A Soulful Journey

During the first Kneisiah Hagedolah in Marienbad, the Hafetz Hayim was asked to lead the assemblage of rabbis and rebbeim in Birkat Hamazon.  He asked himself: “Why do I merit this honor?  It cannot be because of my great scholarship," he mused.  “It cannot be because of my piety,” he continued.  “It must be because I am a kohen, which of course is not due to any personal merit.  I inherited it from my ancestors.”   - Rabbi Morris Shapiro It behooves us to be be modest.  If we have any claim to merit it is because we have been brought to this place on the  shoulders  of giants.

One day the Chafetz Chaim was travelling home in a carriage.  He struck up a conversation with his fellow passenger.   It turned out that his companion was going to see the Chafetz Chaim when he went on to praise him for his great scholarship, charity and saintliness. The Rabbi reacted by saying that the Chafetz Chaim did not merit such praise. At once his fellow attacked and berated him.   The Chafetz Chaim  taught afterward that one must be careful not to denigrate oneself. It is good be modest.  It is also good to be truthful.  There is a balance to be maintained between the two.

A man who has great wealth, the Hasidim say, should hide it well. If he has a safe in his house he should not concentrate everything has in the safe because if it is all there, a burglar will break in, find the vault and take his life savings. If, on the other hand, he finds the safe empty, the thief will scour the house until he finds where the total wealth is located. Therefore, the house owner should be wise enough to place a goodly amount of valuables in the safe-just enough to convince the robber that he got to goods-and secure the real wealth away elsewhere. Likewise, wisdom should be worn in a fashion to show that one is learned but not ostentatiously. - Rabbi Louis Jacobs

“Teach yourself to say, “I do not know.” Otherwise you will find yourself stumbling and falling.” - Berachot 4a

When Rabba became ill he kept is secret for one day.  If he did not recover it would be announced int he marketplace so whoever wished him evil would dance and whoever loved him would pray.  - Nedarim 30 An odd story.  Was it modesty that kept him silent?  The desire to avoid commotion in the market of those who did not like him?  Or was it the desire to not disturb anyone's day?

When asked by reporters how he preferred to be addressed, Henry Kissinger replied, “I don’t stand on protocol.   If you will just call me “Excellency” it will be okay.” In these days when politics seems motivated by personal advancement and squelching one's opponents it is a sign of maturity to hold a sense of humor and remember that nothing lasts.  All is ephemeral.  So smile.

"Now I'm ready to start on the second chapter.  I am being frank about myself in this book.  I tell of my first mistake on page 850."                -  Henry Kissinger   It is good to do good. It is good to think good thoughts. It is good to have self-confidence. It is not so good to think so well of yourself that errors are non-existent or infrequent.