Parshas Lech Lecha

Special thanks to Meir Graff for the inaugural Dvar Torah:

In the opening pasuk of the Parshah, Hashem says to Avram LECH LECHA. Translated literally this means: go for your own sake. Rashi comments on this pasuk LEHANA’ASCHA ULETOVASCHA, “for your own benefit, for your own good.”

Some derive from this the moral lesson that a person is obligated to do the best he can for himself. Many people fall short of accomplishing what they could according to their potential. There is a famous saying in Chassidic literature that it is not asked of Zusha (a plain ordinary Jew) why he is not like the Bal Shem Tov, but rather why is he not like Zusha. The implication is that he is not expected to do more than his ability allows him. He should, however, at least live up to what he could accomplish if he tried his best.

Many people are frustrated that they cannot compete with their peers. Many lose self confidence and create a low self esteem because they cannot achieve the goals they set for themselves. The truth though is that we cannot all be outstanding in all endeavors. We all have our own specific abilities. We do not have to do the impossible. We are merely expected to succeed according to our own abilities and to reach the maximum that we can with our own given gifts. We must strive to do the best we can within our own capacity.