Day 71
The Trusted Servant
When Nobody Sees
How does Hashem identify those who are completely loyal to Him, who will stick with Him through thick and thin, whom He can count on to never even consider abandoning Him?
Yerushalmi Berachos tell us how:
HaKadosh Baruch Hu says: If you give Me your hearts and eyes, then I know you are truly Mine.
What is it about shmiras einayim specifically that conveys such loyalty and dedication?
It is like someone once said, "The true test of a man's character is what he does when no one is watching." Inyanei kedushah are intensely private. No one knows what you are thinking, and generally, no one knows what you are looking at. There are therefore no ulterior motives in these matter. It's all about true dedication to Hashem. This brings to mind the words of the Rambam:
"Among the fundamental principles of faith in the Torah is the notion that if a person fulfills just one of the 613 mitzvos properly without any ulterior motive whatsoever, but he performs it from pure dedication, he merits life in Olam Haba."
How much more so is this true nowadays?! Shmiras enayim in the prevailing environment is such a powerful statement to Hashem about our degree of dedication.
The Beis Avraham (R' Avraham Weinberg, the former Slonimer Rebbe) visited Eretz Yisrael some 80 years ago. He addressed his chassidim while in Tiberias and said:
If in present times, with the prevailing immodesty, we guard our eyes when walking the streets, we may be almost as great as the tzaddikim of the previous generation. We can apply the verse in Koheles: "Do not say, 'How is it that the earlier days were better than these?' For it is not from wisdom that you have inquired about this."
The Rebbe added, "Don't say that the previous generations were much greater than ours. Perhaps, we can be almost as great."
He then paused and changed his mind. "No! If we guard our eyes we are definitely as great as they were!" And he again invoked that verse. " 'How is it that the earlier days were better than these?' We certainlycan be just as great."
He paused again and then rose from his chair and roared, "Still no! If we walk the streets nowadays and maintain our kedushah we are much, much greater than the previous generations."
And for a third time he repeated this verse: " 'How is it that the earlier days were better than these?' On the contrary, if we act with kedushah in our much more challenging situation, we are much greater than they!"
Bear in mind now that this story happened some 80 years ago. Can you imagine how great is someone who guards his eyes in today's times with all of its nisyonos?! Hashem certainly turns to him and says:
There is no one, aside from Me, to see what you are doing. There is no one to demean your failures and no one to celebrate your victories. Yet in the privacy of your home and mind you have dedicated yourself to Me.
You have given Me your heart and eyes. I now know that you are truly Mine.