Ten days ago, my son Mendel was feeling down. (Thank G-d for small matters!) The Houston Astros lost two of the first 3 games in the World Series. The losses were particularly bad and panic quickly spread to many fans. The comments were along the lines of
There is no way they are coming back from this...
Time to fire the manager...
They've given up. It's Over.
I quickly noticed, however, that players themself never sound defeated and remain very optimistic even after suffering a bad loss. Their response is more like:
We all know we can win this series...
We've been here before. We're not worried...
What happened yesterday has absolutely no connection to what happens today....
Apparently this is common. It got me wondering: Why is it that many fans quickly go into "panic mode" and give up on their team after a bad play or game while players feel very differently?
The obvious answer is that athletes are the ones playing in the game themself. They aren't just spectators. When you are actually in the driver's seat, it's that much easier to trust your abilities. Furthermore, athletes are professionals. They know the importance of positive thinking. They are trained to be resilient and quickly move on from a bad day.
Indeed, the Astros went on to win the Championship, winning each of the next 3 games in convincing fashion including a no-hitter. And we once again have a very happy Mendel! (In honor of the occasion, here is a picture with him and the Jewish ballplayer on the team.)
But it got me thinking. I don't think we talk enough about the importance of SPIRITUAL RESILIENCY.
We all have our bad days. We make mistakes. An important question to ask ourselves is whether we act like the fan or the professional? Do our "bad days" shlep us down and make us think less of ourselves? Or can we quickly turn the page and realize yesterday's loss has nothing to do with today. Each day offers countless redemption opportunities for Mitzvot.
Contemplete this teaching from the Baal Shem Tov:
A Sin is like a snakebite. Yes, the bite hurts. But it isn't the bite itself that kills. The real damage comes from the venom. The venom is the toxicity that spreads when we tell ourselves "I'm not good enough" or "there's no point in trying..."
This same principle applies for the times we try to do a Mitzvah, but, for whatever the reason, fall short. How do we respond?
Are we the fan that despairs and tells themself it's a lost cause? Or are we the professional who says, "I may not have succeeded today but but this doesn't change me or my values. I can't wait until my next opportunity."
An wonderful example appears in this week's Torah portion. When Avraham hears that the evil city of Sodom was to be destroyed he famously argued with G-d, pleading and negotiating that Hashem spare the city on behalf of the righteous that live there.
Sadly, his request was turned down. There was no holy group of people in Sodom. The decree was final.
And yet, the very verse tells us something extraordinary. Right after failing in his mission, " Avraham returned to the place where he had stood before the Lord."
One may have expected Avraham to change after this experience. Would he still believe in G-d's love and goodness? Would he have the strength to pass his own tests after experiencing this "failure"?
The answer was a resounding YES! His faith wasn't broken. His outlook in life didn't change. Sure, he was let down. But he picked up and went back to doing the same hospitality and teaching.
L'chaim to a life of spiritual resiliency!