Through humility one is saved from immorality and merits guarding the Covenant. As our Sages teach (Sotah 4b): Whoever is haughty will in the end err with an adulteress, as in (Proverbs 6:26), “An adulteress will trap a precious soul.”
{“Miriam and Aharon began speaking against Moshe due to the impressive woman that he had married …. But the man Moshe was extremely humble, more so than any man…” (Numbers 12:1, 3) .} This explains the juxtaposition of “But the man Moshe was extremely humble” with the verse “Miriam and Aharon began speaking against Moshe.” For they spoke “due to the impressive woman he had married.” She was called “impressive” because of her beauty, and they said that he married her for her beauty.
They therefore spoke of abstinence, because they refused to believe that it was possible to be abstinent. The Torah replied to this, and immediately juxtaposed: “But the man Moshe was extremely humble, more so than any man.” Because he was “humble, more so than any man,” he was able to be totally abstinent. He did not engage in lower union at all.
This is as our Sages teach: The might of Yosef was the humility of Boaz, the might of Boaz was the humility of Palti ben Layish (Sanhedrin 19b). For it depends upon humility. With humility one is saved from blemishing the Covenant.
his [evil] inclination is greater—The evil inclination strengthens itself against him through the desire for immorality. For this is the essence of the evil inclination, as is brought in the Zohar (III, 15b): The focus of the evil inclination is for illicit relations.
כָּל הַגָּדוֹל מֵחֲבֵרוֹ, יִצְרוֹ גָּדוֹל מִמֶּנּוּ (סוכה נב):
Kol HaGadol Meichaveiro (Whoever is greater than his fellow), his [evil] inclination is greater. (Sukkah 52a)
עַל־יְדֵי עֲנָוָה נִצּוֹל מִנִּאוּף, וְזוֹכֶה לִשְׁמִירַת הַבְּרִית. כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (סוטה ד:): כָּל הַמִּתְגָּאֶה, לַסּוֹף נִכְשָׁל בְּאֵשֶׁת אִישׁ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְאֵשֶׁת אִישׁ נֶפֶשׁ יְקָרָה תָּצוּד.
Through humility one is saved from immorality and merits guarding the Covenant. As our Sages teach (Sotah 4b): Whoever is haughty will in the end err with an adulteress, as in (Proverbs 6:26), “An adulteress will trap a precious soul.”
וְזֶה פֵּרוּשׁ הַסְּמִיכוּת (במדבר י״ב:ג׳): וְהָאִישׁ מֹשֶׁה עָנָו מְאֹד וְכוּ', לַפָּסוּק: וַתְּדַבֵּר אַהֲרֹן וּמִרְיָם בְּמשֶׁה. כִּי הֵם דִּבְּרוּ עַל אוֹדוֹת הָאִשָּׁה הַכּוּשִׁית אֲשֶׁר לָקַח, כִּי כּוּשִׁית עַל־שֵׁם יָפְיָהּ נִקְרֵאת, וְהֵם אָמְרוּ שֶׁלְּקָחָהּ לְשֵׁם יֹפִי,
{“Miriam and Aharon began speaking against Moshe due to the impressive woman that he had married …. But the man Moshe was extremely humble, more so than any man…” (Numbers 12:1, 3) .} This explains the juxtaposition of “But the man Moshe was extremely humble” with the verse “Miriam and Aharon began speaking against Moshe.” For they spoke “due to the impressive woman he had married.” She was called “impressive” because of her beauty, and they said that he married her for her beauty.
וְעַל כֵּן דִּבְּרוּ עַל הַפְּרִישׁוּת, כִּי הֵם לֹא רָצוּ לְהַאֲמִין שֶׁאֶפְשָׁר לִהְיוֹת פָּרוּשׁ. וְעַל זֶה הֵשִׁיבָה הַתּוֹרָה וְסָמְכָה תֵּכֶף, וְהָאִישׁ מֹשֶׁה עָנָו מְאֹד מִכֹּל הָאָדָם – כִּי עַל־יְדֵי שֶׁהָיָה עָנָו מִכֹּל הָאָדָם, הָיָה אֶפְשָׁר לוֹ לִהְיוֹת פָּרוּשׁ לְגַמְרֵי, וְלֹא הָיָה לוֹ יִחוּדָא תַּתָּאָה כְּלָל.
They therefore spoke of abstinence, because they refused to believe that it was possible to be abstinent. The Torah replied to this, and immediately juxtaposed: “But the man Moshe was extremely humble, more so than any man.” Because he was “humble, more so than any man,” he was able to be totally abstinent. He did not engage in lower union at all.
וְזֶה שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (סנהדרין יט:): תָּקְפּוֹ שֶׁל יוֹסֵף – עַנְוְתָנוּתוֹ שֶׁל בֹּעַז, תָּקְפּוֹ שֶׁל בֹּעַז – עַנְוְתָנוּתוֹ שֶׁל פַּלְטִי בֶּן לַיִּשׁ. כִּי הוּא תָּלוּי בַּעֲנָוָה, כִּי עַל־יְדֵי עֲנָוָה נִצּוֹל מִפְּגַם הַבְּרִית.
This is as our Sages teach: The might of Yosef was the humility of Boaz, the might of Boaz was the humility of Palti ben Layish (Sanhedrin 19b). For it depends upon humility. With humility one is saved from blemishing the Covenant.
וְזֶה שֶׁאָמְרוּ: כָּל הַגָּדוֹל מֵחֲבֵרוֹ – שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ גַּדְלוּת,
And this is as it is written: Whoever is greater than his fellow—He possesses haughtiness.
יִצְרוֹ גָּדוֹל מִמֶּנּוּ – שֶׁמִּתְגַּבֵּר עָלָיו הַיֵּצֶר הָרָע בְּתַאֲוַת נִאוּף, כִּי זֶה עִקַּר הַיֵּצֶר הָרָע, כַּמּוּבָא בַּזֹּהַר (ויקרא דף טו:): עִקָּרָא דְּיִצְרָא בִּישָׁא לְגַלָּאָה עֲרָיִין:
his [evil] inclination is greater—The evil inclination strengthens itself against him through the desire for immorality. For this is the essence of the evil inclination, as is brought in the Zohar (III, 15b): The focus of the evil inclination is for illicit relations.