Q:
What you talk about here many times are the very great ideals that every Jew should aspire to. But sometimes I have a very hard time reaching those goals. I wonder if you could give some advice on how to get from where we are to where we want to get to.
A:
A good question. Aren’t some of these ideals too sublime for us to attain? What do we do in order to come closer to them?
You must know that when you’re dealing with diamonds, every scrap of a diamond is precious. I once explained to you that I have a relative who is a diamond man, a wealthy man. So they told me that every day before he locks up his shop he gets down on his hands and knees with a brush and a dustpan and he scrapes together all the dirt from the floor because there are diamonds in that dirt; there’s diamond dust there. I don’t know if everybody does it, but he does. A little piece of a diamond is also valuable.
If you aspire to these ideals and you are constantly striving to achieve them, you are going to get something. פטור בלא כלום אי אפשר – It’s impossible that you won’t succeed. If you succeed a little bit, you are a howling success. If you succeed more, you’re an even greater success.
How do you succeed? By reiterating! Constantly remind yourself; on the street, at home, always. Think about it, aspire to it, and you’ll be amazed – in the course of the time it becomes part of your personality and finally you’ll arrive there. If you won’t arrive at the ultimate goal, at least you’ll reach it partway.
Don’t disdain however any little bit of it. Any mote of achievement is worthwhile! Even if for one moment you’ll talk to yourself about it when nobody’s around, you’ve succeeded. You’re muttering to yourself like Dovid Hamelech did. Dovid spoke to himself constantly: הללי נפשי את השם – My soul, praise Hashem. ברכי נפשי את השם – My soul, bless Hashem. Constantly talk to yourself. Of course nobody should hear you, but when nobody’s around do it.
Speak to yourself. Stir yourself! Say to yourself, עורי עורי – Wake up! Wake up my soul and remind yourself of these great ideals. You can listen to the lecture over and over again. You can look at your notes or listen to the tapes, but whatever it is you do, constantly remind yourself. And every little bit is a very big achievement.
TAPE # 583
