There is an as-yet unexplored galaxy of greatness in every Yid
Rav Meir Shapiro offers a novel, more powerful interpretation. Nothing seemed to ever get in the way of Avraham Avinu’s intense desire to bring Hashem’s light into the world. He walked in fire, took on mighty kings, and singlehandedly stood up to the entire world to demonstrate the concept of emunah in Hashem. He stood up to every challenge that any other person would shy away from. Not because he could, but because he was determined to.
This is what the Eibeshter was saying to Avraham Avinu. “You are looking up to try to count the stars because I asked you to, even though you know you can’t possibly count them. Your children will also have that dogged determination to accomplish, even when they know that according to the laws of nature, what they are trying to do is impossible.” (Rabbi Yisroel Kleinman, Timely Messages)
I haven’t been to any bar mitzvahs recently, but Henny is a good friend of mine. Also, I know she’s been having a hard time with her son Yisrael lately. Yisrael was in my son’s class until fifth grade, but the last couple of years he’s been bouncing around to different schools. So I made it a priority to attend Henny’s simchah.
Like Avraham Avinu, Klal Yisrael don’t measure their willingness to take on something by their ability to do it. Our ability is shaped by our determination to honor Hashem, to get it done, no matter the odds. Every community, every mosad hachinuch, chesed, or other tzarchei klal, was built by Yidden who reached far beyond their abilities and strengths.
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