There is a well-known Jewish saying, commonly asked of students, “Do you know why they buried the dead man?" To which the teacher responds with the following; "Because he didn’t get out of the coffin and fight”.
In this week Torah portion, we discuss how faith and perseverance helps us navigate through the challenges of our daily life.
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No matter who you are, all of us are a different type of salesmen. A teacher sells his or her wisdom and experience to their students. A professional sells their services to the community. Our responsibilities and duties in life require a certain amount of vulnerability. We continuously put ourselves out there; sharing ideas and collaborating with opinions and convictions. As we all have experienced at one time or another, rejection is a common occurrence in daily life. Rejection is an inevitable and potentially hurtful part of the human experience; therefore, how we successfully move past that feeling is what is most important.
When an individual feels rejection, he or she can become depressed and detached. They may even consider giving up, throwing their hands up in the air in defeat. However, there is another way. Moshe suggests that we view the situation differently. Perhaps in the darkness of rejection, we are one step closer to an affirmation. One step closer to a YES. Chassidic teachings explains this by referencing the tenth plague. If Moshe had stopped or given up, we would have never escaped Egypt. This is why both resilience and perseverance are crucial qualities for success. We must take our feelings, derived from rejection, and become stronger and better. With vulnerability comes strength; and with strength becomes change.
We must remember; it takes nine no’s to receive one yes
A no is not the end of your journey; it is simply a crucial part of the commitment to believe in your actions and with the help of G‑d, leap, plunge and charge out of any coffin or the shackles of a physical or mental state of Egypt. All we have to do is get out of the coffin and fight.