United Orthodox Synagogues of Houston Newsletter, July 1995 Page: 2 of 18
This periodical is part of the collection entitled: Hidden Selections of Houston’s African American and Jewish Heritage and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Rice University Woodson Research Center.
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I IM HIE RABB|*S DESK - Contd.
he wants constantly to be honored and praised for what he has accomplished
in the past without any recognition that even he could have done better
in the past and that he most certainly can do better in the future. None
of us has ever reached our full potential. A humble person acknowledges
that he has done good things in the past, but he knows that he could have
even done better in the past and that he can most certainly do greater
things in the future. He acknowledges that he has not lived up to his
potential. An arrogant person wants to rest on his laurels and be treated
as someone different and special because he has accomplished so much in
the past and can probably maintain his current level of achievement in
the future. A humble person is thankful to G-d because He has given him
the abilities he has and acknowledges that he has done good things in the
past, but he knows that lie could have done so much more. He never shirks
from a challenge even though this may mean that he may fail and he recognizes
that, based upon his potential, he has not hardly done enough, that in
the future he can do so much more.
During the past few weeks we have all been caught up with Rocket mania.
Nobody ever thought that the Houston Rockets would make it to the NBA basketball
finals. After all, they finished sixth in the west. One of their major
players was injured, another left the team. They captured the imagination
of the whole city. Their game rose to a new level and, of course, their
star player, Hakeem Olajuwon, scored over 40 points in many games. However,
it should be noted that he missed half his shots, and that he missed quite
a few of his foul shots from the free throw line also. It is true he is
a great player, but even he has not lived up to all his potential. Perhaps
if he worked harder he could make 60% or 70% or even 80% of his shots.
This is similar to Babe Ruth. In the same year that he set his record
for most homeruns which stood for many years, he also struck out more times
than any other player had up to then.
Being humble does not mean that you do not acknowledge your past successes.
It just means that you recognize that vis a vis your potential you have
not acconpl ished everything you could have. It also means that you do
not shirk from challenges by saying that this job is too much for you.
In almost every instance you do have the potential to rise to the challenges,
but if you do not meet a particular challenge it does not mean that you
should not try again. It means the exact opposite, that you should try
again. After all, Hakeem Olajuwon makes only about 50% of his shots.
This same idea is stressed in the Torah portion Pinchas. In the Torah
portion Pinchas we learn how the Jewish people are counted right before
they enter into the land of Israel. They have just suffered a devastating
plague in the aftermath of a rebellion against G-d and Moshe led by Zimri
Ben Saluh, who was the head of a subclan of the Tribe of Shimon. He publicly
took a Midianite princess, Kozbi, the daughter of Tzur, and performed a
sexual licentious act of worship to Baal Peor in front of the whole people.
Zimri felt that since they were about to enter into the land of Canaan
(Contd. inside last paqe)
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United Orthodox Synagogues of Houston. United Orthodox Synagogues of Houston Newsletter, July 1995, periodical, July 1995; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1440236/m1/2/?q=music: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.