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The Key to Success

She feels terrible. Or is it defeated? Whatever it is, she feels like a failure. She compares herself to this one and that one. It seems like everyone is able to do more, give more, be more…you know, better. She sees or at least she thinks that she sees everyone around her running marathons in life and she feels like a snail slithering slowly, ever so slowly down the road. She forgets that life is not a race; success has nothing to do with outcomes or who is first.

***

I’m not sure if it’s real or if it’s her imagination, but it doesn’t matter. It’s how she feels. She perceives that they want more of her, more then she can give. She’s pulled in this direction and that; tries so hard to make everyone happy, everyone content. And yet they still complain, or so she thinks. Her soul is infinitely connected to the Source of all, but her body, her body has limits and boundaries and she forgets that there’s nothing wrong with that. She allows the feelings of lack and inadequacy rule over her. She forgets it’s not her responsibility to please everyone, nor within her capabilities. She forgets that she’s only put into this world to do the best that she can with whatever it is that God gives her.

***

She can’t accept. No, she doesn’t want to accept. She thinks that there is something wrong with him for not living up to her expectations. She doesn’t understand that he’s giving her all that he has to give and it’s she who has the problem for asking more than he can give. So, she continues to ask for emotions that he doesn’t know how to feel. She continues to ask for actions that he doesn’t know how to perform. She wants him to be rich in an area where he’s poor. And she’s losing out because she doesn’t see the greatness in what he does have to offer, the greatness in what he can give.

***

And he shall split it open with its wing feathers [intact], but he shall not tear it completely apart. The kohen shall then cause it to [go up in] smoke on the altar, on top of the wood which is on the fire. It is a burnt offering, a fire offering [with] a pleasing fragrance to the Lord (Vayikra 1:17).

with its wing feathers: [Lit., “its wings.” Here, it refers to] the actual feathers [of its wings]. But surely you will not find even the simplest of people [i.e., even a person who is not particular,] who, when smelling the odor of burnt feathers, does not find it repulsive. Why then does Scripture command us to send [the feathers] up in smoke? [The feathers are left intact] so that the altar should appear sated and adorned with the sacrifice of the poor man [who could afford only a bird]. — [Vayikra Rabbah 3:5]

but he shall not tear it completely apart: [Although the kohen splits open the bird,] he must not tear it apart completely into two [separate] pieces. Rather, he must tear it along its back. Now, regarding a bird [offering], it says here: “a pleasing fragrance [to the Lord],” and regarding animals, it says, “a pleasing fragrance [to the Lord]” (verse 9) [as well. From here we see that both in the case of a large animal or a small bird, the fragrance is pleasing to God]. This teaches us: Whether one offers much or little, [it is equally pleasing to God,] provided that he directs his heart to Heaven. — [Toroth Kohanim 1:91]-Rashi

From here we see that God Himself finds the same amount of pleasure in the small offering coming from the heart as in the big, so why can’t we? From here we see that God only expects us to offer what we have to give, so why can’t we? From here we see that God doesn’t make comparisons between this person and that, so why do we?

Yes, from the Torah itself we see that the pressure from within is greater than the pressure from without. We put too much pasta in boiling water and don’t understand why the water overflows. It’s all about striving for balance and just giving whatever you can give. It’s about giving from the heart and finding tranquility and acceptance in what there is as much as what there isn’t.

Much bracha and simcha,

Shabbat shalom,

Elana

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