Morning After Failure

by Rabbi Mordechai Rhine

Parshas Terumah describes the building of the Mishkan, the Sanctuary that the Jews built in the desert. Building the Sanctuary was monumental. But what makes it really special is that the Mishkan was built shortly after the incident of the golden calf.

When Moshe ascended the mountain to receive the Torah from G-d, the Jews miscalculated when Moshe would return. Thinking that he was late, they tried to create a substitute intermediary between them and G-d. the form they opted for was the form of a golden calf, a form of idol worship. By the time Moshe arrived at the encampment the improper festivities were well underway. Moshe broke the Luchos upon which the Ten Commandments had been written.

It took many days for Moshe to obtain forgiveness for the Jewish people, but eventually, on the day of Yom Kippur, G-d declared “I forgive”. Suddenly the Jewish people ascended from depression and the fear that their opportunity for greatness was forever lost, to a sense of profound joy that even after their failure there was still hope. That sense of joy was awesomely enhanced when G-d then gave them the mitzvah to build a Sanctuary. “You shall build a Sanctuary for Me and I shall dwell within them.”

Often, when one recognizes personal failure it is possible to become demoralized and immobilized. One may think, “If this is what I have done, and the kind of person I am, what will be of me?” The Medrash tells us, for example, that after first man ate from the forbidden tree he was unsure of how to proceed. When the power of teshuva was revealed to him he declared, “This is the power of teshuva! And I was unaware.” It was at that moment that first man was able to enter Shabbos in a state of serenity.

The mishkan was much more than a Sanctuary at which people could connect with G-d. The Mishkan was a vivid declaration that there is hope even after personal failure.

Equally challenging is when we perceive failure in others that we feel should have done better. We can be left disillusioned, losing faith, and thinking that it is no longer worth trying.

A Rebbe of mine told me that he had intended to go into the field of mathematics or into computers. Although he was a talented teacher, and a superb substitute even at a young age, he felt that the education system wasn’t what it should be. He felt that his creativity was stunted in the system, and that the system that had failed him was not one that he wished to join.

What changed things was that the principal had a very good handle on the situation and its challenges. He called this young potential educator into his office on the day before graduation and asked him, “Leibel, what do you think of the education we gave you?” The young man became thoughtful and said, “Honestly, I think it has much to be desired.” To which the principal responded, “Then I challenge you to do better.” At that moment their eyes locked and the potential world-class educator understood that it was up to him to create a forum that students like himself would thrive.

One of the side effects of perceiving failure in ourselves or others is that we can enter a period of mourning or hopelessness. The lesson of the Mishkan is that after properly addressing the failure it is possible for the next morning to dawn brightly in greatness.

© 2015 by TEACH613™