(Chapter 2 of Pirkei Kinyan Da’at)
Before entering the inner sanctum of the tabernacle Moses the prophet waited to be summoned by God.
In addition to being the greatest prophet Moses was the transmitter of God’s law. He led his fledgling nation out of slavery and was instrumental in numerous miracles in the process.
After all of this we would expect him to be comfortable entering God’s private abode to speak at any time without needing permission. Why did he wait to be summoned before entering?
There was no law telling him to do this. It was a feeling he had. A person of refined character doesn’t act the same as someone who is boorish.
Let’s pursue this point more deeply. Where does spiritual refinement come from?
The key to the answer lies in understanding humility.
Rabbi Yisrael Salanter described two kinds of character refinement: choosing what’s good because of straight thinking and choosing what’s good because it’s beyond human intelligence. Humility is part of this second kind of supra-rational character refinement. Humility is not “logical.”
Let’s go back for a minute to discuss consciousness. Consciousness is the highest spiritual power of the soul. The source of the human soul is the breath of God, which is transcendent to the rational. (as discussed in the book Nefesh HaChaim) Whatever the soul receives from its transcendent source resides in the innermost recesses of the soul.
Naturally the soul in its innermost recesses, at its source on high submits to its Creator. In real life this submission takes the form of humility – the this-worldly expression of the soul’s consciousness in relation to its creator.
Human intellect does not rest as deeply in the soul and therefore our rational side does not share the stance of humility felt by the soul at its core.
The Talmud regards Moses’ behavior as a sign of supra-rational spiritual sensitivity – an expression of consciousness.
Since consciousness necessitates humility it necessarily begets sensitivity. This transcendent quality, a quality beyond mere human intelligence provides true aliveness, the life-giving force of the soul at its core!