Day 27/50: Determination Completely Up to Us

מַה־תִּצְעַ֖ק אֵלָ֑י דַּבֵּ֥ר אֶל־בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל וְיִסָּֽעוּ

Why do you cry out to Me? Speak to the children of Israel and GO!

The Vilna Gaon says that what a person says they want, and even what they feel they want, has no relation to what they actually want. The Yetzer Hara was given permission to make a person feel they want something they really don’t. 

The same goes for what a person feels they can or cannot do. This has no relation to what you can or can’t do in reality. You must believe you will succeed, even if you feel you can’t!

The biggest obstacle to succeeding is not believing you can succeed. The first impediment to overcoming this struggle is not in your genes, your childhood or your environment. If you believe you can succeed and are willing to make the effort, you will find the way out. Absolutely NOTHING stands in the way of a true RATZON. 

We must truly want to break free of this Mitzrayim. Chazal say that those who didn’t want to leave Mitzrayim died in the plague of darkness. Already at the outset of our journey, we must be determined that we will never give up and always keep trying, no matter what.

R’ Tzadok HaKohen of Lublin writes (Tzidkas Hatzadik 154): “Just as one must believe in Hashem, so too, one must believe in himself!” Hashem wants us to BELIEVE in our strengths, our capabilities, and in our ability to overcome our challenges and achieve greatness.