Real Success
Rabbi Eliyahoo Dessler writes in his book "Strive for Truth", that every Jew must strive to become a "man of the people". A Jew's pursuits in life should center not on him, but should be directed at elevating the good of the Jewish people as a whole. The success of a Jew is measured by the extent to which he or she see's themselves as a part of the community, and not as a single individual. In other words, a Jew must not seek personal greatness for himself, but for the sole purpose of benefitting the entire nation. This idea is conveyed in Pirkei Avot, where it is stated "If I am not for myself, who will be for me; But when I am only for myself who am I." (Avot chapter 1, 14) On one hand, we must all help ourselves and not be reliant on other people, on the other, we must remember that if our pursuits in life revolve only around ourselves then our life is insignificant. This week's parasha teaches us this valuable lesson through the Mitsvah of the giving of the Half-Shekel. According to Alshich, we bring only a half-shekel, as opposed to bringing a whole shekel, so that we realize a Jew alone is merely a fragment. Only by linking ourselves to others can we find completeness. Even Moses, who reached the highest level of prophesy in history, was granted this for the sake of the Jewish people. When Moses was up on Mount Sinai to receive the Torah, God said to him; "Go descend for your people that you brought up from the land of Egypt has become corrupt" (Exodus 32,7). Our rabbis understand this as saying "Go descend from your greatness; I gave you greatness only for their sake". It is true that Moses was a great spiritual leader, but the sole purpose for his spiritual success was for the benefit of the Jewish people. Since the Jews as a whole became corrupt and unable to maintain their ideal spiritual state, Moses' greatness became insignificant.
A Life Lesson
In life we must remember that our own personal success is determined not by what we accomplish for ourselves. Rather, the only true accomplishments are those that involve doing something for the Jewish people as a whole. True greatness stems from one's devotion to better the lives of others and to make the needs of the whole his own personal business.
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