In a recent lecture to his students, Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto addressed the human struggle with rejection, failure, and the challenge of coming to terms with circumstances beyond one’s control.

“God says to Cain – fine, I did not accept your offering,” Rabbi Pinto began. “But why are you still holding on to it? Sometimes you have to learn to accept even something you didn’t want.”

He elaborated: “Many people want things in life – and they don’t get them. And they’re not willing to live with that. A person tries a business venture – God doesn’t grant him success, and he refuses to accept it.”

Rabbi Pinto also spoke about interpersonal dynamics: “People argue. Someone holds a different opinion than yours – and you’re not willing to accept it. Something didn’t go your way – and you won’t even consider it, let alone accept it.”

According to him, this mindset reflects emotional immaturity: “God says – learn. There are things in life you simply can’t achieve. Not everything you want – you’ll succeed in. It won’t always go the way you planned.”

He concluded: “Learn to handle things you can’t attain. Learn to accept that some things are beyond your power and capability. Learn to accept that.”

This article was written in cooperation with Shuva Israel