There comes a time in a man's life when to get where he has to

Hear now, O children of perseverance, the words of Bernard Malamud, who spoke with the wisdom of trial and endurance: “There comes a time in a man’s life when to get where he has to go – if there are no doors or windows he walks through a wall.” This saying, though simple, is thunder wrapped in silence. For it speaks of the moment when all paths seem barred, when every gate is closed and every way is blocked, yet the soul, refusing surrender, forges a passage where none exists. It is a call not to comfort, but to courage; not to resignation, but to resolve.

The wall is life’s obstacle—the unmoving barrier of circumstance, doubt, or opposition. Many come upon it and turn away, saying, “There is no way forward.” Yet the spirit Malamud describes does not retreat. When doors are locked and windows barred, the heart that is determined learns to break through, to carve a path with bare hands if need be. For there comes a time when necessity burns so fiercely that the impossible becomes the only option, and the wall yields to those who will not yield themselves.

Consider the tale of Harriet Tubman, born into slavery, bound by chains both physical and spiritual. To her, every door was locked, every window nailed shut by the cruelty of her age. Yet she did not stop. She walked “through the wall” of bondage, escaping to freedom, and then returned again and again to lead others through that same invisible wall. She had no lawful passage, no open gate—only courage and relentless determination. In her story, we see Malamud’s truth: there comes a time when to survive, to fulfill one’s destiny, one must pass through barriers that the world declares unbreakable.

So too in the realm of invention and discovery. Think of Thomas Edison, who sought to bring light to the world. He faced failure after failure—thousands of attempts that bore no fruit. Each shattered experiment was a wall, standing between him and the vision that burned in his mind. Yet he did not stop, did not retreat. He pressed until the barrier itself broke, and in that breaking, light filled the world. Had he waited for a door to open, humanity might still dwell in darkness. He chose instead to carve his own way forward.

Malamud’s saying is not only about heroes and inventors; it is about every soul who lives. Each of us will face moments when the path seems utterly blocked: a career closed, a dream delayed, a love denied, a future uncertain. In such hours, the timid turn away, but the resolute ask: “If no door will open, what if I make one?” And in that moment, the wall that seemed eternal begins to crumble. It is not brute strength alone that breaks it, but determination, creativity, and the fire of necessity.

The lesson, then, is clear: do not wait forever for opportunity to knock. Sometimes you must knock the wall down yourself. Do not surrender to obstacles simply because they appear immovable. Life demands from time to time a ferocity of spirit that refuses to accept the verdict of impossibility. The wall may be stone, but your will can be iron. And iron, striking long enough, breaks stone.

Practically, this means you must cultivate resilience and courage. When you face barriers, do not only look for open doors; ask instead, “What can I create? What can I change? How can I endure until the wall itself yields?” Do not allow rejection or failure to end your journey. Be relentless, for persistence is the chisel that shapes miracles.

So, O listeners, carry this truth: when all ways are barred, do not despair. For in that hour, you are called to walk through the wall. You may bleed, you may stumble, you may struggle, but on the other side lies the destiny that belongs to those who refuse surrender. Malamud’s words are not only guidance; they are a challenge. And to those who accept it, nothing—no door, no window, no wall—can keep them from their rightful path.

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