It had all the excitement that you could ask for in a varsity basketball game. Charlie Harary was in the 10th grade playing at home, and he and his team were up by one point, with only 30 seconds left until the end of the game. The gym was packed with spectators who were cheering wildly for the home team. Just then, the visiting team hit a miracle shot putting them ahead by 1 with only 8 seconds left until the end of the game. The entire gym became dead silent. The coach quickly called a time-out. As Charlie and his teammates surrounded the coach, the coach explained their next play. He chose a certain player to take the shot to win the game, but stressed that if he wasn’t open, he should pass to someone else and that player should shoot. The referee blew his whistle, and they began their play. One way or another, the player who was supposed to take the shot wasn’t open, so he passed the ball to Charlie. Charlie was wide open, with 5 seconds left. For a brief moment, he thought about taking the shot, but he panicked. He was too afraid that he might miss the shot and lose the game. He quickly passed to another player with 3 seconds left, who threw up a prayer that didn’t have much of a chance. The ball went towards the basket, but bounced out. They had lost. After the game, the coach came into the locker room and said “good game”. As everyone filed out, he said “hey Charlie, can we talk for a minute?”. Charlie knew that he was in for it, but what the coach said to him next had an impression on him that has lasted until this very day. "I have been coaching for over 30 years. I put tremendous forethought, as well as my years of experience into the game-decisions that I make. When I put you on the court with 10 seconds left, I did so because I knew you could hit that shot. Next time, if you won’t believe in yourself, at least believe in ME". 

Rashi explains that the reason why a Jew cannot remain hanged overnight is because a human being is created in the image and likeness of G-d Himself. As the Torah states “in the image of G-d He made man” (Bereishis 9:6). A Jew embodies this concept in the greatest form. Therefore, it is disgraceful to G-d to hang the body of a Jew overnight. Rashi brings this point home with a parable: there were two brothers who were identical twins. One became a great and noble king, while his twin brother became a bandit and was hanged for his crimes. Whoever would see the bandit hanging would exclaim “Look! the king has been hanged!”, not realizing that it was the king’s twin. Similarly, because we are created in G-d’s image, it is disgraceful to G-d if a Jew is hanged for more than a brief period of time (see Minchas Chinuch, Mitzvah 537, who states according to Rashi that this prohibition, as well as Rashi’s message, applies specifically to Jews). Indeed, this is one of the sources which teaches us that, on some level, we have an incredible likeness to G-d and were made in His image.

With this, we can answer our question. As we go through Elul and start to sense the coming of the Yomim Norayim (High Holidays), some of us just don’t feel motivated to reach great spiritual heights. After all, we may reason, do I really have the talents and skills required to achieve spiritual greatness? At other times, we may feel like it’s just not worth the effort to improve in a certain area because we aren’t destined for spiritual greatness anyways. However, this week’s parshah and the law prohibiting a body from remaining hanged overnight is intended to dispel this very notion, and to provide US with vital encouragement. By G-d referencing that He chose to create us in HIS image in this week’s parshah, it is supposed to remind us of the message in the above-mentioned story. It is as if Hashem is telling us: “I have been doing this for a long time. I am very capable of choosing exactly who is best-suited to carry My image and represent Me on earth. I hand-picked you and created you because I know that you can be more than just mediocre; you can be truly AMAZING. I put tremendous forethought into giving you exactly the right talents and life settings you require to make Me proud. You are wide open, and can succeed, as long as you are willing to take the shot. If you won’t believe in yourself... at least believe in ME". (Inspired by a lecture given by Charlie Harary)

Living Inspired

As we see from this week’s parshah, each and every one if us is considered worthy by Hashem to be made in His image. However, this deep concept begs the question: What does it mean that man was created in the image of G-d? G-d has no body, so how could that even be possible? 

R’ Shafier explains as follows: there are many different levels of representation. A model of the empire state building, for example, is intended to be a reminder of the great building in New York. At the same time, it is far from being the real thing. A flag of a country, on the other hand, is more than just a reminder of a country. It symbolizes the nation itself. There is still a greater form of representation. The ambassador of a country doesn’t just symbolize a country. Rather, he directly represents an entire country of millions of people. If an ambassador goes to another country, and the leader of that country spits at him, he has effectively disgraced an entire country and that act could even be understood as an act of war. This is because an ambassador is a living and breathing representation of a large group of people. However, there exists an even greater form of representation: a Jew, who is the greatest representation of G-d that is physically possible. You see, a Jew is G-d’s ambassador to the world and represents Him, His will and His Presence in the single greatest form imaginable. Indeed, a Jew is an even greater representation of Hashem than any replica or even ambassador. In fact, a Jew’s representation of G-d is SO great that he can even, in some sense, be mistaken as Him, as this week’s parshah illustrates.

Each morning, we say in Modeh Ani: thank you, Hashem, for returning life to my body with mercy...“Rabah emunasecha” - “great is your faith". Our Sages explain as follows: from the fact that You gave me another day of life, it is the greatest testimony that You have faith in ME to succeed. In fact, R’ Tzadok HaKohen brings a proof from the Torah that “just as a person is required to believe in G-d, he is similarly required to believe in HIMSELF (ie. one’s own incredible potential)” (see Tzidkas Ha’Tzadik 154). Every moment that you are alive attests to the fact that Hashem still believes in YOU and knows that you can accomplish incredible things.

It is no coincidence that parshas Ki Seitzei is always read in the month of Elul, closely preceding Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. It is intended to remind us that Elul is NOT a time when we are supposed to become despondent or feel that there is a "doomsday” looming ahead. Rather, Elul and the Yomim Norayim are our time to shine. They are opportunities for us to refocus, reawaken and remind ourselves of the great potential that lays within each and every one of us. This Elul, may we feel the inner-strength required for real growth by understanding that we are truly powerful, hand-picked and special members of our beautiful nation, that we possess a G-dly essence, and from the knowledge that Hashem truly believes in US.