The Roller Coaster of Life - Rabbi Yechiel Spero

Just imagine for a moment, that the great Tzaddikim of the generation call you in. And they say, listen, we have a job for you. We want you to put the Ta’amei Hamikra, the Trop with which we Leyen, on top of the words. Fit the words to the Trop. And imagine in your mind, how you think that word should sound when we sing it, or chant it, when we Leyen. And you came to the word וימאן. If there was ever a time when you needed to make an abrupt stop, it would be on the word וימאן. Because Eishes Potifar is tempting Yosef Hatzaddik, and Yosef Hatzaddik slams on the brakes, absolutely not! I want to have no part of you! I would have put something like a, maybe a Sof Passuk. You know what I would not have put? וימאן 3 Pazzers make up one וימאן. One Shalsheles. It’s probably the last Trop in the world that you would ever think of, for the word וימאן. And perhaps the answer is as follows: Maybe Chazal understood, that really while we would all like וימאן to be utter, and total, and absolute refusal, every single time, but למעשה in life it doesn't always work out that way. Sometimes, it's a roller coaster ride. Sometimes a person thinks, that’s it, I got this! There’s no way the Yetzer Hara is ever going to be able to attack me. And then all of a sudden, you find yourself tempted. And instead of an abrupt stop, you’re going around in circles. You’re going up and down. You feel like you’re having Aliyos and Yeridos. On the one hand, you’re so very inspired. And then it could be a few moments later, you reached the lowest of depths. A person’s got to know, that our journey, our fight of וימאן, is a Shalsheles. It’s going to be ups and downs. But at the end of the day, if a person tries to refuse, if you do your utmost to be able to achieve and to fulfill that idea of וימאן, you will win! You will conquer the Yetzer Hara! And yes, Shalsheles. When we refer to Shalsheles Hadoros, a chain of generations, your journey did not happen overnight. But because it didn't happen overnight, that journey will last you for generations. But you'll always be able to realize that you can and will conquer. Hashem didn’t create us as Mal'achim. He created us as human beings, with Aliyos and Yeridos. Ups and downs. But keep your eye on the ball, stay focused. Try the very best you can, and you will be Zocheh to Shalsheles Hadoros.