humility Archives - Values & Ethics—Through a Jewish Lens

FACING UP TO CONSEQUENCES…

Posted by TTT | Aug 16, 2019 | courage, honesty, humility, responsibility |

VA-ETCHANAN — We often do not think of the potential consequences before we take action. Hopefully, we stop to think about the impact on our surroundings when we are making big decisions that require a lot of thought. But in the moment when we react quickly or when a decision doesn’t seem as though it has far-reaching implications, it is unlikely that we are running through all possible scenarios in our minds. So what happens when we are later faced with the consequences of those actions? In this week’s Torah portion, we see Moses dealing with the consequences of...

JEALOUSY…

Posted by TTT | Jul 19, 2019 | anger, humility, jealousy |

BALAK — How do you react when your friend wins a prize or gets a promotion? A common reaction is jealousy. You may feel deficient when you see your neighbor or friend with something that you don’t have. It’s sometimes difficult to remember that all of us have our own set of circumstances that we need to acknowledge and accept. You may be jealous of her new car, while she is jealous that you can stay home all day. In this week’s portion, Balak, the Moabite king hired a non-Jewish prophet named Balaam to curse the Jewish nation. Balaam...

JEALOUSY MAKES US FOOLISH…

Posted by TTT | Jul 5, 2019 | humility, jealousy |

KORACH — Jealousy is resentment against another’s success or advantage. There is almost always a deeper, inner insecurity that is causing the jealousy. Someone’s success or advantage does not automatically cause another to feel jealous. Rather, it somehow triggers something deep inside that, in turn, causes the jealousy. In this week’s Torah portion, Korach, there is dissension amongst the ranks while the Israelites are wandering in the desert. The source of the tension is the way one group of men sees Moses and Aaron. The men believe that Moses and Aaron have taken too much of the leadership upon...

MISTAKES MAKE GREAT LESSONS…

Posted by TTT | Jun 12, 2019 | humility, problem solving |

NASO — Everyone makes a mistake once in a while. It’s natural to try to run from mistakes, cut losses, hope nobody notices or makes a fuss, and move on. In reality, though, our mistakes are precious opportunities. They give us insight into life and ourselves and allow us to become stronger by learning to avoid the same pitfalls in the future. In this week’s Torah portion, Naso, we learn about the comeback process after making a big mistake. The verse introduces the topic with the words “And when you shall…”, not “if you shall…”. Mistakes are a built...

WHEN THE GREEN-EYED MONSTER VISITS…

Posted by TTT | Jun 12, 2019 | communication, humility, jealousy |

NASO — Jealousy is a powerful force. Adults and children are both vulnerable to this feeling, but children are especially prone to being jealous of their friends: “He has the more expensive sneakers”, “She has straight hair”, “He’s taller than I am”, “She’s a faster runner”. The litany continues ad infinitum. In this week’s Torah portion a husband is jealous about his wife’s suspected infidelity. The Torah goes to great lengths to set out an elaborate procedure aimed at allaying his jealousy. In this way the Torah acknowledges what a destructive force jealousy can be. To address this in...

Category: humility

FACING UP TO CONSEQUENCES…

JEALOUSY…

JEALOUSY MAKES US FOOLISH…

MISTAKES MAKE GREAT LESSONS…

WHEN THE GREEN-EYED MONSTER VISITS…

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