How do you distinguish between devotion to principle and stubbornness?
Where does tenacity end and self-absorption begin?
In last week's Omer exploration, we analyzed our internal dynamic of Netzach – conviction and tenacity. When we're ambitious and determined, we can take up a lot of space; we're just a thin line away from self-centeredness. That's why we need the balance of 'Hod', the next dimension of our Omer journey.
Hod has several literal translations, but I think the word 'acknowledgement' to be the best English word to capture Hod's spiritual and psychological character.
What does it mean to ‘acknowledge’? It means to ‘recognize’, but with an important flavor. To acknowledge is to humbly recognize (admit, concede etc.).
What's the difference between recognition and humble recognition?
Let’s say I know you, and appreciate your intelligence, humor and character; it will take no humility for me to respect you. I don't have to concede space to you; it's yours.
But what if I've just met you? What if I find your appearance to be odd and your behavior unusual? Why should I respect you? Why should I concede space in my world?
Hod is my internal capacity to respect and acknowledge what I don't [yet] know. Hod is the ability to recognize that there is value beyond my [immediate] ability to appreciate.
Recognizing Einstein's superiority is not humility. Humility is recognizing that we’re each special in our own way.
When it comes to my internal dynamics, ego is the poison which turns conviction into stubbornness and tenacity into inflexibility. Ego is my psychological smoke and mirrors, skewing my sense of right and wrong, and blurring the lines between principle and personal agenda.
With Hod's humility, I can surrender to something beyond me; I begin to suspend 'self'. With Hod, I open an internal passageway to identifying and appreciating my moral compass and true convictions.
Hod is letting go of my desperate attachment to my false sense of self.
It’s the sense of true gratitude. It’s the sense of true apology. It’s the sense of true respect. It’s the art of surrendering to the beauty of a genuine relationship, even when you have reason to doubt it. It's all Hod, and it’s all about humility.
Interestingly, Hod literally means 'Glory'. Because surrendering to the Divine is the greatest Glory we can give to our loving Creator.
Mendy wrote...
While still in bed, we begin our day with Modeh Ani - Modeh is a form of the word Hod and speaks of our grateful acknowledgment of G-d's life-giving Presence, and its natural by-product: our firm faith in Him for the forthcoming day.
Once we are geared up for formal prayer, we begin our services with the word 'Hodu' - calling on all, and on ourselves, to thankfully acknowledge the Divine. This is the first, theme-setting word of the mornign liturgy.
The cetnerpiece of the service is the Amidah. The Amidah reaches its crescendo at the 'Modim' section. Again, Modim is a plural verb form of Hod, proclaiming - after the intense spiritual pruning process of the prior prayers - our surrender to the Divine.