Day 4/50: Focusing on the Positive

אַֽעֲלֶ֣ה אֶתְכֶם֘ מֵֽעֳנִ֣י מִצְרַ֒יִם֒ אֶל־אֶ֤רֶץ – זָבַ֥ת חָלָ֖ב וּדְבָֽשׁ 

I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to – a land flowing with milk and honey.

The Steipler Gaon writes: 

“The holy sefarim, in the hope of holding back the potential sinner, have written at length that this sin [p’gam habris] causes the Heavenly influence of one’s good deeds to be snatched away [by the Sitra Achara, the side of impurity]. However, they have been brief in discussing the great merit of those who struggle [to control their passion].

“(Even) if one has stumbled in this sin many times, r”l, but has also overcome his passion many times and not sinned, then each time that he has conquered the passion that burns within him, he draws upon himself and upon the Upper Worlds a light of kedushah that is extremely powerful. Through this he rescues a portion of the “holy sparks” that were snatched away by the Sitra Achara and returns them to the side of kedushah. 

“One cannot imagine the lofty level of holiness of this person, who controls himself in the heat of passion. At that moment, he is like Yosef HaTzaddik.”

(Kereina D’igrasa Vol 1)