The Jewish Approach To Failure

ByMeital Lindenberg

NCSY hatzalah chaburas

When you think of a successful person, what comes to mind? What about a righteous person? How do you define success?

משלי כ״ד:ט״ז

(טז) כִּ֤י שֶׁ֨בַע ׀ יִפּ֣וֹל צַדִּ֣יק וָקָ֑ם וּ֝רְשָׁעִ֗ים יִכָּשְׁל֥וּ בְרָעָֽה׃

Proverbs 24:16

(16) Seven times the righteous man falls and gets up,
While the wicked are tripped by one misfortune.

Why do you think it specifically says seven times?

Seven = Days of the week, it is not an arbitrary number. Seven represents the constant falling down each and every day, but consistently learning from our mistakes and pushing forward

Sometimes falling a little is exactly what propels us towards change and successful living

Try it! Jump straight up and then with bending down before. In which scenario did you jump higher?

בבא בתרא י״ז א:ו׳

תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן אַרְבָּעָה מֵתוּ בְּעֶטְיוֹ שֶׁל נָחָשׁ וְאֵלּוּ הֵן בִּנְיָמִין בֶּן יַעֲקֹב וְעַמְרָם אֲבִי מֹשֶׁה וְיִשַׁי אֲבִי דָּוִד וְכִלְאָב בֶּן דָּוִד וְכוּלְּהוּ גְּמָרָא לְבַר מִיִּשַׁי אֲבִי דָוִד

Bava Batra 17a:6

The Sages taught in a baraita: There were four people who died only because of the counsel of the primordial snake, in the wake of which all of humanity became mortal, and not on account of any personal sin. And they are: Benjamin, son of Jacob; Amram, father of Moses; Yishai, father of David; and Chileab, son of David. And all of these are known through tradition except for Yishai, father of David

These 4 people in Tanach never sinned which is clearly admirable. However who do you think made a bigger impact on humanity, Amram or Moshe Rabbeinu? Yishai or Dovid Hamelech?

Those who persevered: Most nonprofits are started by those who went through a difficulty and sought to be the change they wished to see in the world (Example: Hatzalah)

"Falling is not failure, not getting up is failure." - Rabbi Zecharia Wallerstein zt"l