When Abraham responds to God’s call with the word hineni – ‘Here I am’ – he is speaking the language of humility. So claims Midrash Tanhuma, followed in turn by Rashi and Rav Kook. The Midrash surprises me. Hineni has always felt like an expression of audacity to me. The word hineni, writes contemporary Bible scholar Jon Levenson, “connotes readiness, attentiveness, responsiveness.” Chutzpah and humility strike me as antonyms, not synonyms. And yet, Rav Kook writes such things as “when (humility) is genuine, it inspires joy, courage, and inner dignity,” and “at times it is not necessary to be afraid of greatness, which inspires a person to do great things. All humility is based on such holy greatness.”
Perhaps I don’t understand the meaning of humility! It turns out that the great masters of Mussar, our tradition’s literature of ethical insight and character refinement, understand humility in a similar way. One of the traditional sources with which they illustrate the middah – attribute or character trait – of ‘anava/humility is a Talmudic teaching (Bavli Berakhot 6b) that also focuses on Abraham. “Said Rabbi Helbo, quoting Rav Huna: One who sets a specific place (makom) for his prayer, the God of Abraham will support her. When that individual dies it is said about her/him that s/he was an ‘anav – a humble person – a hasid – a saintly person – and a disciple of Abraham our Ancestor.” “How do we know,” the Talmud now asks, “that Abraham our Ancestor has a set place for prayers? From this verse (Genesis 19:27): ‘Next morning, Abraham hurried to the place (makom)where he had stood (‘amad) before the Lord.’ And ‘standing’ refers to prayer…”
By claiming my own fixed space, I am also leaving room for others. My space is mine and not someone else’s; by the same token, that individual’s space is hers/his and not mine. “No more than my place; no less than my space.” A person of genuine humility occupies her rightful space and not one millimeter more. He is not afraid of greatness, and at the same time s/he is deeply respectful of others and of their prerogatives. Abraham our Ancestor is the paradigm, our role model in pursuit of ‘anava – humility – in our lives. May his example inspire each of us to do great things and to strive for holy greatness!
Shabbat Shalom.
