The Empty Fist | Rabbi Usher Yisroel Lissauer

What’s said in this shiur

The opening of this shiur, in Vayimaen’s own words — taken from the captions, so names and Hebrew terms may be approximate.

As a boy growing up in Manhattan, I saw the emptiness, the vanity in a life chasing after desires. Once I came across the writings of R’ Nachman Breslever, I saw a beautiful Mashal. There was once a man that put up his fist and showed it to a crowd of people, and he said: Who can guess what I have in my hand? Something very precious, very special. And he turned around and he started running. And everyone started running after him. Herds and herds of people were running and trying to get a glimpse of this special entity that he's holding in his tightly-closed hand. At the end of the race, when everyone was so exhausted, everyone was already tired, so he opened his hand and he showed them that there's nothing there. This is what the Yetzer Hara does to us. He comes and he says: I have something great for you. I have one of the biggest pleasures that there is in the world. Look here, look there. Do this, do that. But at the end of the game, he faces us, and he tells us: There was really nothing there.

Jump to a moment

1. 0:03As a boy growing up in Manhattan, I saw the emptiness, the vanity in a life…
2. 0:36of this special entity that he's holding in his tightly-closed hand. At the end of the…
3. 1:08I was just a שליח of Hashem to distract you and to see if you really…
4. 1:41This light will be beautiful. But for one that didn't guard his eyes, it may be…
5. 2:13Why does it say a singular לשון? It could be the reason is the Navi is…

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