And it turns out, our tradition has some pretty profound things to say about it.

Vayikra Rabbah, a collection of Midrashic interpretations on the Book of Leviticus (Vayikra in Hebrew), dives right into this very human experience. We find Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin, quoting Rabbi Levi, offering a piece of advice straight from Proverbs (25:7): "As it is better that it should be said to you: Come up here, than that you be demeaned before a prince…" Isn't it better to start a little lower and be invited up, than to presume you belong at the top and risk being asked to step down?

Rabbi Akiva, in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Azai, takes it a step further. He suggests keeping two or three seats between you and where you think you should be. Wait. Be patient. Let them ask you to come forward. Because, as he puts it, it's preferable that they say, "Ascend, ascend," rather than "Descend, descend." Ouch. Nobody wants that.

Hillel, of "on one foot" fame, chimes in with a paradox: "My lowering is my elevation; my elevation is my lowering." So, where does this seemingly upside-down wisdom come from? The source, according to the Midrash, is Psalm 113:5-6: "Who sits on High, who looks down to see." It's a reminder that true greatness often involves humility.

But what does this look like in practice? The Midrash brings Moses into the picture. And who better to illustrate humility than the man who spoke to God face-to-face?

We're told that when God first revealed Himself to Moses in the burning bush, Moses hid his face. He was overwhelmed, perhaps even afraid. And God’s response? "Lekha, go, and I will send you to Pharaoh…" (Exodus 3:10).

Now, Rabbi Elazar points out something fascinating here. The word "go" is usually lekh in Hebrew. But here, it's lekha, which can also mean "for you." The Midrash interprets this to mean that Moses was uniquely suited, perhaps even the only one, who could fulfill this mission. "If you do not redeem them," God implies, "no one else will."

We see this pattern repeated throughout Moses's life. At the Red Sea, he held back. God said, "You, raise your staff…and split it" (Exodus 14:16). Again, that emphasis on "you." At Sinai, he stood to the side. God called, "Ascend to God, you" (Exodus 24:1). And at the Tent of Meeting, Moses hesitated, and God essentially said, "What are you waiting for? The hour awaits only you."

The ultimate proof? “He called to Moses.” From all of them, the divine speech called only to Moses.

The Zohar, the foundational text of Kabbalah, often speaks of the importance of bittul, self-nullification. It's not about being a doormat, but rather about recognizing that we are part of something larger than ourselves. True leadership, true greatness, comes from a place of humility, from recognizing that sometimes, the most powerful thing we can do is to step back and listen for the call.

So, the next time you find yourself wondering if you're in the right seat, remember Moses, remember Hillel's paradox, and remember that sometimes, lowering ourselves is the surest path to elevation. What do you think?