We all do sometimes. But have you ever considered that even the greatest among us felt that way? Let’s talk about two titans of Jewish history: Moses and King David.

Our story comes from Sifrei Devarim, a collection of halakhic midrashim (legal interpretations) on the Book of Deuteronomy. In it, we find a powerful lesson about humility and grace.

Think about King David. He wasn't just a king; he was the King David, the sweet singer of Israel, the warrior, the ancestor of the Messiah! But even he, after being confronted by the prophet Nathan for his sin with Bathsheba, didn’t demand what he deserved. Instead, as we read in Psalms 51, he cried out, "I have sinned to the L-rd," and "Chaneini (Be gracious) to me, O G-d, according to Your lovingkindness… To You alone have I sinned and what is evil in Your eyes have I done."

Chaneini. That word is key. It means "be gracious." David wasn’t asking for what he had earned, for the reward his kingship or previous good deeds entitled him to. He was asking for undeserved mercy.

And then there’s Moses. Moses! The lawgiver, the one who spoke to G-d face to face, the leader who brought the Israelites out of Egypt. You’d think he'd have some serious credit built up. Yet, the Sifrei Devarim points out that both Moses and David, despite their immense stature, chose to ask G-d for chen – grace. Moses, whose prayer is described as va'etchanan - "I pleaded."

The text then poses a powerful a fortiori argument – a rabbinic method of reasoning that basically says "if this, then how much more so that!" If these two giants, who could have stood on their merits, instead pleaded for grace, how much more so should we?

We, who are, as the text humbly puts it, "not even a thousandth of the thousands and ten thousands of his disciples," should approach the Divine with humility and ask for grace. We should recognize that we are not entitled to anything, and that any good we receive is a gift.

It’s a humbling thought, isn’t it?

It flips the script on how we often think about our relationship with the Divine. We often focus on earning favor, on racking up good deeds to tip the scales in our favor. But this passage suggests something different: that the most profound connection comes from recognizing our own limitations and asking for grace.

So, the next time you’re feeling unworthy, remember Moses and David. Remember that even the greatest among us understood the power of humility and the importance of asking for grace. And maybe, just maybe, that’s where true connection with the Divine begins.