Our ancestors apparently felt that way once, and their reaction is pretty fascinating. It all starts in Sifrei Devarim, a collection of legal and homiletical teachings connected to the Book of Deuteronomy.

We find ourselves in Deuteronomy 1:11. Moses, nearing the end of his life, blesses the Israelites: "May the L-rd, the G-d of your fathers, add to you, such as you, a thousand times!" A seemingly generous blessing, right? But the people weren’t impressed. In fact, they pushed back!

"Our teacher, Moses," they said, in a tone that probably dripped with a bit of sass, "we don’t want you to bless us!" Why such a strong reaction? Because, as they pointed out, the Holy One, Blessed be He, had already made a much grander promise to Abraham, their forefather. Remember that promise in Genesis 22:17? "…and multiply, will I multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens, and I will make your seed like the sand on the seashore." In other words, an infinite blessing. And here was Moses, putting a limit on it. A thousand times more? That’s it?

So how did Moses respond to this rather audacious challenge? He answered: "This is my blessing." He then tells them a story, a mashal, an analogy, to explain his perspective.

Imagine a king, Moses says, a king with vast possessions and a young, perhaps immature, son. The king has to go abroad. He worries that if he leaves all his wealth directly to his son, the son might squander it all. So, what does he do? He appoints a caretaker to manage the possessions until the son is ready. The caretaker gives the son enough for his daily needs, for his sustenance. But the son, seeing only what he receives from the caretaker, cries out, "Is this all the silver and gold my father left me?"

The caretaker replies, "Everything I have given you is mine. What your father left for you is in keeping for you."

That, Moses explains, is the key. Moses' blessing – "May the L-rd, the G-d of your fathers, add to you, such as you, a thousand times" – that's his. It’s limited, perhaps, but it’s what he can offer. But as far as God’s blessing is concerned… that’s something else entirely! That’s the blessing promised to Abraham: "…and may He bless you as He spoke to you" – as the sand of the seas, and the dust of the earth, and as the fish of the ocean, and as the stars of the heavens, in abundance.

It's a powerful image, isn't it? Moses isn't trying to diminish God's promise, but rather to manage expectations. He's acknowledging his own limitations while pointing to the boundless potential of God's blessing. It's like saying, "I can only give you this much directly, but God's got your back with something far, far bigger."

What does this story tell us? Perhaps it's a reminder that we need to distinguish between the blessings we receive from human sources and the blessings that come from a higher power. Maybe it's about appreciating what we have while still striving for something more. Or maybe it's simply a comforting thought that even when we feel limited by our circumstances, there's always the potential for a blessing beyond our wildest dreams, a blessing as vast and limitless as the stars in the heavens.