Follow Moses' example and let doubt propel you

Doubt -- and self-doubt, in particular -- can trouble our souls if we allow it to instill within us the notion that we are not good enough, strong enough or capable enough to make our fondest dreams come true.

Judaism, however, teaches that the doubt that so many tend to find debilitating is actually something we ought to embrace and cherish.

Doubt, it maintains, is actually the indispensable key to the door of human knowledge and awareness. Above all, it is a test of our own beliefs in ourselves and in the world around us.

When God appeared to Moses in the form of a bush that burned unconsumed, commanding him to go unto Pharaoh, Moses was completely overwhelmed by apprehension and self-doubt.

"Who am I," Moses retorted, "that I should be the one to go unto Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?"

"What exactly should I tell them," he continued, and subsequently asked, "What if they don't believe me?"

As his meltdown proceeded, Moses opined, "I can't do this; I am a person of slow speech and tongue!" In complete diffidence, he exhorts God to "Please, send someone else!"

It's rather difficult to believe that Moses, the enshrined leader of ancient Israel, initially harbored so many doubts about himself and his own abilities and capabilities.

But don't we all!

Personally, I can remember a time as a child long ago when I fell off my two-wheel bicycle so many times that I seriously doubted I would ever learn to ride it. But, lo and behold and in spite of all of my self-doubts, the day finally came when I proved to myself that I actually could.

I also recall a time at a much later age when I seriously doubted I could ever achieve rabbinic ordination and get up in front of all those people and deliver an inspiring sermon or a poignant eulogy, but in time, and with practice and effort, I learned that indubitably, I could.

That is why my Jewish faith regards doubt as the very catalyst to deeper self-awareness and self-discovery. In overcoming it, we emerge as stronger, more capable and self-reliant individuals.

Looking back, I really can't think of a single personal challenge or worthy goal that was not accompanied by some initial measure of doubt and uncertainty, which, in time, I was able to turn into a stepping stone to greater self-confidence and self-assurance.

Despite his initial trepidations, that's exactly what Moses was able to do thousands of years ago. It's also precisely what you and I can do today with all of the doubts and apprehensions that we encounter, challenge and ultimately surmount along our journeys of a lifetime.

Rabbi Larry Schlesinger serves Temple Beth Israel in Macon.

This story was originally published January 8, 2016 at 8:46 PM with the headline "Follow Moses' example and let doubt propel you ."