Shkoyach from the King | Rabbi Shlomo Landau

Growing up as a child, and then as a Bochur, in high school and Beis Medrash, I think it's fair to say that Mordechai Ben David, MBD, was the undisputed King of Jewish music. He'd come out with a new album. One of my friends would buy a cassette. We'd all gather around someone's boombox, we'd crank it up, and we’d listen to one of his newest hits, Yidden, Daagah, whatever it is. And so it was that eventually I find myself learning in Brisk in Eretz Yisroel, and it’s Shavuos night. And we learn diligently, with Hasmadah, the whole night. And like the custom of so many Bochurim and yungerleit in Brisk, we daven Shachris in Yeshiva, a normal Shachris, Krias Hatorah, and then after Haftarah, a large group of us packs up, probably more than 100 fellows, maybe even double that number, and we walk to the Kosel Hamaaravi, to get Mussaf at the Kosel. Gorgeous experience. We walk together, a large group, as one man with one heart. We come to the Kosel. We find a spot where our entire group could kind of fit, and it's time for Mussaf and they're looking for a Baal Tefillah and... they selected me. Hey, could you be the Chazan? Could you be the one that leads the Mussaf? And I said: Okay. I was married at that point. I put the Tallis over my head, about to take three steps back for the quiet Shmoneh Esrei, and all of a sudden, out of the corner of my eye, I see standing there, in my Minyan, a Chasidishe Yid, long curly Shabbos Yom Tov peyos, his Tallis over his head, his Bekishe... it's him. It's the undisputed King of Jewish music. It's Mordechai Ben David, and he's davening in the Minyan that I'm the Shliach Tzibbur. You can only imagine that I definitely put a lot more effort into that Chazaras Hashatz and that Mussaf. I pulled out all the stops, I added some kneitshes and some little twists, with strength and with confidence. I mean, he's davening in my Minyan. And then, when davening was over, he makes his way over to me and he says to me: Yasher Koach. That was a great job. And that compliment, ooh, that made me feel really good. It filled me with a certain sense of accomplishment. He thinks I'm a good Baal Tefillah. He knows what a Baal Tefillah is. My friends, I learned something super important from that particular episode. You know, sometimes we find ourselves in a situation and it's a challenge, it's a struggle. The Yetzer Hara is coming at us with all cylinders burning, and he wants to take us down. Imagine if we, for a moment, use a little imagery and we understand that the undisputed King of everything is standing there, right next to us. And He's watching us. He's there, He's in our Minyan, and all we have to do is strengthen ourselves. We gotta come out there with everything we have and hopefully, have an amazing performance, rise to the task, be Omed, stand strong, in front of the Nisayon, in front of the challenge. And then, when we overcome it and we're successful, the Ribono shel Olam Himself says, Yasher Koach. Great job. He told Moshe Rabeinu Yasher Koach. He could probably tell us Yasher Koach, as well. That gives us a totally different perspective. The Ribono shel Olam is there during the moment of the challenge. He helps extricate us from it. Then He gives us some honor. He gives us some strength. He says: Yasher Koach. So the next time that you're leading that challenge, understand that the undisputed King of everything is in your Minyan, and He can't wait to say, Yasher Koach.