The Paradox of Humility

A student asks: How does a person become humble? I honestly have no idea!

Mrs. Schapiro replies:

Humility is actually one of the most philosophically difficult character traits, and you ask an excellent question. The Torah definition of a good person is fairly clear - someome who respects Hashem and fulfills His mitzvot, learns Torah and is kind to others. The difficulty about humility is this: If you think you are reasonably accomplished as a good person (even if you recognize that you have more to work on), isn't it ga'avah to think so? But if you don't recogize your own accomplishments, aren't you lying to yourself? The Torah values honesty too!

I once read an article about humility in Tradition: A Journal of Orthodox Jewish Thought (a publication that's often worth reading) in which a rabbi and philosophy professor named George N. Schlesinger addresses this question. It's a paradox that Moshe Rabbeinu, the greatest man who ever lived, was also the most humble. Professor Schlesinger writes that the solution to the paradox is to know yourself honestly, but not to give your good qualities any more importance because you possess them than you would if anyone else possessed them. Don't spend a lot of time thinking about your good qualities just because they're yours. He tells a story of an important European rabbi (whose name I don't recall) who came to an inn and found it all abuzz because a great rav was due to arrive. "Who?" the rabbi wondered. Then he realized it must be himself! But this rav was genuinely modest because though he knew he was an important rav, it wasn't the first thing he thought of all the time. He didn't dwell on it or expect kavod.