Article in local Jewish Newspaper

It’s never too late

The New York Times reported this week that only 7% of applicants were accepted into Harvard this year. In this overly competitive world, the slightest failure or hiccup is seen as derailing a dream. Yet, perfection, it seems, is no longer a guarantee of success. Among those denied were hundreds of students with 800 SATs, years of training, decades of extra curricular activities, an entire life distilled into the contents of an envelope.

At Passover, we should take a look at Moses and reconsider the pressure we put on our children to succeed. Moses, the ultimate Jewish leader, the greatest prophet we have ever had, started with very humble beginnings. The Egyptian society, our sages tell us, was very depraved. Moses was in the thick of it. Raised in the palace of Pharaoh, surrounded by harems, wealth, and idol worship, the chance that he would, one day, literally shine with spirituality was miniscule. Yet, it was Moses, who was our only prophet to have spoken with G-d.

Moses’ life gives us a lesson. It is never too late to make a “success” of ourselves. That potential for spirituality, that potential for connecting to G-d, lies in all of us - even those who appear distant. Moses’ leadership tells us that there is no such thing as “distant.” G-d is ready to connect to what Tikkunei Zohar refers to as the “spark of Moses” in each and every one of us.

So this Passover, concentrate on that G-dly spark that lies deep inside you and let it come out. The light we possess cannot be contained in an envelope or on a paycheck. Lighten up on the youth. In the words of William M. Shain, dean of admissions and financial aid at Bowdoin, “Where we went to college does not set us up for success or keep us away from it.”