When I was a child, I vividly remember a legendary pitcher who was widely regarded as the best baseball player in the world. He was a perennial all-star, dominating the game year after year with unmatched talent. Eventually, he concluded his illustrious career and was inducted into the Hall of Fame. During his induction speech, he shared a deeply personal story that marked a turning point in his journey.
In the early stages of his career, he experienced tremendous success. Year after year, he was recognized as the top player in the league. However, at a certain point, he was traded to a new team and everything changed. Suddenly, his performance collapsed and he entered a prolonged slump. He lost command of his pitches, prompting the media to question what had gone wrong. Fellow players whispered about his decline, as it seemed his once-unshakable confidence had vanished.
Desperate to regain his form, he turned to his original pitching coach, the very mentor who had helped shape his early success. The coach observed him closely over a series of games and eventually pulled him aside. “I know exactly what’s wrong,” he said. “At the start of your career, your greatness came from your fastball. It was extraordinary and no one could touch it. That’s what brought you to the big leagues. That’s what made you who you were. But now, after the trade, you’ve shifted your focus. You’ve started emphasizing your curveball, your slider, trying to reinvent yourself. And in doing so, you’ve lost sight of what made you great. Go back to your fastball. Master it. Refine it. Polish it until it shines. That’s your gift, and make it your focus, your mission, your legacy.”
This message echoes the wisdom of our Sages. At the end of Masechta Makkos (23b), the Mishnah teaches: “Ratzah HaKadosh Baruch Hu lezakos es Yisrael—God desired to merit the Jewish people.” Therefore, “Hirbah lahem Torah u’mitzvos,” He gave them an abundance of commandments.
The Rambam raises a powerful question. If Hashem truly wants to benefit us, wouldn’t it have been more reasonable to give us fewer commandments? Shouldn’t He have minimized our obligations, making it easier to attain merit?
The Rambam explains that this is a fundamental misunderstanding. G-d indeed desires our success. And He knows that it takes only one mitzvah—done with absolute sincerity and perfection—to earn one’s share in the World to Come.
So why did He give us so many mitzvot? Out of love. Because each individual has a unique strength, a unique spiritual “fastball.” For one person, it may be kindness; for another, it might be Torah study. For some, it may be prayer, or Shabbos, or care for others. Each mitzvah represents a different gateway to spiritual greatness.
Hashem, in His wisdom, provided us with a vast array of mitzvos, so that each person could find the one that resonates most deeply, the one they can perfect, the one that reflects their soul’s unique calling. That, says the Rambam, is the ultimate expression of Divine love.
Our task in life, then, is to discover our personal fastball—the mitzvah that speaks most to us, the area in which we naturally excel—and to devote ourselves to it with clarity, passion, and purpose. Refine it. Perfect it. Let it carry you to greatness. Let it be your ticket to eternity.
