The Power of Imperfection

The Gemara records a truly remarkable exchange between Moshe, Hashem and the angels that took place when Moshe ascended to receive the Torah for the Yidden.

In one part of the exchange, when Hashem tells Moshe to answer the angels’ claim to keep the Torah, Hashem says: החזר להם תשובה – give them an answer.

Why does Hashem not use an expression הען להם, תן להם מענה - all more common ways of saying “answer them”?

To understand this expression, we must first understand the angels’ argument to Hashem. 

When the angels saw that Hashem was preparing to give the Torah to the Yidden, they protested: “Why are you giving away this precious treasure? Don’t you want the Torah to be learned forever and the Mitzvos kept to perfection? If you keep the Torah with us, we will learn it and keep its Mitzvos to the very last detail!

“Don’t give the Torah to humans!” they continued, “They are moody, unpredictable, and unreliable. You tell them to do something and if they are not feeling up to it, they’ll ignore you! They will look for excuses, cut corners… and when things get too difficult, they are liable to altogether abandon your Torah and Mitzvos!

“Your Torah will be better kept by us in heaven!” they concluded.

Hashem told Moshe, "החזר להם תשובה"…

“Tell the angels about the power of Teshuva. Explain to the Angels that I do not need armies of robots who will forever learn my Torah and meticulously keep my Mitzvos. Explain to them that I did not create this world to enjoy watching perfect beings perfectly keeping my Mitzvos. Tell the angels that I take pleasure in the challenge!”

החזר להם תשובה

Hashem desires Avoda that comes from the struggle, the failing, the falling… and the rising thereafter. In Hashem’s eyes, it is our very imperfection that makes us the perfect candidates for his Torah and Mitzvos, because He takes pleasure in our getting back up in face of challenges more so than if there was no challenge in the first place.

החזר להם תשובה

Hashem desires the Teshuva – the Avoda that comes after and despite the challenge. And such an Avoda cannot be accomplished by angels In heaven. It can only be accomplished by us, here in in this world.

The Yetzer Hara tries to convince us that our imperfection is an excuse to take liberties in our Avodas Hashem. He tries to convince us that until we have worked out all the details, we should not give Hashem an Avoda that is imperfect.

We must remember that Hashem deliberately created us imperfect, so that we can accomplish the tremendous achievement of learning Torah and keeping its Mitzvos despite these very imperfections and challenges.

Let us celebrate our imperfection, and with the Koach of Torah and Mitzvos continue perfecting ourselves and the world around us.