As we mentioned yesterday, one of the best ways to learn humility is by learning it from our greats. Rav Dovid Feinstein, the son of Rav Moshe, Feinstein, was a giant in Torah and a giant and humility. I'd like to read you a story from the book, Reb Dovid, put out by Art Scroll (page 133). He was in an out of town community for a midweek family Brit Mila, and he greeted one of his nephews after prayers with a kiss. One of the locals pointed out that it is forbidden to kiss another person in shul. (This man obviously did not know who Rav Dovid was) Rav Dovid smiled gently and said , “I'm not sure it’s as simple as that.” The other man was unimpressed by the answer from this unfamiliar visitor with the short beard and short jacket, and was persistent. “ Well, Rav Moshe rules stringently,” he responded. “ Are you sure? ” asked Rav Dovid, “I think he might be lenient if it is after prayers, especially when it's not your son, no?” The man shook his head and walked off, mumbling about the guest who didn't know the halacha. And still Rav Dovid said nothing. Now, that is ultimate humility, because as we mentioned in the past, the Navi says there are three areas where people want to be proud: their wisdom, their wealth, and their strength. These are areas that are hard for people to hold back in. Rav Dovid Feinstein could have very easily told the man, “ Maybe you should look in Igrot Moshe, ” told him the siman , and he'd find out. But no, he just humbly let the man continue on his way without embarrassing him. Before we try apply this to ourselves. There’s another Gadol story, I want to share, that I witnessed myself. Rav Yaakov Kaminetzsky, also one of the Gadolei HaDor, was staying at his son's house for Sukkot in Flatbush many years ago, in the 1980s. His wife was in the hospital. My father, who was a doctor and was close to the Kaminetzskys, went to visit the Rebbitzen in the hospital and then came back to Rav Yaakov to report. There were many people in the Succah, and my father wanted to get a little closer to Rav Yaakov to have a little privacy, so he waited for the crowd to thin out. I was there at the time, and we waited about half an hour or so. Over that time, different shifts of people came in and came out. One person told a cute joke about a Succah to Rav Yaakov and he laughed. A few minutes later, another man told the same joke and Rav Yaakov laughed like he hadn't heard it before. Then a third man came in and told the same joke and Rav Yaakov laughed again! Now, this is something that can easily apply to us- you don't have to be Rav David Feinstein or Rav Yaakov Kaminetzsky. It happens quite often that people tell us something, a bit of news, or just some interesting tidbit, and you’ve heard it already. You could easily tell the person, “I know, I heard already, ” which is driven by a touch of arrogance. ‘ I want to shine. I know it too. I'm also in the know. I have the latest knowledge, I have the latest news .’ But when you control yourself and you don't do that, that's humility. Because, as we keep reiterating, it's rooted in Bitachon. My knowledge, my capacity to amass information, to hold information, my memory…I didn't create that, that was given to me. The fact that I know something that someone else doesn't know, or that I know more or know it faster doesn't show anything great about me. Those are God given talents. That's not the area that is for me to show off. Rav Dovid obviously felt that way. It's not for me. I don't have to show off my knowledge and what I know…I can be quiet. That's our lesson for the day. Have a wonderful day.