Teachings
Vision
Sefer Hamidos - The Book of Traits · 14 individual teachings
אֵין הָעַיִן יָכוֹל לִרְאוֹת, אֶלָּא מַה שֶׁנּוֹתְנִים לוֹ רְשׁוּת לִרְאוֹת, אֲפִלּוּ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה הַדָּבָר לְפָנָיו, אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לִרְאוֹת עַד שֶׁנּוֹתְנִים לוֹ רְשׁוּת מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם לִרְאוֹת.
1. The eye can only see what it is given permission to see. Even if an object is in front him, he will not be able to see, until Heaven grants him permission to see.
חֶסְרוֹן הַלְּבָנָה וּלְקוּתָהּ מַזִּיק לַחֲלוּשֵׁי הָרְאוּת.
2. The waning of the moon, and its eclipse, are harmful to those with weak vision.
קִדּוּשׁ הַחֹדֶשׁ מְסֻגָּל לְרַפְּאוֹת חֲלוּשֵׁי הָרְאוּת.
3. Kiddush Levanah (Blessing over the New Moon) is effective (segulah) for healing weak vision.
תִּקּוּן חֲצוֹת מְסֻגָּל לַחֲלוּשֵׁי הָרְאוּת.
4. Saying Tikkun Chatzot (the Midnight Rectification) is effective for healing weak vision.
עַל־יְדֵי שְׁבוּעָה בָּא כְּאֵב עֵינַיִם.
5. Through an oath comes pain in the eyes.
הַצְּבוּעִים גּוֹרְמִים כְּאֵב עֵינַיִם לַהֲמוֹן־עַם הַטּוֹעִים בָּם.
6. Hypocrites cause pain in the eyes to the masses who are deceived by them.
כְּשֶׁאָדָם גָּדוֹל מַרְגִּישׁ אֵיזֶהוּ כְּאֵב בְּעֵינָיו, יֵדַע שֶׁבְּנוֹ אוֹ תַּלְמִידוֹ עָשׂוּ אֵיזֶהוּ עֲבֵרָה.
7. When a great man feels some pain in his eyes, he should know that his son or his student has committed some sin.
מִי שֶׁעוֹצֵם עֵינָיו מֵרְאוֹת בְּרָע, עַל־יְדֵי זֶה נִצּוֹל מִבִּזְיוֹנוֹת.
8. One who closes his eyes to avoid seeing evil, through this he is saved from humiliation.
כְּשֶׁאָדָם יוֹצֵא לַשּׁוּק וּמִתְיָרֵא, שֶׁלֹּא יָבוֹא לִידֵי הִרְהוּר עַל־יְדֵי הָרְאִיָּה, שֶׁיִּרְאֶה נָשִׁים יָפוֹת, יֹאמַר הַפָּסוּק "הֵן אֶרְאֶלָּם צָעֲקוּ חֻצָה מַלְאֲכֵי שָׁלוֹם מַר יִבְכָּיוּן" (ישעיהו לג, ז) וְעַל־יְדֵי זֶה יִנָּצֵל מֵרְאוֹת.
9. When a person goes out to the marketplace and fears he will come to (improper) thoughts through his vision – that he will see beautiful women, he should say the verse: "Hen errelum tzaaku chutza malachei shalom mar yivkuhyun (Yeshiyahu 32:7 – Yea, the angels screamed outside and the angels of peace cry bitterly), and through this he will be saved from seeing.
הִסְתַּכְּלוּת עַל אֶתְרוֹג הוּא רְפוּאָה לִכְאֵב עֵינַיִם.
10. Looking at the Etrog (one of the four species taken on Succos – the citrus fruit) is a healing for pain in the eyes.
זַּכֵּי הָרְאוּת יְכוֹלִין לִרְאוֹת עַל הַחֲלָפִים שֶׁל הַשּׁוֹחֲטִים אֶת כְּלֵי בֵּית־הַמִּקְדָּשׁ.
11. Those with pure vision are able to see on the knives of the butchers the vessels of the Holy Temple.
זַכֵּי הָרְאוּת יְכוֹלִין לְהַכִּיר אֶת הָאָדָם מִי רַבּוֹ, שֶׁלִּמְּדוֹ תּוֹרָה. וְדַוְקָא כְּשֶׁמַּכִּירִין אֶת תֹּאַר פְּנֵי הָרַב, כִּי עַל־יְדֵי הַהֲלָכוֹת שֶׁלָּמַד מֵרַבּוֹ, נַעֲשָׂה פְּנֵי הַתַּלְמִיד כְּתֹאַר פְּנֵי הָרַב, כִּי הַהֲלָכָה הִיא חָכְמָתוֹ, הַמֵּאִיר תֹּאַר פָּנָיו – "חָכְמַת אָדָם תָּאִיר פָּנָיו". וּכְשֶׁקִּבֵּל הַהֲלָכָה, מְקַבֵּל חֵלֶק מִתֹּאַר פָּנָיו, וּלְפִי רִבּוּי הַהֲלָכוֹת כֵּן נִתְרַבֶּה חֶלְקֵי תֹּאַר פָּנָיו.
12. Those with pure vision can discern in a person who his rabbi is – who taught him Torah. This is true specifically when the viewer is already familiar with the visage of the rabbi. For through the religious laws one learned from his rabbi, the face of the pupil becomes like the visage of the rabbi, for the Torah laws are his wisdom which illuminates his face, 'the wisdom of a man radiates from his face' (Kohelet Ecclesiastes 8:1). When the student receives the law, he receives a degree (part) of his rabbi's visage, and the more laws he learns, the more degrees (parts) of his visage will be accumulated.
כְּאֵב עֵינַיִם מַזִּיק לְעִתִּים.
13. Pain in the eyes is harmful at times.
הַגְּנֵבָה מַזִּיק לָעֵינַיִם.
14. Theft is harmful to the eyes.
Loading comments…