Harnessing Your Powers for Good | Rabbi Daniel Glatstein

A person's walking down the street and they encounter an indecent and immodest image. What should they do at that moment? How do they deal with such a challenge? You know what the Gemara tells us? If the Yetzer Hara grabs a hold of you, he wants to entice you to sin, what do you do with the Yetzer Hara? Says the Gemara, Pull him in to the Beis HaMedrash. Pull him into the Beis Medrash? What place does the Yetzer Hara have in the Beis HaMedrash? The Gemara should say, You run to the Beis HaMedrash. Leave the Yetzer Hara outside. Why would you bring the Yetzer Hara into the Beis HaMedrash? The Ben Ish Chai writes an astounding idea. You know, the Zohar HaKadosh poses the following question. In the future, לעתיד לבוא, will HaKadosh Baruch Hu abolish the Yetzer Hara? Besides, for the time when a husband has a marital responsibility, will the Ribono shel Olam abolish the Yetzer Hara? The Zohar HaKadosh says: Absolutely not. Why not? Says the Zohar, If the Ribono shel Olam would abolish the Yetzer Hara, there would be no enjoyment in learning. The Zohar HaKadosh is revealing to us that the Yetzer Hara is needed to have an enjoyment in one's learning, to have a חשק in one's learning. In other words, there is one urge in man and that urge could be transferred to use to indulge in תאוה, or that urge could be used to get a tremendous satisfaction and pleasure and enjoyment from one's learning. Says the Ben Yehoyada, At the moment that the Yetzer Hara grabs a hold of a person, don't run into the Beis Medrash and leave the Yetzer Hara out. You know what you should say to yourself? Yetzer Hara, I'm so grateful to you that you brought me to this moment. You reminded me of a certain urge HaKadosh Baruch Hu created in me. I'm now going to take that urge and I'm going to harness it, I'm going to transfer it, I'm going to bring it into the Beis HaMedrash. Don't get down when the Yetzer Hara challenges you. Thank the Yetzer Hara. Say: You reminded me that I can take this תאוה that I have, and I'm going to transition it and transfer it and harness it to get more enjoyment in my learning. משכהו לבית המדרש. Don't leave that Yetzer Hara outside. When that challenge comes your way, tell the Yetzer Hara, Let's go, into the Beis HaMedrash. And harness that desire for greater satisfaction, pleasure and enjoyment in לימוד התורה. You'll never learn the same way again.