Daily Archives: August 14, 2021

An Israeli girl found a 1,500-year-old bronze coin at the site of an ancient Jewish village near the Sea of Galilee in northern Israel on Tuesday, the Nature and Parks Authority said.

The Yitzchaki family from the West Bank settlement of Har Bracha visited the Korazim archaeological park and played a scavenger hunt game involving the unique building style of the Talmud-era village, the parks authority said.

During the game, the girl found the ancient coin on the ground. She handed it to park staff.

This is an ancient bronze coin that, according to initial estimates, dates to the Talmudic period between the 4th and fifth centuries CE, said the archaeological park manager, Dekel Segev. This was the peak period of the Jewish village in Korazim.

Segev praised the girl for immediately handing over the coin to the park authorities.

Get The Times of Israel's Daily Editionby email and never miss our top stories

The girl and her family showed good citizenship and handed us the coin since it is a national treasure, he said. The coin will be passed on to the Israel Antiquities Authority for further research and preservation.

A 1,500-year-old coin found at the Korazim archaeological site in northern Israel, August 10, 2021. (Dekel Segev/Israel Nature and Parks Authority)

The Korazim site, which overlooks the Sea of Galilee, includes the remains of a synagogue. It also attracts Christian pilgrims since the name of the place is mentioned in the New Testament.

Visitors to the site can tour the grounds as well as participate in archaeological activities in the ancient town, which is a popular attraction for families with young children.

The Galilees Korazim archaeological park in October 2019. (Amanda Borschel-Dan/Toi)

The Climate Crisis and Responsible Journalism

As The Times of Israel's environment reporter, I try to convey the facts and science behind climate change and environmental degradation, to explain - and critique - the official policies affecting our future, and to describe Israeli technologies that can form part of the solution.

I am passionate about the natural world and disheartened by the dismal lack of awareness to environmental issues shown by most of the public and politicians in Israel.

I'm proud to be doing my part to keep Times of Israel readers properly informed about this vital subject - which can and does effect policy change.

Your support, through membership in The Times of Israel Community, enables us to continue our important work. Would you join our Community today?

Thank you,

Sue Surkes, Environment Reporter

Youre serious. We appreciate that!

Were really pleased that youve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.

Thats why we come to work every day - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.

So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we havent put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.

For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.

Read this article:

Girl finds 1,500-year-old coin at Talmud-era Jewish village in northern Israel - The Times of Israel

My father is still alive I can hear his voice in his books and videos. Thats precisely how he wanted to be remembered not by eulogies or speeches, but by regular people learning from his works, says his eldest son and CEO of the Steinsaltz Center in Jerusalem, Rabbi Menachem Meni Even-Israel.

Steinsaltz was awarded the Israel Prize in 1988, for producing his masterpiece a translation and commentary on the Babylonian Talmud. His Talmud The Steinsaltz Edition was a pioneering work and made the Talmud accessible to the masses.

cnxps.cmd.push(function () { cnxps({ playerId: '36af7c51-0caf-4741-9824-2c941fc6c17b' }).render('4c4d856e0e6f4e3d808bbc1715e132f6'); });

In 2012, Steinsaltz was awarded the National Jewish Book Award by the Jewish Book Council for his commentary, translation, and notes in the Koren Babylonian Talmud. He also received the Presidents Medal in 2012, for his contribution to the study of the Talmud, and the Yakir Yerushalayim prize in 2017, for his writing and translation work.

My father had an eclectic ability to bring together a vast range of sources - both Jewish and non-Jewish - from archaeology and science, to history and technology - in one tapestry and impart an intellectual and moral message, says Meni.

He was a devout chassid (disciple) of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, but he had his own views which were different to the Rebbe. They did have a similar goal though that of bringing G-d and Torah closer to all people not just Jews.

When asked what he thought his fathers legacy was, Meni, is quite clear: To take the Jewish canon Talmud and the Bible and make it accessible and interesting to ordinary people. He used modern, scientific language which helped all religious and secular and non-Jews discover the beauty of authentic Judaism through texts like he had done himself in his youth.

My father was deeply pained by the reality that Jews were indifferent to Jewish life. He wanted to make Judaism meaningful and believed this can only be done through engaging with the original texts. My father never said, Keep all the mitzvot to people. He believed that Jewish knowledge was the most important thing and performing mitzvot was the natural result.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe, believed that being Jewish is about keeping mitzvot about doing. For Rabbi Steinsaltz, being Jewish was about being connected to your past through text. He saw his role as to bring the Jewish bookshelf back to its rightful owners the Jewish people, says Meni.

Like Rabbi Sacks, Rabbi Steinsaltz wanted to take Judaism to the streets, using the language of the layman. Rabbi Sacks was in his own league in how articulate he was and making the non-Jewish world approach Judaism with respect and awe, observes Meni. My father and Rabbi Sacks had the same goal to take Judaism out of the hands of the learned and elite and make it relevant and engaging for the masses - to the public forum.

Both of their missions were charged by the Lubavitcher Rebbes vigilance, persistence and love for the Jewish people. Both of their deaths were far too soon and they were both involved in multiple projects at the time of their deaths. They were both selfless Jewish intellectuals and leaders they actually met when Rabbi Sacks was studying in Oxford and from then stayed in touch throughout their professional careers.

Practically what is the Steinsaltz Center doing to continue his legacy?

Firstly, Meni says, they are focusing on publishing his 80 books he left and disseminating his thought and knowledge through a new app and social media.

Since Rabbi Steinsaltzs death, there has been a proliferation of his books being published, in Hebrew, English and French. They plan to continue to publish two books per year, as well as starting to produce the new edition of the Talmud in French. The first volume of Rabbi Steinsaltzs commentary on the Tanya (early work of hasidic philosophy) is coming out in French to mark his first yahrzeit.

The app that is already available to download and is free - will be formally launched in September. It has all of Rabbi Steinsaltzs teaching and interpretations on from Talmud and Bible to Maimonidies and Jewish ideas and theology.

The Steinsaltz Center has a very active Instagram, Facebook and Twitter accounts sharing his quotes, video-clips, PDFs and articles using social media to reach as many people as possible.

Steinsaltz left over 10,000 hours of audio and 5,000 hours of videos. They plan on uploading them all to their website and app.

The Steinsaltz Center have established the Shalhevet program an international program where over 120 students in the Tekoa hesder yeshiva in Gush Etzion, learn online, on Zoom, Skype or telephone, with students from all around the world. They learn a whole spectrum of texts, all based on Steinsaltzs work from Talmud and Bible to Mishna and Jewish thought.

In English, the Erez series a set of five books, was Steinsaltzs concise guide to Judaism. A collection of the best of our Jewish wisdom and Halacha.

Also, a Hebrew collection of the hasidic talks he gave throughout the year and quotations will be available for the chagim with stunning pictures. The hope is that this book with also be translated into English.

For the yahrzeit itself, there will be a special 24-hour Mishna learning program connecting Jews all around the globe. From Rabbi Levi Woolf in Melbourne to Rabbi Yitzchak Mishna in Brazil, Jews will be learning Mishna from downloaded from their new app.

Is Rabbi Steinsaltz replaceable?

Meni says in one word no.

However, Meni continues, We can continue his legacy by reading his works and connecting with his ideas and thoughts. His philosophy was, Ill give you the keys you take responsibility and run with it. He did that in Yeshivat Tekoa (in the Gush Etzion, on the outskirts of Jerusalem.) He gave Rabbi Zinger the keys and he created an empire.

There are not enough superlatives to describe Rabbi Steinsaltz or what hes done for the Jewish world (though many have been used). He was said to have been a modern-day Rashi; that would be true, had Rashi also translated, written books, founded schools, lectured to vast audiences, and gone round the world helping Jewish communities.

Fine adds, Rabbi Steinsaltzs contribution is immeasurable. A year after his death, were still very far from understanding the magnitude of his legacy. It may take generations to fully appreciate it. For now, we can simply be grateful that we got to live in the shadow of this towering giant of Torah.

The Jerusalem Report also spoke with Meir Klein, former editor at the Steinsaltz Tenach commentary project, currently writing a dissertation on Rabbi Steinsaltz.

Rabbi Steinsaltz believed that if you were Jewish he was interested in you that every Jew has an equal share in our common inheritance. The basis for change was learning. He was determined to battle ignorance, as his lifelong project was making the sources of Judaism and particularly the Talmud, accessible to all, says Klein.

Steinsaltz was a complex man, Klein believes. He was influenced in his youth by the communist revolution and longed for a new hasidic revolution. On the other hand, he recognized that meaningful change took time and dedicated his life to promoting a Jewish renaissance. Without giving up on the dreams of his youth, he focused on the realistic, step-by-step approach and engineer change that way.

He was extraordinarily devoted to his work - the results of which speak for themselves. His books have become an entrance gate to Judaism for many, and a mobile teacher as he put it for many others.

The goal was affecting people and bringing them closer to Judaism. He wanted people to live a new kind of Jewish life, full of passion and emotion, relevant and contemporary, but also authentic and faithful to tradition, innovative but committed to traditional practices, rooted in foundations of Jewish knowledge and at the same time instrumental in creating a more functional and moral society, says Klein.

Klein believes Steinsaltz had a decisive influence on many trends of contemporary Judaism, from the teshuvah (repentance) movement to the study of the daily Daf Yomi (one page of Talmud per day) from the hasidic revival to the growth of pluralistic study centers, from the dissolving of sectoral boundaries to the strengthening of Jewish peoplehood.

Steinsaltz was looking at results rather than respect and credit. Someone once told him that he had received one of his books and thanks to him had returned to his Jewish roots. Recalling this, in tears of excitement, Rabbi Steinsaltz said that at that moment he felt that he had returned to the Jew his legal inheritance.

Rabbi Steinsaltz saw his students and followers as his living legacy. His lifes motto was, Let my people know. As we approach a year since Rabbi Steinsaltzs passing away, the vacuum he has left can only be filled by learning from his books and applying his message to our daily lives.

As Meni says, His agenda is still on Torah is reaching Jews and non-Jews alike. In this way, Rabbi Steinsaltz is still here with us. People having conversations about Judaism based on texts, knowledge and real learning not just folklore. Thats exactly what my father wanted.

Here is the original post:

Reflections on the first yahrzeit of Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz - The Jerusalem Post

A crumbling synagogue in a neighborhood long ago abandoned by the Jewish community just received millions of dollars from the State of California. At a time when the state faces urgent needs for affordable housing, homeless services and drought relief, you might ask: A synagogue?

On Aug. 10, the Breed Street Shul Project announced that Californias recently passed 2021 budget includes a $14.9 million allocation for the restoration of the historic Breed Street Shul in the Boyle Heights neighborhood east of downtown Los Angeles.

Supporters of the largesse say the money will pay for much more than the rehabilitation of an old shul.

The money, said Stephen Sass, president of the Breed Street Shul Project, will not only renew a culturally iconic historic building but will spur collaboration among the Jewish, Latino and other minority communities in Boyle Heights and throughout the city.

It will be a truly transformative project, he said.

At a press conference held Tuesday outside the fenced-off shul, Sass said the newly announced funds which will be allocated to the Breed Street Shul Project through a fiscal agent, as is the case with these kinds of state allocations will help turn the long-shuttered property into a multipurpose social service and cultural space, one featuring a shared workspace for nonprofit organizations; a performance and events venue; and an exhibit and gallery space focused on the shuls unique history and Boyle Heights diverse heritage.

The building has so much extraordinary potential and need of an infusion of resources, so it felt like the right time to make a push, said California State Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, who helped lead the effort to secure state funding.

Another good reason for the windfall? California has money a historic budget surplus estimated at $75.7 billion has given legislators a chance to cross some items off their wish lists.

Courtesy of the Office of Assemblymem...

From left: Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (at lectern) was one of several elected officials and community leaders at a press conference on Aug. 10 announcing a $14.9 state grant to the Breed Street Shul restoration.

The Breed Street Shul Project was one of many organizations to receive grants from the state in the 2021 budget. The state went from a massive deficit to a really big surplus due to higher than expected revenues, and were trying to bring money to the organizations that support our communities, said Gabriel, who is the chair of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus.

The Breed Street Shul, also known as Congregation Talmud Torah, was once the largest Orthodox congregation west of Chicago. Today its 18,000-square-foot Byzantine revival structure with a Jewish star above its main entrance is a remnant of a bygone time, a period from the 1920s to the 1950s when Eastern European Jewish immigrants populated the area alongside Latino, Japanese, and Black working-class neighbors.

During the post-World War II era, Los Angeles Jews began migrating west toward the Fairfax district and to the San Fernando Valley, and Boyle Heights became a largely Latino neighborhood.

In the 1980s, the Breed Street Shul fell into disrepair, a result of the 1987 Whittier Narrows earthquake as well as of neglectful stewardship of an Orthodox rabbi who took control of the building.

After wresting control of the building in 1999, the Breed Street Shul Project attempted for years to garner support for restoring the synagogue and transforming it into a community center for the surrounding population.

To Sass and others, Breed Street Shul is a symbol not of an ethnic enclave, but of a diverse community that serves as a model of American democracy.

Boyle Heights shows that multi-ethnic communities are the norm in the United States, George J. Snchez, author of Boyle Heights: How a Los Angeles Neighborhood Became the Future of American Democracy (UC Press, 2021). said in a public conversation with the Forward. Sometimes thats hidden from us right when its in front of us.

In 2001, the building, whose dilapidated interior is adorned with rare frescoes of the Zodiac, was named to the National Registry of Historic Landmarks.

In advocating for the funding, Gabriel, whose 45th district includes much of the west San Fernando Valley, worked with Assembly Member Miguel Santiago, whose 53rd assembly district includes parts of Boyle Heights.

The two met years ago at an interfaith Passover seder at the Breed Street Shuls Talmud Torah. Built in 1915, the structure behind the main synagogue served as the shuls original home and for several years now has accommodated community programming. The main building the Byzantine structure has required more extensive repairs and fundraising efforts.

Gabriel said the approval of the funds provided a rare opportunity for unity during divisive times.

At a time in our politics when a lot of folks want to divide us, we have to be intentional about creating places for people to come together, he said. And this is a spot that is going to serve as a bridge and a meeting place for communities to come together.

Read the original:

Why California just gave the 100 year-old Breed Street Shul $15 million - Forward

The moment Artem Dolgopyat tumbled, twisted and turned his body to the tune of an Olympic gold medal, the debate over who is or should be a Jew has roared across the Israeli landscape. The plaintive cry by Artems (admittedly) non-Jewish mother before the cameras They wont let my son marry here! has vaulted the conversion crisis into center stage of the publics consciousness. How can a genuine Israeli hero, who deeply loves our his! country, who humbly laid at our doorstep that for which we so desperately crave positive world attention not be embraced as a full-fledged Jew? Is that not the height of hypocrisy, the depths of degradation?

Artem, of course, is just one of many thousands of Russian immigrants as many as a quarter million who are not halachically Jewish, and so are unable to wed here in Israel, where marriages are conducted solely by the religious, rather than civil authorities. This crisis is not a new one (we have plenty of those, too, dont worry!); it has been percolating from the moment Israel decided to throw open its doors to Soviet Jewry in the late 1980s. This, I wholeheartedly believe, was a wise and wonderful decision, because it greatly increased our nations critical mass (hence the joke: what is Israels second-most popular language? Hebrew!) and played a major part in jump-starting our ascendant economy.

But this modern exodus to Israel was bound up in a spiritual Gordian knot of mythical proportions, prompting us to ask: How can we wave our halachic wand and turn non-Jews en masse into Jews? If there is a halachic will driven by intense public pressure can there somehow be a halachic way?

cnxps.cmd.push(function () { cnxps({ playerId: '36af7c51-0caf-4741-9824-2c941fc6c17b' }).render('4c4d856e0e6f4e3d808bbc1715e132f6'); });

Yet at the same time, we observe that it was not uncommon in the Biblical era for prominent Jews to marry non-Jews. King Davids third wife, the mother of Avshalom, was the daughter of the king of Geshur; Davids son Solomon had a slew of wives from various nationalities (Edom, Ammon, Egypt) who, according to Nehemiah, did not convert. Ditto Samson and Delila.

Consider, too, the famous story of Hillel, who unabashedly converted both a man who wanted to become Israels high priest because he liked the special clothing that came with the office (though, of course, a convert cannot become a kohen), as well as a fellow who wanted to be taught the entire Torah while standing on one foot. Hillel is blessed for bringing them under the wings of Gods spirit (Shabbat 31). And the very same Talmudic source with which we began this article goes on to say that we should not be overly stringent or onerous in our treatment of a potential convert.

It is true that no one approach to conversion will satisfy everyone; certainly the more extreme religious circles some of whom do not allow conversion under any circumstances will set the bar so high that only the rarest candidate will manage to vault over it. But a spirited effort to solve this dilemma has to finally be made on a large scale.

Shortly before the last election, I was privileged to sit with Naftali Bennett and discuss a few current issues with him, this one included. I told him that, sadly, Modern Orthodox Jews like ourselves may never be accepted as equals by much of the haredi (ultra-Orthodox) world. But that cant deter or dismay us; we can hold our heads up high, with pride. We have absolutely nothing to apologize for, nor are we religiously inferior in any way. Our attitude of tolerance for every Jew, our love of the State of Israel and our strong work ethic along with our excellence in Torah study and observance is one that God surely smiles upon.

And so I suggested that our now prime minister an original thinker if ever there was one gather together a cadre of bright, innovative, Zionist Orthodox rabbis who can constitute a brain trust to grapple with issues exactly like this one and come up with strategies for Jewish survival. It should be comprised of bona fide talmidei hahamim, intensely committed to the future of our state, who recognize the need for everyone in that state to feel that they are a valuable part of the nation. If we develop and propose solutions that are palatable to the majority, and are in consonance with our glorious tradition, I believe that eventually the Jewish world at least the majority of it will come around to accept them.

As of this writing, Religious Affairs Minister Matan Kahana is working on a new approach to facilitate conversion, and I wish him much success. It is a bold venture, but these are times that demand boldness and creativity, where the risk is commensurate with the reward. A rabbinic support group such as the one I described can provide him with a vital firewall to have his back in this all-important project. If he and we succeed, the entire Jewish people will have earned a truly gold medal.

The writer is director of the Jewish Outreach Center of Raanana; jocmtv@netvision.net.il

View post:

Conversion controversy: Can the Jewish people win a gold medal? - The Jerusalem Post

As we approach the end of 5781, I find myself both hopeful and concerned about the challenges that lay ahead for We The People of the United States, for People Israel and all of us who inhabit Planet Earth. Over this past year, the plagues of covid-19, hatred and bigotry, and climate change have created a perfect storm that challenges our physical, societal, and spiritual survival. Facing these threats simultaneously has led me to re-examine the meaning of the opening verses of this weeks parsha.

You shall appoint magistrates and public officials for your tribes, in all the settlements that Adonai your God is giving to you, and they shall govern the people with due justice (mishpat tzedek). You shall not judge unfairly, you shall show no partiality, you shall not take bribes for bribes blind the eye of the discerning and upset the plea of the just. Justice, justice you shall pursue tzedek, tzedek tirdof that you may thrive and occupy the land that Adonai your God is giving you.

(Deuteronomy 16:18-20)

Get The Jewish Standard Newsletter by email and never miss our top storiesFree Sign Up

As each of this month undertakes the process we call cheshbon hanefesh, the accounting of the soul, in preparation for Rosh Hashanah, there are questions we have both the right and responsibility to ask not only of ourselves but of each other.

One question which these opening words of our parsha directs me to ask this year is: How well are the new national leaders in both America and Israel living up to the challenging standards set out here in the opening verses of our parsha?

The Talmud, (Sanhedrin 32b) suggests that the repetition of the word justice, tzedek in verse 20 implies that we must be just both in making a judgment and in reaching a compromise.

Both the Biden administration and the new Israeli government led by Naftalie Bennet and Yair Lapid face the difficult challenge of pursuing justice for all the inhabitants of their respective countries while finding themselves having to work together with legislatures in which they have razor-thin support? Can they overcome both the anger and apathy in their societies, which threatens the democracies they lead, while simultaneously defending their nations against the real threats, both foreign and domestic, that both Israel and America face in this third decade of the 21st century?

I found a hopeful answer to my question in a medieval commentary on these opening verses of Shoftim by Bachya ben Asher, a Sephardic Jew. Bachya wrote that the double use of tzedek teaches us that we must pursue justice under all circumstances: Whether it leads to your benefit or to your detriment; both in the words we speak as well as in our actions, whether the matter involves another Jew or a non-Jew. Moreover, the double use of tzedek in this verse teaches us that we cannot use unjust means to secure justice.

Bachya lived in what historians today refer to as The Golden Age of Spanish Jewry. It was a community that was at peace with its Muslim and Christian co-inhabitants. It was internally self-governing and economically thriving. I hear in Bachyas commentary upon this weeks parsha critical lessons for We the Jewish People and We the People of the United States in the 21st century. Both societies face the challenge of minority populations who, while equal under the law, face societal discrimination and economic inequality. I believe that both the Biden and Bennett administrations are committed to equal justice and equal opportunity for their citizens. I pray that both governments will succeed in this goal.

A second question that I hear in these opening words of Shoftim that are amplified by Bachyas interpretation of tzedek, tzedek tirdof is that the imperative to pursue justice, justly, is applicable not only to nations and their leaders, but is directed to each of us, personally.

As we emerge from the death and devastation of the plague of covid-19, I believe that the challenge of the year ahead is whether the fault lines in trust between governed and governors can be repaired. I worry today that the ideal shared by both American and Jewish tradition that we can and we must honor free expression of opinion while distinguishing fact from fiction is under siege. Be it health issues such as the rejection of the lifesaving vaccines that protect all of us from covid-19 or environmental challenges such as climate change which has been manifest here in America this past year by record levels of rain in the American Northeast and equally devastating draught in the West, is there not a serious injustice we are actively or passively participating in when we allow our political preferences, to trump science? Is not the God to whom we will appeal for another year of life on Rosh Hashanah both the Creative Force of our Universe and The Commanding Voice from Sinai that pleads with us Love your neighbor as yourself?!

This summer we have all felt the impact of climate change as draught and oppressive heat impact the western regions of America, while lakes and rivers overflow in the northeast and condominiums crumble in South Florida. The double use of tzedek in our parsha this week reminds me that similar to Americas communal response to the pandemic of covid-19, the effects of climate change now demand that our federal state and local leaders must develop better systemic ways to deal with these medical and environmental challenges. Our national approach must continue to be based upon both justice and compassion. Reading Shoftim this week while preparing for Rosh Hashanah, which is also called Yom Harat Olam, the birthday of the world, reminds me that we must provide help to those directly affected by the impacts of climate change and to lead our fellow Americans to come to grips with the reality of climate change and the unmistakable challenge it poses to the future of this planet.

This past Monday was the first of Elul. As you and I count down the days in anticipation of a new year, I suggest that we all inscribe upon our hearts the words tzedek, tzedek tirdof. Let us not only use it as a measure by which we judge our political leaders but also take a vow that we will not be so quick to judge others, both loved ones and those with whom we disagreewe , and that we will simultaneously judge all our actions by the measuring stick of Torah. Rather than continuing to play the blame game in the year ahead, may all block out the noise of our world on these upcoming High Holy Days to hear the Divine call to change taught to us in a small but salient little book called Avot de Rabbi Natan: When a person does something wrong to you let it be little in your eyes; when you wrong another let it be great in your eyes.

Read this article:

Parshat Shoftim: The pursuit of justice - The Jewish Standard

In a time of selfies and self-esteem, humility is a forgotten virtue. The Jewish traditions emphasis on humility runs counter to our zeitgeist, which places each individual at the very center of the universe. It is challenging for us today to make sense of Maimonides suggestion that the proper way is not merely that man be humble, but that one should be of a very diminutive spirit, and their spirit extremely lowly. In some of the pre-war European Mussar Yeshivot, which were devoted to developing spiritual greatness, the students would constantly repeat aloud ich bin a gornisht, I am a nobody; this habit was meant to cultivate humility. Contrast that with social media, the very purpose of which is to declare the opposite: I am a somebody, and I am worthy of attention.

For this reason, contemporary readers are shocked by archaic descriptions of radical humility. The following passage in Maimonides Commentary to the Mishnah (Avot 4:4) is a good example of this:

I saw in a book from the books on characteristics that one of the important pious men was asked Which day is the one upon which you rejoiced more than any of your days? He said [back], The day that I was going on a boat and my place was in the lowest places of the boat among the packages of clothing, and there were traders and men of means on the boat [as well]. And I was laying in my place and one of the men of the boat got up to urinate and I was insignificant in his eyes and lowlyas I was very low in his eyesto the point that he revealed his nakedness and urinated on me. And I was astonished by the intensity of the trait of brazenness in his soul. But, as God lives, my soul was not pained by his act at all and my strength was not aroused. And I rejoiced with a great joy that I had reached the point that the disgrace of this empty person did not pain me and [that] my soul did not feel [anything] towards him.

This type of saintly behavior seems strange to contemporary readers, and raises questions about the value of humility. Is humility submitting to humiliation? How can one live a life of joy with such a lowly self-image? Furthermore, humility seems to undermine ambition. If a humble person doesnt see any value in their own abilities, they will never produce anything. Rabbeinu Bachya ibn Pakuda, the 11th-century author of the classic ethical work, Chovot Halevavot, grappled with how he could be both humble and an author.

In his introduction, he openly discusses his doubts about writing this brilliant work. He says: when I thought of proceeding to carry out my decision to write this book, I saw that a man like myself is not fit to compose a work like this. I estimated that my . knowledge was too inadequate, and my intellectual faculties too weak to grasp the topics [But] I knew that many great works were lost due to fear, and many losses were caused by concern. I remembered the saying: it is part of prudence not to be overly prudent. Therefore, I found myself obligated to force my soul to bear the task of composing this book. Bachya has to convince himself to disregard his own humility and write his book, because he recognizes that if every humble person desisted from writing, too much would be lost. Humility was always a complicated virtue; and in a time when self-worth is our primary cultural currency, humility seems like a roadblock to happiness.

Our difficulty with humility is that we imagine it to be a form of self-affliction, and perhaps even self-delusion. But humility is also quite practical, and more necessary than ever. In our Torah reading, there are several regulations regarding the King; he has to limit the amount of horses and money he has, and must keep a Torah scroll with himself at all times. These rules are instituted in order that his heart may not be lifted above his brethren, that he may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left (Deuteronomy 17:20).

The Ramban explains that this represents an obligation for the King, and everyone else, to be humble. And the Torah outlines why this is so important: an arrogant king will ignore the Torahs responsibilities and lose his connection with others. A humble King will be compassionate; as Maimonides puts it, he will be merciful and compassionate to the small and great and attend to their wants and welfare [and] show respect for even the lowest of the low (Laws of Kings, 2:6).

There are other benefits to humility. The Talmud asserts that humility is a prerequisite to learning, because we cannot learn if we believe we have all the answers; wisdom is found in those humble enough to learn from anyone. These rules recognize that arrogance is destructive. An arrogant king could become drunk with power, detached from his values, his people, and even common sense. A basic sense of humility is critical to the proper functioning of society.

But humility is more than a practical attitude; it is an ideology. Maimonides radical humility is meant to liberate humanity from the foolish desire for honor. Moshe Halbertal describes Maimonides view this way: The humble man, the man of lowly spirit, is one whose self-esteem does not depend on social recognition. It follows that humility is not a belief in the lowliness of ones stature; rather, it is indifference to the value of honor. This is revolutionary. For the Greco-Roman political tradition, recognition on the public stage was a central value; but for Maimonides, God stands at the center.

Maimonides radical humility is meant to liberate humanity from the foolish desire for honor.

Once a person no longer seeks the accolades of others, they will base their self-worth on whether they have served God and fulfilled their mission. As Halbertal notes, Maimonides view of humility threatens a political order built on controlling the public through honor and shame, because the humble will be far more independent than those who seek honor. This is the ideology of radical humility; to pursue ones mission without regard to stature, status or honor.

Once a person no longer seeks the accolades of others, they will base their self-worth on whether they have served God and fulfilled their mission.

The truly humble are driven not by ego, but by purpose. Indeed, they will often achieve lofty goals, but make little of it. Their attitude is that they are just doing their job.During World War II, Irena Sendlerowa, a young mother and social worker, was a member of a Polish underground movement devoted to saving Jews. With great courage and cunning, Sendlerowa used her position to smuggle 2,500 children out of the Warsaw ghetto and hide them in orphanages. After receiving a long overdue honor from the Polish government in 2007, she did not take a bow; instead, she shared her own abiding disappointment: I could have done more this regret will follow me to my death. When pressed by reporters about whether she was a hero, Sendlerowa responded: Every child saved with my help and the help of all the wonderful secret messengers, who today are no longer living, is the justification of my existence on this Earth, and not a title to glory. She was a humble hero, unworried by popular opinion or the dangers in her path.

This is the ideology of humility; it matters not what humans think of you, only what God expects of you. And if you succeed in fulfilling your mission, you may have justified your place on earth.

I just wish the justification for my existence on earth was as good as Sendlerowas.

Rabbi Chaim Steinmetz is the Senior Rabbi of Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun in New York.

View original post here:

Comments on: The Revolutionary Idea of Humility - Jewish Journal