Danny and his friend Moshe rushed into school. They ran up the steps to the lunchroom to see the list of the winners of the art contest that Danny had entered. “I bet you won!” Moshe said with a smile. “Now everyone’s gonna know how amazing you draw.” Danny nodded with a weak smile as he got closer and closer to the lunchroom.

“Here we are,” Moshe said. Moshe let out a groan. Somebody else’s drawing hung under the caption “grand prize.”

“Hey, this picture isn’t as good as the one you sent them,” Moshe frowned. “I guess the judges were nearsighted, but for sure you got second prize.” They walked a bit further to the second-place drawing but Danny’s drawing wasn’t there either. Neither was it hung on third place or even fourth or fifth.

“I just don’t get it,” Moshe said. “Maybe the first and second prize winners’ pictures were pretty good—though not as good as yours—but these other ones… come on, they weren’t even close to the amazing drawing you sent in. The contest must have been rigged!

“I’m sorry, Danny. You must feel terrible.”

Danny just shrugged, turned around and walked back up to his classroom. The truth was that Danny did feel terrible—but not for the reason Moshe thought. “Those winning pictures weren’t as good as mine,” he told himself, shaking his head.

He walked over to his desk, reached up to the top shelf and pulled down a brown cardboard mailing tube with the judge’s address neatly printed on it. He opened one end to remove the beautiful, rolled-up drawing he’d worked so hard and so long at, the one he had never mailed to them. Sure, he’d planned to mail it. But each time he started to, a scared feeling came over him: What if it’s not good enough? he would think. What if they don’t like it?’ What if I don’t win? Now he’d never know the answer to any of those questions—except the last. He didn’t win because he was too scared to try.

Danny heard Moshe’s voice. He quickly stuffed the picture and mailing tube behind his desk. “Hi, Danny I’m sorry you didn’t win so I got you some candy, and remember, you tried your best and that’s what matters.” Moshe said. “Thanks,” Danny said, as Moshe handed him the candy and left the class with a sympathetic look.

Danny was now feeling even worse. He pulled out his drawing and was about to tear it to shreds, when he stopped, sighed, and rolled the intricately drawn picture back up, carefully inserted it into the mailing tube and put it away. It was an annual contest, wasn’t it? Next year, no matter what, he firmly decided, I am going to have the guts to win—or lose—but at least to try.

Connection to the parsha:

In this week’s parsha, instead of bravely entering Eretz Yisrael, as Hashem told them to do, Bnei Yisrael were scared and lost out on a great opportunity. We shouldn’t let fear or a lack of confidence stop us from reaching our goals.

Questions for the week:

1. Do you feel good when you do something you’re scared of?

2. How do you feel when fear stops you from doing something?

3. How can you stop fear from getting in your way?

Challenge for the week:

Try not to let fear stop you from doing stuff.

Maayan Singer is a third grader at Yeshivat He’Atid who loves to find lessons in the parsha and share them with the world.