Genuine anivus contains the greatest power of hashpaah (influence). In the presence of an anav (modest person) one feels elevated and filled with a desire to be more like him. Words that lack all trace of a personal agenda encounter less resistance. The more unthinkable it is that a person would ever praise himself or do anything to call attention to himself the more others are eager to praise him in fulfillment of Chazal’s statement: “One who flees from kavod kavod pursues him.”
In our attraction to anivus we are reflecting HaKadosh Baruch Hu himself. The highest praise that the Torah can give to Moshe Rabbeinu is to describe him as anav meod (exceedingly humble) (Bamidbar 12:3). And the Gemara in Nedarim (38a) says that “the Divine Presence rests only on one who is heroic rich smart and humble.” Rabbi Chaim Volozhin asks in Ruach Chaim (4:1) why should only those who are strong rich and smart be capable of receiving the Divine Presence? These are all qualities that are to a very large extent innate and decreed prior to birth. They do not necessarily reflect a person’s effort or the degree to which he has maximized his potential.
Rav Chaim gives an astounding answer: In truth there is only one requirement for receiving the Divine Presence — humility. The other three are merely means of measuring the degree of humility as if to say even were he rich or brilliant or a possessor of great physical strength his humility would remain fully intact.
And that is what the Mishnah in Pirkei Avos is telling us: “Who is wise? One who learns from every man.” In other words one who realizes that no matter how bright he may be there are still things that someone much less gifted can teach him retains the requisite humility. “Who is a mighty man? One who conquers his desires.” The strong man who recognizes that his strength is as nothing compared to one who maintains control of his desires shows his essential anivus.
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