Omer

Counting the Omer Day 32: Netzach of Hod

Netzach of Hod: Endurance of Humility.

Netzach is strength, endurance, even victory. Which seems somewhat contrary to humility. But that’s only on an apparent level. Humility does not mean weak. Someone who’s humble isn’t necessarily a “pushover.” Moses was the humblest man of all, yet he was also a strong and capable leader. Does your humility remain intact even in the face of challenges? Humility can be a challenge for congregational rabbis: we’re visible public figures in our community, and we often get feedback that could easily boost our egos and challenge our humility (“great sermon, rabbi!”). There’s a story in the Talmud that when one rabbi started getting a little proud of his Torah scholarship, one colleague told him, “don’t be so full of yourself, this is what you were created for.”

Barry Leff

Rabbi Barry (Baruch) Leff is a dual Israeli-American business executive, teacher, speaker and writer who divides his time between Israel and the US.

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