THINK HIGHER

   This past week a teenager approached me and bewailed that he is facing many problems in school and it is affecting his relationships at home.  He asked, "What can I do about my dilemma?" After analyzing the issues he shared with me I said to him, "You can do it! You can rise above the problems! You can grow! You can achieve greatness! Look at life in an optimistic way, be hopeful, positive and have a helpful approach to your life". 

    After this encounter, I began to focus on this week's Sedrah Va'era, and realized that it may very well be possible that Moshe had a similar problem, when he said to Hashem, “How can I go to Pharoah, when הן בני ישראל לא שמעו אלי ואיך ישמעני פרעה ואני ערל שפתים.” Here we learn that Moshe felt inadequate, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharoah, even my own people don't listen to me?” Here we sense that Moshe felt incapable of fulfilling the will of G-D, due to his personal handicap. Hashem reassured him that he would succeed with Aaronat his side. 

   This entire scenario proves to me that Hashem feels that every person is capable of overcoming their personal handicap, whether it is physical or it is emotional. No one should be obsessed with a feeling of deficiency. 

  Too often, when like Moshe, we feel incompetent, because we tell ourselves we are, and when we think we are, the result is we live life in the negative lane, resulting in a non productive life and a life of suffering.

   We all need to hear the encouraging words of Hashem,that worthy efforts can help to overcome any feelings of inadequacy,  and not escape the realities of life, but  face the obstacles that so many face and to feel that with our faith in The Almighty, we will be able to succeed. 

   Let us realize that not only Moshe felt unequal to life's task, many people do. 

  Success does not always lie in achievement but, even more so, lies in the degree of effort that one is willing to strive for to reach their goals in life. 

   I have witnessed, repeatedly, that progress and growth are made possible through the help and guidance of others and by the applications of pure common sense. No one can get anywhere alone. I refuse to believe the quotation, "Self made man.” Such people are blind to the many Blessings around them, and, for many, the words Appreciation and Thanks are foreign to them.  

    There is non- contentment and dissatisfaction with ones lot that brings about this feeling of inadequacy. 

    “לא עליך לגמור. It is not our duty to complete the task,” but neither are we free to desist from being involved in the effort of trying to accomplish the task. 

    We are living in an age of challenge and must face that challenge and stand up with our faith. 

  To this end we need to Think Higher, not to think, merely, ephemeral, the now, the immediate enjoyment, for there is much more to our faith. 

  Eli Weisel tells the story of a poor Chasid in Eastern Europe who had no fish for Shabbat, yet he felt he needed fish lest the Shabbat meal be dishonored. He was so unhappy, that his wife decided to do something. Disregarding the freezing wind and snow, she went to the river, dug a hole in the ice and caught a fish. 

  She returned home, prepared the Shabbat meal with great joy and her husband began to eat the fish with great appetite. 

  At one point, she made her husband stop eating and said, “Dear Chaim, I know that you are hungry, and I know it's a mitzvah to put your heart and soul into your Shabbat  meal, but, please remember I risked my life to catch this fish, so while you’re eating, try not to think about the fish- but Think Higher !!

  This is our lesson of today.  We may be inundated with problems, we may find success in different aspects of our lives, but we always need to THINK HIGHER.  With that attitude, life becomes a gift. Always remember to THINK HIGHER.