* Translated by Janine Muller Sherr
Do we believe in ourselves enough? Here is a story from my children’s book, “Ligdol,” that highlights this issue.
Avigayil was very excited. Today her father was taking her to the zoo, but not as just an ordinary visitor. A friend of her father’s, who worked at the zoo, would be taking them “behind the scenes” for a fascinating personal tour. When they arrived at the zoo, they visited the monkeys and parrots and met their trainers and keepers. On the side, they noticed an enormous elephant attached to a small peg. “Why doesn’t the elephant just pull out the peg and escape?” Avigayil asked. Her father’s friend smiled. “Everyone who comes here asks the same question. It’s actually very simple. This elephant was born in the zoo and grew up here as a baby elephant, small and weak. The years passed and the elephant grew and got stronger, but he still believed that he couldn’t pull out the peg. It’s clear to everyone that one kick from the elephant would easily knock out the peg, but the elephant is unaware of his own strength. He doesn’t even try to break free.”
Obviously, this is not just a story about an elephant who isn’t aware of its own strength. In our parasha this week, the phrase, “Be strong and courageous,” is repeated numerous times. The message being conveyed is that we need to be strong and believe that we can achieve our goals, that God is with us, and that we can break through perceived barriers. This is true on a national level, that we, the Jewish people, should not feel held back, and it is also true on an individual level. Everyone can get stuck on some “peg” during their lifetime. We all need other people to offer us encouragement and to tell us, “Be strong and courageous!” to remind us that we are capable of achieving more.
