BS"D
VICTORIOUS VISION: YOM KIPPUR 2017/5778
Shira Smiles shiur
Summary by Channie Koplowitz Stein
Each year before Yom Kippur we explore one of the sins for which we confess and
ask forgiveness in the al chet prayer. This year we will be discussing
the sin of sikur ayin, which ArtScroll translates as "prying
eyes". We will explore both this understanding of the words as well as
other interpretations.
Each morning in our prayers we bless Hashem Who "opens the eyes of the
blind", Who gives us the gift of sight. It is a gift we are meant to use
wisely, as our eyes can easily lead us astray. In addition to leading us to
forbidden activities, our eyes can become einayim ramot/haughty eyes, or
tzorat ayin/narrow, stingy eyes. Even not using our eyes, pretending not to
see others who need our help is a misuse of our eyes and a kind of chutzpah, a
"slap" to Hashem Who gave us our senses to use for our good and for
the good of others, and thus elevate everything we do for the glory of His
Name.
Rabbi Lugasi compares our eyes to a camera that records everything and
imprints it deep into our brains even subconsciously so that even years down
the road something may trigger the memory of that image. What we see can never
be unseen, and years later the recalled image may still influence us and affect
our actions.
Observe the power of the eye. The entire course of human history was altered
when Chava "saw that the tree was good for eating and a delight to
the eyes," writes Rabbi Weissblum in Heorat Derech. Just a
little further along in human history, an entire generation became totally
perverted and distanced from moral behavior so that Hashem saw fit to flood the
world and destroy them. Our generation (according to mystical sources) is a
reincarnation of the souls of the generation of the flood. Ironically, wherever
we go we are "flooded" with immodest images, our eyes bombarded with
obscenity, warns us Rabbi Gamliel Rabinowitz in Tiv Hatorah. We must
guard and filter what our eyes see.
When one guards one's eyes, he is blessed, for our eyes are meant to reflect
holiness and bring us closer to Hakodosh Boruch Hu. Noach found favor in
Hashem's eyes because his own eyes were a reflection of sanctity, writes Rabbi
Zvi Mayer Silberberg in Sichot Hitchazkut. Today, if we guard our eyes
from evil, we invoke the merit of Yosef Hatzadik who had the strength to avoid
tremendous temptation by keeping the image of his righteous father before him.
We may think that what one sees is a greater problem for men than for women.
Not so, says Rabbi Pincus z"l. While a man may undoubtedly be influenced
by what he sees and may even act upon the images, he does not identify with it.
A woman, on the other hand, becomes emotionally involved and identifies with
the characters in a movie or in a novel. She becomes that person, however
briefly, and those traits become imprinted on her neshama.
The Torah gives us an actual mitzvah that Rabbi Coopersmith, student of Rav
Noach Weinberg"l, cites as the last of the six constant mitzvoth,
"Thou shall not stray after your hearts and after your eyes." There
are always improper things one may see along one's path. If one remains focused
on his spiritual essence, one will not become distracted by these sights and be
led astray. An analogy that Rabbi Berkovitz presents is the idea of a seeing
eye dog trained to lead its master along the correct path while avoiding
danger. An untrained dog (and we've seen them running down the street, pulling
their masters behind them) can easily get its master to run into a telephone
pole or into oncoming traffic. If we stay focused on our spiritual essence, we
will not be distracted. While a child is distracted by every object and strays
to observe it more closely, the parent stays focused on where they're going and
calls the child back. So too must each of us stay focused on our spiritual
goals and not get distracted by images and desires for physical pleasures.
It is human nature to desire pleasure. But pleasure comes in many forms.
Physical pleasure is generally instantaneous, "instant
gratification", and is usually momentary and fleeting. Spiritual pleasure
is long lasting and therefore requires more effort. Do we identify ourselves as
a body with a soul, or as a soul surrounded by a body? We don't have
souls. We have bodies. We are souls."
Along these lines, Rabbi Coopersmith points out the difference between ta'avah,
base desires which are forbidden, and ta'anug, enjoyment which are not only
permitted but often obligatory, as oneg Shabbat. With ta'anug, we
take the physical pleasure, whether the Shabbat food or seeing a magnificent
natural panorama, and elevating it by recognizing it and experiencing it on a
spiritual plane, with a blessing for Hashem's gift. If we see ourselves as
spiritual beings, that identity will be reflected in everything we do, from how
we dress to how we raise our children. We need to impart to them the love of
Yiddishkeit and indeed the pleasure we experience in its observance.
Nevertheless, the order of that mitzvah seems strange. Shouldn't straying after
our eyes precede straying after our hearts? Aren't the eyes leading us astray?
Rabbi Scheinerman in Ohel Moshe cites Malbim, and explains that if your
heart didn't have those desires and inclinations to begin with, you wouldn't
even notice whatever temptations are along the way. Once it enters the heart,
you seek out even more.
Rabbi Wolbe z”l offers a unique perspective on our discussion. He posits that
each of us has natural innate tendencies that draw us in certain directions,
much as a magnet naturally points to due north. This explains the medrash,
writes Rabbi Wolbe z”l, that tells us that Yaakov and Esau were already drawn
to two different directions while still in utero. Certainly, they couldn't see
where they were. Yet Yaakov would try to run out toward a Beit Medrash to learn
Torah while Esau was already running to places of idol worship. Our mission,
then, is to train ourselves to be drawn to the spiritual and holy rather than
to the base and mundane.
Now we can move on to our original translation of our al chet:,"For
the sin... with prying eyes." Eyes seeing improper images is not the only
thing eyes can do wrong. They can look where they don't belong and invade the
privacy of others, writes Rabbi Pliskin. That's why the Israelite tents in the
desert faced away from each other. But privacy extends to many other areas.
Human beings are a curious species. We like to know what is happening in other
people's lives and can be tempted not only to look into their windows, but to
check out the mail on their desk as we pass, or pry into our friend's email.
All this is forbidden. It is also important to ignore someone who finds himself
in an embarrassing situation and allowing them their privacy and time to regain
their composure. (I can't help but notice that sakranut spelled
two different ways as Hebrew homophones seem to be connected, prying and
curiosity. Further the root of sikur with different vocalization also
bears a strong resemblance to sheker/falsehood. CKS)
Parallel to this, however, is the need to follow our eyes when we see someone
or even something in need. The Torah admonishes us not to turn away from our
poor neighbor, and even to help a beast when we see it struggling under its
burden. Perhaps Hashem has put that situation in front of our eyes specifically
to give us an opportunity to do some chesed, writes Rabbi Krizer. When we
ignored those calls, we also sinned and need to ask forgiveness for not using
our eyes in a positive way.
Hashem sees everything, and He has given us eyes to see as well. Rabbi
Rabinowitz urges us to use our eyes and recognize the messages Hashem is
sending us. While I must guard my eyes not to accept the negative, may I learn
to use my eyes to see opportunities to live a life of soul.