WATCH: Embracing Who You Are: A Torah perspective

Sometimes it feels like you’re stuck, like no matter how hard you try, success just isn’t coming. You start questioning yourself, wondering if your personality, your quirks, or your flaws are holding you back. Maybe, you think, if you could just be someone else, someone louder, smoother, or different, you’d finally break through.

But Jewish wisdom offers a different path, one that says the key to your blessings lies in embracing the person God made you to be. A story about a kohen, a priest tasked with diagnosing tzaraat, shows us how.

Imagine a kohen struggling to make a living in Israel. His work, checking skin afflictions like tzaraat (a condition tied to speaking ill of others) isn’t paying the bills. He tells his wife he’s leaving the country to seek a better livelihood abroad. She supports him but asks, “What happens when someone needs you to check for tzaraat while you’re gone?”

He explains the process: look at the hair on the skin. If it’s frail or discolored, it signals a problem at the root, a sign of tzaraat beneath. Each hair, he says, grows from its own unique root, no two hairs share the same source.

His wife pauses, struck by this. “If every hair has its own root,” she asks, “doesn’t every person have their own root too? Doesn’t God have a unique plan for your sustenance, right here in Israel?” Her words hit deep. The kohen realizes he doesn’t need to chase someone else’s path or leave his home. His livelihood, his purpose, is tied to who he is, where he is. He stays, trusting that God’s plan for him is enough.

This story, rooted in Jewish teachings, isn’t just about a kohen’s change of heart. It’s a lesson in trusting your unique design. The kohen felt his work, his nature, wasn’t enough. He thought success meant becoming someone else, chasing a different life. But his wife’s insight, that every hair has its root, and every person their purpose, shifted his perspective. It’s a reminder that our struggles don’t mean we’re flawed or failing. They’re part of the path God carved for us.

Think about how we wrestle with this today. We see others thriving and wonder if we’re doing it wrong. Maybe your quiet nature feels like a weakness in a loud world, or your bold streak seems out of place. It’s tempting to mimic someone else, to force a personality that doesn’t fit. But the kohen’s story says otherwise. Your traits, your roots, are yours for a reason. The same God who gave each hair its place gave you yours too.

Jewish tradition is rich with this idea. The Talmud teaches that every person is created with a unique role, like stars in the sky, each shining in its own way. The kohen’s wife didn’t just save her husband from a pointless journey; she reminded him of his divine purpose. It’s a lesson for us all: success isn’t about becoming someone else. It’s about leaning into who you are, flaws and all, and trusting God’s plan.

For us, this hits close to home. Maybe you’re stuck in a job that feels like a dead end, or you’re trying to fit into a mold that doesn’t suit you. It’s easy to think, “If only I were different, I’d make it.” But what if your breakthrough is waiting right where you are? Your stubborn streak might be the grit that gets you through. Your shy side might be the thoughtfulness others need.

The kohen’s story isn’t about ignoring challenges or pretending life is easy. It’s about choosing to see your unique makeup as a gift. Like the kohen who stayed in Israel and found his way, you can find yours by saying, “Thank you, God, for making me me.” Your roots, your personality, your passions, your quirks, are where your blessings grow. As Jewish wisdom teaches, every soul has its spark. Your job is to trust it, nurture it, and let it shine.