לזכות רבי אפרים אבא בן מרים שושנה וכל בני ביתו!!!
Regarding this post: Man can be great. The word אדם comes from אדמה לעליון - I will be emulate the High. But it also relates to the word אדמה - the dust of the earth. We can descend quite low. Adolph Hitler ימ"ש שר"י was a "human being" and so was, להבדיל a gizzilion trillion havdalos, the Vilna Gaon. John F. Kennedy was a human being who placed secret service men outside his bedroom door so they could tell him when his wife was coming and his mistresses could sneak out and, li-havdil a billion squared, Rav Ahrele Roth [the author of the Shomrey Emunim] was a human being who was invited as a yeshiva bochur to eat at someone's house for Shabbos over the course of two years and he related that he never once saw this man's two older daughters who sat at the table opposite him.
We don't trust ourselves. Let us learn a gemara in Succah [52a]:
ת"ר "ואת הצפוני ארחיק מעליכם" זה יצה"ר שצפון ועומד בלבו של אדם, "והדחתיו אל ארץ ציה ושממה", למקום שאין בני אדם מצויין להתגרות בהן, "את פניו אל הים הקדמוני" שנתן עיניו במקדש ראשון והחריבו והרג תלמידי חכמים שבו "וסופו אל הים האחרון" שנתן עיניו במקדש שני והחריבו והרג תלמידי חכמים שבו "ועלה באשו ותעל צחנתו" שמניח אומות העולם ומתגרה בשונאיהם של ישראל כי הגדיל לעשות אמר אביי ובתלמידי חכמים יותר מכולם כי הא דאביי שמעיה לההוא גברא דקאמר לההיא אתתא נקדים וניזיל באורחא אמר איזיל אפרשינהו מאיסורא אזל בתרייהו תלתא פרסי באגמא, כי הוו פרשי מהדדי שמעינהו דקא אמרי אורחין רחיקא וצוותין בסימא אמר אביי אי מאן דסני לי הוה לא הוה מצי לאוקומיה נפשיה אזל תלא נפשיה בעיבורא דדשא ומצטער אתא ההוא סבא תנא ליה כל הגדול מחבירו יצרו גדול הימנו.
ת"ר "ואת הצפוני ארחיק מעליכם" זה יצה"ר שצפון ועומד בלבו של אדם, "והדחתיו אל ארץ ציה ושממה", למקום שאין בני אדם מצויין להתגרות בהן, "את פניו אל הים הקדמוני" שנתן עיניו במקדש ראשון והחריבו והרג תלמידי חכמים שבו "וסופו אל הים האחרון" שנתן עיניו במקדש שני והחריבו והרג תלמידי חכמים שבו "ועלה באשו ותעל צחנתו" שמניח אומות העולם ומתגרה בשונאיהם של ישראל כי הגדיל לעשות אמר אביי ובתלמידי חכמים יותר מכולם כי הא דאביי שמעיה לההוא גברא דקאמר לההיא אתתא נקדים וניזיל באורחא אמר איזיל אפרשינהו מאיסורא אזל בתרייהו תלתא פרסי באגמא, כי הוו פרשי מהדדי שמעינהו דקא אמרי אורחין רחיקא וצוותין בסימא אמר אביי אי מאן דסני לי הוה לא הוה מצי לאוקומיה נפשיה אזל תלא נפשיה בעיבורא דדשא ומצטער אתא ההוא סבא תנא ליה כל הגדול מחבירו יצרו גדול הימנו.
The Sages taught concerning the verse: “But I will remove the northern one [hatzefoni] far off from you [at the end of days],” that this is referring to the evil inclination. And why is the evil inclination referred to as tzefoni? It is due to the fact that it is always hidden [tzafun] in the heart of man.
[The baraita continues interpreting the verse in the book of Joel.] “And will drive it to a land barren and desolate” (Joel 2:20), where there are no people for the evil inclination to incite. And what damage does the evil inclination cause? “With its face toward the eastern [hakadmoni] sea” (Joel 2:20), as it set its eyes on the First [mukdam] Temple and destroyed it, and killed the Torah scholars that were in it; “and its end toward the western [ha’aḥaron] sea” (Joel 2:20), as it set its eyes on the Second [aḥaron] Temple and destroyed it, and killed the Torah scholars that were in it; “its foulness may come up, and its ill odor may come up” (Joel 2:20), as it forsakes the nations of the world and incites the enemies of the Jewish people: In this context, the term the nations is a euphemism for the Jewish people. The evil inclination seeks to corrupt the Jews more than it does the members of any other nation. “Because it has done greatly”(Joel 2:20): Abaye said: And it provokes Torah scholars more than it provokes everyone else.
The Gemara illustrates that point. It is like this incident, as Abaye once heard a certain man say to a certain woman: Let us rise early and go on the road. Upon hearing this, Abaye said to himself: I will go and accompany them and prevent them from violating the prohibition that they certainly intend to violate. He went after them for a distance of three parasangs in a marsh among the reeds, while they walked on the road, and they did not engage in any wrongful activity. When they were taking leave of each other, he heard that they were saying: We traveled a long distance together, and the company was pleasant company.
Abaye said: In that situation, if instead of that man it had been one whom I hate, [a euphemism for himself], he would not have been able to restrain himself from sinning. After becoming aware of so great a shortcoming he went and leaned against the doorpost, thinking and feeling regret. A certain Elder came and taught him: Anyone who is greater than another, his evil inclination is greater than his.Therefore, Abaye should not feel regret, as his realization is a consequence of his greatness.
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Rav Scheinberg ztz"l went to the kotel for vasikin after it was captured during the Six Day War. There was a group of women coming towards him not dressed properly so he closed his eyes and asked his student [R' Mendel Rabinowitz] to lead him. His student asked what about his own shmiras einayim. Rav Scheinberg said "I have a bigger yetzer hara than you do".
Rav Moshe Feinstein ztz"l was once in the Catskills and a young woman of about 20 came towards him dressed immodestly. He turned away and instructed the person with him to do the same. The student asked if at Rav Moshe's advanced age it affects him to see such things. Rav Moshe answered "Ich bin oich a mentch" - I am a human being, too.
Rebbe Elazar Abuchatzeira ztz"l was asked what the difference in avoda wsas between his father Rebbe Meir and his grandfather the Baba Sali. He said that the Baba Sali was an אב בית דין in Morocco and had to go out onto the street in order to attend to religious matters, so he covered his eyes with a garment and his gabboim announced that no women are allowed to go out on to the street. His father Rebbe Meir, just [almost] never left the house. [Neither, incidentally, did Rebbe Elazar].
Rebbe Meir once had to go to Lod to Ben Gurion Airport to receive his father. Of course he had his eyes down and didn't see anything but suffered greatly being in such a place and considered it yissurim that he accepted upon himself in order to honor his father. THREE YEARS LATER he told his brother "Do you remember that trip to Lod? You should know that I still haven't finished making a tikkun [!!!]."
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On a darker note, about 30 years ago there was a Rosh Yeshiva of a well known Yeshiva who stumbled with an אשת איש. She had to get divorced [as is the Halacha when a women is unfaithful] and he lost his job and reputation. He is still alive [I just saw him]. Very impressive looking. Big black kippah. Long white beard. Huuuuuge talmid chochom. But for the rest of eternity he has this on his record [unless he does תשובה מאהבה]. One fall and his life is over. Scarrryyyy. And it can happen to any of us at any time.
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The pasuk says איה הקדשה היא בעינים על הדרך - The Tzadikim take this to mean that קדושה depends on guarding your eyes on the road. Now is summer time. SAKKKKAAANNNNAAAAAAA!!!!! Danger!!!! The BEST place to be is indoors and with your eyes guarded from all of the מרעין בישין that are everywhere. Let us be PUREEEEE AND HOLLLLYYYYYYY!!! קדושים תהיו!
לא עשה כן לכל גוי - "They" don't get it. We do!
