. He does not walk with his head held high, and he does not walk in a slow conceited manner. He walks in modesty and does not try to stand out. Walking with a stiff, conceited bearing is comparable to "knocking the feet out from under the Divine presence" (Berachot 43b).
When choosing a place to sit, a humble person does not take a seat amongst the prestigious, but with the common people. The sages say that a person should sit two or three seats behind his seating place and stay there until he is told to advance. In other words, it is better to choose a seat that represents a status lower than one's own and then be asked to advanced than to sit in a more prestigious position and be told to move down.
And the sages teach: "A person should forever learn from the mind of his Creator; for behold, the Holy One blessed be He ignored all the mountains and heights and caused His Divine Presence to abide upon Mount Sinai," and He did this because of its lowliness. And so, we find that humility covers all aspects of a person's behavior, and if a person wishes to acquire humility, he must train himself to speak humbly, walk humbly, and sit humbly.
A humble person knows how to bear insults. The sages say, "They who suffer insults but do not inflict them, who hear themselves reviled and do not answer back . . . of them the Scripture says, 'And they that love him are like the sun when he goes forth in his might.' " A humble person does not need personal honor. He flees honor. And therefore he does not respond when his honor is trampled.
Witness the greatness of Rabbi Baba ben Buta. The Talmud tells about a certain Babylonian Jew who moved to the land of Israel and married there. He asked his wife to cook a particular dish for him, but she misunderstood (because of his Babylonian dialect) and prepared something else. The following day the same thing happened. The man became angry and told her to go and break the bowl of food "on the the head of the baba" ('baba' means 'door' in Aramaic).
Again the woman misunderstood him. She though that he had told her to break the bowl on the head of Baba bar Butta, the great Torah scholar. So she went and broke the bowl on the head of Baba bar Butta while he sat in the study hall adjudicating a certain law case. Baba bar Butta asked her why she did this and she said, "My husband told me to." The rabbi did not become angry. Instead he said to her, "You carried out your husband's request! May God give you two sons like Baba bar Butta."
Not only did Baba bar Butta not become angry at her, he even blessed her. In his great humility he did not become angered. He understood that there must be some mistake here. He was so humble that he was even impressed by the devotion of the woman who was ready to fulfill her husband's request even though it took a lot of courage and did not make much sense. Hillel the Prince was also very humble. All attempts to anger him were unsuccessful. He remained forbearing no matter what happened. Patience is one of the traits that characterize the humble.
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Translated biblical verses and/or Talmudic sources in the above article may have been taken from, or based upon, Davka's Soncino Judaic Classics Library (CD-Rom).
Peninei Halakha 5. Weddings and Engagements during the Omer Period
Chapter 3: Customs of Mourning during the Omer Period
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 5- "Proofs of G-d"
This may be the most important class of the entire book, where we finally get to the Jewish proof of the existence of G-d and truth of the Torah. We should follow His own direction where He tells us how to get to Him: through the Nation of Israel: Jewish history, Jewish prophets (and today, prophecies fulfilled), and national reward & punishment towards Am Yisrael.
Ein Aya One Humanity, One Creator, One Jerusalem
Rav Kook innovatively and beautifully explains this aggadeta where our sages say that after Jerusalem was destroyed her cinnamon fragrance is only found locked in a particular kingdom's treasury.
Shlach Lecha "Why So Many Don't Make Aliya?" - Parshat Shlach
This short article deals with the weird phenomena that every single time Am Yisrael is meant to enter the Land of Israel, throughout the Tanach, 2nd Temple and until today, they "chicken out" and look for excuses. What's the problem with this mitzvah that proves so challenging. The article, based on sources, suggests that the difficulties of Eretz Yisrael is precisely her secret and beauty!
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 4
The class deals with Islam and how the Muslim tries convincing the King of the Khazars, and why he was also rejected.
Beha'alotcha JEWISH STATE= GUIDE TO G-DLINESS & SELFLESSNESS
A Jewish State not only is a good idea, but educates us towards selflessness, altruism and G-dliness in our daily lives.
Ein Aya In Zion Even the Smoke of the Bark is Sweet
Just as Jewish nationalism is different from others, so too our capitol of Jerusalem is totally different than other national capitols. Rav Kook beautifully explains the passage in the Talmud that the trees of Yerushalayim were cinnamon trees.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 3
The second speaker invited to convince the Khazar King is the Christian, who presents their beliefs. Even before the questions of the King, "between the lines", the author R. Yehuda HaLevi already begins disproving them.
Ein Aya "Intimacy: Love, Life & Giving or Egocentric Taking & Expiration"
Today, many confuse between intimacy in marriage, based on love, giving and life which are diametrically opposed to empty "sex", pornography and prostitution which destroyed the Beit HaMikdash. The practical importance of clarifying this topic in today's western society is obvious, especially for young adults.