ערך עינים

And this is the aspect of: "Bind them upon your throat" [Proverbs 3:3] — specifically [davka] — the aspect of the throat and larynx from which the voice emerges. There should be bound in it the words of Torah. That is, his melody should be for the sake of Heaven. And through this: "write them upon the tablet of your heart" — as above. And through this one merits to be saved from the forgetting of Torah — and merits to see the light of Torah in perfection in the aspect of a life-giving remedy [sam chayyim]. The essential of pride is in the aspect of the eyes — as it is written: "haughtiness of eyes" [Proverbs 6:17]. And one who shatters his pride and nullifies himself in the ultimate nullification — through this he merits to look upward with his eyes — to behold the pleasantness of G-d [lachazos b'no'am Hashem]. For it is impossible to ascend from level to level and to look upward as is fitting in perfection — except through the ultimate nullification.

Our Sages of blessed memory said: "The beams of a person's house, his rafters, and the stones of his house testify against him at the time of judgment." And seemingly this is wondrous — and if so, if someone committed a transgression, G-d forbid, outside or in a field where there are no walls [mechitzos] — who testifies against him? But in truth the essential witnesses are the aspect of the walls [mechitzos] of the house — both in the physical and in the spiritual. For all transgressions and all desires come through the blemish of the eyes — through going after one's eyes. Especially the desire for licentiousness — whose root is specifically through the sight — [sight] — of the eyes. As it is written: "And you shall not go astray after your hearts and after your eyes, etc." [Numbers 15:39] — as our Sages of blessed memory expounded. And the essential [blemish] is through the sight of the eyes of the thought [ainei hamachshavah] — for in whatever a person looks with his thought — whether for good or for the reverse — this is also called sight. And a person must guard his eyes — physically and spiritually — not to look, G-d forbid, at anything that brings to improper thoughts. And in what he is necessarily compelled to see with his eyes — he must be very careful not to allow the eyes of his thought to look and gaze upon this, G-d forbid, until he comes to improper thoughts, G-d forbid. Rather, one must immediately erect the partition [mechitzah] of the brain against this desire. For the brain is an erected partition against this desire. And the choice is in the person's hand — to seize his thought — [his thought] — and to erect — [and to erect] — the partition of the brain and to be saved from this desire. For thought is in the person's hand to redirect it to the straight path. And as is brought elsewhere. And therefore the rafters and the stones of a person's house — which are the partitions — specifically testify against him. For even the physical partitions of a person's house — G-d created them all for the sake of guarding. For G-d created many partitions for the person before his eyes — so that he can guard his eyes from seeing evil, G-d forbid. For He created over the eye two partitions to cover it — which are the eyelashes and eyelids. As our Sages of blessed memory said. And likewise He created the partitions of the houses — within which a person must be hidden most of the time — in order to be guarded from the harm of seeing with the eyes that is outside. And the essential complete partitions — which are the essential guardianship above all guardianships — are the partitions of the brain [mechitzos hamoi'ach] as above. For even when sitting in the house — one must be careful not to blemish the partitions of the brain — not to come to improper thoughts, G-d forbid. And then — when one guards the partitions of the brain as is fitting — even when necessarily compelled to go out to the marketplace — he will be guarded there too through the partitions of the brain — which are partitions erected against this desire. And therefore one who blemished in some transgression, G-d forbid — which is only through the blemish of the partitions — therefore his rafters and the stones of his house — which are the partitions — testify against him. And therefore the Torah begins with the letter bais [beraishis] — for beraishis alludes to the three colors of the eye and the pupil, as is brought elsewhere. For the essential fulfillment of the Torah is through the guarding of the eyes — through the repair of the partitions — which are the aspect of bais [house] — the aspect of bais of beraishis.

And a person must guard his eyes — physically and spiritually — not to look, G-d forbid, at anything that brings to improper thoughts. And in what he is necessarily compelled to see with his eyes — he must be very careful not to allow the eyes of his thought to look and gaze upon this, G-d forbid, until he comes to improper thoughts, G-d forbid. Rather, one must immediately erect the partition [mechitzah] of the brain against this desire. For the brain is an erected partition against this desire. And the choice is in the person's hand — to seize his thought — [his thought] — and to erect — [and to erect] — the partition of the brain and to be saved from this desire. For thought is in the person's hand to redirect it to the straight path. And as is brought elsewhere. And therefore the rafters and the stones of a person's house — which are the partitions — specifically testify against him. For even the physical partitions of a person's house — G-d created them all for the sake of guarding. For G-d created many partitions for the person before his eyes — so that he can guard his eyes from seeing evil, G-d forbid. For He created over the eye two partitions to cover it — which are the eyelashes and eyelids. As our Sages of blessed memory said. And likewise He created the partitions of the houses — within which a person must be hidden most of the time — in order to be guarded from the harm of seeing with the eyes that is outside.