Remembering the Golden Calf | Rabbi Yossi Schwartz

When I was a child, I always had a dream of being an expert at karate, a black belt. That didn't happen, but I did learn about a concept in Japanese called, Juno sego. It's the concept that is the basis of judo and many other kinds of martial arts, which says rather than use your energy to fight against your opponent, you use his energy against him. So when he throws a punch, you don't try to block it. You move to the side, take his arm and continue, pull him down. And of course, in Avodas Hashem, we have to figure out how to do this, as well. You see, when it comes to Shmiras Einayim, the Yetzer Hara comes with a claim, and he whispers in our ear, What's the point in not looking just one time? You've looked so many times. You've looked a thousand times. So just this one time? It's not going to make a difference. How do we not just fight back against this claim, but how do we somehow use it against the Yetzer Hara? After the sin of the golden calf, Hashem says, That whenever I will bring a calamity, unfortunately, upon the Jewish people, there's going to be a little bit of a punishment for the golden calf. This sin was so severe, it was so bad, that I will always remember, and I will always give a little bit of punishment from the golden calf into every calamity that happens to Klal Yisroel. Says R’ Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev, the saintly defender of Klal Yisroel, he says: How could it be? Hashem loves us. We did Teshuva for the sin of the golden calf. How could it be that Hashem says, וּבְיוֹם פׇּקְדִי וּפָקַדְתִּי I will always remember this sin? Says R’ Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev, It's the exact opposite of what it seems. If you look at the receiving of the Torah, Klal Yisroel did this unbelievable thing. They said: We will do and we will hear. We accept it upon ourselves to follow Hakadosh Baruch Hu. But you know what? That in and of itself is not so special, it's not such a Chiddush, because we are the sons of Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov. Our very nature is attracted to holiness, so of course we said yes when Hashem offered us the Torah. Well, that's what it seemed like until 40 days later. Once Klal Yisroel worshiped the golden calf, then it became clear that in truth, the impurity of Egypt is still very much alive inside of us, and in truth, our nature should have pulled us the other way. The fact that we said ‘We will do and we will hear’ was a tremendous Chiddush. It was something that went against our nature, our nature, which was still a mess from Egypt. Says R’ Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev, You know what Hashem is saying? When I want to remember how much I love a Yid, וּבְיוֹם פׇּקְדִי when I want to think about a Yid, וּפָקַדְתִּי, I will always remember the sin of the golden calf. Not in order to punish you. On the contrary, in order to amplify, in order to stress how beautiful it is and how hard it is for you to do what you're doing. I know that it's not easy. I know you still have the impurity of Egypt inside you. And therefore, I'm not just going to remember the Mitzvah that you did, but I'm going to remember in context. I'm going to remember in the context of a Yid who has struggles, of a Yid who was just in the 49 gates of impurity, and he is able to step up and say: We will do and we will hear. He is able to say: Hakadosh Baruch Hu, this time I'm not going to look. Wow, that is so beautiful. So you see, when the Yetzer Hara comes and attacks a Yid and says, What's the point of not looking? You've looked so many times. we shouldn't fight him. We have to tell him: You're 100% right. I've been in Egypt for so long. And that's why the fact that I'm going to not look this time is so unique, it's such a Chiddush. It is so special. When we do that, we're taking the Yetzer Hara’s very force and we're using it against him. The password that Moshe Rabeinu says in Hashem's name when getting us out of Egypt is I remember, Hashem says to us. I know where you've been until now. And that's why I know how special, how beautiful it is, that you're able to break against all of that and come back to me. So next time the Yetzer Hara comes and attacks you, you say to him, Juno se, this Yid is not going to look at something he's not supposed to. Now go.