donkey hotay

If you ask my lovely bride, one of the things that I say that exasperates her greatly is “You know, I can do this myself”. This statement almost always precedes an attempt to lift something heavy or accomplish some other task that is really a two-man job but “I can do it myself”. Oftentimes I will go to great lengths rigging all sorts of pulleys, levers, wedges, ropes and chains so that I can achieve a certain result without having to resort to asking my wife for help. The front end loader on my John Deere tractor has been my frequent ally in my attempts to maintain my self-sufficiency.

Back when I was still a cadet at the Coast Guard Academy, in one of my management classes we had a guest lecturer who spoke at great length of his financial achievements and repeatedly referred to himself as a self-made man. This was a very popular concept for many years. My impression of the lecturer was that he was an insufferable, pompous donkey.

I strongly believe that the self-made man and the “I can do it myself” rabbi is not really in keeping with what the Lord wants for us. Our own abilities and self-righteousness will lead us astray and will end in failure.