Day 2/50: “But it’s so hard!”

וַיַּֽעֲבִ֧דוּ מִצְרַ֛יִם אֶת־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בְּפָֽרֶךְ 

And the Egyptians enslaved the children of Israel with back breaking labor.

The greater the challenge, the more one’s potential is brought forth, the more kadosh one becomes, and the more benefit he ultimately receives. Rashi on Kiddushin 39b writes that there is no greater mitzvah than when one is challenged to sin with a d’var ervah (sexual misconduct) and overcomes the challenge.

Rav Mordechai Tropper, zt”l, the Mashgiach of Yeshivas Chofetz Chaim, would use this Rashi to give encouragement to bachurim struggling. He would emphasize that Rashi, like the Rambam and the Chinuch, had his own “minyan ha’mitzvos” (mitzvah count) and he could not find any mitzvah that was greater than overcoming the temptation of a d’var ervah. 

Every attempt, no matter if it’s large or small, to keep our eyes and minds pure, engage in positive pursuits, and battle our yetzer hara gradually (and often imperceptibly) makes us more refined, virtuous, righteous, and kadosh. This is true even if we fall; we must dust ourselves off and rise to fight again. 

This is one of the primary reasons that the physical hallmark of a Jew, the bris milah, which is referred to as the os bris kodesh, is on this part of the body. Using the eiver specifically in the manner that the Torah prescribes distinguishes us and manifests our great kedushah*.

* Harav Elya Brudny, shlita, shared this insight and encouraged us to include it in the tips we share with the bochurim.