How does Torah Judaism understand personal greatness, and do we fail to mentor our children in its pursuit?
The Orthodox community’s social and educational structures are highly effective in producing solid communal members. Our students most often complete their schooling as educated, skilled and committed young adults. But are they encouraged and empowered to pursue greatness? Moreover, do we as adults include achieving greatness as a life goal?
Perhaps a threshold impediment to aspirations of greatness is that we do not know what greatness means for people like us, or what it would look like. Similarly, we are uncertain whether greatness emerges spontaneously or requires strategic planning and nurturing. Or perhaps we downplay the pursuit of greatness because it seems unattainable to regular folks like us and our progeny.
Since October 7, 2023, we have rediscovered what greatness looks like. We have learned that the capacity for achieving personal greatness, however lofty and evasive, remains innately embedded within each individual Jew and can be achieved by unassuming individuals who had not previously considered it an aspiration. We are now compelled to reexamine our relationship with personal greatness, and to consider whether we have been selling our children and ourselves short by abandoning its pursuit.
No need to choose between greatness and normalcy
Our attitude toward greatness may be primarily framed by the understanding that individual greatness means being spectacularly superior to others. In fact, that is society’s conventional perception.
I observed this decades ago when as a chevrah of young parents we shared with each other our apprehensions and aspirations in raising children. While there were numerous differences among us, we were uniform in emulating the nature of Chanah’s prayer for a child (Berachot 31b), hoping for children who are smart but not too smart, talented but not prodigies. We feared that a genius or whiz kid would be too challenging to raise, be at heightened risk of being socially awkward, and be more likely to have a less joyful life. It would be nice for our child to be at the top of the class, but not by too much.
Consequently, we encouraged our children to excel but to also be well-rounded. We urged them to be studious yet lighthearted, focused and diligent yet easygoing. We scorned parents who sacrificed their youngsters’ childhood in the pursuit of a spot on an Olympic team or a chess championship or child-acting stardom.
We certainly wanted our children to be devout, pious and learned, as well as ambitious and confident. But while we hoped they would stand out a bit, we avoided imposing the stress and pressure that accompanies the pursuit of overly superior achievement. We deemed being really, really good as the sensible goal, and considered our children’s happiness and stability as a more worthy objective than exceptionalism. We had no interest in greatness, as we understood it to mean.
But suddenly, unexpectedly and tragically, our perception of what constitutes greatness has been upended. We learn of Jews who were not unlike their peers, and who, like us, did not plan for or anticipate personal grandeur. And yet, they epitomize the Jewish version of greatness. We now see what greatness can look like.
The post–October 7 emergence of greatness
From October 7, 2023 and on, greatness has been realized by many extraordinary yet seemingly otherwise normal Jews. Rather than being inspired by prominent leaders or high-profile figures, we have been awed and inspired by uncelebrated individuals, Jews who previously were no different than you and me. Their greatness is not measured in contrast to others but is rather achieved by transcending what had been thought to be their own capacity.
Greatness has emerged from the theater of war, embodied in the passion, devotion, resilience and bravery of our soldiers. Young reservists, and many not-so-young, repeatedly dash to protect our homeland and our people, even if not called to duty; even severely injured chayalim clamor to return to their units.
Young reservists, and many not-so-young, repeatedly dash to protect our homeland and our people, even if not called to duty; even severely injured chayalim clamor to return to their units.
And greatness in piety and Torah study in the midst of combat has been attained by unassuming and inconspicuous soldiers seizing spare moments of respite to don tefillin, to perform other religious rituals, and even to engage in moments of intense and exalted study of Daf Yomi and other Torah sources. Perhaps they are the genuine descendants of the great Hillel, who likewise grasped access to nuggets of Torah while suffering bitter surrounding elements. From the sacred moments of Torah study of these soldiers likely emerge holy letters of the aleph-beis that ascend from the terrible battlefield to the loftiest spheres of Heaven, blending on high with the holy letters of Torah generated by the righteous Torah scholars of prior generations.
Greatness can be found in parents and spouses bearing with courageous idealism the interminable, anxiety-ridden absences of their most precious loved ones. And for some parents, greatness is in their hallowed acquiescence of agonizing sacrifice. Though they earlier could not have fathomed their degree of inner strength, these devout heroes reflect a Jewish parent’s unearthly capacity to embrace an inseverable attachment to a beloved while concurrently maintaining an unwavering acceptance of G-d’s excruciating decrees.
And greatness is manifested by understated and typically unrecognized Jews exhibiting extraordinary compassion, magnanimity and adoration to other Jews, many of whom they had never before met and with whom they have little in common other than the bond of a shared history and a common destiny.
We do not know the names or faces of most of these great individuals, and we barely know their stories. But we do know that, like us, they were not raised with greatness as their objective. They were simply aspiring to be good Jews and good people. And yet prospective greatness was buried within their hearts and souls.
When is one great?
One yom tov many years ago, while on a walk with the late philanthropist Mr. Zev Wolfson, a”h, I asked him whom he had encountered who was truly great. I was confident that as perhaps the most intriguing Jewish visionary of his generation, Mr. Wolfson had surely interacted with authentic greatness. He abruptly halted our stroll, turned to me and asked, “What makes someone great?”
Feebly attempting to anticipate the response he was seeking, I mumbled, “People are great when they reach their full potential.” Mr. Wolfson scoffed at my reply, chastising me that realizing our potential is what we are expected to do. And doing what you are expected to do does not deem you great.
If so, I asked, what then makes a person great? Mr. Wolfson responded, “A man is great when he surpasses his potential.”
In subsequent days and weeks, I struggled with his response. How can an individual possibly transcend his potential? After all, aren’t a person’s most significant achievements, however grand, the true measure of one’s potential?
Perhaps Mr. Wolfson’s formula is founded on the Torah understanding of personal greatness. Greatness is not measured in comparison to others, but rather in comparison to ourselves. We are limited by our perceptible potential only if we fail to recognize that all we accomplish is solely by Hashem’s grace and will. Our life mission is to transcend those limitations that are personal to us, rather than measuring ourselves in comparison to the achievements of others. In fact, if we fully acknowledge that everything we undertake is dependent upon G-d’s boundless capacity, even objectives beyond our innate capacity are achievable.
Greatness has emerged from the theater of war, embodied in the passion, devotion, resilience and bravery of our soldiers.
The Talmud (Bava Basra 10b) teaches that the World to Come is upside down, topsy-turvy. Individuals who are exalted in our physical world are diminished in the World to Come, and those marginalized in this world are acclaimed. What does this mean? Is it possible that those whom we observe as saintly are actually deserving of degradation in the World to Come, while those whom we see as scoundrels actually merit commendation?
Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, zt”l, explained that the Sages are teaching us that in this world we are confined to viewing others by their observable actions, piety and scholarship without access to the innate nature of their spiritual, intellectual and physical capacities, and without regard to the privilege or challenge of their circumstances. Their stature is thus not measured against their personal potential but is determined only in comparison to others.
By contrast, in the Olam Ha’emes, the World of Truth, stature will be determined by measuring individuals’ accomplishments and growth in their truest context. Many whom we perceive as lowly may have risen above their earthly capabilities and challenges to a far greater degree than those boasting celebrated achievements. In Judaism, authentic greatness is measured only within one’s own capacity and circumstances.
We confuse greatness with renown
Our flawed understanding of greatness might be illustrated if we were to ask ourselves to create a list of great people.
If asked for secular individuals who have achieved greatness, we would likely enumerate world-famous scholars, performers, statesmen or scientists. If asked for great Jews, we would include illustrious historical figures, famed tzaddikim and other prominent names in Jewish tradition. Though these individuals may actually be great under any measurement, since we are incapable of knowing their innermost personal capabilities and challenges, by default we assign greatness based solely on public observations and accolades. We thereby confuse greatness with renown.
Given that we ourselves neither seek renown nor perceive ourselves to be deserving of it, our misconception of greatness dissuades us from its pursuit. Since October 7, however, we have been reminded that Jewish greatness is not about celebrity or reputation, and it is not restricted to those who are innately or circumstantially exceptional. Jewish greatness is private and personal. It is achievable in any circumstance in which we are placed by Hashem. Greatness is accessible to each of us.
Of course, we beseech the Almighty to be spared being thrust into trying circumstances or tragedy in which to achieve greatness. We pray for opportunities to pursue Jewish greatness through vigorously and privately cultivating our religious selves, our middos (traits), our talents and, when necessary, overcoming personal demons. In certain regards, greatness is even more dazzling when attained in times of tranquility.
A unique opportunity for us to seize greatness
At the funeral of the famed Bnei Brak Torah leader Rav Aharon Yehuda Leib Shteinman, zt”l, a maspid (eulogizer) urged the attendees to take advantage of the maxim that upon the passing of an extraordinary Jew, the deceased’s unique characteristics and achievements float in the atmosphere and are temporarily available to be snagged by those eager to emulate them.
Over the past few months, our nation has suffered the loss of many truly extraordinary Jews at the hands of our contemptible enemies. The passion, devotion, resilience and bravery of these souls float in the metaphysical atmosphere, available to us all to be embraced. Many of the fallen also left a legacy of extraordinary spiritual piety and an unparalleled love of Hashem and of the Jewish people. They have left us their greatness. We now have the opportunity, if not the obligation, to capture this greatness and infuse it within ourselves and our children.
Moishe Bane, president emeritus of the OU, serves as a contributing editor of Jewish Action.