A Spice for the Road | Rabbi Eytan Feiner

Allow me to turn your attention to a famous Gemara, Maseches Kiddushin 30b. And the Gemara there relates that Hashem Yisborach is telling us, I created a Yetzer Hara, I gave you that evil inclination. He's going to tempt you and he's going to seduce you. He's going to try and get you to look at things that we ought not to be looking at. But don't worry, I'm giving you the cure. So often interpreted what's בראתי תורה תבלין? I’m giving you the antidote. But that's not what the word means. What's Tavlin? Tavlin, of course, is spices. And what's the idea behind spices? Anytime you want the piece of meat, you want the piece of chicken to take on a certain flavor, what do you do? You want it a little bit more salty, you add the salt, a little more peppery, you add the pepper, the ginger, the cinnamon, whatever the case might be. Tavlin literally denotes what? We’re talking about spices. So what in the world do Chazal want from us? I gave you a Yetzer Hara, Hashem says. But what? The Torah is not going to be the gun, the sword, that's going to kill the Yetzer Hara. On the contrary, I want you to take the Torah that you learned, and I want you to the same way that spices redirect the taste, channel and redirect the flavor of any food item, so, too, the Torah says, Take that passion, take that excitement, take those temptations, but do what? Channel them instead, bring them into your Torah, bring them into your Torah learning. Explains the Ramchal in Mesillas Yesharim, and Chazal are telling us, בראתי יצר הרע, בראתי לו תורה תבלין, then Chazal are clearly indicating that that is the best solution in the world. So yes, we walk down the street and we're tempted to look at different things, but you know what? Everyone's got a Vort, everyone's got an idea, something in Torah that excites you. So some people it might be Maharal, it might be Ramchal, it might be R’ Tzadok HaCohen MiLublin, it might be R’ Nachman MiBreslov, it might be a Mishnah, it might be a Gemara. Find something, a מאמר חז”ל. Find a Vort. Something that pumps you up, something that gets you excited. Keep it in your back pocket with you, at all times. A Vort that you could share with everybody else, and yes, indeed, a Vort that when you're walking down the street and you're tempted and the Yetzer Hara is telling you, Hey, Reuven, Shimon, you gotta look there, you gotta look there. Close your eyes and think about what? Ah! That geshmake Vort. I don't need that geshmak. I don't need that Yetzer Hara temptation. I got the best of the best right here. Take that passion, take that excitement, but find something in Torah that's going to be the best shield, the best protection, that's going to give you all the excitement you need, that there's no need to ever look elsewhere. Hatzlocha and Bracha to each and every one of you.