DAY 19 HOD OF TIFERET

Gail Landgraf

May 4

Back in 2012 Rabbi Yael Levy expressed these words in a blog called Mishkan Shalom:

"Take notice of the sky and the glorious luminance of the day.
Listen to the silence.
Forgive yourself, forgive others.
Remember that everything changes and unfolds in its own time."

RECOGNIZE THE BEAUTY OF HUMILITY

It is a poem that captures the essence of Hod. Hod of Tiferet is recognizing the ability to be compassionate and giving but with humility.

This means recognizing that God has given us all the gift of giving to others; and to do this without looking down or considering the one that we are giving to as being less than ourselves.

There is a certain element of beauty that comes from this giving. It destroys the acts of haughtiness and takes them as far as the east from the west.

TRUTH WITH HUMILITY

If acts of compassion bring us to a point of superiority in our own eyes; we have not truly shown compassion at all. We may have even been participating in a form of self-worship and simply deceiving ourselves in the process.

True compassion with humility begs the following quesitons:

Do I look down on those who need my compassion?

Is there a way I can show compassion and remain anoyomous with my giving?

Did I maintain the dignity of the person I was showing compassion?

Were they able to receive from my generosity without guilt or regret?

Am I showing compassion in light of my own perspective or from a heavenly perspective?

There is no room for ego in Hod. True compassion shows that you are actually "with" the person you are showing compassion to. You must let yourself sit in their seat, walk in their footsteps and begin to understand where they are coming from. It is a kindness that must be developed with patience over time if it is to be true and not superficial.

Truth is introduced to this mix of compassion with humility. Truth faces the reality of each moment with accuracy and real compassion. In order for the priests of old to better appreciate each stone that was laid down in order to build The Holy Temple; the priest in charge was commanded to preside barefoot. This would mean that he would feel the stones of the Temple under his feet with each step he took in his ministry. He would always realize the truth in how those stones were laid and he would gain great respect for each and every one of them as he served.

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