Chasidut zu Bamidbar 12:3
וְהָאִ֥ישׁ מֹשֶׁ֖ה ענו [עָנָ֣יו] מְאֹ֑ד מִכֹּל֙ הָֽאָדָ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הָאֲדָמָֽה׃ (ס)
Der Mann Mose war sehr sanftmütig, mehr als irgendein Mensch auf dem Erdboden.
Kedushat Levi
Another aspect of the words: וארא אל אברהם אל יצחק ואל יעקב, “I used to appear to Avraham, Yitzchok, and Yaakov, etc.” We find among the writings of the Ari z’al that he does not understand Exodus 34,7 נוצר חסד לאלפים “He extends loving kindness to thousands,” in the generally accepted meaning, but that he understands the word אלפים as attributes of G’d beginning with the letter aleph. These attributes, though all being variations of the attribute Justice, are “sweetened” by G’d through an addition of a dose of חסד, loving kindness.
In order to understand the Ari z’al we refer first to a statement in Sh’mot Rabbah 47,11 according to which Moses acquired the ability to make the skin of his forehead shine, give forth light, (Exodus 34,29) because a drop of ink was left over from his quill when he had completed recording the portion of the Torah in writing. [Difficult to understand as Moses did not write the Torah on Mount Sinai. Ed.]
The author of the Or hachayim;Midrash had in mind when writing that Moses merited this reward from left over ink.
In order to illustrate the difference between a “humble” person spelled with the letter י, and a “humble” person spelled without the letter י, we need to make a few introductory remarks. On the Torah’s imperative for the Jewish people to strive to be “holy,”: (Leviticus 19,2) to be “holy,” i.e. קדושים תהיו כי קדוש אני ה', “be holy for I the Lord am holy,” we could have misunderstood this line to mean that we must strive to be as holy as G’d. Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 24,9 therefore writes that the words: כי קדוש אני, “for I am holy,” in that verse are a reminder that only G’d is truly holy. G’d’s holiness transcends anyone else’s holiness. Anyone who endeavours to sincerely sanctify himself discovers that in spite of all the progress he makes in this direction that he is still far removed from his objective, i.e. total holiness. If a person is under the illusion that he is already a worthy servant of the Lord, this is proof that he is still far from having reached his goal, that in fact he has not even begun the journey leading to holiness. Anyone who has begun this journey is painfully aware of how far he still has to travel on that road. This is what the Midrash had in mind when the author wrote, explaining the words: כי קדוש אני ה' אלוקיכם, “for I the Lord your G’d am holy, קדושתי למעלה מקדושתכם, “My holiness is superior to your holiness.” [The author’s version of this Midrash apparently had the word מסתלקת, “is receding,” instead of the word: למעלה “is superior”. Ed.]
Alternatively, this concept, instead of being expressed negatively, may be expressed positively, as we find in Eychah rabbah 11,3 where the author writes that whenever the Jewish people sanctify themselves they thereby strengthen the celestial entourage of the Lord, i.e. they add holiness to His holiness. The Midrash quotes psalms 60,14 in support of this where the psalmist writes באלוקים נעשה חיל, “we will strengthen G’d by acting valiantly.” (Compare likutim on that statement in the Midrash)
In order to understand the Ari z’al we refer first to a statement in Sh’mot Rabbah 47,11 according to which Moses acquired the ability to make the skin of his forehead shine, give forth light, (Exodus 34,29) because a drop of ink was left over from his quill when he had completed recording the portion of the Torah in writing. [Difficult to understand as Moses did not write the Torah on Mount Sinai. Ed.]
The author of the Or hachayim;Midrash had in mind when writing that Moses merited this reward from left over ink.
In order to illustrate the difference between a “humble” person spelled with the letter י, and a “humble” person spelled without the letter י, we need to make a few introductory remarks. On the Torah’s imperative for the Jewish people to strive to be “holy,”: (Leviticus 19,2) to be “holy,” i.e. קדושים תהיו כי קדוש אני ה', “be holy for I the Lord am holy,” we could have misunderstood this line to mean that we must strive to be as holy as G’d. Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 24,9 therefore writes that the words: כי קדוש אני, “for I am holy,” in that verse are a reminder that only G’d is truly holy. G’d’s holiness transcends anyone else’s holiness. Anyone who endeavours to sincerely sanctify himself discovers that in spite of all the progress he makes in this direction that he is still far removed from his objective, i.e. total holiness. If a person is under the illusion that he is already a worthy servant of the Lord, this is proof that he is still far from having reached his goal, that in fact he has not even begun the journey leading to holiness. Anyone who has begun this journey is painfully aware of how far he still has to travel on that road. This is what the Midrash had in mind when the author wrote, explaining the words: כי קדוש אני ה' אלוקיכם, “for I the Lord your G’d am holy, קדושתי למעלה מקדושתכם, “My holiness is superior to your holiness.” [The author’s version of this Midrash apparently had the word מסתלקת, “is receding,” instead of the word: למעלה “is superior”. Ed.]
Alternatively, this concept, instead of being expressed negatively, may be expressed positively, as we find in Eychah rabbah 11,3 where the author writes that whenever the Jewish people sanctify themselves they thereby strengthen the celestial entourage of the Lord, i.e. they add holiness to His holiness. The Midrash quotes psalms 60,14 in support of this where the psalmist writes באלוקים נעשה חיל, “we will strengthen G’d by acting valiantly.” (Compare likutim on that statement in the Midrash)
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Kedushat Levi
We hope to justify Akavyah’s using the language the Mishnah recorded. Akavyah posits that a person in evaluating himself, taking stock of himself, is tempted to look at a list of his achievements first. If that person is a good person, Akavyah reminds him that seeing that he is “descended” from an evil smelling drop of semen he does not really have anything to boast about. If he is a morally weak or inferior person, he is reminded of his superior ancestors as his origin, something which should make him ashamed for not living up to his forefathers’ standards. Akavya was aware that there are two levels of “fear of the Lord.” The lower level is called “fear of punishment,” whereas the higher level is called יראת הרוממות “the awe of the overwhelming superiority of the Creator.” He therefore addresses both categories of individuals, assuming that each category finds it difficult on occasion to resist the evil urge so that he may commit a transgression. True יראת השם is only this latter category of “awe and reverence of the Lord.” This is the level of יראת שמים of the righteous, seeing that the צדיק always focuses on the concept of the אין סוף, “G’d as personification of infinity.” In Job 18,12 we have been taught that חכמה , “true wisdom,” is only found in the realm described as מאין, same letters as אין in אין סוף. The tzaddik always keeps reflecting on the fantastic concept of the infinity of the Creator and how He is in charge of millions of different categories of holy angels and a universe the extent of which boggles the imagination. He thinks of how all these angels are in constant awe of Him so that through his preoccupation with such thoughts he does not fall victim to the urge to taste the physical pleasures offered by the region into which we have been placed by our fate. These physical urges, after all, have become part of him only by genetic transmission from his father and mother, whereas his divine soul, G’d’s contribution to every human being as an integral part of Him, is supplied by Him Who, most certainly is not subject to such urges. It was Moses’ ability to concentrate on that “third” of his ancestry, i.e. the אין סוף, that resulted in his being described as איש האלוקים, a “godly man.” (Deuteronomy 33,1) He had attained this status by becoming what the Torah called: “the most humble man on earth.” (Numbers 12,3) It follows from the Torah’s definition of his personality that he had concentrated on the closest possible connection with what was concealed from him, (as well as from any living human being) i.e. G’d’s essence, so that he considered himself as אין, as if non-existent, immaterial.
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Kedushat Levi
Looking at our verse from a different perspective, we need to remember that pious Jews serving G’d, experience a constant ascent, elevation in their spiritual level. Still, they do not, in their lifetime, begin to properly understand the workings of G’d’s mind, much less His greatness. When the Torah (Numbers 12,3) tells us that והאיש משה עניו מאד וגו', “the man Moses was extremely humble, etc.,” such a compliment could only be paid to someone who had attained almost superhuman stature. It does not take a great effort for the ordinary individual surrounded by people of far greater accomplishments, to remain humble. When one has attained the stature of a Moses with whom G’d carried on conversations as if he were His equal, the challenge to remain humble is incomparably greater. The meaning of ואנכי אעלך גם, is a reminder to Yaakov, that regardless of where he finds himself, the task of climbing the ladder of spiritual ascent ever higher will remain with him for as long as he lives. Just as G’d is known as the אין סוף, inexhaustibly profound, beyond our comprehension, so the task of serving Him is never one that one may “retire” from, thinking that one has done one’s duty.
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