Transcript
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[Music]
Several weeks ago, we had an inreach
shabaton at BGX for Yidden who grew up
from but sadly are no longer on the
Derek. It was 2 and 1/2 minutes before
this month. I was ready in the middle of
Davening when suddenly a young man
approached me. He looked very anxious
and he said to me, "Rebby, do you have a
cigarette?" I said, "No, I'm sorry. I
don't. I'm the least likely person to
have a cigarette in the world." He said,
"Was there anybody here that has a
cigarette? I need a cigarette." I said,
"I don't think so." Somehow, he was able
to procure a cigarette in the nick of
time. And I saw that he was puffing away
outside on Avenue K right before Chabus.
Very strange to me. Later that evening
in the middle of the Suda, this fellow
comes over to me. He says, "Rebby, you
probably think, what was the guy
thinking? What was this about? Why do
you need a cigarette?" Minute before
shabas he says you know I struggle with
shabas observance I haven't been shaming
shabas in a long time recently I made
the decision to start keeping shabas but
it's really hard I needed the last puff
so I could separate from the cigarette
for 25 hours and then I keep
shabas for me the world stopped I felt
like I was looking at and if it wasn't
shabas I would have gone outside to k
looked for the ashes from the cigarette,
took those ashes, put it in a bottle and
sent it off to Shmay with a letter,
dear. These ashes are pure and holy. It
comes from somebody who is omin. It
comes from somebody who was able to
resist, who was able to withhold,
somebody who was able to refrain. You
know what? each and every one of us. It
may be that one minute, half a minute,
10 seconds of not looking at something
inappropriate could be just as hard as
holding back from that cigarette for 25
hours. But the first avoid in the base
migos every single day. The very first
avoid was menial and degrading. It was
disposing of the ashes from the carbon
that was burnt the day before. And yet
the Khan they competed they fought over
the why isn't it belittling isn't it
disparaging says because those ashes
that were burnt they were holy they came
from somebody who faced sin who faced
temptation and said I've come that's
enough it's a new day a new dawn a new
beginning a new
reality those ashes are pure and that's
why the quantum fought over disposing of
these holy
ashes. When you want to do something,
you stop. You take those ashes and you
give it to the give to the Aisha in a
bottle and say, "Let this be a kapora.
Let this be an atonement for me, for
claw Israel, for my family because I
could have, I would have, I should have,
I am mine. I stopped. I was
Ian. This is my gift. These ashes are
yours. Just like the ashes from the last
puff. You could do it.
[Music]
