Don’t Lose the Opportunity | Rabbi Mordechai Alster

I was sitting with a friend, a prominent Maggid Shiur, when he gets a phone call from a Talmid, a businessman, and he says, Rebbi I have a Shayla I was invited with a few business acquaintances and some friends to go to a sports bar to watch a sporting event. Obviously the level of Tznius at that location leaves much to be desired. But Rebbi you know me, I'm no Tzadik. Far from it. You know my lifestyle, you know the friends I have, the company I keep, the places I visit. I'm quite certain, I'm actually 100% sure that my level of Ruchnius will not be affected. And I have nothing to lose by going to this event. Considering what I’ve been exposed to in my life, this is not going to be a big deal. Honestly Rebbi, Is there a reason why I should not go? And the Rebbi answers him and he says, I can't answer you, but I'm sitting next to someone that might be able to. And he handed me the phone. I took the telephone and I told this individual, You're probably 100% right. You're not going to lose much by going to this event. You may have nothing to lose, but do you know how much you will gain if you don't go? Do you know how much you will grow if you resist the temptation and you don't attend. You will grow immeasurably, you'll become a different person. You'll show yourself and others that even when you perceive an עבירה as a small עבירה you still resist the temptation and you still don't go, you'll be a changed person for the rest of the life. And if you do go, you’ll lose that opportunity, you’ll lose that gain for growth, that's what you have to lose. When facing a Nisayon and trying to figure out if you should do an עבירה or not do an עבירה, the question doesn't always have to be how much will I lose? The question should be how much will I gain if I resist? How much will I grow from not doing the עבירה? You know, when you're sitting in front of the screen and you think, I'll just take a peek, I've been exposed to so much anyway, it's not going to make a big difference in my life. You might be right, but do you know how much of a difference it will make in your life if you don't look? Do you know how much of a difference it would make to your growth if you resist the יצר הרע? When someone perceives something as a minor עבירה, refraining from doing it makes the growth so much more major.