(1) But Moses spoke up and said, “What if they do not believe me and do not listen to me, but say: The Eternal did not appear to you?”
(ט) וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר מֹשֶׁ֛ה כֵּ֖ן אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְלֹ֤א שָֽׁמְעוּ֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה מִקֹּ֣צֶר ר֔וּחַ וּמֵעֲבֹדָ֖ה קָשָֽׁה׃
(3) Now the man Moses was very humble, above all the people that were upon the face of the earth.
דבר אחר מפני המשפחות שלא יהו משפחות מתגרות זו בזו
[The first human] was created alone so that the [human] families will not quarrel with each other, each one boasting of the heritage of their ancestor.
הקב"ה הניח כל הרים וגבעות והשרה שכינתו על הר סיני ולא גבה הר סיני למעלה
The Holy Blessed One disregarded all of the mountains and hills, and rested the Divine Presence on the lowly Mount Sinai. God did not choose to raise Mount Sinai up toward Him. God chose to give the Torah on Mount Sinai, since it was a symbol of humility due to its lack of height
Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Satanov
Always seek to learn wisdom from everyone, to recognize your failings and correct them. In doing so you will learn to stop thinking about your virtues and you will take your mind off your friend's faults.
(ג) וְיֵשׁ דֵּעוֹת שֶׁאָסוּר לוֹ לָאָדָם לִנְהֹג בָּהֶן בְּבֵינוֹנִית אֶלָּא יִתְרַחֵק מִן הַקָּצֶה הָאֶחָד עַד הַקָּצֶה הָאַחֵר. וְהוּא גֹּבַהּ לֵב. שֶׁאֵין דֶּרֶךְ הַטּוֹבָה שֶׁיִּהְיֶה אָדָם עָנָו בִּלְבַד אֶלָּא שֶׁיִּהְיֶה שְׁפַל רוּחַ וְתִהְיֶה רוּחוֹ נְמוּכָה לִמְאֹד. וּלְפִיכָךְ נֶאֱמַר בְּמשֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ (במדבר יב ג) "עָנָו מְאֹד" וְלֹא נֶאֱמַר עָנָו בִּלְבַד. וּלְפִיכָךְ צִוּוּ חֲכָמִים מְאֹד מְאֹד הֱוֵי שְׁפַל רוּחַ. וְעוֹד אָמְרוּ שֶׁכָּל הַמַּגְבִּיהַּ לִבּוֹ כָּפַר בָּעִקָּר...
(3) And, yet, there are certain tendencies which one is forbidden to follow in the middle-way, but must distance oneself from extreme to extreme. The good way is not merely that you be meek, but that you should be humble-spirited, then your spirit will be extremely lowly. This is the reason why it is said of Moses that he was very humble (Num. 12.3) and not merely humble. This is also the reason why the sages commanded saying: "Be exceedingly humble of spirit" (Pir. Ab. iv. 4). They, moreover, said: "One who is of a haughty heart denies the main principle" (Sotah, 4b).
Rabbenu Bahya ibn Paquda, Chovot HaLevavot (1040 CE)
Pride over spiritual attainments can be of two types, one disgraceful and the other praiseworthy. It is disgraceful if a person is proud of his wisdom or the righteous man of his deeds, if this makes whatever he already has of them to be much in his eyes, and makes him think that the good name and high opinion which he has among men is enough for him, and makes him belittle and despise others and speak ill of them, and causes the wise and great of his generation to be unworthy in his eyes, and causes him to gloat over the faults and folly of his comrades. This is what our Sages of blessed memory called “honoring oneself through the disgrace of one’s fellow man.” A person such as we have described is neither meek nor humble.
But the praiseworthy type is when a person is proud of his wisdom or the righteous man of his deeds, and considers them a great favor of the Creator for which to be thankful and joyous, and this causes him to try to add on to them, to be humble with his near ones and enjoy his friends, and to be considerate of their honor, to conceal their folly and speak their praise . . . and all his good deeds are few in his eyes, and he constantly works to increase them, and is humble because of his inability to do as much as he would like. . . . This pride does no harm to humility and does not keep it distant. Of this pride Scripture says in connection with Yehoshafat, “His heart was high in the ways of God.” This pride assists humility, and adds to it, as it is written, “humility brings about fear of God.”
Rav Avraham Yitzchak HaCohen Kook, Midot ha-Re’iya
Genuine humility and lowliness increase health and vitality, whereas the imaginary [humility] causes illness and melancholy. Therefore, one ought to choose for oneself the traits of humility and lowliness in their clear form, and thus become strong and valiant.
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Whenever humility brings about melancholy, it is invalid. But when it is worthy, it engenders joy, courage, and inner glory.
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At times we should not be afraid of the feeling of greatness, which elevates man to do great things. And all humility is based on such a holy feeling of greatness.
(א) בֶּן זוֹמָא אוֹמֵר, אֵיזֶהוּ חָכָם, הַלּוֹמֵד מִכָּל אָדָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים קיט) מִכָּל מְלַמְּדַי הִשְׂכַּלְתִּי כִּי עֵדְוֹתֶיךָ שִׂיחָה לִּי.
(1) Ben Zoma says: Who is the wise one? Someone who learns from everyone, as it says, "I have acquired understanding from all my teachers" (Psalms 119:99).
"No more than my space, no less than my place." – Alan Morinis, Everyday Holiness