JUNE 30 • 2022 | 55

Avot (Avot 4:1) which seeks 
to define the things which 
everybody wants: wisdom, 
power, wealth and honor. 
The Mishnah outlines how 
best to attain them in a way 
that satisfies us socially and 
emotionally, as well as morally 
and spiritually. The Mishnah 
states: “Who is wise? One who 
learns from all people … Who 
is powerful? One who is able 
to conquer his own inclination 
… Who is wealthy? One who 
is satisfied with his lot … Who 
has honor? One who gives 
honor to others …”
.
Concepts such as wisdom, 
power, wealth and honor 
are almost always defined in 
relative terms. A wise person 
possesses superior knowledge, 
intelligence and insight; a 
powerful person exerts power 
over others; a wealthy person 

is a member of the richest 1% 
of society; a person of honor 
receives that recognition and 
respect from his/her peers. The 
Maharal points out how the 
Mishnah turns this traditional 
model on its head: instead 
of using relativist, outward-
looking criteria to measure 
wisdom, power, wealth and 
honor, it calls on us to turn 
inwards and create aspirations 
which are in our own hands 
to fulfill. Instead of this frantic 
race to the top of society’s 
ladder, pursuing greatness 
becomes about achieving self-
mastery.
And so wisdom is embodied 
by a person who has a deep-
seated hunger and curiosity to 
learn, and has achieved a level 
of comfort within themselves 
and a humility to learn from 
every person — to seek out 

wisdom wherever it can be 
found. 
Supreme power is exercised 
not through exerting control 
over others, but through 
self-control — overcoming 
our base desires and not 
surrendering to our immediate 
impulses. Wealth becomes not 
about the frantic accumulation 
of money and possessions, but 
about a calm, collected state of 
being, born of gratitude and 
appreciation for everything one 
has. And true honor comes not 
from pursuing the recognition 
of others, but rather as having 
the generosity of spirit and 
strong sense of self to award 
that recognition to others.
We see from here that 
our Sages locate the center 
of reference of a person 
within rather than without. 
We embark on a path of 

self-destruction when our 
barometer for success is based 
on what others can give us 
or what we can take from 
them. When we define our 
sense of worth externally, like 
Korach, we end up constantly 
pursuing objectives which lie 
outside of ourselves, leading 
to a life of disempowerment, 
dissatisfaction and, sometimes, 
destruction.
On the other hand, by 
developing an internal frame of 
reference, an inner benchmark, 
we can take control of our own 
lives, and achieve a deep sense 
of fulfilment: true personal 
greatness and genuine, lasting 
happiness. 

Chief Rabbi Dr. Warren Goldstein 

is the Chief Rabbi of the Union of 

Orthodox Synagogues of South Africa. 

This essay was first published at aish.

com.

Paid for by Janice Winfrey For Congress

