Reply To: Short & Sweet

V’eschanan: See Who You Can Be

Before his death, Moshe sought to recap all that had happened to Klal Yisroel in his lifetime, putting special emphasis on the things that needed improvement. Moshe did not hold back, letting the nation know exactly what their mistakes were.

Yet constantly interspersed with this rebuke is a tremendous amount of praise. Moshe constantly emphasizes how special Klal Yisroel is, the chosen nation of Hashem. כי מי גוי גדול אשר לו אלוקים קרובים אליו

The Ran explains that these two elements are both necessary and complimentary. As long as a person has not acknowledged his mistakes and shortcomings, he has no chance of fixing them. But it is not enough to just point these things out. A person also has to believe that he is capable of being better than he is now, that he can rise above his shortcomings, that he has the potential within him to be great. Only when a person sees both where they are and where they can reach can they excel.

לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלום