The Dance of Humility2 min read

In Likutei Moharan, (Torah 10), Rebbe Nachman of Breslov zy”a speaks about the terrible malady of arrogance and the manner in which one may break free. Emblematic of Rebbe Nachman’s exalted teachings, this lesson spans an astoundingly kaleidoscopic range of Torah sources and concepts which extend far beyond the scope of this short column, but we shall endeavor to focus on one of the many elements weaved into the glorious universe of thought that is “Torah Yud” .

In this lesson, the tzaddik teaches that an arrogant person cannot truly dance in a way of holiness because self-importance, which pushes Hashem out of his life, weighs down his hands and feet. Thinking that he alone controls every detail of his life, he closes himself off from trusting in the miraculous salvation of Hashem and – inevitably faced with his inability to truly help himself –  falls prey to emotional heaviness and despair. Such a person lacks the spirit of holiness which, flowing from a heart bursting with the deepest connection to Hashem, animates the humble, moving their hands and feet to a graceful dance of joyous faith and gratitude.

Rebbe Nachman says that the way to nullify one’s self-obsession and delusions of grandeur is by connecting to true tzaddikim. In this vein, he writes elsewhere, “It is the nature of smallness to be nullified in the presence of greatness”. Faced with true greatness and nobility, our own sense of importance fades away. But instead of this realization bringing us down and making us feel as if we are nothing at all, an amazing thing happens. Rebbe Nachman teaches that because the tzaddik’s greatness is a feature of the Godly spirit that flows through his being as a result of his intimate relationship with the Torah, our initial embarrassment and brokenness soon gives way to a sublime joy. We find that our hearts are set aflame with a spirit of humility, faith, and the wonderful comfort of being able to cast our burden upon Hashem and trust in His salvation. This energy soon spreads throughout our being, filling our hands and feet with a renewed spirit of life and enabling us to dance the true dance of humble faith.

This, says Rebbe Nachman, is the deeper meaning in a verse from our parsha. Pharaoh says to Yosef, “Without you, no man shall lift his hand or foot.” Yosef HaTzaddik is the archetypical tzaddik, representative of all of the tzaddikim throughout history. Thus, without Yosef, “no man shall lift his hand or foot”; it is only by way of a connection to the tzaddikim that our hands and feet are filled with the life-giving spirit of humble faith that enables us to wave them freely and gracefully in a dance of simple emunah and overwhelming gratitude to the Master of the world.