[Avodah] humility

[Moshe Y. Gluck]

R' Eli Turkel:
> Sorry I don't understand the question. The Hebrew "anav" does NOT mean
> modest in the sense of not asserting oneself. Moshe defends the Jewish
> people assertively and acts like a leader. He does not eat humble pie
> and he is not a nebish.

There is a very interesting Ohr Hachaim (this week's Parashah, Shemos 32:15,
based on a Medrash in Devarim Rabbah) that explains that Moshe did not
"turn" as he left the mountain (many Mefarshim consider it impossible that
Moshe turned his back on Hashem), but that he "turned" himself, changed his
frame of reference. To Hashem he minimized the Aveirah of the Golden Calf,
pleading that Hashem shouldn't get angry, what will Egypt say, etc. But when
he came to the people he told them Atem Chatasem Chata'ah Gedolah, etc. Just
another datapoint on Moshe Rabbeinu's leadership. 

> "Anav" implies a realization that one's powers come from G-d and imply
> more of an obligation than a privelege. There are several Gemarot
> where people claim they are an "anav". Obviously they are not claiming
> that they are nothing

I'm not sure what to do with that Gemara (I only remember one, K'gon Ana -
IIRC the Mefarshim all talk about it there), but I don't think that what you
write is so simple. If you look, for example, at Ruach Chaim 4:1, R' Chaim
Volozhiner uses Moshe Rabbeinu as an example of Anavah, and quotes Ramban
that when Moshe said Shlach Na B'yad Tishlach he meant, "I am the lowest of
them all!" He begins the paragraph saying: V'hinei Ikar Anavah Lo L'vad...
Ki Im She'gam B'lvavo Yachshov She'eino Nechshav L'klum Neged Hapachos
She'b'anashim...

KT,
MYG