Rav Zusha
Rav Zusha was lying on his deathbed surrounded by his disciples. He was crying and no one could comfort him. One student asked his Rav (teacher), “Why do you cry? You were almost as wise as Moses and as kind as Abraham.” Rav Zusha answered, “When I pass from this world and appear before the Gates of Heaven, I am not afraid of being asked, ‘Zusha, why weren’t you as wise as Moses or as kind as Abraham?’ After all, God already has a Moses. I am afraid, however, of being asked, ‘Zusha, why weren’t you Zusha?’ Why didn’t I fulfill my potential, why didn’t I follow the path that could have been mine?”
Questions to Consider and Discuss:
- What is Rav Zusha worried about? Do you worry about the same thing?
- Why is it so hard to be true to ourselves?
- Why is our test in life not to rise to the level of Moses, but rather to fully be ourselves?
