The Tiferes Yisroel (Kiddushin 4:77) relates a story with an astounding message:
[Note: In this story, the Tiferes Yisroel suggests that Moshe Rabbeinu was born with negative character traits and had to toil to change them. However, many great achronim strongly disagreed and brought proofs that Moshe Rabbeinu was not born with negative traits. And they say it’s disrespectful to Moshe Rabbeinu to say that he ever had bad traits, even if he was born with them. Obviously, the Tiferes Yisroel disagreed and saw fit to print this story in his pirush on mishnayos, but it remains controversial. Perhaps we must consider this story as just a mashal that didn’t happen. Nonetheless, I decided to insert this story because the Tiferes Yisroel’s message is definitely true, and it is a vital lesson for us.]
When Moshe Rabbeinu led the Jews from Egypt, news of his greatness and of Hashem’s miracles spread across the land. One Arab king was mesmerized with what he heard, and he sent his best artist to paint a portrait of Moshe. The artist returned and gave the portrait to the king.
The king had a group of wise men who could determine a person’s character by his facial features. The king gave them the painting and asked them to tell him about Moshe’s great traits. After studying the painting, the wise men told the king, “If the portrait is accurate, this man is evil! He is arrogant, loves money, and has every character flaw that exists!”
The king’s face turned red. “What’s going on?” he demanded. “I heard about Moshe’s greatness from across the land. How could this be true? Either the portrait is inaccurate or my wise men are making a mistake!”
The king traveled to Moshe to see for himself. When he saw Moshe, he took out the portrait and saw it was accurate! He approached Moshe, told him the whole story, and expressed his confusion. Moshe responded, “Your artist painted an exact representation and your wise men were not mistaken. All the flaws they reported about me are flaws I was born with. If anything, my flaws were even worse than your wise men said. I had to work for years to change my temperament, and that is how I got to be who I am today. And know that if I were by nature the great person I am now with all my sterling character traits, I would be no better than a stick of dry wood. A piece of wood doesn’t have any of man’s flaws, but it is just a piece of wood. Would I be worthy of being valued by Hashem and man if I were born this way?”
This story teaches us a profound lesson. Moshe Rabbeinu, the man who reached the highest levels possible, said that had he been on the exact same level with the one difference that it had come naturally, he would have been no better than a stick of wood! Had he not worked hard to grow, he wouldn’t have attained greatness despite being on the highest level possible! This is because the point of life is to make yourself as great as you can, not to be born great. Being born great is no big deal, no matter how holy the person is. He didn’t do anything, so why should anyone be impressed? A person on a much lower level who is working hard to grow — especially if he must overcome spiritual challenges — is much greater because this is the true measure of greatness!