If after six years of work, the Eved Ivri wants to remain with his master, he gets his ear punctured. Why the ear? Because this ear heard Hashem say on Har Sinai that Bnei Yisroel are Avadim to Hashem, and not Avadim to other Avadim; and yet the Eved Ivri wants to remain a slave? Now this ear will get punctured. (Chazal)
In last week’s Parsha we have: וַיִּשְׁמַע יִּתְׁרוֹ Yisro “heard”. The way Yisro heard things is strikingly different from the way the Eved Ivri heard things.
When Yisro heard about Nifla’os HaBorei he became exalted. Not only was he M'gayer, but he started giving everlasting advice to Moshe Rabeinu. A Ger is usually a forlorn person who needs Chizuk, & for this reason there are loads of Pesukim that warn us to be nice to them and not mistreat them.
But Yisro is a special type of Ger. Not only isn’t he a nebach who needs kiruv, but he goes ahead and gives advice to the: רַשְׁכְׁבְׁהַ"ג “Rash’kebe’hag”, Moshe Rabeinu. He is called: חֹתֵן משֶׁה “Moshe’s father-in-law” 11 times, because the Torah wants to be M'chabed him. We can also suggest that he was just like Moshe.
Moshe was a: גֵר בְׁאֶׁרֶׁץ נָכְׁרִּיָה stranger in a foreign country (Midyan), yet he didn’t act like a helpless nebach. Even though he was a fugitive of justice, and Paroh wanted to kill him, he stood up and rescued the daughters of Yisro. Already in Mitzrayim he got involved in risky business, when he killed the Mitzri who hit a Yid.
Have Pride in Your Greatness & Connection To Hashem, and Stop Admiring Others
Look how both Yisro and Moshe had unusual Romemus and were fearless! When Yisro recognized the greatness of Hashem and His Nissim, he realized that being a Chelek (part) of Hashem makes him a great person, and he went out to help others, just like Hashem who is always doing Chesed. Now, look at the Eved Ivri. He is busy admiring his kindhearted: אָדוֹן master, and his wonderful family.
But himself, he doesn’t appreciate. (אָהַבְׁתִּי אֶׁת אֲדֹנִּי אֶׁת אִּשְׁתִּי וְׁאֶׁת בָנָי I love my master, my wife, and my children). So he has to have a punctured ear forever. And the very: אָדוֹן master whom he loves so much, gives him this treatment כִּי לִּי בְׁנֵי יִּשְׁרָאֵל עֲבָדִּים , עֲבָדַי הֵם, וְׁל ֹא עֲבָדִּים לַעֲבָדִּים We are slaves to Hashem, and not to His Avadim. All those Chashuva people (and even the biggest Tzaddikim) whom we all admire, are just Avadim, and shouldn’t be looked at with so much reverence as if they are gods, Chas V'shalom.
So many of us are nice people with an Ayin Tova about others (which is a good Midda). We praise them and respect them, and see their Maalos. Unfortunately, we can be similar to an Eved Ivri who loves everybody, but doesn’t have the pride to realize that even the nicest: אָּׁדוֹן (master) is just an Eved.
Yaakov Avinu was running for his life (to escape from Eisav) and he came to Aram, a strange country. Yet, as soon as he saw people not doing their work properly, he gave them Mussar. This is similar to Yisro and Moshe. In Novardok, they emulated this Hanhaga, & they always felt “on top”.
Having Shtoltz and: מִּאַיצוּת courage was of paramount importance in Novardok, and Shiflus was not tolerated. Like R’ Avigdor Miller Zatzal said: Don’t be afraid of a face. Don’t become like an Eved Ivri who deserves to be degraded with a hole in his ear, and by the very: אָדוֹן master whom he admires way too much.
A Person Who Realizes His Own Greatness, Has the Courage to Go Out and Do for Others
Learn to admire the Kochos that Hashem gave you, and then the world will get much more out of you, with Hashem’s help. When Avraham Avinu was pleading with Hashem to save Sedom, he said: אוּלַי יֵש חֲמִּשִּים צַדִּיקִּם בְׁתוֹךְ הָעִּיר Perhaps there are fifty Tzadikim within the city, and RSRH Zatzal points out that: בְתוֹךְ הָעִּיר “within the city” means a Tzaddik who doesn’t live only for himself, but he is concerned about his surroundings.
The person who works on: מִּאַיצוּת courage has room in his heart to care for others, like Yisro and Moshe who were always there to help out. And they noticed the needs of others, since they were like “free birds”, and not “closed up”, worrying about their own pecklach all day.
