There is an ongoing debate as to the value of walking 10,000 steps a day vs. just 7,000. Developing research tells us that the original recommended number, 10,000 steps, was more of a marketing gimmick than a scientific conclusion, but 7,000 steps is a real number. So we must ask the question, why did they promote the number 10,000?
In other areas as well, we have a similar ongoing conversation of seven vs. ten. We have the seven days of the week, yet many business advisors will tell you that if you want to be more productive, you should set yourselves up with a ten-day cycle of productivity. What is the deeper meaning behind the number ten that keeps drawing us to it? In this week’s Torah portion, Lech Lecha, the midrash teaches us that Abraham was such a great man that he was able to harness the good of the ten generations before him. However, Noah, who we learned about in the previous portion, was not able to do so. Again, here we see the power of the number ten. To appreciate the significance of the number ten, we have to first understand why Abraham was able to elevate the ten generations before him, while Noah was unable to do so. In our lives we must recognize that there are things that can be changed and there are things that cannot be changed. As much as we want some things to be better, some we just must let go. This is not a sign of failure, but a recognition of this fundamental truth. On the other hand, when things are in our control to fix, to make things better, we have to do our utmost to do so. We should not look for excuses and say that we did our best, but truly work hard to reach perfection. Ten is a complete number. True, the research proves that 7,000 steps “do the job,” but no one will argue that 10,000 steps are better. In life it is the same way. What we cannot do, we cannot do. But what we can accomplish, we should, and not rest until we reach the top. Let’s go for ten!