A candle maker hired a young boy to help pour wax and trim wicks. The boy was enthusiastic but clumsy, constantly spilling wax and scraping molds. After a particularly messy day, he apologized, saying, “Maybe I’m not cut out for this.” The candle maker shook his head. “You’re judging the candle before the flame ever touches it.”
The next morning, the candle maker gathered all the boy’s crooked, uneven candles and lit them one by one. To the boy’s surprise, every single one burned steadily and brightly. Some even created softer or wider glows because of their unique shapes. “See?” the candle maker said. “A candle’s purpose is not to be perfect – it’s to give light.”
The boy watched the candles flickering, each one slightly different but all shining the same warm glow. Their uneven forms didn’t make them weaker; they gave each candle a light that shimmered in its own distinct way. “I thought the flaws would make them burn wrong,” he said. The candle maker smiled. “Flaws don’t stop a candle from shining. And they don’t stop people either.”
From that day on, the boy worked with new confidence, knowing that what mattered wasn’t flawless wax, but the light it would eventually give.
This story teaches that our imperfections don’t disqualify us, and they don’t cancel our ability to shine. In fact, our differences often allow our light to shine in ways no one else’s can. We spend so much time worrying about being polished – socially, emotionally, spiritually – that we forget the purpose of the soul is not to appear perfect but to illuminate, to make the world a bit brighter.
Just like the candles, people are shaped unevenly by life. Some experiences bend us, soften us, or leave marks. Yet none of that diminishes the flame we hold inside. Sometimes the very dents and curves of our lives become the channels through which our unique warmth comes through strongest.
The boy only saw his mistakes, never the purpose behind them. We often do the same – focusing on the spilled wax instead of the light we’re capable of offering. When we look at ourselves through a narrow lens, we underestimate our own potential. But the candle maker gives the truest reassurance – our worth is defined not by how perfectly we’re shaped, but by the light we can offer. And often, it’s the uniquely shaped candles that create the most unforgettable glow.
Inspired by the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov (1698-1760)
