פרשת חקת
ולקח הכהן עץ ארז ואזוב | י'ט - ו
“The Cohen should take cedar, wood and hyssop”
Although Moshe Rabbeinu was praised for being humble and Chazal emphasize the importance of being humble, e.g. מאד מאד הוי שפל רוח (אבות פ'ד מ'ד) – “ one should be exceedingly humble”, the importance of having feelings of self-worth is also noted in Chazal, e.g. חייב אדם לומר בשבילי נברא העולם - every individual is obligated to consider as if the world was created exclusively for him.
The delicate balance between these two conflicting character traits is alluded to in the purification process of an individual who has been in contact with a corpse.
Two of the ingredients used in this process are cedar, which represents haughtiness, and hyssop which represents humility. Both ingredients are required for purification, and allegorically, both character traits are required to exist in every individual with the proviso that each is used appropriately.
Generally, humility is the essential ingredient, but not to the extent that it impacts on ones self-esteem. The reason for this is that a measure of self-esteem gives one the ability to take the initiative where necessary.
It is a balancing act with our talmidim as we want to convey the importance of humility while not compromising their self-worth and esteem.
About the Author: Rabbi Yisroel Meir Rubinfeld
Rabbi Rubinfeld has been in the field of Torah education for over 3 decades and serves as an Executive School Consultant for Torah Umesorah. He provides an array of services to schools across North America, including teacher and principal mentorship, school and curricula evaluations, professional development and parent education.
Rabbi Rubinfeld's expertise includes classroom management and discipline, effective instruction, bullying, cultivating sensitivity in the classroom, impulse disorders (such as ADHD and ODD), and balancing the educational needs of mainstream and special needs children in the classroom.
Rabbi Rubinfeld is the also the founder and director of Torah Umesorah's Lilmod U'Lilamed department which provides professional development for teachers and principals throughout the year.
Rabbi Rubinfeld is a talmid of the distinguished Yeshivos of Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin, the Mirrer Yeshiva in Yerushalayim and Bais Medrash Govoha in Lakewood.