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To My Dear Students,
In our Torah Portion, ten of the twelve scouts
sent by Moses to evaluate the prospect of conquering
the Land of Canaan return with a negative report,
filled with pessimism and self-doubt.
We are all drawn to the feeling experienced by
those ten men. There is a part of us that says,
"I can't." They could have benefited from Thoreau's
truism: "It is not what you look at that matters;
it is what you see."
It is said that the Devil decided he would retire
from business and sell all his diabolical devices. He
put his tools on display, each with a price tag.
One plain-looking, much-worn tool was priced much
higher than the others. The Devil was asked what
it was, and he replied: "That tool is Discouragement
." When asked why it was priced so high, the
Devil answered: "It is more useful to me than
all the others. I use it to get into a person's
mind and spirit, and once inside I can use him
to do my work. It is worn because it is my favorite
tool. I have used it on nearly everybody, yet
few know it belongs to me."
According to the story, the Devil's price was
so high that no one bought it and he is still
using it. He knew that discouragement leads to
despair, and that hopelessness produces helplessness.
Always remember, dear students: Challenges are
inevitable. Discouragement is optional.
Shabbat Shalom,
Your Rabbi
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