Humility Is Where Wine Comes From
In his poem of wine and water, he lets each side boast, and reminds us that every good thing carries its own pride.
In his poem Vikuach Yayin im Mayim, Rav Eliyahu stages a quarrel between wine and water, each pressing its claim to honor. Wine boasts of its place in the Torah, the Prophets and the Writings, of the libations on the Altar and of the joy it brings. Water answers that wine was itself made from water, and that its own way is humility, flowing ever downward. The two trade charges, recalling the tragedies that wine has brought and the doubts that water has stirred. Each side lands a true blow and neither wins outright. The poem teaches, in the lightest of voices, that every good thing can breed pride and every humble thing has its weakness. It ends with the righteous seated in paradise, drinking wine and seeing eye to eye.
Source: Vikuach Yayin im Mayim (Amsterdam, 1757 edition, with commentary); first stanzas
Think of one thing you are good at, or one blessing you enjoy, that you might quietly boast about. Today, thank Hashem for it out loud, and then find one small way to share it without drawing attention to yourself: teach a skill, pass along a favor, or give credit to someone who helped you. When you catch yourself comparing, remember the water in the poem, which reminded the wine where it came from.