Shir ha-Shirim IX: Part Two: From Humility to Divine Inspiration

Rabbi Matnah said: That which wisdom has made a crown to her head, humility has made a shoe for her foot. That which wisdom has made a crown for her head, as it says, “The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom (Psalms 111:10).” Humility has made issue for her foot, as it is written, “The fear of God is the heel of humility (Proverbs 22:4).” The resurrection will be through the agency of Elijah the prophet; so it is written, “Then you shall understand the fear of the Lord and find knowledge of the holy ones,” this refers to Divine Inspiration. (Shir haShirim Rabbah 1.1:9, part two)

A person has achieved great wisdom; he has earned a crown. If he wants to move forward he will need a “shoe for his foot,” humility. This is Elijah’s great secret: humility; that he is only an agent of God, and that nothing he does is an expression of his strengths, but of God’s.

In order to achieve the Divine Inspiration we need to join in the Song of Songs, we must approach our Torah study and our Pesach explorations and searches with humility.

I suspect that this is why we spend so much of our Search for Chametz in the physical position of the humble; on our hands and knees. The Search is an exercise in humility. It is the absolutely necessary ingredient to be able to study Haggadah with the necessary humility to achieve the Divine Inspiration to seeing our Seder as part of the Song of Songs.