Be Strong and of Good Courage

In the parsha Vayyelech, G-d tells Moses to be strong and of good courage three times. The first time, G-d tells Moses that he should “fear not, nor be scared” of fighting an enemy that appears to be stronger than you. The second time, G-d says, “Be strong and of good courage” to tell the people in public that Joshua will be in charge after Moses dies. The third time, G-d tells the people that not only will Joshua be in charge, but that G-d will be with him and the Jewish people as they enter the promised land. When G-d says the same words three times, it is a very important statement for all of us to consider.

So, what does it mean that at the end of your life, or when you turn leadership over to someone younger than you, who is less experienced than you, that the less experienced person should be strong and of good courage? It means that a chosen person given more responsibility may worry that he or she is not ready for the new job they are given, that they may not be up for the responsibility. That is natural and worry may be part of any new assignment. However, if you are picked for the job, then your boss or your leader has determined that you are ready for the assignment, that you know enough to take on the new job. Therefore, your leader has faith in you, so have faith in yourself.

This is the case for parents who have given their children the proper knowledge and character to move forward in their life. They have taught them enough that they can tell them to be strong because they are strong, and they are told to have good courage because they have been well trained for their new assignment. So, they are not to worry about it.

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This is also the case for a new job, or a new assignment. Many years ago, my boss took me to dinner, something he never did, and told me about a new assignment in Atlanta. He told me I was the best choice, but I wasn’t sure. I worried about it, but I moved forward because other people thought I was ready. Looking back, I worried at first, but my wife and I just moved forward. We didn’t spend a lot of time worrying. We prepared for the move, put our trust in people who helped us, and it worked out extremely well.

I have worriers in my family, and I hear worries from my friends. They worry about their job, their new home, their finances, their children, and their medical condition. Worry alone does not accomplish much by itself. Worry needs to lead to action, to think through what can be done and do it. Often it is to pick the right people to help, in addition to doing it yourself. Worry without action leads to despair. Action is the best medicine for worry. Just decide what to do and just do it.

At my bar mitzvah, I was petrified that I had to give a speech to everyone there. In my summer job, I worried about being fired and never was. In college, I worried about my grades, and then gave it a strong effort. I worried about meeting the right woman to marry, and boy was I lucky. I worried about how to best raise my children and now they are a comfort for me. In business, I worried day after day, and it turned out better than I ever imagined. And now in later years of my life, I have worked hard to stop worrying about what is not important, and most things are not important.

And for all of you sharing in this New Year, the fact that you are alive is indicative that you can be strong and be of good courage in whatever you take on in your life. Being strong is to believe in yourself, and being of good courage is to stop worrying whether you will succeed. If you have put in the effort, then you need not worry about the result. Whatever happens, you can say to yourself and to others that you did your best.