Your Real Competition

Most of us measure ourselves against the person next to us: who learns more, who gives more, who is getting ahead. The Torah calls Noach a tzaddik tamim, a perfect tzaddik, and then adds "in his generations," words some of Chazal read as a limit. How can a man be called perfect if he might not have stood out in Avraham's day?The Ben Ish Chai points to one quiet test that every good person faces. The Ksav Sofer then asks why "lo sachmod," do not covet, earned a place in the Aseres HaDibros at all. Put together, they leave you asking who you are really racing against.