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This week’s Parashah starts with the Pasuk: “אל ה וידבר

סיני במדבר משה,” “And Hashem spoke to moshe in the Sinai

desert” (Bamidbar 1:1).

The Midrash (BeMidbar Rabbah 1:7) explains that this

Pasuk teaches us a more in-depth message: "Whoever

does not make himself open and free like a wilderness

will not be able to acquire wisdom and Torah." Matnot

Kehunah comments that this refers to having the trait of

humbleness which allows one to learn from everyone and

to teach everyone.

A person with arrogance will only be willing to learn

from someone if he feels that it is fitting to his honor to

do so. For example, if someone much younger than he has

Torah knowledge that he is lacking, he will not ask that

person to teach him because he feels that would lower his

status. If there is something he does not understand, he

will be very careful before he asks anyone to explain it to

him. He has to size up the situation to see if it is fitting for

him.

Similarly, he will only be willing to teach someone if he

feels he will gain honor from teaching this person.

But the humble person's thoughts are solely on gaining

Torah knowledge. He is willing to learn from anyone who

knows something that he does not, even though he might

have much more overall Torah knowledge than the other

person.

Likewise, he wants to spread Torah wisdom to everyone

he can. He does not focus on his own ego but on gaining

and sharing wisdom.

When Rav Eliyahu Klatzkin settled in Jerusalem, his tiny

room became a crowded center for people of all classes

and groups; there were scholars, but there were also

many wanderers and miscellaneous people with less

understanding. Once, his son asked him why he allowed

everyone to come to his house without discrimination.

He answered, "You must admit that it is logical to assume

that all who come here are decent people. Ask yourself -

for what purpose would anyone come to me? Certainly

not for any material benefit, for everyone knows that I am

penniless and cannot give them any help. Shall we say

they come to be honored by me? Everyone knows that I

am far from flattery and even sparing in words of praise

when phrasing endorsements of the works of great Torah

scholars. Therefore you will be forced to admit that my

visitors must come to hear my words of Torah, and it is

self-evident they must be men of some spiritual worth or

at least of good intentions." Shabbat Shalom!