Are You Afraid of Change? | Rabbi Shlomo Landau

R’ Daniel is a beloved Daf Yomi Maggid Shiur and he has a large shiur with many balebatim who won't miss a day. One of the key participants in his shiur is Zalman. But there's something very unique about Zalman. Zalman comes the second the shiur starts and he leaves the second the shiur is over, because, you see, Zalman is a heavy smoker, and he needs to chap a rein a cigarette before the shiur, and the second the shiur is over, he hasn't had a cigarette for almost an hour, he dashes out and he has a cigarette. One day, out of the clear blue, Zalman shows up 15 minutes before the shiur, and he’s schmoozing and he's talking, and when the shiur is over, he stays some more. And R’ Daniel, the Maggid shiur, can't believe it, and he says: Zalman, tell me something. Did you give up smoking? And Zalman says: Rebbe, I did, and I think this time it's for real. And listen to the most remarkable story that Zalman shares. Zalman says, In my office, there is a secular Israeli fellow who I work together with all the time. And I've been nudging him forever to wear Tefillin. And he always rebuffs my efforts in the kindest and most respectful way, I have a meeting, I'm busy, I’m not up to it, he's got a thousand excuses, but he has never put on Tefillin. And a few days ago, I cornered him and I said to him: I need to understand you. How long is it going to take for you to put on Tefillin and say just the first pasuk and the first perek in Shema? The whole thing, top to bottom, will be four minutes. You're not willing to give four minutes, I don't know, on the chance that there's an Olam Haba, on the chance that there's eternity? It'll help you in every area of your life. You’ll be more Matzliach in Parnassah. What's the issue? What's your hesitancy? And the Israeli fellow said back to me, he says to me: You need to understand something. I have a schedule, I have a routine, and I don't like changing things. Putting on Tefillin each morning changes things, and it's not for me. I said: Come on, four minutes. You're making a big deal out of nothing. And the guy turns to me and he says something that rocked my world. He says: Can I ask you something, Zalman? You smoke right? -Yeah. What would happen if I asked you to change something in your life and not to smoke? Would you be able to kick the habit? Unquestionably not. So how do you have the audacity to ask me to change my life when you can't change yours? Zalman says: When I heard those words, it struck me like a thunderbolt, and I said to him: You know what? I'm willing to make you a deal. If I change my habit, if I kick the habit, would you be willing to change your schedule and put on Tefillin? And the Israeli guy said: 100%. As long as you don't smoke, I will put on Tefillin. You have my word. Zalman says, Starting that day, I have not touched a cigarette, because every time that I have a craving and I'm about to do it, I realize if I do it, he's going to stop putting on Tefillin. I can't bring myself to stop another Yid from putting on Tefillin. R’ Daniel, Zalman says, I haven't touched a cigarette and I’m pretty sure that I won’t. My friends, you know, when it comes to areas of Shmiras HaEinayim, of not looking at things that we're used to looking to, of changing our technology consumption habits, it's change and human beings are very hesitant when it comes to change. We can't kick the habit, we don't want to change our schedule, we want it to be business as usual. But if we realized that if we change, the things around us will change in the most profound way. Our relationship with our wife, our Shalom Bayis, our Chinuch with our children, our Parnassah, our Avoda. There's so many other changes that are dependent on our change. Then I think we’ll be able to have the inner Kochos to say: You know what? I'm willing to change, because I understand that if I change, the world around me will change with me.