I keep trying to do the right thing, and I keep failing. Sometimes I look back and realize not only did I not move forward, but I may also have made things worse. What's wrong with me? Why is growth so difficult? Why do I feel like I take one step forward and two steps back? And then comes the most dangerous thought of all: maybe I should stop trying. Maybe I'm just not cut out for this. Maybe I'm a failure.
The answer lies in this week's Torah portion, Shemini. There, we're introduced to one of the most powerful and human moments in the entire Torah. The Mishkan is finally complete. The Jewish people are ready to experience the Divine presence resting among them. And at the center of it all stands Aaron, the High Priest, tasked with inaugurating this sacred space. But something unexpected happens. Aaron hesitates. He is afraid. Rashi tells us that Aaron was overcome with shame because of his role in the sin of the Golden Calf. In that defining moment, when everything was ready, he felt unworthy to step forward.
Imagine that. Aaron, the holiest man in the nation, chosen by G-d Himself, feels like a fraud. He looks at his past and cannot move beyond it. And that's when Moshe turns to him and says words that echo through history: "Why are you embarrassed? This is exactly why you were chosen." Your struggle, your failure, and your humanity are not a disqualification, but rather the ultimate qualification. Because you know what it means to fall and get back up, you know what it means to try, to care, to wrestle with doing what's right. That's exactly the kind of person who should represent the Jewish people.
We often think that greatness belongs to those who are flawless. But the Torah tells us the opposite. True leadership, true spirituality, and true connection to G-d are not about perfection; they're about perseverance. It's about refusing to give up on yourself even when you have every reason to. Aaron's greatness wasn't despite his past; it was because of it. His ability to feel broken, to feel unworthy, and still move forward, that is what made him eternal and why his descendants still bless us, as Kohanim, priests, till this very day.
So the next time that voice creeps in, the one that says "you're not good enough," "you've already messed up," "why bother trying again", remember Aaron standing at the entrance of the Mishkan. Remember that the very reason you feel the struggle is because you care. And that may be the clearest sign that you are exactly where you are meant to be. Don't stop. Step forward. Do one more mitzvah, take one more step, try one more time. Because the greatest part of your story is your determination to succeed, and it's that commitment, that grit, that will finally illuminate our world and bring Moshiach, with peace and harmony for all of G-d's children.