When a person is forced into being good, does that detract from his schar?
ANSWER:
No. Gadol hametzuvah v'oseh m'sheino metzuvah v'osheh, if you're forced to do something you get more schar. Why is that? Tosfos explains, because the yetzer harah doesn't want to be forced. Just because you are forced the yetzer harah puts up a fight, why should I? And you force yourself to obey; no, I'm going to obey, despite the fact that I'm forced to do it I will obey. So you are kofeh es yitzro to obey! There's a tremendous reward, Gadol!
Of course if you volunteer to do things when you are not forced, also there's some schar, but gadol, it's much greater if you are forced and you willingly cooperate and do what you are told to do.
Therefore, if you're in a Yeshiva and the Mashgiach is looking at you – you like to talk with your chaver in the Bais Hamedrash, and the Mashgiach is looking at you – and you don't talk? You should know that there are chatzufim that talk, even if the mashgiach is looking at them! But you are kofeh es yitzro and you decide not to talk, out of respect for the Mashgiach, and therefore you get schar for not talking. So you're a good man, because you were forced to be good, never regret it! It's worth everything in the world, to force yourself to be good.
Once a boy came to me in Yeshiva and said to me, "I want you to tell me every time I do something wrong!" I almost fainted when I heard that. Only one time in history that a boy came to me in the Bais Medrash, "If you see something wrong in me you should tell me about it."
He wanted to be forced to be good. To be forced to be good is a tremendous benefit.
Good Shabbos To All
This is transcribed from questions that were posed to Harav Miller by the audience at the Thursday night lectures.
To listen to the audio of this Q & A please dial: 201-676-3210
Important Numbers
