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To preface this selection, one must understand that when studying the Torah, every aspect of it is examined (and still, our sages say, it's only been touched upon, being an endless sea of wisdom). It's been scrupulously handed down and copied from from the earliest days. And we have the injunction that not one letter is to be changed, not one dot added or removed. So when studying it, every nuance is a fountain of learning. As a famous rabbi once commented, Avigdor Miller zt”l, the Torah is a glimpse into the wisdom of G-d. So what do we learn about humility:

There is a section of the Torah, where G-d calls to Moses (Vayikra el Moshe), "vayikra" ends with a small alef, smaller in size than the other letters of the word, alluding to Moshe's humility even in the face of such Divine attention.

Conversely, we find in another section of the Torah (Chronicles) where the name, Adam, is spelled with a large aleph, symbolizing his greatness - and his awareness of it.

Awareness of one's good qualities is all well and good, but it must not go to the head. With Adam, it did. Moshe rectified this error. He recognized his greatness but more importantly, he recognized where it came from.

Humility does not mean self-delusion, but rather an awareness of one's talents, tempered by acknowledgment of where they come from. Moshe was aware of his qualities but he did not take any credit for it. In fact, he said "were somebody else to be granted these qualities, that person would surely do even better." Thinking that if another would have all these same advantages as I – being born to my parents and being raised like me, having a spiritual and holy soul like mine and so on, that person would be BETTER than me (maybe he should have said “better than I”). Regardless, this is what kept Moshe humble. Now if I, (yours truly) had a jot of Moshe’s humility, I’d forget about correcting his grammar.

If we feel inadequate, it is time to remember that we are Adams, with a big Aleph. We are formed by G-d, empowered by him to care for his creation. However we must draw upon the spark of Moshe within us to avoid over-confidence and self-aggrandisement, but to remember from whom everything comes, the source of our talents, skills, learning, drive, good looks, business sense, wealth (or even the opposites which are tests - that's what this whole world is all about) and all the charms that we like to take credit for (or lack of charms which we like to blame others for).

So it seems that these four rabbis had a series of theological arguments, and three were always in accord against the fourth. One day, after one of those arguments where again he lost by a "3 to 1, majority rules" the fourth rabbi decided to appeal to a higher authority.

"Oh, G-d" he cried. "I know in my heart that I am right and they are wrong. Please give me a sign to prove it to them."

It was a beautiful, sunny day. As soon as the rabbi finished his prayer, a storm cloud moved across the sky above the four. It rumbled once and dissolved. "A sign from G-d. See, I'm right, I knew it."

But the other three disagreed, pointing out that storm clouds form on hot days.

So the rabbi prayed again: "Oh, G-d, I need a bigger sign to show that I am right and they are wrong. So please, G-d, a bigger sign."

This time four storm clouds appeared, rushed toward each other to form one big cloud, and a bolt of lightning slammed into a tree on a nearby hill.

"I told you I was right." cried the rabbi, but his friends insisted that nothing had happened that could not be explained by natural causes.

The rabbi was getting ready to ask for a very big sign, but just as he said, "Oh G-d...," the sky turned pitch black, the earth shook, and a deep, booming voice intoned, "Heeeeeeeeee's Riiiiiiiiight."

The rabbi put his hands on his hips, turned to the other three, and said, "Well?"

"So?," shrugged one of the other rabbis, "now it's 3 to 2."