King David, peace be upon him, said in Tehillim (119:37), “Avert my eyes from seeing vanity, cause me to live in Your ways.” A person must know that many things depend on sight. Therefore it seems to me that if upon arising from sleep one’s gaze falls upon the house, one should reflect that the Holy One Blessed is He gave us the mitzvah of affixing a mezuzah to the entryway and the mitzvah of erecting a ma’akeh (a parapet) around the roof, as it is written, “And you shall make a parapet for your roof” (Devarim 22:8). And if upon going out the doorway he encounters clean animals, fit to be offered as sacrifices, let him reflect that the Holy One Blessed is He commanded us to offer sacrifices. And if he encounters impure domesticated or wild animals let him reflect that it is forbidden to consume them. Similarly, if he meets a gentile let him reflect that it is forbidden to intermarry with them. In short, each person should engage in reflection according to his knowledge and learning. This is a very great matter, for in this way one clothes his eyes with sanctity regarding everything they behold.
The converse is also true. Just as one who gazes at holy matters creates a garment of sanctity for his faculty of sight, so too when a man allows himself to gaze at forbidden sights and strange women, he clothes himself in deep defilement, Heaven forbid. A solid proof that sight has the power to cause harm to the viewer himself as well as to others can be adduced from the bird called the bas haya’anah. This bird’s eggs lie in front of the mother while she stares at them, piercing them with her gaze until a chick emerges from each one. In the chapters to come I will bring demonstrations of further insights into this matter.
For this reason our Sages of blessed memory (Avodah Zarah 20a) erected a protective fence forbidding a man from gazing upon anything that is liable to bring him to sin. For instance, he is forbidden from gazing at women and girls lest he be guilty of wasting seed. This is what King David had in mind when he wrote, “Avert my eyes from seeing vanity, cause me to live in Your ways” (Tehillim 119:37). The numerical value of the word shav (שוא), “vanity,” is 307, represented by the letters ש"ז (shin zayin), which is also the acronym for the term, shichvas zera, “semen.” (Dovid prayed that his eyes should not behold anything that could lead to shichvas zera.) This is a bold hint. It seems to me further that because Lilis and her cohorts are called “pangs of vanity” (shav) and also “pangs of death,” as is mentioned several times in the Zohar (1:12b; 2:33a), therefore David prayed, saying, “Cause me to live in Your ways.” That is, he asked to be influenced by the side of life and not the side of death, Heaven forbid.
The authors of the ethical literature write of a wonderful strategy for avoiding this sin: Let a man envision to himself continually that Hashem’s four-letter name is written before him in black ink upon parchment, in keeping with the verse, “I have placed Hashem (i.e., the four-letter name) before me continually” (Tehillim 16:8). This is the principle that King David alludes to in the verse, “My eyes are always directed towards Hashem, for He will free my feet from the net” (ibid. 25:15). The meaning should be obvious.
The Maggid — the angel that used to appear to the Beis Yosef of blessed memory— offered him another useful strategy for avoiding this sin: A man should envision the image of his father standing before him. As proof he cited the example of Yosef HaTzaddik who was on the verge of lying with Potifera’s wife when the image of his father appeared before him. As a result Yosef withheld himself from sinning (Sotah 36a). There is another hint to this strategy in our holy Torah. In Bereishis (1:12) it is written, “a meadow of herbs giving forth seed each to its kind” (Bereishis 1:12). “Meadow,” deshe, is an acronym for “the image of his father,” diukno shel aviv. Thus it is the medicinal “herb” to ensure that a man only gives forth seed “to his kind,” and that none is spilled in vain.
Come take a look at what is stated in the Zohar, Parashas Pikudei (263b). There it tells of an angel called Patos who seduces (mefateh) men to gaze at and examine that which is not necessary for them in an adulterous and wanton manner. After a man dies and is buried in the grave this angel then comes and restores to him his soul, after which he takes hold of him cruelly and breaks the sockets of his eyes and plucks out his eyes. Later on the man is sentenced to terrible afflictions and then lowered into a pit filled with snakes and scorpions, which attack him and execute upon him terrible judgments, Heaven spare us! The saintly Ari, z”l, discusses a certain small bird mentioned in the Torah (Devarim 14:13) called the ra’ah (literally, “it saw”), which is able to see great distances. The Sages say that it was given this name because it sees from afar and uses its sight to engage in lewdness (Chullin 63b). Therefore, the Ari adds, the punishment of a man who gazes at women is that his soul is reincarnated in the form of this bird, measure for measure, which causes the soul great suffering.
You must know that every sin is brought about by an antecedent and a cause. In this case, too, there is an antecedent and a cause that bring a man to gaze at forbidden women. The first cause is the gazing upon impure things until the eye is sated. Although it is permitted to look at the strange creatures from foreign lands, for which the Sages even instituted a blessing, “Blessed is He who diversifies the creatures,” nevertheless, one should not sate the eye with gazing at them but only cast upon them a passing glance. For the eye is comprised of four colors (the white, the dark rim around the iris, the color of the iris and the black of the pupil) corresponding to the four letters of the Divine name (Tikkunim 70, 128a). When a man casts his gaze upon impure creatures he draws upon himself the unclean spirit that hovers over them. This later causes him to gaze upon worse things, which then bring him to sin. For this reason the Sages warned that a man should not even gaze at his own wife when she is a niddah (menstruating woman) because defilement hovers over a woman while she is having her menstrual flow and through his gaze he draws it to him, causing it to adhere to his eyes. The proof to this is that when a niddah stares at a new mirror her vision makes a stain upon the glass that can never be removed. For the same reason the Sages forbade gazing at the face of en evildoer. Instead a man should accustom himself to looking upon holy things. That way he draws holiness upon himself, imbuing the four colors of his eyes with great illumination.
It is also beneficial for a man to gaze at the Heavens in order to behold the works of Hashem, may He be blessed. It written in the holy Zohar (Introduction 1b): Rabbi Elazar the son of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai said, One day I was by the shore of the sea when Eliyahu came and said to me, “Rabbi, do you know the meaning of what is written, ‘Raise your eyes on high and see who created these’ (Yeshayahu 40:26)?” I said to him, “These are the Heavens and their hosts, the works of the Holy One Blessed is He. For it is incumbent upon human beings to gaze upon them and bless Him, as it is written, ‘When I see Your Heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars that You estab- lished’ (Tehillim 8:4). Following which it is written, ‘Hashem, our Master, how mighty is Your name in all the earth’ (ibid. 8:10).”
Indeed the meticulous make it a practice to gaze at the Heavens at nightfall, just as the stars begin to shine, and recite, “How manifold are Your works, Hashem, etc.” (ibid. 104:24). One should be especially zealous to gaze at the Heavens when the sun begins to shine and to “go out in its strength” (Shoftim 5:31), for at that time the Side of Evil and impure beings and the forces of strict judgment are aroused by the sun’s fierceness. The same applies when the moon begins to shine. This is because the Side of Evil cannot appear in the light of the moon; therefore its minions, which float about the world in great force, take refuge in the moon’s shadow. Concerning this was it written, “The sun will not strike you by day nor the moon by night” (ibid. 121:6). One should have this in mind when reciting the morning prayer, “Who forms light, etc., who illuminates the earth and its inhabitants in mercy.” That is, He causes the luminaries to shine in mercy so that no Jew will come to harm on account of their light.
If follows from the above that a person must be very protective of his faculty of sight. This is even more critical with regard to speech, which is reckoned like deed. Therefore on the way to shul one should try to keep casual speech with one’s companions to a minimum, and even more so, unnecessary speech with strangers. This is a wonderful strategy for ensuring that Hashem in His mercy accepts one’s prayers. We find in the writings of the Ari, z”l, (Emek HaMelech, Intro. III, Ch. 4, p. 11b) that he once instructed one of his pious disciples, Rabbi Yitzchak Kohein, z”l, that he should go to the village of Ein Zeisim to the grave of Rabbi Yehudah bar Ilai and pray, having in mind certain special intentions that the Ari taught him. There Rabbi Yehudah bar Ilai would reveal to him an explanation of a passage from the Zohar in Parashas Ha’azinu. The Ari ordered further that he was not to speak with anyone along the way. So Rabbi Yitzchak went and prayed with all the required intentions and prostrated himself upon the grave. But there was no sound and he received no response. At length he returned home dejectedly to his master the Ari and told him, “Master, I went to the grave of the sage Rabbi Yehudah bar Ilai and did all that you instructed me, but I received no response from him. The Ari, z”l, replied, “Did I not see with my unique insight that you spoke with a certain Arab? And not only did he not greet you but you greeted him first! Did I not instruct you to speak with no one?” Then Rabbi Yitzchak Kohein recalled that this was indeed the case and confessed to it.
Here you have proof that speech and sight cause harm. Although in our dispersion we are required to greet everyone we meet, even before the morning prayers, nevertheless one should try to minimize his words as much as possible. This is a tried and true strategy. Examine my words well because I have abbreviated the matter and will elaborate upon it further in later chapters.
דָּוִד הַמֶּלֶךְ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם, אָמַר בִּתְהִלִּים (קיט, לז): "הַעֲבֵר עֵינַי מֵרְאוֹת שָׁוְא, בִּדְרָכֶיךָ חַיֵּנִי". צָרִיךְ אָדָם לָדַעַת, כִּי הַרְבֵּה דְּבָרִים הֵם תְּלוּיִין בִּרְאִיּוֹת עֵינָיו שֶׁל הָאָדָם. עַל כֵּן נִרְאֶה לִי, שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לִזָּהֵר תֵּכֶף בְּקוּמוֹ מִשְּׁנָתוֹ, אִם מִסְתַּכֵּל בִּרְאִיָּה אֶל הַבָּתִּים, יְכַוֵּן שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא נָתַן מִצְוַת מְזוּזָה בְּפֶתַח הַבַּיִת, מִצְוַת מַעֲקֶה לְגַג הַבַּיִת, כְּדִכְתִיב (דְּבָרִים כב, ח): "וְעָשִׂיתָ מַעֲקֶה לְגַגֶּךָ". וְאִם יוֹצֵא מִפֶּתַח בֵּיתוֹ וּפָגַע בִּבְהֵמוֹת טְהוֹרוֹת הָרְאוּיִין לְקָרְבָּן, יַחֲשֹׁב בְּדַעְתּוֹ, שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא צִוָּה לָנוּ לְהַקְרִיב קָרְבָּנוֹת. וְאִם פָּגַע בִּבְהֵמוֹת וּבְחַיּוֹת טְמֵאוֹת, יַחֲשֹׁב בְּדַעְתּוֹ אִסּוּר אֲכִילָתָן. וְכֵן אִם פָּגַע אֶחָד מֵאֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם, יַחֲשֹׁב בְּדַעְתּוֹ אִסּוּר חַתְנוּת. וְכָל אִישׁ וָאִישׁ, כָּל אֶחָד, צָרִיךְ לַחֲשֹׁב לְפִי יְדִיעָתוֹ וּלְפִי לִמּוּדוֹ. וְהוּא עִנְיָן גָּדוֹל מְאֹד, שֶׁהוּא מַכְנִיס הָעֵינַיִם בִּקְדֻשָּׁה בִּגְוָנִין דְּעֵינָיו.
King David, peace be upon him, said in Tehillim (119:37), “Avert my eyes from seeing vanity, cause me to live in Your ways.” A person must know that many things depend on sight. Therefore it seems to me that if upon arising from sleep one’s gaze falls upon the house, one should reflect that the Holy One Blessed is He gave us the mitzvah of affixing a mezuzah to the entryway and the mitzvah of erecting a ma’akeh (a parapet) around the roof, as it is written, “And you shall make a parapet for your roof” (Devarim 22:8). And if upon going out the doorway he encounters clean animals, fit to be offered as sacrifices, let him reflect that the Holy One Blessed is He commanded us to offer sacrifices. And if he encounters impure domesticated or wild animals let him reflect that it is forbidden to consume them. Similarly, if he meets a gentile let him reflect that it is forbidden to intermarry with them. In short, each person should engage in reflection according to his knowledge and learning. This is a very great matter, for in this way one clothes his eyes with sanctity regarding everything they behold.
וְזֶה לְעֻמַּת זֶה. כְּמוֹ שֶׁהַמִּסְתַּכֵּל בְּדִבְרֵי קְדֻשָּׁה, הוּא עוֹשֶׂה מַלְבּוּשׁ לִרְאִיּוֹת עֵינָיו בִּקְדֻשָּׁה, כֵּן, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, הוּא לְהֵפֶךְ — כֵּיוָן שֶׁהָאָדָם מַמְצִיא לִרְאוֹת בַּדְּבָרִים הָאֲסוּרִים וּבְנָשִׁים זָרִים, אָז מַכְנִיס אֶת עַצְמוֹ לְטֻמְאָה גְּדוֹלָה. וּרְאָיָה גְּדוֹלָה שֶׁהָרְאִיָּה הוּא פּוֹגֵם וּמַפְגִּים, מֵעוֹף אֶחָד הַנִּקְרָא "בַּת הַיַּעֲנָה", שֶׁעַל יְדֵי שֶׁהַבֵּיצִים מֻנָּחִים לְפָנֶיהָ וְהִיא מִסְתַּכֶּלֶת בָּהֶן, בִּרְאִיָּתָהּ — מְנַקֶּבֶת הַבֵּיצָה, וְיוֹצֵא מִכָּל בֵּיצָה אֶפְרוֹחַ אֶחָד. וְעוֹד אוֹכִיחַ לְקַמָּן בַּפְּרָקִים חִדּוּשִׁים מִזֶּה.
The converse is also true. Just as one who gazes at holy matters creates a garment of sanctity for his faculty of sight, so too when a man allows himself to gaze at forbidden sights and strange women, he clothes himself in deep defilement, Heaven forbid. A solid proof that sight has the power to cause harm to the viewer himself as well as to others can be adduced from the bird called the bas haya’anah. This bird’s eggs lie in front of the mother while she stares at them, piercing them with her gaze until a chick emerges from each one. In the chapters to come I will bring demonstrations of further insights into this matter.
וְלָכֵן תִּקְּנוּ חֲכָמֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה כ, א), גָּדֵר וּסְיָג שֶׁלֹּא לְהִסְתַּכֵּל בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁיָּבוֹא לִידֵי חֵטְא, כְּגוֹן בְּנָשִׁים וּבְתוּלוֹת, הַמֵּבִיא לָאָדָם לִידֵי הוֹצָאַת שִׁכְבַת זֶרַע לְבַטָּלָה. וְעַל זֶה כִּוֵּן דָּוִד הַמֶּלֶךְ, עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם: "הַעֲבֵר עֵינַי מֵרְאוֹת שָׁוְא, בִּדְרָכֶיךָ חַיֵּנִי". רוֹצֶה לוֹמַר, כִּי אוֹתִיּוֹת שָׁוְא הוּא גִּימַטְרִיָּא ש"ז, וְהוּא רָאשֵׁי תֵּבוֹת שִׁכְבַת זֶרַע, וְהוּא רֶמֶז גָּדוֹל. וְנִרְאֶה לִי עוֹד, דְּלִילִית עִם כִּתּוֹתֶיהָ נִקְרָאִים חֶבְלֵי שָׁוְא, חֶבְלֵי דְּמִיתָה, כִּדְאִיתָא כַּמָּה פְּעָמִים בַּזֹּהַר (חֵלֶק א דַּף יב, ב; חֵלֶק ב דַּף לג, א). וְלָכֵן הִתְפַּלֵּל דָּוִד עַל זֶה וְאָמַר: "בִּדְרָכֶיךָ חַיֵּנִי", דְּהוּא מִסִּטְרָא דְּחַיִּים, וְלֹא מִסִּטְרָא דְּמִיתָה, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם.
For this reason our Sages of blessed memory (Avodah Zarah 20a) erected a protective fence forbidding a man from gazing upon anything that is liable to bring him to sin. For instance, he is forbidden from gazing at women and girls lest he be guilty of wasting seed. This is what King David had in mind when he wrote, “Avert my eyes from seeing vanity, cause me to live in Your ways” (Tehillim 119:37). The numerical value of the word shav (שוא), “vanity,” is 307, represented by the letters ש"ז (shin zayin), which is also the acronym for the term, shichvas zera, “semen.” (Dovid prayed that his eyes should not behold anything that could lead to shichvas zera.) This is a bold hint. It seems to me further that because Lilis and her cohorts are called “pangs of vanity” (shav) and also “pangs of death,” as is mentioned several times in the Zohar (1:12b; 2:33a), therefore David prayed, saying, “Cause me to live in Your ways.” That is, he asked to be influenced by the side of life and not the side of death, Heaven forbid.
וְהִנֵּה, כְּבָר כָּתְבוּ בַּעֲלֵי מוּסָר שֶׁיֵּשׁ סְגֻלָּה נִפְלָאָה לְהִנָּצֵל מֵעֲבֵרָה זוֹ: יְצַיֵּר הָאָדָם תָּמִיד, כְּאִלּוּ שֵׁם יהו"ה כָּתוּב לְפָנָיו בִּדְיוֹ שָׁחוֹר עַל גַּבֵּי קְלָף, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (תְּהִלִּים טז, ח): "שִׁוִּיתִי ה' לְנֶגְדִּי תָמִיד". וְזֶהוּ סוֹד הַכָּתוּב, שֶׁאָמַר גַּם כֵּן דָּוִד הַמֶּלֶךְ, עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם: "עֵינַי תָּמִיד אֶל ה', כִּי הוּא יוֹצִיא מֵרֶשֶׁת רַגְלָי" (שָׁם כה, טו). וְקַל לְהָבִין.
The authors of the ethical literature write of a wonderful strategy for avoiding this sin: Let a man envision to himself continually that Hashem’s four-letter name is written before him in black ink upon parchment, in keeping with the verse, “I have placed Hashem (i.e., the four-letter name) before me continually” (Tehillim 16:8). This is the principle that King David alludes to in the verse, “My eyes are always directed towards Hashem, for He will free my feet from the net” (ibid. 25:15). The meaning should be obvious.
וְהִנֵּה הַמַּגִּיד לְהָרַב בֵּית יוֹסֵף, זֵכֶר צַדִּיק לִבְרָכָה, נָתַן עֵצָה הוֹגֶנֶת לְהָרַב, זִכְרוֹנוֹ לִבְרָכָה, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יָבוֹא הָאָדָם לִידֵי חֵטְא זֶה: יְצַיֵּר הָאָדָם כְּאִלּוּ דְּיוֹקְנוֹ שֶׁל אָבִיו עוֹמֶדֶת לְפָנָיו. וְהֵבִיא רְאָיָה מִיּוֹסֵף הַצַּדִּיק, שֶׁבִּקֵּשׁ לִשְׁכַּב עִם אֵשֶׁת פּוֹטִיפֶרַע, וְנִזְדַּמֵּן לְפָנָיו דְּיוֹקְנוֹ שֶׁל אָבִיו, וּפָרַשׁ יוֹסֵף מֵהַחֵטְא. וְעוֹד רֶמֶז בְּתוֹרָתֵנוּ הַקְּדוֹשָׁה: "דֶּשֶׁא עֶשֶׂב מַזְרִיעַ זֶרַע" (בְּרֵאשִׁית א, יב). דֶּשֶׁא הוּא רָאשֵׁי תֵּבוֹת — דְּיוֹקְנוֹ שֶׁל אָבִיו, הוּא עֶשֶׂב, שֶׁהוּא טוֹב לְמַזְרִיעַ זֶרַע לְמִינֵהוּ, וְלֹא לְהוֹצִיא שִׁכְבַת זֶרַע לְבַטָּלָה, כִּי אִם בְּמִינוֹ דַּוְקָא.
The Maggid — the angel that used to appear to the Beis Yosef of blessed memory— offered him another useful strategy for avoiding this sin: A man should envision the image of his father standing before him. As proof he cited the example of Yosef HaTzaddik who was on the verge of lying with Potifera’s wife when the image of his father appeared before him. As a result Yosef withheld himself from sinning (Sotah 36a). There is another hint to this strategy in our holy Torah. In Bereishis (1:12) it is written, “a meadow of herbs giving forth seed each to its kind” (Bereishis 1:12). “Meadow,” deshe, is an acronym for “the image of his father,” diukno shel aviv. Thus it is the medicinal “herb” to ensure that a man only gives forth seed “to his kind,” and that none is spilled in vain.
וּבוֹא וּרְאֵה מַה דְּאִיתָא בַּזֹּהַר, פָּרָשַׁת פְּקוּדֵי (דַּף רסג, ב), כִּי יֵשׁ מְמֻנֶּה אֶחָד שֶׁנִּקְרָא "פַּתּוֹת", עַל שֵׁם שֶׁהוּא מְפַתֶּה לִבְנֵי נָשָׁא, לְאִסְתַּכָּלָא וּלְעַיְּנָא בְּמָה דְּלָא אִצְטָרִיךְ לֵיהּ, בְּכַמָּה נְאוּפִין וּזְנוּנִין. וּלְאַחַר מִיתַת הָאָדָם, שֶׁנִּקְבָּר בַּקֶּבֶר, בָּא הַמְמֻנֶּה הַהוּא וּמַחֲזִיר לְהָאָדָם נִשְׁמָתוֹ, וְאַחַר כָּךְ נוֹטֵל אֶת הָאָדָם בְּאַכְזָרִיּוּת וּמְשַׁבֵּר הָעֶצֶם שֶׁל עֵינַיִם, וְנוֹטֵל מִמֶּנּוּ אֶת הָעֵינַיִם, וְאַחַר כָּךְ דָּן אֶת הָאָדָם בְּיִסּוּרִין קָשִׁים וּמָרִים. וְאַחַר כָּךְ מוֹרִידִים אוֹתוֹ לְבוֹר שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ הַרְבֵּה נְחָשִׁים וְעַקְרַבִּים, וְאוֹחֲזִין בּוֹ וְדָנִים אוֹתוֹ בְּדִינִין קָשִׁים וּמָרִים, רַחֲמָנָא לִצְלַן. וְאָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ הָאֲרִ"י, זִכְרוֹנוֹ לִבְרָכָה, כִּי יֵשׁ עוֹף קָטָן הַנִּקְרָא בַּתּוֹרָה (דְּבָרִים יד, יג): "רָאָה". וְנִקְרָא כָּךְ עַל שֵׁם שֶׁרוֹאֶה מֵרָחוֹק. וְעַל עוֹף זֶה אָמְרוּ חֲכָמֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (חֻלִּין סג, ב), שֶׁנִּקְרָא כֵּן, שֶׁרוֹאֶה לְמֵרָחוֹק, וּמְמַלֵּא תַּאֲוָתוֹ בִּרְאִיָּתוֹ. וְלָכֵן הָעֹנֶשׁ שֶׁל הָאִישׁ הַמִּסְתַּכֵּל בְּנָשִׁים, יִתְגַּלְגֵּל נִשְׁמָתוֹ בְּעוֹף זֶה, מִדָּה כְּנֶגֶד מִדָּה, וְסוֹבֵל שָׁם צַעַר גָּדוֹל מְאֹד.
Come take a look at what is stated in the Zohar, Parashas Pikudei (263b). There it tells of an angel called Patos who seduces (mefateh) men to gaze at and examine that which is not necessary for them in an adulterous and wanton manner. After a man dies and is buried in the grave this angel then comes and restores to him his soul, after which he takes hold of him cruelly and breaks the sockets of his eyes and plucks out his eyes. Later on the man is sentenced to terrible afflictions and then lowered into a pit filled with snakes and scorpions, which attack him and execute upon him terrible judgments, Heaven spare us! The saintly Ari, z”l, discusses a certain small bird mentioned in the Torah (Devarim 14:13) called the ra’ah (literally, “it saw”), which is able to see great distances. The Sages say that it was given this name because it sees from afar and uses its sight to engage in lewdness (Chullin 63b). Therefore, the Ari adds, the punishment of a man who gazes at women is that his soul is reincarnated in the form of this bird, measure for measure, which causes the soul great suffering.
וְצָרִיךְ שֶׁתֵּדַע, כִּי לְכָל עָווֹן יֵשׁ גְּרָם וְסִבָּה הַמְּבִיאָה אוֹתוֹ לִידֵי כָּךְ, וְהָכֵי נָמֵי יֵשׁ גְּרָם וְסִבָּה הַמְּבִיאוֹת אוֹתוֹ לִידֵי הִסְתַּכְּלוּת בַּנָּשִׁים הָאֲסוּרוֹת. וְהַסִּבָּה הָרִאשׁוֹנָה, כְּשֶׁאָדָם מִסְתַּכֵּל בִּדְבָרִים טְמֵאִים, עַד שֶׁהִשְׂבִּיעַ עֵינוֹ בַּהִסְתַּכְּלוּת בָּהֶם — אַף שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָאָדָם רְשׁוּת לִרְאוֹת בְּרִיּוֹת מְשֻׁנּוֹת הַבָּאִים מִמְּדִינוֹת מֶרְחַקִּים, וְעַל זֶה תִּקְּנוּ חֲכָמֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה וְקָבְעוּ בְּרָכָה: "בָּרוּךְ מְשַׁנֶּה הַבְּרִיּוֹת" (בְּרָכוֹת נח, ב) — מִכָּל מָקוֹם, לֹא יַשְׂבִּיעַ עֵינוֹ בְּהִסְתַּכְּלוּת וְלֹא יִרְאֶה בָּהֶם כִּי אִם דֶּרֶךְ עֲרַאי. כִּי מְאוֹר הָעֵינַיִם דּוֹמִים בְּאַרְבָּעָה גְּוָנִין, שֶׁהֵן נֶגֶד אוֹתִיּוֹת שֵׁם יהו"ה, וְאִם הַבֶּן אָדָם רוֹאֶה בִּרְאִיּוֹתָיו בְּרִיּוֹת טְמֵאוֹת, אָז הוּא מַמְשִׁיךְ רוּחַ הַטֻּמְאָה הַחוֹפֵף עָלָיו בְּזֶה הַדָּבָר, וְהוּא הַגּוֹרֵם אַחַר כָּךְ לְהִסְתַּכֵּל בַּדָּבָר הַיּוֹתֵר גָּרוּעַ, הַמֵּבִיא אָדָם לִידֵי מִכְשׁוֹל. וְלָכֵן הִזְהִירוּ חֲכָמֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (נְדָרִים כ, א), שֶׁלֹּא לְהִסְתַּכֵּל אֲפִלּוּ בְּאִשְׁתּוֹ נִדָּה, כִּי טֻמְאָה שֶׁל נִדָּה הַחוֹפֵף עַל הָאִשָּׁה בִּימֵי נִדָּתָהּ, עַל יְדֵי הָרְאִיָּה שׁוֹאֵב הוּא אוֹתָהּ הַזֻהֲמָה, וּמִדַּבֵּק הַטֻּמְאָה בְּעֵינָיו. וְהָרְאָיָה לְזֶה, שֶׁכֵּיוָן שֶׁהָאִשָּׁה נִדָּה מִסְתַּכֶּלֶת בְּמַרְאָה (שֶׁקּוֹרִין בִּלְשׁוֹן אַשְׁכְּנַז: "שְׁפִּיגְל") חָדָשׁ, עוֹשָׂה רְאִיָּתָהּ בַּמַּרְאָה רשֶׁם כֶּתֶם אֶחָד, שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לְהַעֲבִיר אוֹתוֹ הַכֶּתֶם. וְלָכֵן אָמְרוּ גַּם כֵּן חֲכָמֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (מְגִלָּה כח, א), דְּאָסוּר לְהִסְתַּכֵּל בְּפָנָיו שֶׁל אָדָם רָשָׁע. אֶלָּא יַרְגִּיל עַצְמוֹ לָשׂוּם עֵינָיו בִּדְבַר קְדֻשָּׁה, וְאָז הוּא מַמְשִׁיךְ קְדֻשָּׁה וְנוֹתֵן הֶאָרָה גְּדוֹלָה לְאַרְבָּעָה גְּוָנִין דְּעֵינָא דִּילֵיהּ.
You must know that every sin is brought about by an antecedent and a cause. In this case, too, there is an antecedent and a cause that bring a man to gaze at forbidden women. The first cause is the gazing upon impure things until the eye is sated. Although it is permitted to look at the strange creatures from foreign lands, for which the Sages even instituted a blessing, “Blessed is He who diversifies the creatures,” nevertheless, one should not sate the eye with gazing at them but only cast upon them a passing glance. For the eye is comprised of four colors (the white, the dark rim around the iris, the color of the iris and the black of the pupil) corresponding to the four letters of the Divine name (Tikkunim 70, 128a). When a man casts his gaze upon impure creatures he draws upon himself the unclean spirit that hovers over them. This later causes him to gaze upon worse things, which then bring him to sin. For this reason the Sages warned that a man should not even gaze at his own wife when she is a niddah (menstruating woman) because defilement hovers over a woman while she is having her menstrual flow and through his gaze he draws it to him, causing it to adhere to his eyes. The proof to this is that when a niddah stares at a new mirror her vision makes a stain upon the glass that can never be removed. For the same reason the Sages forbade gazing at the face of en evildoer. Instead a man should accustom himself to looking upon holy things. That way he draws holiness upon himself, imbuing the four colors of his eyes with great illumination.
וְטוֹב לָאָדָם לְהִסְתַּכֵּל בַּשָּׁמַיִם כְּדֵי לִרְאוֹת מַעֲשֵׂה ה' יִתְבָּרַךְ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בַּזֹּהַר פָּרָשַׁת בְּרֵאשִׁית (בָּהַקְדָּמָה, דַּף א, ב): "אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַאי: יוֹמָא חַד הֲוֵינָא עַל כֵּיף יַמָּא, וְאָתָא אֵלִיָּהוּ וְאָמַר לִי: "רַבִּי, יָדַעְתָּ מַהוּ דִּכְתִיב (יְשַׁעְיָה מ, כו): "שְׂאוּ מָרוֹם עֵינֵיכֶם, וּרְאוּ מִי בָרָא אֵלֶּה"? אֲמֵינָא לֵיהּ: אִלֵּין שְׁמַיָּא וְחֵילֵיהוֹן — עֻבְדָּא דְּקֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דְּאִית לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ לְאִסְתַּכָּלָא בְּהוּ וּלְבָרָכָא לֵיהּ, דִּכְתִיב (תְּהִלִּים ח, ד): "כִּי אֶרְאֶה שָׁמֶיךָ, מַעֲשֵׂה אֶצְבְּעוֹתֶיךָ, יָרֵחַ וְכוֹכָבִים אֲשֶׁר כּוֹנָנְתָּה", וּכְתִיב (שָׁם, י): "ה' אֲדֹנֵינוּ מָה אַדִּיר שִׁמְךָ בְּכָל הָאָרֶץ". עַד כָּאן לְשׁוֹנוֹ.
It is also beneficial for a man to gaze at the Heavens in order to behold the works of Hashem, may He be blessed. It written in the holy Zohar (Introduction 1b): Rabbi Elazar the son of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai said, One day I was by the shore of the sea when Eliyahu came and said to me, “Rabbi, do you know the meaning of what is written, ‘Raise your eyes on high and see who created these’ (Yeshayahu 40:26)?” I said to him, “These are the Heavens and their hosts, the works of the Holy One Blessed is He. For it is incumbent upon human beings to gaze upon them and bless Him, as it is written, ‘When I see Your Heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars that You estab- lished’ (Tehillim 8:4). Following which it is written, ‘Hashem, our Master, how mighty is Your name in all the earth’ (ibid. 8:10).”
וְכֵן נוֹהֲגִים אַנְשֵׁי מַעֲשֶׂה לְהִסְתַּכֵּל בַּשָּׁמַיִם בִּשְׁעַת יְצִיאַת הַכּוֹכָבִים, כְּשֶׁמַּתְחִילִין לְהָאִיר, וְאוֹמְרִים (שָׁם קד, כד): "מָה רַבּוּ מַעֲשֶׂיךָ ה' וְכוּ'". וּבִפְרָט כְּשֶׁהִתְחִיל הַחַמָּה לְהָאִיר, אֲזַי צָרִיךְ הָאָדָם לְהִסְתַּכֵּל לַשָּׁמַיִם, בְּצֵאת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בִּגְבוּרָתָהּ, כִּי אָז סִטְרָא אָחֳרָא וְחִיצוֹנִים וְדִינִים מִתְעוֹרְרִים עַל יְדֵי תֻּקְפָּא דְּשִׁמְשָׁא. וְכֵן כְּשֶׁהַלְּבָנָה תַּתְחִיל לְהַזְרִיחַ, אָז הַסִּטְרָא אָחֳרָא, שֶׁאֵין יְכוֹלָה לְהִתְרָאוֹת בְּאוֹר הַלְּבָנָה, וְשָׁאטִין בָּעוֹלָם בְּתֻקְפָּה וּבְחֹזֶק, הֵן מַבְרִיחִין עַצְמָן בְּצֵל הַלְּבָנָה. וְעַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר (שָׁם קכא, ו): "יוֹמָם הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ לֹא יַכֶּכָּה וְיָרֵחַ בַּלָּיְלָה". וְעַל זֶה יְכַוֵּן הָאָדָם גַּם כֵּן בְּאָמְרוֹ בְּשַׁחֲרִית: "יוֹצֵר אוֹר וְכוּ', הַמֵּאִיר לָאָרֶץ וְלַדָּרִים עָלֶיהָ בְּרַחֲמִים", שֶׁיָּאִירוּ הַמְּאוֹרוֹת בְּרַחֲמִים, וְלֹא יִנָּזֵק שׁוּם בַּר יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל יְדֵי זְרִיחַת אוֹר דִּילְהוֹן.
Indeed the meticulous make it a practice to gaze at the Heavens at nightfall, just as the stars begin to shine, and recite, “How manifold are Your works, Hashem, etc.” (ibid. 104:24). One should be especially zealous to gaze at the Heavens when the sun begins to shine and to “go out in its strength” (Shoftim 5:31), for at that time the Side of Evil and impure beings and the forces of strict judgment are aroused by the sun’s fierceness. The same applies when the moon begins to shine. This is because the Side of Evil cannot appear in the light of the moon; therefore its minions, which float about the world in great force, take refuge in the moon’s shadow. Concerning this was it written, “The sun will not strike you by day nor the moon by night” (ibid. 121:6). One should have this in mind when reciting the morning prayer, “Who forms light, etc., who illuminates the earth and its inhabitants in mercy.” That is, He causes the luminaries to shine in mercy so that no Jew will come to harm on account of their light.
עַל כֵּן צָרִיךְ הָאָדָם לִזָּהֵר בִּרְאִיּוֹת הָעַיִן, וּמִכָּל שֶׁכֵּן בְּדִבּוּר, שֶׁהוּא נֶחֱשָׁב כְּמַעֲשֶׂה. עַל כֵּן בַּהֲלִיכָתוֹ לְבֵית הַכְּנֶסֶת יִרְאֶה לְמַעֵט בְּדִבּוּרוֹ דִּבְרֵי חוֹל עִם חֲבֵרוֹ, וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן עִם אִישׁ אַחֵר, אֲשֶׁר הוּא שֶׁלֹּא לְצֹרֶךְ, וְזֶהוּ סְגֻלָּה נִפְלָאָה שֶׁיְּקַבֵּל ה' בְּרַחֲמָיו תְּפִלָּתוֹ. וְהִנֵּה מָצִינוּ בְּכִתְבֵי הָאֲרִ"י, זִכְרוֹנוֹ לִבְרָכָה (עֵמֶק הַמֶּלֶךְ, הַקְדָּמָה ג פֶּרֶק ד) שֶׁצִּוָּה לְתַלְמִידָיו הַחֲסִידִים, וּבִפְרָט לְתַלְמִידוֹ רַבִּי יִצְחָק כֹּהֵן, זִכְרוֹנוֹ לִבְרָכָה, שֶׁיֵּלֵךְ רַבִּי יִצְחָק לִכְפָר עֵין־זֵיתִים עַל קֶבֶר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בַּר אִלְעַאי, וְשָׁם יִתְפַּלֵּל וּלְכַוֵּן יִחוּדִים שֶׁמָּסַר לוֹ הָאֲרִ"י, זִכְרוֹנוֹ לִבְרָכָה, וְשָׁם יְגַלֶּה לוֹ רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בַּר אִלְעַאי פֵּרוּשׁ עַל מַאֲמַר הַזֹּהַר בְּפָרָשַׁת הַאֲזִינוּ. וְצִוָּה לוֹ הָאֲרִ"י, זִכְרוֹנוֹ לִבְרָכָה, שֶׁלֹּא יְדַבֵּר עִם שׁוּם אָדָם בַּהֲלִיכָתוֹ. וְהָלַךְ רַבִּי יִצְחָק כֹּהֵן, זִכְרוֹנוֹ לִבְרָכָה, הַנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל, וְהִתְפַּלֵּל וְעָשָׂה כָּל הַיִּחוּדִים וְנִשְׁתַּטַּח עַל קִבְרוֹ, וְאֵין קוֹל וְאֵין תְּשׁוּבָה. וְחָזַר בְּפַחֵי נֶפֶשׁ אֶל רַבּוֹ הָאֲרִ"י, זִכְרוֹנוֹ לִבְרָכָה, וְאָמַר לוֹ: אֲדוֹנִי, בָּאתִי עַל קֶבֶר הַתַּנָּא רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בַּר אִלְעַאי וְעָשִׂיתִי כְּכָל אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתָנִי, וְלֹא בָּא אֵלַי שׁוּם תְּשׁוּבָה מִמֶּנּוּ! וְהֵשִׁיב לוֹ הָאֲרִ"י, זִכְרוֹנוֹ לִבְרָכָה: וְלֹא רָאִיתִי בַּהֲשָׂגוֹתַי שֶׁדִּבַּרְתָּ עִם עַרְבִי אֶחָד, וְלֹא דַּי שֶׁהוּא לֹא שָׁאַל בִּשְׁלוֹמְךָ, אֶלָּא אַתָּה הִקְדַּמְתָּ לוֹ שָׁלוֹם?! וַהֲלֹא צִוִּיתִיךָ, שֶׁלֹּא תְּדַבֵּר עִם שׁוּם בֶּן אָדָם?! אָז זָכַר הָרַב יִצְחָק כֹּהֵן, זִכְרוֹנוֹ לִבְרָכָה, שֶׁכָּךְ הָיָה, וְהוֹדָה לוֹ, עַד כָּאן לְשׁוֹנוֹ.
If follows from the above that a person must be very protective of his faculty of sight. This is even more critical with regard to speech, which is reckoned like deed. Therefore on the way to shul one should try to keep casual speech with one’s companions to a minimum, and even more so, unnecessary speech with strangers. This is a wonderful strategy for ensuring that Hashem in His mercy accepts one’s prayers. We find in the writings of the Ari, z”l, (Emek HaMelech, Intro. III, Ch. 4, p. 11b) that he once instructed one of his pious disciples, Rabbi Yitzchak Kohein, z”l, that he should go to the village of Ein Zeisim to the grave of Rabbi Yehudah bar Ilai and pray, having in mind certain special intentions that the Ari taught him. There Rabbi Yehudah bar Ilai would reveal to him an explanation of a passage from the Zohar in Parashas Ha’azinu. The Ari ordered further that he was not to speak with anyone along the way. So Rabbi Yitzchak went and prayed with all the required intentions and prostrated himself upon the grave. But there was no sound and he received no response. At length he returned home dejectedly to his master the Ari and told him, “Master, I went to the grave of the sage Rabbi Yehudah bar Ilai and did all that you instructed me, but I received no response from him. The Ari, z”l, replied, “Did I not see with my unique insight that you spoke with a certain Arab? And not only did he not greet you but you greeted him first! Did I not instruct you to speak with no one?” Then Rabbi Yitzchak Kohein recalled that this was indeed the case and confessed to it.
הֲרֵי לְךָ רְאָיָה, שֶׁהַדִּבּוּר וְהָרְאִיָּה פּוֹגְמִין. וְאַף שֶׁבְּגָלוּתֵנוּ מֻכְרָחִים לְהַקְדִּים שָׁלוֹם לְכָל אָדָם, אֲפִלּוּ בְּשַׁחֲרִית קֹדֶם תְּפִלָּה, מִכָּל מָקוֹם יִרְאֶה לְקַצֵּר דְּבָרָיו מַאי דְּאֶפְשָׁר, וְזֶהוּ סְגֻלָּה נִפְלָאָה וְנֶאֱמָנָה. וְדוֹ"ק כִּי קִצַּרְתִּי פֹּה, וּלְקַמָּן אַאֲרִיךְ בּוֹ בַּפְּרָקִים.
Here you have proof that speech and sight cause harm. Although in our dispersion we are required to greet everyone we meet, even before the morning prayers, nevertheless one should try to minimize his words as much as possible. This is a tried and true strategy. Examine my words well because I have abbreviated the matter and will elaborate upon it further in later chapters.