Human Perfection
I always hear from people in the program the we strive for progress not perfection. I totally agree that our spiritual growth is defined by our journey not our destination. I totally agree that I can be in a relationship with G-d without being perfect.
There is however a distinction between human perfection and G-dly perfection. When I say that we don't need to be perfect, I am only excluding G-dly perfection. I must, however, strive to attain human perfection, which is to be all I can be. Human perfection is to be exactly what G-d expects me to be, and although I won't necessarily achieve it within my lifetime, it is definitely my goal to try.
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Yisrael,
I totally agree with this view.
Let me relate something that I learned from my musical mentor the great trumpeter Marcus Belgrave.
I have learned a ton from this man over the years , however a few of his teachings seem relevent here.
My teacher gave me some music to learn that was quite difficult. I took it home, and because I wanted to impress him so badly I spent the whole week practicing this music. I was ready to blow him away at our next class. Two things happened when I walked into class.
1- I was 15 minutes late to class due to terrible trafic. After my teacher repremanded me about being late, I responded instantly in front of the whole clas. "I could not control the traffic, and besides- I'm only 15 minutes late."
He responded quickly and sharply- Looking very deep into my eyes he said "That 15 minutes may have been when the secret was revealed"
He was around 70 at the time and I was 16-- I still think about the meaning of what he said to me-the way he said it, the intensity which he said it.. words can not explain.
2- I was ready to blow him away with the music he had given me to study. I played it seemingly perfectly. When I looked up I could tell he was not impressed. I did not understand why. I instantly stated that I had been practicing this piece from the time I left class last week.
My teachers response-"Cary.. practice DOES NOT make perfect.
Perfect practice makes perfect.
I knew right away what he was saying. I had practiced diligently, however I was practicing the same mistakes over and over. In my mind it was perfect. In reality my practice was flawed from the start. I had learned how to perform this piece perfectly wrong.
Than he smiled at me ear to ear like only he can. I will never forget that day.
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