Everett Worthington, The Paradox of Humility
"Would you buy a book entitled, How I Achieved Perfect Humility? Ah, there’s the problem. If someone tells you how humble s/he is, you’d probably take his opinion with a grain of salt. On the other hand, s/he might be giving a straightforward and honest self-assessment
Humility most often shows up as unselfish service on behalf of others. Perhaps true humility involves an absence of arrogance, pride, and narcissistic entitlement. It incorporates honesty with self and sensitive honesty with others (not presuming to give others unwanted or unhelpful—though honest—feedback). As a virtue it can accomplish great things, for individuals and society as a whole
Mattia Ferraresi, Il Foglio:
"...Despite cops being stationed on the street to dissuade everyone from leaving their homes, we both think there are still too many people out and about. We read. We pray. We play soccer in the hallway. It’s a time of reflection and silence, a moment in which some big questions emerge — like why, exactly, we decided not to have a TV."
וַהֲלֹא כְּבָר נֶאֱמַר, הֲלוֹא אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶת הָאָרֶץ אֲנִי מָלֵא (ירמיה כג, כד). אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ דְּסִכְנִין בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי לֵוִי, מָשָׁל לִמְעָרָה שֶׁהִיא נְתוּנָה עַל שְׂפַת הַיָּם, גָּעַשׁ הַיָּם, נִתְמַלֵּאת הַמְּעָרָה וְהַיָּם לֹא חָסַר כְּלוּם. כָּךְ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא יִתְבָּרַךְ זִכְרוֹ, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁכָּתוּב וּכְבוֹד ה' מָלֵא אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן (שמות מ, לד), אַף עַל פִּי כֵן, הוֹדוֹ עַל אֶרֶץ וְשָׁמָיִם (תהלים קמח, יג). וְלֹא תֹאמַר, שֶׁצִּמְצֵם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שְׁכִינָתוֹ בְּתוֹךְ הַמִּשְׁכָּן, אֶלָּא אַף בְּתוֹךְ הָאָרוֹן שֶׁעָשָׂה בְּצַלְאֵל, צִמְצֵם שְׁכִינָתוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: הִנֵּה אֲרוֹן הַבְּרִית אֲדוֹן כָּל הָאָרֶץ (יהושע ג, יא), זֶה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּחַ הוּא שֶׁהָיָה בְתוֹכוֹ...
Has it not already been stated: Do I not fill heaven and the earth (Jer. 23:24)? R. Joshua of Sikhnin said in the name of R. Levi: This may be compared to a cave situated at the edge of the sea. Though the sea rushes forth and fills the cave, the sea lacks nothing. Similarly with the blessed Holy One, for though it is written: And the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle (Exod. 40:34), nevertheless His glory is above the heaven and the earth (Ps. 148:13). You should not say that the blessed Holy One self-contracted His Shekhinah only into the Tabernacle. He likewise compressed His Shekhinah into the ark that Bezalel had made, as it is written: Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth (Josh. 3:11). This indicates that the blessed Holy One, was within it...
חסד לאברהם, על צמצום
הפטרת שופטים:
ובאמת כך הוא: מתחלה עלה במחשבה לברוא את העולם במדת הדין שהוא הצמצום, כי ראה שאין העולם מתקיים במדת הרחמים ושפע העליון בלי צמצום מחמת מיעוט כח המקבל, לכן עמד והקדים מדת הרחמים, ושתפה למדת הדין, שזהו הרחמנות העליון— בהקדם מדת הדין וצמצום השפע לפי כח המקבלים.
וכן צריך האדם להנהיג את עצמו בכל עבודתו— בתורה או בתפלה או קיום המצות, ולהקדים הצמצום. שאם לא יקדים הצמצום, לא יוכל לבוא לידי קיום והעמדה— בדיבור או במעשה, כי בלא זה באהבה בלבד היה בטל ממציאות, ועל ידי הקדם הצמצום— נתקיים הדבר.
פרשת כי תשא:
וזהו פירוש המדרש: ""וְאֶעֶשְׂךָ" –[ואעשה אותך] בריה חדשה, שבאברהם כתיב:
"וְהֶאֱמִן בַּיהֹו-ָה", ועל ידי אמונה [בא] למעלה מכל המדות למדת 'אַיִן' — שהיא בריה חדשה ממש.
Rabbi Abraham haCohen of Kalisk (1741–1810), Hesed l'Avraham, (zimzum selections)
Parashat Shoftim:
The truth is such: the initial idea that arose was to create world with Judgment, which is self-contraction. For the divine mind knew that a world based on Compassion and Mercy would not suffice to nourish creation fully, thus some of it had to be withheld [through self-contraction]. Compassion is conjoined with Judgment, taking precedence over self-contraction.
So one needs to align oneself in accord with the divine mind in all aspects of the devotional life—learning, prayer and contemplation—to allow self-contraction to take precedence. Without integration of this self-contraction, a devotional life is unsustainable. For devotion based only on Love without Awe runs the risk of becoming completely nullified from existence. However, Love contracted within limits, [can] become manifest... even despite one’s [relatively] minimal ability [actually to do so], so must individuals live a life of self-contraction.
Parashat Ki Tissa:
“...this is the meaning of the exegesis "I shall make you" (Genesis 12:2)-- I will make you a new creature, for with respect to Abraham does the Torah note that ‘he had conviction in God’ (Genesis 15:7), and it was through this [level of] faith that he came to a level above all [normative human] qualia without actually being a different kind of human being."
William Temple, Archbishop of Canterbury :
“Humility does not mean thinking less of yourself than of other people, nor does it mean having a low opinion of your own gifts. It means freedom from thinking about yourself at all.”
וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן דִּבֵּר עִמּוֹ בְּסִינַי, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיְדַבֵּר ה' אֶל מֹשֶׁה בְּמִדְבַּר סִינַי. כֵּיוָן שֶׁהוּקַם הַמִּשְׁכָּן, אָמַר, יָפֶה הוּא הַצְּנִיעוּת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְהַצְנֵעַ לֶכֶת עִם אֱלֹקֶיךָ (מיכה ו, ח). הִתְחִיל לְדַבֵּר עִמּוֹ בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד.
After that He spoke with him at Sinai, as stated (in Lev. 25:1), “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses on Mount Sinai.” When the tent of meeting was set up, He said, “Humility is beautiful,” as stated (in Micah 6:8), “and to walk humbly with your God.” [So] He began to speak with him in the tent of meeting.
Mattia Ferraresi, Il Foglio:
Life in lock-down is hard, but it is also an exercise in humility. Our collective well-being makes our little individual wishes look a bit whimsical and small-minded.
...Strangely, it’s also a moment in which our usual individualistic, self-centered outlook is waning a bit. In the end, each of us is giving up our individual freedom in order to protect everybody, especially the sick and the elderly. When everybody’s health is at stake, true freedom is to follow instructions.
שׁוֹמֵר כְּנִיסָה וּקְהִלָּה. צִמְצֵם שְׁכִינָתוֹ לְהַנְחִילָהּ. לְהָאִירָה מֵאֲפֵלָה לְהִלָּה. לַיְשָׁרִים נָאוָה תְהִלָּה:
Guardian of entry and community. Self-isolated the Presence as Her heritage. To illumine the darkness from Her halo. For the upright rejoice in psalm.