The Shulhan Aruch
(Orah Haim 2:6) writes that one must not walk "Be'koma Zekufa" – fully upright,
with his head held high. This is based
on the Gemara's teaching in Masechet Berachot (43b) that if a person walks in
an overly confident, arrogant manner, he "crowds out" the Shechina. Elsewhere (Sota 4b), the Gemara states that
an arrogant person is considered like a heretic, and like an
idol-worshipper. G-d refuses to live
together with an arrogant individual, because the world was created for His
honor, not for the honor of human beings, and thus G-d's honor is meant to fill
the entire earth. The Gemara later (Sota
5a) comments that a Torah scholar must have "one-eighth of one-eighth" –
meaning, a smidgen – of arrogance, but only for the purpose of unyieldingly
upholding the Torah's values and principles.
Otherwise, arrogance has no place at all in the life and mindset of a
Torah Jew. (The Vilna Gaon offered a
different interpretation of the Gemara's comment, according to which even a
Torah scholar is not permitted to have even a smidgen of arrogance.) The trait of humility must be reflected even
in the way a person walks, and thus one should not walk with his head fully
upright, appearing overly confident and self-assured.
Some have noted that
the Gemara's teaching seems to call into question Rashi's comment to a verse
toward the end of the Book of Vayikra (26:13).
There Hashem tells Beneh Yisrael, "Va'olech Etchem Komemiyut" – "I have
led you upright," and Rashi explains, "Be'koma Zekufa" – that they walked tall
and proud. How can Rashi's comment be
reconciled with the Gemara's stern warning against walking about in such a
manner?
The Seda La'derech
(work on Rashi's Torah commentary by Rav Yissachar Ber Eilenburg, c.
1550–1623) suggests that Rashi used this term figuratively, as a reference to
Beneh Yisrael's unique stature. He draws
a comparison to the difference between human beings – who walk upright – and
animals, which walk on four legs.
Animals walk looking toward the ground, because they are incapable of
conceiving of lofty, spiritual matters or pursuing spiritual goals, whereas
humans walk upright because they are to be focused on the heavens, on spiritual
ambitions. We, who received the Torah,
are to live with a special degree of "uprightness" in this sense, which our
heads directed heavenward. According to
the Seda La'derech, this is the meaning of the verse, "Va'olech Etchem Komemiyut"
– that Hashem has granted us the privilege of living with a special connection
to the heavens and spirituality.
The Petah Ha'debir
(Rav Binyamin Pontremoli, Turkey, d. 1784) answers differently, explaining that
this verse foresees the time when the enemy nations will fear Beneh
Yisrael. At that time, it will be
permissible for Am Yisrael to walk "Be'koma Zekufa" in order to intimidate
those peoples who might otherwise think to attack and persecute the Jewish
Nation. The Petah Ha'debir also suggests
an additional answer, explaining that we must display humility when we walk
because of the sin of Adam and Hava in Gan Eden, which resulted in an inherent
spiritual deficiency that we must always be cognizant of and that should bring
us humility. In the future, however,
when the sin of Adam and Hava will be fully rectified, this will no longer be
necessary, and the verse "Va'olech Etchem Komemiyut" refers to that time,
when we will, indeed, be allowed to walk with our heads held high.
Hacham Ovadia Yosef
asserted that this law, requiring one to avoid walking fully upright, applies
only as a Midat Hasidut (measure of piety), and not on the level of a strict
Halachic obligation. He draws proof to this
conclusion from the story told of the time when Rav, the great Amora, passed
away, and each of his leading disciples chose to adopt one of his unique
religious practices. Rav Yehuda adopted
the practice of ensuring not to walk four Amot (cubits) fully upright. This clearly proves that refraining from
walking "Be'koma Zekufa" is a measure of piety, for if it constituted an
outright Halachic requirement, then Rav Yehuda would have adopted this practice
even before Rav's passing. Nevertheless,
the Shulhan Aruch writes that this is a practice which everyone should follow.
The definition of
"Koma Zekufa" is walking with one's head turned upward such that his eyes
cannot see the ground, thus requiring him to walk more slowly. The Aruch Ha'shulhan (Rav Yechiel Michel
Epstein, 1829-1908) emphasizes that one does not need to walk with his back
hunched; he must simply ensure not to walk with his head turned upward. Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (Jerusalem, 1910-1995)
similarly writes that one should avoid walking in a manner that expresses
arrogance, but does not need to lower his head as he walks.
A Torah scholar has an
obligation to walk with a special degree of dignity. This means not only that he should avoid
walking with his head held high, but also that he should not run in
public. Some Rabbis would make a point
of avoiding conversation in the street, deeming this undignified for a Torah
sage. Although it is unbecoming for a
Rabbi to run in public, he also should not walk about slowly and leisurely, as
though he has nothing to do. He should
walk quickly and with a sense of urgency, showing that he is constantly
occupied with Torah learning, teaching, and Misvot.
One must be especially
careful with how he walks about in a synagogue or Bet Midrash, as these are, in
a sense, the "houses" of the Almighty, and so one must conduct himself in these
buildings with a sense of reverence and humility.
One of the
commentaries to Pirkeh Abot cites a passage from the Midrash relating that King
David was once reprimanded by Ahitofel for walking with his head held upright
in the Bet Midrash, in violation of the requirement to carry oneself reverently
in the study hall, and David accepted the criticism. Several writers noted the seeming implication
of the Midrash that walking upright is improper only in the Bet Midrash, but
not in other places – in direct contradiction to the Halacha we have been
discussing. Hacham Ovadia Yosef
suggested that as a king, David was permitted to walk about with his held up
high in order to earn the respect of the people, but in a Bet Midrash this is
forbidden even for a king. The Hida (Rav
Haim Yosef David Azulai, 1724-1806) explained that David walked about in the
Bet Midrash not with his head held high, but rather in a loose, carefree manner
which is not proper in a Bet Midrash, and for this was he criticized.
Returning to Hacham
Ovadia's explanation – that a king is allowed to walk with his head held high –
this is the opinion of the Bet Obed, cited by the Petah Ha'debir. Some, however, challenged this view, noting
that the Torah requires a king to exercise greater humility than all other
people and to avoid all feelings of superiority (Ramban, Debarim 17:20). The answer, it would seem, is that a king
must make a special effort to remain in his heart humble and subservient to the
Almighty, but outwardly may – and in fact must – carry himself with an aura of
authority in order to earn the reverence of his subjects.
