The Alter of Novardok Zatzal says that a Baal Ga'ava has to try to be an extreme Anav, and a: שָּ פֵּ ל Shafel (lowly person who feels inferior and unsuccessful) has to have: קְּ צֵּ ה הַ גַ א וָּה extreme Ga'ava. He mentions all kinds of people, and how each person was created to go against his nature. (Of course, there is a time and place to follow your natural Tevah, and channel your Kochos properly). Last week we have Moshe Rabeinu, the: מִּ בְּ חַ ר יְּ צִּ יר הָּ אֶ נוּשִּ י greatest human ever created, listening and being Mach'nia (submissive) to a Ger who worshipped all kinds of idols (Yisro). This is a lesson for all those “superior” types.
This week, we have tremendous respect for an unfortunate: אָּ מָּ ה הָּ עִּ בְּ רִּ יָּה Jewish maidservant girl who had to be sold by an extremely destitute and poverty-stricken father. The Torah gives tremendous respect and sensitivity to boosting her up; about her it says: שְּאֵּרָּהּ כְּסוּתָּהּ וְּעֹנָּתָּהּ לֹא יִּגְּרָּע כא י her husband shall not to detract from her basic marital needs (if the owner, or his son, marries her); the same Halacha is applied to all Jewish women, who are learned from her. (RSRH)
And the lowly Ganav Eved Ivri who had to sell himself gets so much respect that the Torah says: כָּל הַקּוֹנֶה עֶבֶד עִּבְּרִּ י כְּקוֹנֶה אָּדוֹן לְּעַצְּמוֹ קידושין כ א whoever purchases an Eved (a Jewish slave), is as if he has acquired for himself a Master. This is all a lesson in Shviras HaMiddos, which is: עִּיקָּר חִּיוּת הָּאָּדָּם the Ikar of a person’s entire existence. (Gr”a).
Chazal say about our Dor: פְּנֵּי הַדוֹר כִּפְּנֵּי הַכָּלֶב משנה סוף סוטה the face of the Dor is like the face of a dog, which means that we are a lowly Dor, since a Kelev (dog) is a symbol of Shiflus (lowliness). However, Chazal say: כִּי לְּכֶלֶב חַי הוּא טוֹב מִּן הָּאַרְּ יֵּה הַמֵּת שבת ל א, והוא פסוק בקהלת ט ד better a live dog than a dead lion.
Better be a lowly Kelev (dog) who is: חַיִ alive, i.e. he works on his Shviras HaMiddos which is: ע יק רִח יוּתִה א ד ם the Ikar in “life”, than a great Talmid Chochom and Tzaddik and popular famous person who doesn’t work on his Middos! Believe it or not, you may be better than all kinds of great people, since you’re working on yourself!
Very, very often, you need mega-dosages of Mussar and/or Avodas HaMiddos. Why was Dovid so special? Because he was totally involved in Shviras HaMiddos. Almost all the stories in Tanach are about him being busy loving and forgiving his enemies. His Dor was loaded with Gedolei Torah V’yir'ah, like Yoav, Avner, Doeg, Achitofel, Shim'i ben Gera, and Shaul HaMelech, etc. But nobody came even close to Dovid for this reason! Many of us would be much more Matzliach if we went more extreme in this area, despite our loss of Torah and Chesed.
