Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Pride goes before a fall

On Simchas Torah I davened vasikin at a different shul then I normally daven in. The בעל קורא who read וזאת הברכה was a well known talmid chochom from the neighborhood who is the best בעל קורא that I have ever heard, someone who knows all of Tanach literally by heart and never makes a mistake. After he read חתן תורה a different person from the shul came over and insisted that he lain בראשית and the haftara. The first בעל קורא did not object. Unfortunately the second בעל קורא is not on the same level. He made many mistakes in the trup as well as a few mistakes in the words. The haftara was similar.

The question is why did he insist on laining? He knows the first בעל קורא and therefore had to know that the first בעל קורא was going to do a better job. The only answer that I can think of is כבוד/pride. However, the fact is that instead of bringing him כבוד his actions made him look foolish.

2 comments:

Steg (dos iz nit der šteg) said...

he couldn't've just wanted to participate in the mitzva do a greater personal degree? get his hands dirty in it, so to speak, as opposed to sititng (standing) back (to the side) and letting someone else do the work for him?

bluke said...

This is fine when it only affects you. However, when you get up to lain you are being מוציא the ציבור. To remove a better בעל קורא so that you can participate is certainly not right with regards to the rest of the ציבור. Why should your personal concerns override the ציבור?