A Writ of Humility
I had the singular merit to visit the home of Maran Harav Ovadiah Yosef, shlita. Unfortunately, he had something wrong with his hand, which prevented him from writing. One could detect the suffering on his face at being deprived of committing his Torah thoughts to paper.
- With the Torah authority of the generation, HaGaon Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef, zt”l
Torah is the essence of the lives of our Torah Sages. Their sole desire is to adhere to Hashem and immerse in the sea of Torah day and night. When they are prevented from this, they are filled with sorrow.
Rav Ovadiah asked that I bless him with a speedy recovery, so that his hand would soon heal, and he would be able to continue writing his Torah novellae. I felt very uncomfortable with this request. Who am I that I should bless this holy man, who studies Torah day and night, brings merit to the public, and leads his flock so faithfully?
I have no doubt that his entreaty came from a place of humility and self-negation. He certainly wanted to teach us that every Jew who wishes to grow in Torah must subjugate himself to a Higher calling. This is alluded to in the following pasuk (Vayikra 7:37), “This is the law of the burnt-offering, the meal-offering… and the feast peace-offering.” A Jew who makes himself into a meal-offering (מנחה, which also means a gift), and like a feast peace-offering, will merit being completely consumed for the sake of Heaven. He will ascend higher in spiritual levels.
