This story is illustrative of a very human tendency. Our understanding of what is and what is not possible creates imagined ceilings of opportunity for us. If I were smarter, I would have…If I were more talented, I could have…but I just can’t do it. Yet some people, who aren’t any more talented, who weren’t given all the breaks, just seem to plow through and make the seemingly impossible happen. It almost seems their attitude is their single greatest asset.
Eyes on the Prize
This seems to be the answer to this Rashi. The Torah isn’t telling us we need to sprout wings and fly. Rather, this is a mashol for the drive a person must have to succeed. If a person’s attitude is, “Whatever it takes; no mountain is too high, no obstacle too difficult, and if it were up in the heavens, I would fly there,” then he will reach heights. However, if that enthusiasm is lacking, no matter how close the Torah is, he will not acquire it.
You don’t need to fly to the skies but you need be ready to. Once that drive is in place, nothing can stop you.
No matter what a person’s natural capacity and life circumstances, if he sets his goal as the attainment of Torah, Hashem will help so that he can reach the stars. Is the journey difficult? While there are many challenges along the way, the ways of the Torah are pleasant, and a Jew has unique aptitude to absorb it. The only difficult part is setting our sights high enough and holding the course. If a person sets out with a drive to do whatever it takes, even if it means “flying to the heavens,” Hashem helps – and that person can reach his personal level of greatness on par with that of the most exalted Torah giants.
To view Rabbi Shafier’s parsha video click here.