Dear Failure

Dear Failure,
 
I’ve been thinking about writing to you for a while because there are things which I feel need to be said.
 
Dear Failure, you’ve been an on and off companion to me for most of my life and I daresay to the lives of many of my brothers and sisters in Klal Yisrael. I must admit, you are very good at your job and I have no doubt your boss, Mr Yetzer Hara, must be very pleased with your performance over the past 2,000 years – I’m sure your bonuses must outstrip every banker’s. However, the time has come for us to part company.
 
Please don’t take offence but I am going to outline a few of the reasons why our relationship must end.
 
My dear companion, you’ve been merciless. You’ve told us over and over again that we’ve failed HaShem, that, chas v’shalom, HaShem doesn’t love us anymore, and that other rivals for His love have assumed our mantel.  And, we’ve fallen for it. Yes, it’s true, we have behaved extraordinarily badly and we took HaShem’s love for us for granted and our arrogance continues to make us think we can bend His will to ours.  You’ve also made us forget to look at our successes, what we’ve brought to mankind through the Torah in the different countries we’ve been forced to make our temporary homes. And even when we do try so hard to please HaShem, you still manage to make us think we’ve failed, that our teshuva hasn’t been accepted, that there’s no point in trying to serve our Creator because it won’t make any difference. And even through HaShem’s miraculous intervention many of us now live in your Palace, Eretz Yisrael, some of us living according to the Torah and some of us not [yet], you continue to make us forget our true purpose for living there. Your boss has provided many strategies at your disposal and you’ve used them to your full advantage. Our enemies know this, and prey on our spiritual weaknesses. Dear Failure, you’ve made us very ill.
 
But, my dear Failure, I have some rather bad news for you.  I heard a rumour, which was subsequently confirmed by the Torah itself – the source of ultimate Truth in the world – that, well I don’t know how to break this to you, you’re soon to be made redundant!  And, I’m afraid it gets worse because your boss, Mr. Yetzer Hara is going to be – wait for it – “slaughtered”!  I know, I couldn’t believe it either. And you’ll never guess Who will be behind this dramatic occurrence?  The Ribbono Shel Olam Himself! It turns out that HaShem is actually your boss Mr Yetzer Hara’s CEO. It appears your boss doesn’t actually have any independence at all – he’s just a stick in HaShem’s hand, designed to bring us back to Him, because He loves us after all.
 
So I want to give you some advice. Since Mr. Yetzer Hara is going to be slaughtered, it’s unlikely, dear Failure, that you’ll get a severance package.  Bearing that in mind, before it’s too late, it might be a good idea to consider a career change.  I heard that Mr. Yetzer Hara’s CEO, HaShem Himself, is the CEO of another operation, whose outlook is quite different to yours. It’s been operating forever really but hasn’t taken off in quite the same way that yours has.  However, things are soon going to change quite dramatically because this other organisation is on the up. It runs according to Success and I think you ought to apply for a position.  To be honest, dear Failure, I’m surprised you’ve not had a nervous breakdown with all that doom, gloom and depression you’ve been peddling. Obviously, you haven’t got the experience at the moment but I could suggest some reading material to put you on the right track: Rabbi Arush’s Garden of Emuna and Garden of Gratitude – they’re very positive and once you begin to master the principles contained in them, you’ll find you’ll naturally start thinking in terms of Success. Lots of HaShem’s children have already starting learning emuna and many more are on the way so, dear Failure, time is of the essence – you don’t want to get left behind.  I hear the boss at this other organisation, Mr. Yetzer Hatov, is really a very good employer and HaShem Himself thinks very highly of him. Also, this operation is going to run for eternity so the employment package is really the best you could find.  
 
So it is with NO regret that I say goodbye to you but wish you much success for the future.
 
Yael