Seven Times

I've come to believe that all my past failure and frustration were actually laying the foundation for the understandings that have created the new level of living I now enjoy.

Tony Robbins


The famous pasuk says "sheva yipol tzaddik vi'kam" - A tzaddik falls seven time and rises. The sefarim teach us that this does NOT mean that DESPITE the fact that a tzaddik continuously falls spiritually, he gets up again. Rather it means that BECAUSE he falls seven times, he becomes the tzaddik he is [I discuss this idea here].

Why SEVEN times? There are various approaches.

Today after davening a friend approached me and shared that he recently read that a study was conducted and it was found that before people keep their new-years resolutions, they will first fail SEVEN times. So seven is an exact number.

So sweetest friends - if you failed you are on the road to perfection:).