וְהָאִישׁ מֹשֶׁה עָנָו מאוד מִכֹּל הָאָדָם אֲשֶׁר עַל־פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה׃ [יב,ג]
Moshe Rabbeinu was very humble, more than any other human on the face of the earth
The phrase “on the face of the earth” is unnecessary; isn’t it evident that people are on the earth? Why add it?
Moshe Rabbeinu regarded himself as more humble than any other Yid. In his renowned letter, the Ramban explains that true humility involves seeing others as superior to oneself. This means Moshe Rabbeinu perceived everyone else in the world as better than him. This raises an intriguing question: Did Moshe Rabbeinu not recognize his own greatness? According to one of our thirteen beliefs in Emuna, Moshe Rabbeinu is regarded as the greatest Novi of all time. For this to hold true, he must have acknowledged it himself. So how could he maintain such profound humility?
The Ohr Sameach, Rabbi Meir Simcha Cohen from Dvinsk (תשובה, ה,א), presents this question from the philosophers and offers an insightful response from his grandfather, Rabbi Chananya Cohen zt”l. He explains that Moshe Rabbeinu, having attained such lofty spiritual heights and having encountered Hashem face to face, had his physical existence transformed into something entirely spiritual. Consequently, he faced no challenges or tests in his service to Hashem. This unique experience led him to feel less worthy than even the most humble among Klal Yisrael. He believed that we, as individuals grappling with the daily challenges of observing Torah and Mitzvos and cultivating Emunah, are in fact much more special than he is.
With this perspective, he beautifully addresses the earlier question of why the Torah describes people as superior to Moshe Rabbeinu in the context of being “people of the earth.” The Torah is explaining this point: how could Moshe Rabbeinu consider himself less special than anyone else? The answer lies in the fact that they are on earth and have not reached the lofty levels of Moshe Rabbeinu , similiar to a malach , and it is their challenges that truly make them special.
Are you finding aspects of Yiddishkeit challenging? That’s fantastic! This is precisely why Moshe Rabbeinu views you as so extraordinary.
Writter by R Moshe Schleider
