This last 100 years has been characterised by man’s
ever-increasing obsession with the image he projects of himself to others.
We seem happy to spend an inordinate amount of our energy
and resources in presenting our goods to the consumer, our politicians to the
voters, and indeed ourselves to our friends, in a manner designed to have the
maximum appeal.
Theodore White, in his best-selling book “The Making of the
President” revealed how it is perfectly feasible to sell a candidate for the
highest political office in the Western world to the public, as one would a
packet of soap-powder or a can of beer. The age of the image-maker has arrived
and, it seems, is here to stay.
In embarking on his monumental task of converting a heathen
and amoral society to a belief in a disciplined and ethical way of life imposed
by a Creator, Abraham, we might feel, may have been fully justified in showing
every legitimate concern and interest in the image that he and his cause were
projecting to others.
Yet the advice of the Almighty is clear and direct – Lech
lecha – which is interpreted by some commentators to mean, “Go into yourself –
delve into yourself- discover your own true self.”
Be not excessively concerned with creating the false
picture that you imagine others would prefer of you. Once the artificiality of a
synthetic image is exposed, the cause behind it is irreversibly destroyed.
Abraham was expected to be true to himself; to be his own man.
Rabbi Zusya of Annapol was fond of saying, “If they ask me
in the world to come why I have never attained the piety of the Baal Shem Tov, I
will reply “Who can compare me to the Baal Shem Tov?” If they ask me also why I
never acquired the eloquence of the Maggid of Mezherich, I will reply, “I was
not born as the Maggid of Mezherich.”
“But what will I answer if they ask me, “Zusya, why were
you not Zusya – surely that was within your grasp?”
To be ourselves is the greatest challenge of all. Our
fulfilment in life comes with the discovery and development of our own strengths
and virtues, and in so doing we present to others the finest image of all – that
of our Maker.
