Golem's Row | Rabbi Fischel Schachter

So I struggled in Cheider, as a kid. Focusing was my issue. And I remember, when I was in third grade, there were three rows. One row was for the best kids in the class, one row in the middle was for the intermediate division, and one row was for the... uh, I don't know exactly what they call it, but I can tell you what the kids called it. The kids called it Golem’s Row. And I was in Golem’s Row. I don't know, it didn't bother me even that much. I just assumed it was a fact of life. One day, the fluorescent string of lights over Golem’s Row, totally dead, went off. After all, it was Golem’s Row, you know, schlimazel. And so the Rebbe said: Everyone move over. And I felt so good. I thought I was promoted to the intermediate division. I was so happy. Then when they fixed the light, you know, I was sent back. Oh, okay. And I came home and I mentioned it to my father. I said: You know, I thought I was being moved out of Golem's Row, but it was just the electrician. My father said nothing. Two weeks later, he took me out of the school. I said: Why? He said: There’s a new school opening up and they need new kids. And this school has plenty of kids. It took me a while to chap what my father actually did. After all, Golem stays Golem. And I once asked my father, Why didn't you tell me why you really took me out of that school? He said, Because the only one that can decide if you're a Golem or not is you. No one else. And once I make an issue of the fact that you were a victim, you were a Golem, you'll use it the rest of your life. I blew it, I didn't... Nah. I wasn't going to let that happen. You know, one of the ways the Yetzer Hara gets us is You blew it. It's game over. says the Divrei Yisrael, Don’t let your heart say: I blew it. Don't let the Yetzer Hara say: That’s it. What your eyes saw, it's game over. Rather You can do it. And the moment you decide I'm going to do it, you fix everything. So Luna Park, I haven't been there for a while, but there's a spooky house. And this kid goes in there, he's scared out of his wits. Ghosts, Shedim, Mazikim flying all over the place. And finally, when he walks out at the end, he's... and he says: My yarmulke. I lost my yarmulke. So the man says: Run in and get it. He goes: I’ll die of a heart attack. He says: I'm going to turn on the lights. He walks in. All of sudden, all these ghosts are just a piece of plastic. It's nothing. Ha! As soon as you turn on the light, hey, it's all good, it’s all geshmak, it's all nothing. Chanukah is turning on the light. And all of a sudden, all of our Nisyonos, all of our tests, all of the ghosts and Shedim and Mazikim and Golems in our life, and the fact that I was so hurt and the fact... Hey, you’re not allowed to hurt anybody, don't get me wrong, but you yourself, no one can say you blew it unless you say it to yourself. Turn on the light and you'll see just how special Golem’s Row becomes.