Small tidbits and Sparks of wisdom

Gradual Growth, Real Identity, and the Trap of Sudden Success

—

Chapter 1: The Value of the Average Man

In a world obsessed with talent, genius, and fame, there remains a deep and quiet blessing in being average—the man or woman of moderate intelligence, solid values, and steady temperament. Such a person isn’t weighed down by the inner torment of brilliance nor intoxicated by illusions of grandeur. His strength lies in stability, consistency, and knowing his place.

He doesn’t fly too high—so he doesn’t crash.

The average man rises early, provides for his family, supports his community, and walks with God without needing to be seen. He has no dramatic downfall because he climbs no false pedestal. In a Torah worldview, this isn’t a weakness. It is a virtue. As Chazal say:

> “Tov shachen karov me’ach rachok” – A nearby neighbor is better than a distant brother.

This isn’t only about geography. It’s about realism. Better to be rooted in reality than to chase illusions of greatness.

Society teaches that average means failure. But Hashem’s world tells a different story. The “beinoni”, the in-between man described in Mussar and Chassidus, is the ideal—the one who constantly struggles, constantly builds. The tzaddik is rare. The rasha is destructive. But the average man who keeps climbing is what the world is built upon.

—

Chapter 2: The Curse of Sudden Success

Sudden change is rarely a blessing.

When a man wins the lottery overnight, it’s often not wealth that enters his life—but chaos. Many lottery winners return to poverty within a few years. The money reveals who they already were. If they lacked inner structure and discipline, wealth becomes a weapon—not a tool. Marriages fall apart, addictions arise, and pride leads to ruin.

Why? Because transformation without preparation leads to collapse.

This same danger exists in the spiritual world. A man raised without mitzvot may suddenly dive into Torah observance. His actions may be passionate—but superficial. Without proper foundations, he burns out. A convert or baal teshuvah who rushes through the outer changes—clothing, speech, lifestyle—without internalizing the Torah slowly, falls into the trap of imitation without absorption. The soul wasn’t ready. The steps were skipped.

For this reason, the Torah insists on process.

When Hashem took us out of Egypt, it wasn’t instantaneous. The plagues unfolded gradually. Then came the crossing of the sea. Then forty-nine days of internal preparation, one day at a time, leading to Har Sinai. And even then, the people were not fully ready. They failed at the Golden Calf, rejected the Land due to the spies, and showed impatience with Moshe. They had freedom, but not yet identity. It would take forty years in the wilderness for a new generation to grow into their role.

> Growth without grounding is a setup for failure.

This theme was captured prophetically in the song “Like Janis” by Rodriguez, a 1970 folk protest ballad that criticized materialism, superficiality, and artificial relationships. One haunting lyric declares:

> “You can walk in silk and have all the power and the glory,
But a monkey in silk is still a monkey.”

Rodriguez’s song[¹] reminds us: You can change your clothes, your house, your status—but if you haven’t changed inside, you’re just dressing up failure in luxury.

The Torah teaches the same. Without inner refinement, the outer image is a lie. Holiness cannot be faked. Wealth cannot replace character. Wisdom without humility leads to arrogance. Growth without work leads to collapse.

Those who climb gradually—whether in Torah, finance, or marriage—build lasting success. They have a foundation. They have tools. They have patience. The Torah was never meant to be swallowed in a day. Nor was success.

Let others chase quick wins and grand displays. We follow a slow, sacred path—brick by brick, step by step.

—

Conclusion: The Dignity of the Middle

The modern world despises the average man. He’s not famous. He’s not on social media. He doesn’t live for likes. He simply lives.

But in the world of Torah, the average man is the pillar of the world. The one who works honestly, learns Torah steadily, raises a family in modesty, gives tzedakah with dignity, and walks humbly with his God. He may never get an award. But in Heaven, he’s counted among the great.

The man who builds slowly may never be glamorous—but he will endure. The man who grows in Torah day by day may not preach, but he stands strong. The woman who takes on mitzvot with sincerity and realism builds a palace of faith.

As the Jewish people learned in Egypt and the desert—and as every individual learns in his own struggles—there are no shortcuts to holiness. Sudden success, whether in wealth or religion, is dangerous if unearned. But steady, humble effort builds greatness that lasts for generations.

—

Footnote

[¹] “Like Janis” by Rodriguez, 1970 album “Cold Fact.” The song critiques the illusions of materialism and superficial relationships. Rodriguez wrote with penetrating moral clarity. The lyric, “a monkey in silk is still a monkey”, expresses the futility of outer success without inner transformation. Full lyrics: https://genius.com/Rodriguez-like-janis-lyrics

—