June 15, 2025|י"ט סיון ה' אלפים תשפ"ה Israel's Secret Strength - Its Humility
Print ArticleOn Thursday night, I was at a wedding, and someone sitting next to me quipped, “I guess all the rabbis are going to have to rip up and rewrite their drashot for Shabbat.” Not me, because I already planned to speak about Moshe Rabbenu and humility, and humility has everything to do with Israel’s stunning attack against Iran.
A rabbi was once invited to give a guest lecture at a prominent synagogue. After the event, a congregant approached him and said, “Rabbi, that was the most profound and inspiring talk I’ve ever heard!” The rabbi, trying to stay humble, replied, “Thank you, but all the credit goes to God.” The congregant paused and then said, “Well, it wasn’t that good.”
Most of us try to strike a balance between self-confidence and modesty, between feelings of self-worth and humility. We know that humility is a value, and yet we also know how essential self-worth is for mental health, motivation, and achievement. The question is: how do we balance these qualities? The Torah provides us with guidance.
The story of Moshe, Aaron, and Miriam at the end of this week’s parsha seems bizarre. Aaron and Miriam gossip about Moshe, questioning why he receives special treatment regarding the Kushite woman he married. In response, the Torah states: והאיש משה עניו מאד מכל האדם אשר על פני האדמה, that Moshe was humblest person in all the land. This line seems strange to begin with. I picture Moshe Rabbenu going to his magic mirror every day and saying, “Mirror mirror on the wall. Who’s the humblest one of all?” And every day the mirror said, “Why you, Moshe, you are the humblest in all the land.” Of course, that’s not really the kind of thing that the humblest person in all the land would ask a magic mirror if he’s humble, but I digress.
This pasuk raises two basic questions:
First, what is the relevance of Moshe’s humility to the story? Second, what does it mean that Moshe was not just humble but the humblest of all people? How could that be true? Surely Moshe knew that he was the only one who spoke to God directly. If Moshe thought he was utterly insignificant, that would make him sound foolish. How do we understand his humility, especially in the context of this story?Let me share with you a passage from a mishna and a passage from the gemara. The mishna in Sotah (9:15) lists values that ceased when great sages passed away. For example, when Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai died, the ziv ha-chochmah, the splendor of wisdom, ceased. When Rabban Gamliel Hazaken died, the kavod ha-Torah, the honor of Torah, ceased. When Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi (Rebbi) died, anavah, or humility, and yirat chet, or fear of sin, ceased.
The gemara (Sotah 49b) adds an interesting comment. Rav Yosef says: לא תיתני ענוה דאיכא אנא, “Don’t include humility, because there’s still me.” At first glance, this seems like a joke. How can Rav Yosef claim to be humble while also asserting his own humility?
Perhaps we must redefine what we think humility is and what it really is. The Netziv, in his commentary on this week’s parsha, explains that humility is not about denying your abilities or accomplishments. Moshe was fully aware of his greatness. True humility is demonstrated when a person does not seek public recognition or honor. Rav Yosef, like Moshe, understood his own worth but didn’t need external validation and he wanted to teach us in his semi-humorous line that humility does not preclude feelings of self-worth. This is the essence of Moshe’s humility: it wasn’t about thinking less of himself but about thinking of himself less. I repeat: it wasn’t about thinking less of himself but about thinking of himself less.
This brings us back to the story with Aaron and Miriam. In telling us that Moshe was the humblest in all the land, the Torah is defining humility for us. Moshe wasn’t bothered by their criticism because his focus is not about him. Moshe’s sole focus was on serving God. He is the consummate eved Hashem. When the Torah says, וישמע ה׳, “And God heard,” it highlights that God defended Moshe’s honor, even though Moshe himself wasn’t concerned with it in the slightest.
True humility is a quiet confidence rooted in purpose, not ego. It’s about being driven by what God expects of you, not by what others think of you. This is the lesson Moshe teaches us: humility is not about self-effacement but about aligning yourself with a higher mission.
Yes, this lesson applies to us personally, but it also applies to us nationally. Today, we are witnessing incredible nissim v’niflaot, incredible miracles through the efforts of Israeli intelligence and the IDF. As difficult times lie ahead and unfortunately some Iranian missiles killed and injured many of our brothers and sisters across the country, we must daven and perform extra mitzvot for our country and its soldiers. But we must also recognize that the strength of Israel lies in its humility, not in lowliness, but in its unwavering focus on its mission.
As a nation, humility means not being overly concerned with how the world perceives us. We are an am k’lavi yakum! We are a nation that rises like a lion, whether we are fighting Hamas, Hezbollah or Iran! We are driven by our purpose, by the understanding that after 2,000 years of exile, we have returned to our land to fulfill our destiny and nobody will stop us from achieving our goal. While strategic alliances may be necessary, our moral worth is not determined by international approval. It is determined by our commitment to our purpose.
Let us continue to support Israel, to celebrate its remarkable achievements, and to pray for the safety of our brothers and sisters. As Rabbi Zvi Yehuda Kook remarked after Israel’s destruction of Iraq’s nuclear reactor 44 years ago yesterday, we are witnessing the fulfillment of Moshe’s final blessing:
אַשְׁרֶ֨יךָ יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל מִ֣י כָמ֗וֹךָ עַ֚ם נוֹשַׁ֣ע בַּֽה׳ מָגֵ֣ן עֶזְרֶ֔ךָ וַאֲשֶׁר־חֶ֖רֶב גַּאֲוָתֶ֑ךָ וְיִכָּחֲשׁ֤וּ אֹיְבֶ֙יךָ֙ לָ֔ךְ וְאַתָּ֖ה עַל־בָּמוֹתֵ֥ימוֹ תִדְרֹֽךְ.
O happy Israel! Who is like you, A people delivered by Hashem, Your protecting Shield, your Sword triumphant! Your enemies shall come cringing before you, And you shall tread on their backs.
May we celebrate Israel’s military success and pray for its continued safety. And may we emulate the humility of Moshe Rabbenu, staying focused not on how the world views us but on what God expects of us.