Sources from essay by Rabbi Paul F. Cohen, DMin, DD
in The Mussar Torah Commentary
On what do the virtues [middot] depend? All virtues and duties
are dependent on humility.
-Rabbi Bachya ibn Pakuda, Duties of the Heart
An attitude of humility of willingness to make even the smallest
contributions and to accept a life of commitment and dedication must be part of the potentially creative person's way of life.
-Silvano Arieti, Creativity
(ט) אַתֶּ֨ם נִצָּבִ֤ים הַיּוֹם֙ כֻּלְּכֶ֔ם לִפְנֵ֖י יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֑ם רָאשֵׁיכֶ֣ם שִׁבְטֵיכֶ֗ם זִקְנֵיכֶם֙ וְשֹׁ֣טְרֵיכֶ֔ם כֹּ֖ל אִ֥ישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (י) טַפְּכֶ֣ם נְשֵׁיכֶ֔ם וְגֵ֣רְךָ֔ אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּקֶ֣רֶב מַחֲנֶ֑יךָ מֵחֹטֵ֣ב עֵצֶ֔יךָ עַ֖ד שֹׁאֵ֥ב מֵימֶֽיךָ׃ (יא) לְעׇבְרְךָ֗ בִּבְרִ֛ית יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ וּבְאָלָת֑וֹ אֲשֶׁר֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ כֹּרֵ֥ת עִמְּךָ֖ הַיּֽוֹם׃
(9) You stand this day, all of you, before your God יהוה —your tribal heads, your elders, and your officials, every householder in Israel, (10) your children, your wives, even the stranger within your camp, from woodchopper to waterdrawer— (11) to enter into the covenant of your God יהוה, which your God יהוה is concluding with you this day, with its sanctions;
(יג) וְלֹ֥א אִתְּכֶ֖ם לְבַדְּכֶ֑ם אָנֹכִ֗י כֹּרֵת֙ אֶת־הַבְּרִ֣ית הַזֹּ֔את וְאֶת־הָאָלָ֖ה הַזֹּֽאת׃ (יד) כִּי֩ אֶת־אֲשֶׁ֨ר יֶשְׁנ֜וֹ פֹּ֗ה עִמָּ֙נוּ֙ עֹמֵ֣ד הַיּ֔וֹם לִפְנֵ֖י יהוה אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ וְאֵ֨ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֵינֶ֛נּוּ פֹּ֖ה עִמָּ֥נוּ הַיּֽוֹם׃
(13) I make this covenant, with its sanctions, not with you alone, (14) but both with those who are standing here with us this day before our God יהוה and with those who are not with us here this day.
Imagine that moment. In fact, we are called upon to do more than imagine. We are called upon to experience that moment, to be present for it. We, too, stood with Moses on the banks of the Jordan River, each and every one of us, ready to enter into the covenant with God.
Within the Mussar teachings, anavah is not defined as “making oneself small.” Instead, humility is defined as recognizing the exact extent of our abilities, importance, and status. Each of us—and the text makes clear that this means all of us—was worthy of standing before God and entering into the covenant. The text of Nitzavim lays out the entire spectrum of human ages, genders, ethnicities, and occupations—and it recognizes that all of us are worthy of standing before God and entering the covenant: from leader to follower (Deuteronomy 29:9), from elder to child, from tribal members to visitors, men and women alike (Deuteronomy 29:10).
(כז) וַיַּ֥עַן אַבְרָהָ֖ם וַיֹּאמַ֑ר הִנֵּה־נָ֤א הוֹאַ֙לְתִּי֙ לְדַבֵּ֣ר אֶל־אדני וְאָנֹכִ֖י עָפָ֥ר וָאֵֽפֶר׃
(27) Abraham spoke up, saying, “Here I venture to speak to my lord, I who am but dust and ashes:
(ה) ...לְפִיכָךְ כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד חַיָּב לוֹמַר, בִּשְׁבִילִי נִבְרָא הָעוֹלָם...
(5) ...Therefore, since all humanity descends from one person, each and every person is obligated to say: The world was created for me, as one person can be the source of all humanity, and recognize the significance of his actions...
Every person should have two slips of paper in his pocket. On one should be written: “The world was created for me.” And on the other: “I am but dust and ashes.” -Rabbi Simcha Bunim
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When puffed with pride, we should take out and read the slip that says, “I am but dust and ashes,” contemplate the meaning of this sentence, and our arrogance will vanish. When we feel depreciated and depressed, we should pull out the other slip of paper, read, “For me, the world was created,” contemplate the meaning of that sentence, and our depression will vanish. Our sense of self-worth will be replenished. Buber brings forward the necessity of finding the balance between the overwhelming sense that we are not worthy and an exaggerated feeling of self-worth. He understands that this can be a moment-to-moment and day-to-day balancing act. In each moment, we can hear the echo of Parashat Nitzavim, reminding us of the inherent worth we have, represented by our embrace in the covenantal love of our God.
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Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. -Marianne Williamson
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Nitzavim teaches that living a life of humility means to balance two opposite inclinations: to avoid telling ourselves that "we are the worthiest" and to stop telling ourselves that "we are not worthy of standing before God and entering the covenant between God and the Children of Israel."
Questions to Ask
- When have you had difficulties balancing your ego and your sense of anavah?
- In which situation can you practice acting with more avanah?