Humility and the Power of Language

A remarkable set of Rabbinic commentaries asks why, of all the beautiful places along the Israelites’ route from Egypt to the Land of Israel, Mount Sinai was chosen for the revelation of the Torah. One Rabbinic midrash imagines various mountains vying to be chosen as the place of revelation. One mountain said, “Let the Presence of God rest on me,” and the other mountain replied, “Let the Presence of God rest on me.” Mount Tabor explained why it should have the honor. Mount Hermon countered, asserting why it deserved the honor more. The midrash seems to describe a clamoring of arrogant, competing voices, decibel levels rising.
Then a voice out of the high heavens rang out and said: “The Shechinah shall not rest upon these high mountains that are so proud, for it is not God’s will that the Shechinah should rest upon high mountains that quarrel among themselves and look upon one another with disdain. God prefers the low mountains, and Sinai most among these, because it is the smallest and most insignificant of all. Upon it will God let the Divine Presence rest.” (Adapted from Louis Ginzberg, Legends of the Jews, JPS, 1968, 3:82-3) (Cited in Rabbi Amy Eilberg, From Enemy to Friend: Jewish Wisdom and the Pursuit of Peace)

What does it mean to be humble?

במדבר י״ב:א׳-ג׳

(א) וַתְּדַבֵּ֨ר מִרְיָ֤ם וְאַהֲרֹן֙ בְּמֹשֶׁ֔ה עַל־אֹד֛וֹת הָאִשָּׁ֥ה הַכֻּשִׁ֖ית אֲשֶׁ֣ר לָקָ֑ח כִּֽי־אִשָּׁ֥ה כֻשִׁ֖ית לָקָֽח׃ (ב) וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ הֲרַ֤ק אַךְ־בְּמֹשֶׁה֙ דִּבֶּ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה הֲלֹ֖א גַּם־בָּ֣נוּ דִבֵּ֑ר וַיִּשְׁמַ֖ע יְהוָֽה׃ (ג) וְהָאִ֥ישׁ מֹשֶׁ֖ה ענו [עָנָ֣יו] מְאֹ֑ד מִכֹּל֙ הָֽאָדָ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הָאֲדָמָֽה׃ (ס)

Numbers 12:1-3

(1) Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman he had married: “He married a Cushite woman!” (2) They said, “Has the LORD spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us as well?” The LORD heard it. (3) Now Moses was a very humble man, more so than any other man on earth.

Questions for Discussion:

What are Miriam and Aaron criticizing?
What are they actually upset about? Why?
What is humble about Moshe’s response to Miriam and Aaron’s criticism?

בראשית כ״ב:א׳

(א) וַיְהִ֗י אַחַר֙ הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה וְהָ֣אֱלֹהִ֔ים נִסָּ֖ה אֶת־אַבְרָהָ֑ם וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלָ֔יו אַבְרָהָ֖ם וַיֹּ֥אמֶר הִנֵּֽנִי׃

Genesis 22:1

(1) Some time afterward, God put Abraham to the test. He said to him, “Abraham,” and he answered, “Here I am.”

Was Abraham's response an act of humility? Why or why not?
How else could you characterize Abraham's response?

Humility is “occupying your rightful place in life, neither too much nor too little.” (Morinis, p. 45)

What are some examples of when you have taken up too much or too little space?
When have you observed this happening to other people?
Do you notice a difference in the amount of space taken up by women and men?
How can you respond when this happens to you or someone else?

What makes language so powerful?

משלי י״ח:כ״א

(כא) מָ֣וֶת וְ֭חַיִּים בְּיַד־לָשׁ֑וֹן.

Proverbs 18:21

(21) Death and life are in the power of the tongue.

ברכות י״ט ב:ט׳

גדול כבוד הבריות שדוחה [את] לא תעשה שבתורה

Berakhot 19b:9

Human dignity is so great it overrides a prohibition in the Torah.

משנה אבות ד׳:ג׳

אַל תְּהִי בָז לְכָל אָדָם, וְאַל תְּהִי מַפְלִיג לְכָל דָּבָר, שֶׁאֵין לְךָ אָדָם שֶׁאֵין לוֹ שָׁעָה וְאֵין לְךָ דָבָר שֶׁאֵין לוֹ מָקוֹם:

Pirkei Avot 4:3

Do not disparage anyone, and do not shun any thing. For you have no person who does not have their hour, and you have no thing that does not have its place.

בבא בתרא קס״ה א:ב׳

אמר רב יהודה אמר רב רוב בגזל ומיעוט בעריות והכל בלשון הרע בלשון הרע סלקא דעתך אלא אבק לשון הרע:

Bava Batra 165a:2

Rav Yehuda says that Rav says: The majority of people suc-cumb to sin with regard to robbery, and a minority of people succumb to sin with regard to sexual matters, and everyone succumbs to sin with regard to malicious speech. The Gemara asks: Can it enter your mind that all people sin with regard to malicious speech? The Gemara answers: Rather, Rav was referring to uttering a hint of malicious speech.

What are the previous 2 texts suggesting about each person and the language they use?

בבא מציעא נ״ח ב:י״ב

תני תנא קמיה דרב נחמן בר יצחק כל המלבין פני חבירו ברבים כאילו שופך דמים א"ל שפיר קא אמרת דחזינא ליה דאזיל סומקא ואתי חוורא אמר ליה אביי לרב דימי במערבא במאי זהירי א"ל באחוורי אפי דאמר רבי חנינא הכל יורדין לגיהנם חוץ משלשה

Bava Metzia 58b:12

The Gemara relates that the tanna who recited mishnayot and baraitot in the study hall taught a baraita before Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak: Anyone who humiliates another in public, it is as though he were spilling blood. Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said to him: You have spoken well, as we see that after the humiliated person blushes, the red leaves his face and pallor comes in its place, which is tantamount to spilling his blood. Abaye said to Rav Dimi: In the West, i.e., Eretz Yisrael, with regard to what mitzva are they particularly vigilant? Rav Dimi said to him: They are vigilant in refraining from humiliating others, as Rabbi Ḥanina says: Everyone descends to Gehenna except for three.

Hineini

Here I am