As Rabbis go, I’m a good one, not mediocre or average, Good! This is not my ego talking, and if I told you otherwise, that wouldn’t be humility, it would be a lie.
I also recognize that I can’t take the credit. My upbringing, my experiences, the way my mind works, the way I connect with people, none of that was manufactured by me. It was given to me by Hashem.
Eighteen years ago, I was doing my Rabbinical residency in Buenos Aires, Argentina. At a late-night Chassidic farbrengen, Rabbi Shabtai Slavaticki shared something from the previous Rebbe, something I’ve never forgotten. “Just as you must know your shortcomings, so too, you must recognize your positive qualities.”
He spent the next few hours telling us that the message from the previous Rebbe is not permission to be arrogant, it is an assignment. Your talents aren’t just yours to enjoy. The gifts Hashem gave you become your responsibilities, the specific things only you can give back to the world.
Worried about your ego getting in the way? The antidote is to remember what Moshe taught and thought, “someone else with my gifts would do more with them than I am”. Show gratitude to Hashem by using your talents for good.
The last letter of the first word in this week’s parsha, the alef in the word Vayikra, and G-d calls to Moshe, is written small. Why? Because Moshe Moshe remained “small”-humble.
He knew, and everyone knew, that Hashem was speaking directly to him. However, even in that moment of extraordinary intimacy with Hashem, he told himself, “Someone else with my gifts would do more with them than I am”.
That small Alef is the balance: courage and self-esteem on one side, humility and gratitude on the other.
That balance of self-respect and humility is what we try to model for our kids, our students, and, honestly, for ourselves. It's a lifelong balancing act, and the attempt itself is a form of greatness.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Kushi Schusterman