The Kotzker Rebbe: Looking Within Before Looking Up

People are accustomed to look at the heavens and ask what happened there. It would be better if they looked inside themselves and asked what happened there.

Attribution printed on the image: Rebbe Menachem Mendel of Kotzk

A reflection on the teaching

It can be easier to speculate about what happens in Heaven than to examine our own part in a situation. The saying printed here brings attention back to what we can responsibly consider. What did I choose, assume or neglect? That question is useful when it concerns our actions; it should not turn into blaming ourselves for everything that happens. We do not know the reasons for suffering. We can still review the choices that are ours and decide what needs repair. Honest self-examination begins with something specific enough to act on.

Source note: The attribution above is transcribed from the image. The exact source and English wording have not been independently verified.