Making light of the eagle

We recently reviewed the first bit of Avot 5:23, where Yehudah ben Teyma teaches:

הֱוֵי עַז כַּנָּמֵר, וְקַל כַּנֶּֽשֶׁר, רָץ כַּצְּבִי, וְגִבּוֹר כָּאֲרִי, לַעֲשׂוֹת רְצוֹן אָבִֽיךָ שֶׁבַּשָּׁמָֽיִם

Be as brazen as a leopard, light as an eagle, swift as a deer and strong as a lion to do the will of your Father in Heaven.

Let’s move on from the leopard to the eagle.

Eagles aren’t actually light. They are among the very heaviest birds that can still fly. This tells us that Yehudah ben Teyma is talking in terms that are metaphorical, not giving us a lecture in ornithology. But what is his message?

A curiously refreshing interpretation comes from the Kozhnitzer Maggid. In our lives we can reach great heights of spirituality: we can metaphorically soar higher than the angels, just as the eagle soars above other birds. We can even imagine that we have reached such a high level that we have gone past the point of no return. But no, what goes up must come down—and that applies just as much to us as to the eagle.

For us, coming down need not be a negative experience, the Maggid says. We need humility and true lowliness of spirit just as we need to hit the spiritual heights, since both are part of the truly righteous person. And each dose of humility helps prepare us in readiness for our next ascent.