Keeping Pride in Check

March 28, 2014 - Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, Holy Land Moments

Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.

— 2 Kings 5:1

The Torah portion for this week is Tazria, which means “to conceive,” from Leviticus 12:1–13:59, and the Haftorah is from 2 Kings 4:42–5:19.

This week’s Haftorah is the story of a proud man who was humbled. As it says in Proverbs 11:2,“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”

The story takes place just after Israel had suffered defeat at the hands of Aram. Ahab, the king of Israel, had been killed by an Aramean archer, Naaman, who scored a direct shot at Ahab’s heart. This success quickly catapulted Naaman to fame, and he became chief of the Aramean army. However, his victory was soon overshadowed by an acute personal problem. Naaman was afflicted with tzara’at, the very same defiling skin disease discussed in this week’s Torah reading.

The Sages explain that the root cause of tzara’at is arrogance. Haughtiness often manifests itself in gossip, frequently cited as the sin that led to tzara’at. However, at the core, the spiritual malady is pride. In Naaman’s case, his success in killing the king of Israel led him to arrogance. He considered himself the greatest warrior in the world. But it was God who directed Naaman’s arrow into Ahab’s heart. The Haftorah we read at this time relates how God cured Naaman both of his pride and his skin disease.

This first step in breaking Naaman’s pride was afflicting him with tzara’at. Not many things are as humbling as being afflicted with an uncomfortable, ugly disease. Next, the solution to Naaman’s problem came from his slave – a young Israelite girl – who suggested that Naaman go to Israel to be cured, essentially forcing the great general to turn to his enemy for help.

Then, upon seeking out the Israelite prophet, Elisha, he was seen only by Elisha’s servant who advised Naaman to dip in the Jordan River seven times for a cure. At first, Naaman was angered by what he considered stupid advice. However, he eventually complied, dipped himself in the Jordan, and was indeed cured – not just of the skin disease, but also of his pride.

I once heard the following advice for putting pride in its place — take pleasure in our achievements instead of being prideful. If I gave you a check for a lot of money and you deposited it into the bank, would you be proud of yourself? Of course not! You had not earned it yourself, but you also would be foolish not to deposit it!

Similarly, God has gifted us all with talents and abilities. He has guided us toward our achievements. These are the things that we can take pleasure in without falling into the trap of arrogance when we recognize that everything has been given to us by God. It’s not us, but God who is deserving of glory. All we can ever do is “cash the check” He has given us and be grateful for His blessings.

What Silence Says

Post from Holy Land Moments Daily Devotional, March 19, 2014 by Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein

Moses then said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD spoke of when he said: ‘Among those who approach me I will be proved holy; in the sight of all the people I will be honored.’” Aaron remained silent. — Leviticus 10:3

The Torah portion for this week is Shemini, which means “eighth,” from Leviticus 9:1–11:47, and the Haftorah is from 2 Samuel 6:1–7:17.

Sometimes in life we struggle to find the right words to say. However, at other times, the challenge is to say nothing at all. In this week’s Torah portion, we read about one of those times.

It was the eighth day of the Tabernacle’s inauguration in what should have been the most joyous day of Aaron’s life. He had been anointed as the High Priest, and the first offerings he made to God had been consumed by a divine fire sent from the heavens. The day marked the beginning of divinely ordained worship that connected humanity to God in a way never before experienced, and Aaron stood at the forefront.

Then, in the midst of the celebrations, tragedy struck. Aaron’s two sons, among the most righteous men of their generation, came before God with an offering. And because they did so without permission or authority, they were killed instantly.

If ever there was a time to express outrage, this was the time. If ever a person had reason to complain to God, this was the time. However, Scripture tells us, “Aaron remained silent.” Aaron’s silence was more eloquent than a thousand words.

The Sages explain that Aaron’s silence was an expression of acceptance. Aaron could have argued with God; he could have complained about his tragic lot on what should have been a joyous occasion. But his silence implied that he did not question God’s ways. As incomprehensible as they might seem, Aaron accepted that God’s ways were just and good – no matter what.

From where did Aaron obtain this almost super-human ability to trust unwaveringly in God?

Take a look at Aaron’s life experiences. Imagine young Aaron growing up a slave in Egypt. As a child he learned that Pharaoh had issued a decree that all baby boys were to be drowned in the Nile River. His mother became pregnant and gave birth to a son. Aaron must have wondered how God could allow a baby to be born only to be killed so cruelly. It all seemed so tragic, so wrong!

However, Aaron also witnessed how his mother, in order to keep her infant son alive, placed him in a basket afloat on the river. The baby was then discovered by Pharaoh’s daughter, who took him home and raised him as her own son in Pharaoh’s palace. This child eventually became the savior of Israel. What had seemed like a terrible tragedy became a great blessing!

Through his silence, Aaron teaches us a powerful lesson for our lives. We don’t always see the big picture and we can’t understand God’s ways. But God is always good, “his way is perfect” (Psalm 18:30). We might not understand God’s ways, but our silence expresses our faith in Him.