Whenever we do something, someone else will always come along and try to do the exact same thing. With every step we take, someone stands in our way. For everything you do, there will be someone else taking the credit.
How do we deal with this?
The answer to this is emunah: simply to believe fully that everything is from Hashem and that He is the One Who gives us strength to act, and He decides how much we will succeed. Even if someone competes with you fiercely, he could not take away your success.
When we believe in Hashem, we learn to give in to the other person, and it is easier to overcome our feelings and to continue to succeed.
In the Midrash (Eichah Rabbah, Pesichta 24) it is related how, when the Beis Hamikdash was destroyed, Avraham Avinu came before Hakadosh Baruch Hu and asked for mercy for his children, and his tefillah was not answered. Yitzchak came and asked for the same and was not answered. Yaakov came and asked and was not answered. Moshe Rabbeinu came and asked, and he too was not answered.
At that time, Rachel Imenu threw herself before Hakadosh Baruch Hu and said, “Ribbono shel Olam! What am I – flesh and blood, dust and ashes – and I did not envy my sister and did not allow her to suffer humiliation. But You, a living, eternal, merciful King, why were You jealous of the avodah zarah that has no substance, and You exiled my children, and they were killed by sword, and their enemies did whatever they wanted with them?”
Immediately, Hashem’s mercies were aroused and he said, “For you, Rachel, I will bring Yisrael back to their own place.”
Aside from the simple understanding of the Midrash, that in the merit of Rachel they were redeemed, there is a lot of depth to be found. The secret of the future redemption is hidden here: By giving in to one another, we will merit the complete geulah.
“For you, Rachel” – in the merit of Am Yisrael’s cleaving to your middah, the middah of giving in, “I will bring them back to their borders.”
Now we are in the midst of the days of nechamah – we are being comforted for the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash, and we hope that speedily, in our days, we will be redeemed and the third Beis Hamikdash will be built.
Let us remember this and try to give in to others, and thus we will merit the complete redemption speedily, in our days; amen.
