Sefat Emet, Genesis, Vayishlach 11:4

קטנתי מכל החסדים. משמע שאין לו שום חלק בכל הטובות שעשה עמו הבורא ית’. כמ”ש במ”א כי כפי רצון האדם מנהיג אותו הבורא ית’. וזה החשבון אינו בכמות רק באיכות. והפי’ כי הרגיש שכל תהלוכות שלו הכל בבחי’ נפלאה שאינו עפ”י עבודת האדם רק בעזר אלוה והכל הוא להראות לו להניח זכותו לדורות אחרונים. ועמ”ש במ”א כבר:

I am diminished by all the kindnesses. This implies that he feels he has no share at all in the goodness that the Creator, blessed be He, has done with him. As stated elsewhere: according to a person’s desire, so does the Creator guide him. And this assessment is not about quantity but about quality. The meaning is that he sensed that all his paths were conducted in a wondrous manner—not by human effort, but through divine assistance—and all of it was to show him how to set merit aside for future generations. And as written elsewhere already.

The Sefat Emet explains that the phrase “I am diminished” reflects deep humility: recognizing that the blessings one receives are not earned but bestowed by divine grace. The measure of this humility is qualitative, rooted in an awareness that one’s life-path is guided by God in ways beyond human effort. This recognition itself becomes a legacy of merit for later generations.

Summary: True humility means sensing that all goodness comes from divine aid, not personal merit, and that this awareness becomes an inheritance for future generations.