Instant Greatness | Rabbi Yehuda Zev Klein

There’s a fascinating story brought down by the Gemara, Masechtas Yuma. A pregnant woman once smelled food on Yom Kippur and she was overcome by a powerful craving. As we know, there are no leniencies on Yom Kippur, but it was a question of life and death. So they came before R’ Yehuda Hanasi and they asked him what to do. He said to them, Go whisper into this woman's ear, so that the baby should hear, that today is Yom Kippur. They whispered to her and the craving subsided. Says the Gemara, נפק מינה רבי יוחנן. The child born from this woman was the holy Amora, R’ Yochanan. Then the Gemara relates a similar story with a very different outcome. The Gemara says there was another pregnant woman that smelled food on Yom Kippur, and she was craving it. They came to R’ Chaninah and they asked him how to proceed. He said to them, Whisper to her that today's Yom Kippur. They whispered to her, but she did not accept it. The craving persisted. Says the Gemara, נפק מינה שבתאי. From her emerged Shabsai, a wicked person. So let's think about this. The mother of R’ Yochanan had one moment of restraint, one act of self-control, and what was her reward? She merited to bring into this world one of the greatest Amoraim in all of Jewish history. R’ Yochanan is one of the most quoted Amoraim in Shas. Thousands of years later, we are still quoting the Torah of R’ Yochanan. ‘Says R’ Yochanan’ is heard thousands of times every day, in every Yeshiva, in every corner of the globe. Why did she merit to give birth to this great luminary? All because of one moment of restraint. We can't begin to imagine the reward for one single moment of self-control. The Steipler Gaon writes something remarkable. When you restrain yourself from a forbidden pleasure, every bit of pleasure you gave up, Hashem will repay you in a permissible way. Not only in the World to Come, but in this world, as well. So you never lose out by holding back. A person never loses by choosing Hashem. We think greatness is built with grand dramatic achievements, but the Gemara tells us, Because of one moment of restraint, she merited to give birth to the great R’ Yochanan. Greatness can be created in an instant. One act of self-control, one moment of self-sacrifice, when you have every excuse in the world to say yes and you choose to say no, you can't begin to imagine the incredible reward Hashem is creating for you.