The Doors to the Unknown | Rabbi Joey Haber

There are times that you're in the grips of temptation and you feel like you can't get out of it. And you always feel like if you do get out of it, what are you going to do? This is the only thing you know. It's the only joy you have. It’s the only calm that you get. Let me share with you a little story. There was once a man who stole, and he was caught by the king. And the king had a court case and it was determined that this man needs to be executed. And they brought the man, they dragged him, and they brought him to be hung. They put the noose around his neck and the king says: That's it. The man says: I have one wish. He says: What’s your wish? He says: Can I just have a little more time? He says: I'll give you a little more time. Then the king says: You know what? I have an offer for you. Either you take this punishment right now or you take whatever's behind those two doors. And the man looks at these two large, menacing doors, made out of iron, very high, very strong, with bolts. And the man's thinking: What's behind those doors? I have no idea what's behind those doors. Maybe behind those doors is ferocious lions. Maybe it's hungry animals. Maybe it's tall giants with axes. Couldn't tell, couldn’t decide. So the king says: You have one minute to decide. Can’t decide, can’t decide. He starts imagining all that’s behind the door. He says: Your Highness, I can't do it. Give me this. And the king says, That's what you asked for, that's what you get. But right before the king is about to put the noose around his neck, the man says: Your Highness, Could you just tell me what's behind those doors? The king says: You want to know what's behind those doors? Freedom. So many times in our life, we're involved in something, and we're used to something and it gives us our fun or our joy. And we're afraid, because if we let go of this, what's behind those doors? That's unknown. And so often we don't realize, you know what's behind those doors? Freedom. Freedom from that temptation, freedom from all the side effects of the temptation, freedom from everything that goes wrong with being involved in this life, freedom from some of these friends, freedom from these influences, freedom of your mind. And you’re like: But I can't let go, I can't let go. Fool! Let go and open the doors to a so much better life than the life you're living today. Open the doors to freedom.