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The Greatness of Humility
by Rabbi Shaul Rosenblatt
This week's portion says that a Jewish king is commanded to write for himself a Torah scroll and to carry it with him at all times (Deut. 17:18-20). A king needs to maintain perspective. He should remember where his power comes from, and not make the mistake of thinking he is in control. In Jewish thinking, arrogance is the worst of all traits, while humility is the greatest trait.
We see from here that the purpose of humility is not so much a hedge against becoming intoxicated with power; rather, the idea is that humility itself is empowering. But how does this work?
Humility does not mean lack of self-esteem. In Judaism, humility is a recognition that there are more important things in this world than my own desires and needs. Humility requires perspective. I may be talented and capable, but I am only a small part of a vast universe. The humble person realizes: What's right is infinitely more valuable than serving myself.
The more humble the leader, the greater they are, because a humble person has no interest in their own honor, power and self-aggrandizement. They serve those who they lead.
In Torah law, the people are not servants of the king; the king is a servant of the people. The first king of Israel, Saul, did not want the job. And because he did not want the job, he was the right man for the job. Because the extent to which a leader enjoys the trappings of power, is the extent to which he no longer serves the people alone.
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