Eyes on the Prize

My life is over, Richard thought to himself, as he looked around the small prison cell. A small window of perhaps six inches was located eight feet up on one wall, letting in a minimal of sunlight. Just enough to cast shadows across the bald head of the man dozing on the top bunk. In the far corner was a small sink and a toilet, which, surprisingly, had a toilet cover. The room was otherwise empty and very depressing.
I thought Hashem was supposed to be kind. So why does He keep letting me mess up? Why didn't He prevent me from stealing that car last night? And why didn't He try to stop me from robbing that electronics shop, and how come He didn't override my decision to fight with the police officer who detained me, and for what purpose did He permit me to speak disrespectfully to the judge in court today? 'HELLO! DO YOU EVEN CARE?!' Richard yelled in anger at the ceiling of the small prison cell. 'IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT! YOU COULD HAVE STOPPED ME!'
'Hey, would you mind keeping it down? I'm trying to get some sleep here.' Said the hairless cellmate.
'Get some sleep? How can you sleep in this place? I can't even bear being here anymore. I'm sick of it. I spend more time here then I do at home. Every time I get out, Hashem let's me make the same stupid mistakes over and over again. When's He going to intervene and break my habits already?'
'Whoa,' Smooth-head said as he sat up in bed, letting his legs dangle down. 'You seem to have quite a distorted understanding of why you're here, son.'
'I know exactly why I'm here, Mr. Clean. It's because Hashem hates me and He wants to ruin my life, so He created me a thief and now I'm doomed to forever fluctuate between being in jail and being chased by cops.'
The man, who appeared to be in his fifties, jumped down from the top bunk, landing with surprising grace right next to Richard. 'Come here.' He gestured, as he went to stand beneath the window. 'Stand up on my shoulders and have a look out there.'
Richard gazed out in amazement at a beautiful landscape of rolling, green hills, rivers, olive groves, and small lakes. Wildlife abounded that gave the hills the appearance of being animated with a life of their own. The awesomely wide view indicated that the prison stood atop a tall mountain, for in the very far distance Richard was able to see the ocean, spread forth in all its splendor.
'Wow! Where are we?' Richard asked.
'How many times did you say you've been here?' Baldy inquired.
'Uh, I lost count when I ran out of fingers.'
'And you never once tried looking out the window?' The man asked, a bit surprised.
Richard climbed down, 'No. I was always too busy complaining to Hashem for bringing me back to this forlorn place.' He said as he began pacing. 'And anyway, it never occurred to me that there was anything worth looking at out there so I never took the time or effort to pull myself up.'
'Hmm. I think I'm beginning to understand now why you can't seem to break out of your thieving lifestyle.'
The man walked to the large steel door which cut them off from the graceful landscape beyond, and, putting his hand on the handle he turned to Richard and said, 'Follow me.'
Richard stood gawking unbelievingly as the man opened the door and walked out into the hall.
'Well? Are you coming?'
Richard shook himself out of his stupor and gingerly followed the man to the end of the hall where an elevator stood waiting for them. 'Where are all the guards?' He asked in confusion.
The doors slid shut and they began their descent.
'You think everything in life is a struggle so you don't even bother trying anymore. That's your problem. You keep expecting resistance so you've become complacent with your current status. Not good.'
The doors opened to the outdoors.
Richard was frozen in his place. He blinked from the brilliance of the implausible reality which portrayed itself before his eyes…
The brand new sports car, which got him into this whole mess, stood there with its door alluringly open, beckoning him to step out of the elevator.
'I…I…I…I can't do it.' Richard stammered as he began shaking uncontrollably. His feet, which seemed to have a mind of their own, began moving him in the direction of the shiny prize. 'You're a thief. You can't help yourself. Don't even bother trying to fight it. It's ok. By taking this car you'll simply be fulfilling your destiny. Come on. It's ok. It's ok. It's ok.'
'NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!'
With a will power that transcended human reason Richard twisted his body and leaped back into the elevator as the doors were sliding shut. His heart pounding wildly, he burst out when they reopened back on the floor lined with prison cells, and bolted down the hall, back into his room, slamming the door behind him.
Huddling in the corner beneath the window he began to cry. 'Hashem! I can't take this anymore. I want to just stay here. Life's temptations are bigger and stronger than me. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.' He wept bitterly, until he passed out from sheer exhaustion.
The sound of the heavy door opening roused him out of his unconsciousness and, through bleary eyes, he made out Mr. Shiny-head standing there with a key dangling from a chain.
'You did it, Richard. You did it!' He called out triumphantly. 'You turned your back on your low self-perception and broke the shackles of your habitual past.'
Throwing him the keys, he added, 'Some things in life are meant to be yours, but you must first overcome your impatience with yourself. Hashem doesn't hate you. Like the spies from this week's parsha, you simply couldn't believe that Hashem would keep doing miracles on your behalf. How many times were you released from prison? The Israelites may have been trapped still in their slave mentality, and their own self-image they projected onto their surroundings. Wake up man! Don't focus on the fact that you keep falling into prison. Rather, focus on the fact that you've been released from prison. Again and again and again. Hashem loves you and has tremendous faith in you. All He asks is that you be willing to exert yourself a little bit and you'll be surprised at how quickly He comes to your aid.'
Don't use your heart and your eyes as tour guides, because they project your past onto the present. Hashem took you out of Egypt. You're not trapped anymore. Follow Him. He'll project eternity on you.