17 Aug PARSHAS EIKEV

Shemiras Einayim

A basis for yiras Shamayim is to be cautious with what you see. This can explain why the fear of Heaven is called Yiras Shamayim. The word יראה†,fear, also means

to see. If you are cautious with your eyes, you will fear Hashem.

One Succos, the gabai of Rebbe Yissacher Dov of Belz zt’l served the Rebbe soup. After tasting it, Rebbe Yissachar Dov asked his gabai why the soup was so cold. The gabai answered that he brought it in from the outdoors, and it cooled off. The Rebbe said, “If soup gets cold by going through the city streets, what happens to a Yid who goes through the city streets?”

The Chofetz Chaim zt’l once said to a Yid from Warsaw, “To be inWarsaw, and to not be there, is to invest in Olam HaBa.”

Reb Shmuel Wosner zt’l writes, “I heard from someone who heard it directly from the Chofetz Chaim zt’l, “To hold back, even just once, from walking in the streets of a big city, is a keren (capital fund) for Olam HaBa.”

Reb Yochanan would bless his students, מורא†יהא†You, “ שמים†עליכם†≠†כמורא†בשר†ודם

shall fear Heaven as much as you fear people made†of†flesh†and†bloodÆ”

The Ben Ish Chai zt’l explained that fear of בשר†ודם†¨flesh†and†blood¨†hints†to†a

person’s fear of their health. People are very concerned about their health. They wouldn’t go to a place where there is a slight chance that they may catch a disease or become deathly ill, chalilah. We should act similarly when it comes to yiras Shamayim. We shouldn’t go to impure places, or be careless with our eyes, which can jeopardize our yiras shamayim.

Reb Meir of Permishlan zt’l said that the name of the parashah, עקב†is roshei which,

אות†ברית†קדוש†for teivos means to have

kedushah, and to guard one’s eyes and thoughts.

Rebbe Moshe of Kobrin zt’l explained why the עי״ן†of עקב†is exchanged for an (אל״ף

in the above roshei teivos). It is because the foundation of kedushah is to give our , אלופו

של†עולם†the to, eyes, עי״ן†to Hashem.

The Rishonim tell us that Rav Yosef and Rav Sheshes were Rav’s students, and when Rav was niftar, they took upon themselves to follow the way of Rav. This meant not looking out of their four amos. When they saw that they couldn’t be so cautious, they blinded themselves. They preferred to be blind than to see forbidden things. Some Rishonim say that they prayed to become blind, and that’s what happened to them. (See Shaarei Teshuvah 168, and the Ramban and Ran on Kiddushin 31:).

The Saraf of Strelisk zt’l said that this was also Dovid HaMelech’s prayer (Tehillim 119:37), העבר†that prayed He.

עיני†מראות†שוא†≠†עיני

העבר†,that he should be blind rather than to

see things he shouldn’t be seeing.

Chazal say that the happiest yom tov of the year is the 15th of Av, because the girls would dance in the vineyard, and they , בחור

שא†נא†≠†עיניך†,say would “Bachur raise your

eyes…” and choose a shidduch.

Reb Mordechai Chaim of Slonim zt’l noted that the great joy was that they had to tell the boys עיניך†נא†שא†,to raise their eyes,

because all the bachurim were guarding their eyes and keeping their eyes down. The kedushah of these young men was a reason for celebration.

Rebbe Aharon of Belz zt’l once needed to undergo surgery on his eyes, and he told the doctor that he didn’t want to lie on his back. He wanted the operation to be performed while he was in a sitting position. (An aspect of kedushah is not to lie on one’s back – only on the side – as discussed in the holy sefarim.) The doctor told him that he doesn’t have experience operating when the patient is in a sitting position, and he cannot guarantee the results. But the Rebbe insisted, and this is how the operation was performed. The Midrash (Koheles Rabba 3) writes that Reb Shimon ben Chalafta attended a bris milah, and when he came outside, he saw the Malach HaMaves smiling. Reb Shimon asked him why he was so happy.

The Malach HaMaves replied, “I heard the father of the boy say that the leftovers from the bris will be used for the boy’s chasunah. He doesn’t know that the boy will die in thirty days from now.” Reb Shimon ben Chalafta asked him how he knew that.

The Malach HaMaves answered, “We have a book that tells when everyone will die.”

Reb Shimon ben Chalafta asked, “When will I die?” The Malach HaMaves replied, “The fate of people like you we have no way of knowing. Because it states (Mishlei ה׳†יראת†≠†ימים†תוסיף†,( 10:27 ’ Fear of Hashem

adds days.’ Guarding your eyes just once, or overcoming the yetzer hara only once, can grant you life.”