Two Minute Torah Podcast

Pinhas 5770 by Rabbi Nicole Guzik

Shalom, my name is Rabbi Nicole Guzik of Sinai Temple in Los Angeles. Welcome to KOACH’s Two-Minute Torah; a project of the College Department of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.

I was taught early on that success is not a gift; rather, success is something you practice, you earn and only then, do you achieve.

My father came to every one of my basketball practices. After every afternoon game, we would go back home, shoot some hoops and talk about the follies and triumphs he observed on the basketball court. Instead of working with me on my layup and passing drills, he would quiz me about my self-control, timing, discipline, and teamwork. My father taught me that the art of playing well on the basketball court should be likened to playing in the game of life—one must actively participate, practice with deliberation, and remember to look inside oneself to what it is that motivates you to continue day by day.

You see, my father was influenced by Coach John Wooden, zichrono livracha. Coach Wooden, who I had the opportunity to meet when he helped fundraise for our UCLA Hillel building, would teach his players that “success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing that you made the effort to become the best that you are capable of becoming.” Being successful is not necessarily making the most money or wearing the latest styles from Vogue magazine. Being successful is not necessarily shooting your free throws 100%. Rather, Coach Wooden taught that being successful is working to know who you are and who you are capable of becoming.

I think Coach Wooden would agree that success is active soul searching. We see a product of successful soul searching in this week’s parsha. Zelophehad’s daughters approach Moses for their rightful inheritance of the land. Interestingly enough, part of the sisters’ argument is explaining that their father was not part of the gathering of Korach, the assembled people who sought to overthrow Moses’ leadership and service. You see, the difference between Korach’s attempt to wrestle with the “system” and Zelophehad’s daughters is striking. According to the Tanhuma, Korach threw halakhic debate after halakhic debate at Moses, trying to weaken his intellectual authority. Through embarrassing tactics, abuse, and lack of control, Korach’s leaves a tainted blemish on our people. In parsashat Pinchas, we see quite the opposite. Zelophehad’s daughters identify a problem with their inheritance, approach Moses with sincere motivation and appeal, push fear to the side and embody the success that each one of us should strive for: being able to look within one’s self, seeing an unreached potential and yearning for a higher goal that both benefits you and the “players” around you.

In Hilchot Deot, Maimonides explains that if a scholar feels that his words will be effective and heeded, he will speak; otherwise, he will remain silent. Likewise, Coach Wooden explained to his students that one must practice self-control and be true to oneself.

What is success? I think both the Rambam and Coach Wooden would agree. Reach higher, dig deeper, look inward and extend outward. Success is not gift; it is a skill that each one of us can develop, that each one of us can achieve.

Shabbat Shalom.