Hitting the Right Key

“But all I really know is what I see, and everybody sees it differently … But I'm the only one who holds the key” (RS)

Where did you put your keys?

Children and adults often ask the probing question, "Why does Judaism have so many complicated rules? Why does it seem that if I don't fulfill a mitzvah exactly as prescribed, I don't get credit for it?" Perhaps, when it specifically comes to davening, people wonder why they seem to try to concentrate and recite the words properly, yet don't appear to see results. "I say the words, but nothing seems to happen."

I always find it amazing that with all the locks in the world, each one has its own key. With something that seems so small, so finite in size, yet each lock requires the exact cut "teeth" in order to unlock it. Some ridges are taller, some shorter, yet, each lock has a matching key with the perfectly proportionate combination. If one would try a key that has a similar style to any particular lock, it wouldn't work. As close of a match as it may be, it still won't open the lock.
Each mitzvah unlocks an infinite array of power and reward. Each tefillah unleashes worlds of energy and opens tapestries of treasures. However, we can only earn these results and reveal this power and energy if we use the right key. Each mitzvah has its measured requirements. Each tefillah depends upon the right combination of words, feelings, and thoughts. 
We certainly have the potential. Hashem gave us each the necessary keys. However, just as a locksmith takes a bare key and cuts it with precision to match the needed result, so must we custom tailor our keys to fit each lock. And, just as a locksmith may use pre-existing keys to imitate and copy in order to serve the identical lock, so must we use the Torah and its great scholars to form our keys so that we may unlock each particular door throughout our lives. 

"Gam key ei'lech b'gei tzal'moves, lo i'ra ra key Atah imadi" - fear not, for Hashem has given us the key to unlock the shackles of doom. The key is to always have faith in Hashem!

Say to yourself ten times today:
"Hashem, please help me find the right key for everything in life!"