Journey Into Our Unknown

By Rabbi Levi Cunin

The great Chassidic master, the Baal Shemtov, in one of his teachings, describes different levels of  self-awareness and self consciousness. In describing a person who is unaware of his deficiencies, the Baal Shemtov highlights the person who is not only oblivious to his shortcomings but who actually prides himself in how great he is. “And the example for this.” the Baal Shemtov continues, " is similar to a woman of poor means, who had one egg and became very excited about the egg.  She imagined how from this one egg she will eventually be able to purchase a cow and eventually acquire more cattle and become a person of great means.

How will this come to be? She will place the egg under the hen of her friend so that it will give forth a chick. And from the chick there will be many eggs and chicks, successively. And in the midst of her utter joy, and her joyful play with the egg, the egg drops from her hands and  falls onto the frozen ground.  She has left  an iced egg.  So, concludes the Baal Shemtov, similar to her is the one who is unaware of his shortcomings. In contrast, someone who is aware of his shortcomings can attempt to ascend.

Are you confused? Here is how I understood the metaphor: The biggest blind spot of all, is the one we are completely unaware of.  In other words, it is obvious to us, in retrospect for sure, perhaps obvious to some at the time. Like the woman, who was so caught up in the moment that she did not responsibly care for the egg. She was unfocused and careless.  She did not, in the here-and-now, realize her shortcomings. Instead, she was consumed with her vision and it became not a fulfillment, but a fantasy.    
  
It seems that the Baal Shemtov is telling us that when we choose to ignore our shortcomings, we deprive ourselves of the true fulfillment of our dreams and instead get stuck living in a self-made fantasy.

Do you have a different interpretation? I would love to hear from you, rabbi@jewishmalibu.com 

Shabbat Shalom!