Parshat Re’eh: Reach Your Potential!

In this week’s parshah, Moshe Rabbeinu says, “Re’eh anochi nosen lifneichem hayom brachah u’klalah”—“See, I place before you today a blessing and a curse.” The Midrash notes that this verse can be read quite literally: “Re’eh anochi”—see me! Moshe was telling Klal Yisrael, “Look at who I’ve become. Look at what I’ve accomplished. Follow my path.”

But this raises a compelling question. Moshe was the humblest man who ever lived. How could he say, “See me”? Isn’t that a contradiction to his humility?

I heard from my father, Rav Yitzchok Fingerer shlita, a beautiful answer based on the Sifsei Tzadik. Moshe wasn’t boasting. Rather, he was encouraging. He was saying: “Look at me—not because I am better than you, but because I struggled just like you. I had challenges. I had temptations. I made mistakes. But I didn’t give up—and you shouldn’t either.”

Moshe’s message was clear: “If I could do it, so can you. If I reached greatness, so can you. I am no different from you. You have the same potential.” What an empowering message! Moshe was modeling not arrogance, but inspiration. He wanted klal Yisrael to believe in themselves.

The Netziv, Rav Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin zt”l, once shared a deeply personal story that reinforces this message. At a public celebration marking the publication of one of his great commentaries, the Netziv recalled his childhood. As a young boy, he had no interest in learning. He daydreamed in class and made no effort. One day, at age 11, he overheard his parents speaking. His father had just consulted with his teacher, and together they had concluded that the young Naftali Tzvi would never amount to anything in Torah learning. They had decided it was time to pull him out of yeshivah and send him to apprentice with the local shoemaker.

Devastated, the boy ran to his parents and pleaded: “Please give me another chance. Let me prove that I can learn. I’ll try harder—I promise.” His parents agreed.

From that day forward, the young Netziv poured his energy into learning. He studied with intensity, persistence, and passion—and eventually became one of the greatest Torah leaders of his time.

He concluded his speech with this haunting reflection: “What if I hadn’t overheard that conversation? What if I had become a shoemaker? I would have been successful—but after 120 years, when I arrived in the World of Truth, I would have been asked: ‘Where are your sefarim? Where are your commentaries? Where is the Torah you were meant to bring into the world?’ What could I possibly say?”

Each of us has untapped greatness within. Every Jew is born with a unique spark and a mission only they can fulfill. Like Moshe, and like the Netziv, we may face obstacles. But if we believe in our potential, if we push forward with faith and effort, we too can achieve spiritual greatness.

Let’s take Moshe’s words to heart. “Re’eh anochi”— see your own potential reflected in mine. You can be great. You can rise. You can inspire.

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Aryeh Fingerer is a passionate Jewish speaker who connects with readers around the world through his meaningful and relatable divrei Torah. He’s dedicated to spreading positivity and strengthening our bond with Yiddishkeit through stories, insights, and timeless Torah values.
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