Chavah had pictures of all the animals in the world drawn onto it. The Midrash says that Hashem dressed them in clothes of the kohen gadol."
Notice that these honorable clothing were given to Adam and Chavah after they sinned! They ate from the Tree of Knowledge, and Hashem gave them this honor! This is because Hashem doesn't want us to feel distressed or overcome with hopelessness. Even after a grave aveirah, Hashem wants us to remember our greatness and intrinsic honor.
Rabbeinu b'Chaya notes that it doesn't state ללבוש, that Hashem gave them clothes to wear. It says וילבשם, that Hashem Himself dressed them. Rabbeinu b'Chaya writes, "The pasuk expresses Hashem's love and compassion for His creations. Even after they sinned, He doesn't stop loving them. He corrects them and is kind to them."
Rabbeinu b'Chaya adds, "We also find Hashem acting this way to their descendants, the generation who lived in the desert. It states that Hashem Himself sent them mann (as it states השמים מן לחם לכם ממטיר הנני). Although they sinned as Adam did, Hashem didn't stop loving them, and His kindness didn't leave them. The mann continued to fall like before. Also, by kriyas Yam Suf, although they had avodah zarah with them, Hashem didn't refrain from splitting the sea for them. These are examples of Hashem's kindness."
Appreciate Your Deeds
In the Tzetel Kattan, Rebbe Elimelech of Lizhensk zt'l writes, "Every moment that one isn't learning Torah, especially when one is sitting idle in his room or lying on his bed and can't fall asleep, he should think about the mitzvah (Vayikra 22:32), בתוך ונקדשתי ישראל בני. He should conjure up a great, awesome fire, burning up to heaven, and for Hashem's honor he overcomes his nature and throws himself into the fire to honor Hashem. Hashem considers a good thought like a deed. So, he wasn't idle. He performed the mitzvah of Kiddush Hashem."
A person might have these lofty thoughts of mesirus nefesh at night, but when morning arrives and the alarm clock rings, and now his test is לך לך, to get up and out of bed, the test becomes much harder.
This is because people want to do great deeds, and they don’t value "mediocre deeds." They are ready to be moser nefesh and throw themselves into fire for Hashem but aren't prepared to wake up on time to learn Torah or to do other relatively easy actions.
When Avraham lived in Ur Kasdim, Nimrod gave Avraham an ultimatum: Either he bows down to the idols, or he would be thrown into the fire. Avraham chose the furnace.
According to the Rambam, Ur Kasdim isn't counted among Avraham's ten tests, and we wonder why not. Isn't choosing the furnace over idol worship a more significant test and accomplishment than לך לך? We also wonder why the test of Ur Kasdim isn't written explicitly in the Torah.
We can answer that it is because it is often easier for people to do great deeds than mediocre ones. Perhaps it was easier for Avraham to choose the furnace over worshipping idols than לך לך, to leave his father's home.
The Beis Aharon (p.2:) writes, "Be very happy and let everything you do for Hashem’s service be very precious in your eyes. Think, 'I won't sell this merit for all the money in the world!' This also includes one good word, a good thought, or a good deed. Perhaps it was done in just a moment, but it won't be lost and will do great things for you and perhaps the entire Jewish nation. Is there any greater joy than accomplishing something that is the purpose of creation? Do whatever you can, be it small or big. As people say, 'Whatever you grab in the market is worthwhile.'"
The Golem of Prague
The following tale is told about the Golem of Prague:
One week, the local fishermen didn’t catch any fish for Shabbos, so the Golem of Prague was sent to the sea to fill a large sack with fish. A long time passed, and the Golem didn't return, so people went to check up on him. They found him standing in the sea, struggling against the waves, trying to catch fish. They signaled for him to return home. The Golem showed them that the sack was only half full. They told him, "We don’t need any more fish."
Hearing they didn’t need more fish, the Golem turned the sack over and freed all the fish.
This story can be used as a mashal to illustrate the foolishness of people who think, "It’s either all or none." They strive for perfection, and anything less than that is worthless to them. But a wise person understands that whatever he gains is precious, even if he falls short of his goals.
