Day 72
No Guarantee
The Yetzer Hara’s Immense Power
Never underestimate your enemy. It is a recipe for disaster.
What is truly frightful about tumah is its capacity to accelerate from 0 to 60 at a moment’s notice. When everything seems fine and your ruchniyus is stable, without a context, gradual descent, or warning, it is possible that you may find yourself facing the most difficult nisayon imaginable.
This is conveyed most powerfully by the well known story of Rav Amram Chasidah.
Briefly, the city of Nehardea once ransomed a group of girls who had been kidnaped. The women were temporarily housed in Rav Amram’s attic until they could return home safely. In the interim, in order to avoid yichud, the ladder that provided the only means of access to the attic was removed. However, there was one open area through which one could see from the lower floor into the attic. Rav Amram passed that opening just as a particularly attractive woman was standing there. His yetzer hara urged him to do an aveirah, so he grabbed the ladder and began climbing up the rungs toward her. Halfway up, Rav Amram got hold of himself and realized what he was about to do, but he did not trust himself to overcome his desire.
So he cried out, “There’s a fire in Amram’s house!”
There were many talmidei chachamim in the area who heard his call and came running to the rescue.
When they saw Rav Amram and realized what was actually happening, they were mortified. “Amram, you are embarrassing us!” Rav Amram responded, “Far better that you should be ashamed of me now in this world than to be ashamed of me forever in the World to Come.”
There are several lessons to be gleaned from this incident.
First, how quickly the yetzer hara for tumah operates. There was no gradual process here. Rav Amram Chasidah was a recognized talmid chacham at the time of his nisayon (as is clear from the reaction of the
other talmidei chachamim). Yet, the ta’avah to perform a most heinous crime involving arayos almost got the better of him.
Second, it is clear from this story that no one, not even an Amora, is immune from ta’avah.
Third, the story drives home the point that at times the yetzer hara can be so strong that one may simply be incapable of escaping the nisayon on his own accord ... and must seek help from outsiders.There is absolutely nothing wrong, and in fact, everything right, for one to seek the assistance of a support group when needed.
Fourth, the story conveys that fear of embarrassment should not prevent one from seeking help. In this story, a significant Rabbinic leader sought help for his problem and was not afraid to admit his weakness.
Last, Rav Amram used the power of embarrassment as a means of preventing him from sinning. He knew that upon the arrival of other talmidei chachamim, their presence would break the spell he was under. The same principle is operative with the Internet- reporting devices. The very fact that one knows that he is being “seen” by the “shomer” acts as a deterrent to sin.