Virtual Drasha: Don't Be A Tzaddik (Nitzavim)

Rabbi Silber's Virtual Drasha on Nitzavim, "Don't Be a Tzaddik," reads Moshe's promise that the Torah "is not in the heavens" as permission to stop chasing an impossible standard. Following Rashi, he teaches that Hashem does not ask any of us to be a tzaddik or a saint, only to come close to ourselves, honestly knowing our strengths so we can build on them and our weaknesses so we can address them. As Rosh Hashana approaches, he reframes teshuva as attainable self-honesty rather than a demand for perfection, while leaving the door open: if you want to reach for greater heights of holiness, the sky is the limit.

• Hashem does not ask you to be a tzaddik; He only asks you to come close to yourself and be honest about who you are.
• Real growth starts with knowing your strengths so you can build on them and your weaknesses so you can address them.
• Hashem never sets a standard for us that we are not capable of reaching.
• The only glass ceilings in life are the ones we create for ourselves.
• Entering Rosh Hashana, remember that becoming your truest self is always within reach, even if greatness feels far off.