WALKING HUMBLY
This week’s Parsha, Vayeira, continues with last week’s mission of drawing a picture of our father Avraham. Before launching into appreciating Avraham Avinu, I would like to dedicate this week’s Parsha thought to the memory of Reb Pinchos Marder whose memory is a blessing. Reb Pinchos was a person who resembled our father Avraham in the core of his personality.
With regard to describing our father, Avraham, our Sages use various descriptions. In Pirkei Avos they describe him as the paradigm of humility. As one who had a good eye (happy with the other person’s success), as one who was humble and as one who lowered himself to others (he is well liked with no air of arrogance). In many other places we find that Avraham is the paradigm of chesed, doing acts of kindness and thoughtfulness. Are these two qualities connected or do they simply happen to con-verge upon the same man? Intuitively, I would say that these two qualities, humility and chesed, actually stem from the same root.
There is a spectrum of motivations why one performs acts of kindness and benevolence to others. At one end we find great philanthropists who are driven to share their wealth with large institutions like colleges and hospitals as a way to perpetuate them-selves. They expect to have their names placed on buildings or rooms. While the act is noble, the altruism is somewhat lacking. In the middle of the spectrum there are people who give generously to others even where there is no fanfare. Many of these benefactors are motivated to help others because it makes them feel good about themselves. They enjoy the feeling that accompanies the act of helping others. Finally, at the other end of the spectrum we have the people who care about others because they see other people as important or more important than themselves. They actually feel a sense of obligation and duty to care for the needs of others. Just as the mother feels the duty to care for her child and does so with the greatest of joy, this person as well, feels a sense of duty to care for others and does so with the greatest of joy.
The difference between the second and third individual is found when the difficulty of the act is greater than the pleasure received from the act. The second fellow will choose to skip that opportunity and the third fellow will do it all the same. In fact, the third fellow will actually derive more pleasure by virtue of his sense of duty.
The root difference between the first two fellows and the third fellow lies in the level of humility which the benefactor has . Only a person of great humility can feel a sense of duty to serve and care for another person. While the first two individuals are fine people, the root of their kindness does not lie in humility. Only a truly humble person can see others equal or greater than himself.
As HaShem prepares the groundwork upon which to build a nation for Himself that will represent Him throughout the course of world history, He needs to make sure it is built on a solid base. That base is humility. Only a people whose core quality is humility can properly represent HaShem. Without humility, they will represent themselves first.
Reb Pinchos Marder was a man with very high academic credentials in the field of science from a young age. He served on a national commission of energy in the former Soviet Union. In all his various positions he was beloved by all. (That is a great feat in the country from where he came.) Upon his arrival to America he left his past. He was no longer a scientist of great repute. With joy filling every crevice of his heart he embraced Torah and mitzvos. He joined the Kollel for Seniors and participated in many classes. His love for tzedakah and mitzvos was legendary. The smile he wore on his face reflected a person who was deeply in love with HaShem, His mitzvos and other Jews.
Have a wonderful Shabbos.
Paysach Diskind