The Talmud says: "Everyone is responsible to be as great as Moses." But then the Torah tells us in Deuteronomy 34.10 "no one will ever be as great as Moses!" How can I be expected to be as great as Moses, if no one will ever be as great?!
The answer is that just as Moses fulfilled his personal potential, we are also expected to fulfil ours. Each of us is born with a unique set of talents and tools. Some of us are rich, others are poor. Some are tall and some are short. One person can sing, another can write, etc. But these qualities are not what determines your greatness. Rather, it's how you deal with your circumstances.
Imagine two people competing in a 100-meter dash. One runs a world record time of 9.3 seconds. The other crosses the finish line in 30 seconds.
Who would you say is the success? The record breaker of course!
Now what if I told you that the one who clocked 30 seconds had developed polio as a child, was unable to walk until he was 14 years old, and had invested years of painful, gruelling exercise until he was finally able to even traverse that distance?
We can never know the circumstances another person has to deal with; we cannot see whether he's naturally calm or whether he's had to struggle to control his temper; whether he was born with great intelligence or whether he's had to overcome learning disabilities; whether he's been handed the best of everything or whether he's had to surmount many obstacles.
That's why Judaism says: It's not important where you are on the ladder, but how many rungs you've climbed.
This is a crucial concept for parents and teachers. Consider: Which is the more important grade on a child's report card: "achievement" or "effort"?
The answer is effort. The reason we need grades for "achievement" is simply to have an objective gauge of how much material the child is grasping. But in ultimate terms, all that matters is the effort.
The story is told of Zusia, the great Chassidic master, who lay crying on his deathbed. His students asked him, "Rebbe, why are you so sad? After all the mitzvahs and good deeds you have done, you will surely get a great reward in heaven!"
"I'm afraid!" said Zusia. "Because when I get to heaven, I know God's not going to ask me 'Why weren't you more like Moses?' or 'Why weren't you more like King David?' But I'm afraid that God will ask 'Zusia, why weren't you more like Zusia?' And then what will I say?!"
So, in answer to your question, the Talmudic statement that "Nobody will ever be as great as Moses" means that nobody again will have that same potential. But you can maximize that which you do have. Life is not a competition against anyone but yourself. May the Almighty grant you the strength and clarity to be... yourself!
Cal Newport in his most recent book “Slow Productivity” cites a story from the beginning of the pandemic. Brinda Narayan writes in her review of Newport’s book the following:
In 2021, Jonathan Frostick of HSBC suffered a heart attack. And then put out a LinkedIn post about how he planned to change his life. The post went viral, gathering 300,000 comments. His first resolution was: “I’m not spending all day on Zoom anymore.” After the pandemic, workers found themselves in more meetings, responding to more emails and messages.
Besides the core work that you are responsible for, scheduling meetings and other activities often have an “overhead tax”. Then you try to catch up on actual work on off-work hours – on weekends or early mornings or late nights. You find yourself working longer hours and still falling behind.
Since all tasks have an associated “overhead tax”, it’s best to do fewer things. You must reduce not just professional and personal obligations, but also social ones.
Or what about Louie Zamperini, the 1936 Olympian in Berlin, from the USA, Italian American parents, who was shot down in the Pacific by Japanese soldiers in WW2? He had some significant moments on a raft, during which the bad boy of LA prayed and vowed to God that Louis would dedicate himself to the Lord if God were to save him. You might remember that prayer from the book or the movie Unbroken by Laura Hillebrand (movie by Angelina Jolie). He didn’t get out of the Japanese POW camps and immediately attend church, but he did eventually make good on that prayer.
Life and death decisions... those really matter.
What is your life today?
I drove by a funeral on my way home last week. The minister was frocked, and the pallbearers were hauling the casket down the stairs to the waiting hearse. Had that person made peace with God? Had that person knelt and cried to the Lord, “Father please forgive me in Yeshua’s name!” That’s when peace comes. That’s when forgiveness comes. That’s when life comes, no matter when death joins us.
What about you? Today. Have you said, “yes” to Jesus? Have you repented and received his love and grace? If not, do it now.
Don’t wait until Yom Kippur.
Don’t wait until you can attend a synagogue or church service.
Do it now.
God’s love is for you. He wants to embrace you. His arms are not so short that he cannot save you. (Isaiah 59.1-2) Repent. And receive his love and grace.
Then write me, won’t you?
For more on finding your identity: https://www.healthline.com/health/sense-of-self#checking-yours
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