WITH THE HELP OF THE HOLY ONE BLESSED BE HE THE GUARDING OF THE BRIT AND THE GUARDING OF THE EYES TORAH = 611 = BRIT = 612 EYF[=611=[JYB=612 THE ONE WHO GUARDS THE COVENANT IS CONSIDERED AS IF HE HAD OBSERVED ALL THE TORAH (ZOHAR HA KADOSH I, 197a) THIS BOOK IS DISTRIBUTED FREE OF CHARGE ALL THE TORAH THAT IS BROUGHT IN THIS BOOK IS QUOTED FROM TANACH, TALMUD, ZOHAR, MIDRASH, RISHONIM, ACHARONIM, SHULCHAN ARUCH, STUDENTS OF THE ARI HA KADOSH, STUDENTS OF THE BAAL SHEM TOV, THE CHAFETZ CHAIM, ETC. IT IS A MITZVAH TO COPY THIS BOOK OR PARTS OF IT IN ORDER TO GIVE IT TO OTHER JEWS, THEREBY INCREASING TORAH STUDY AND THE OBSERVANCE OF MITZVOT. AND THE ONE WHO BRINGS MERIT TO OTHER JEWS HAS EVIL DECREES AGAINST HIM ANNULLED AND THERE IS NO LIMIT FOR HIS REWARD AND MERITS TO HAVE SONS THAT WILL BE TZADDIKIM AND NO SIN COMES THROUGH HIM 2 THE GUARDING OF THE BRIT AND THE GUARDING OF THE EYES It is forbidden to masturbate, and this sin is more serious than any other in the Torah (Tur, Shulchan Aruch, Even Ha-ezer 23:1) The true strength of a person's piety is demonstrated under the following circumstances: a devout person does not cast off his piety even when people ridicule him; whatever he does is for the sake of heaven; he does not look at women. His piety is put to the test especially when he is in the company of other men in a situation where women are usually around-for example, in a wedding hall where women are dressed in elegant gowns, and all are gazing at the women, and he does not stare. For that, he will be rewarded with abundant good. Therefore, when a man meets a woman, whether she is single or married, gentile or Jewish, an adult or a minor, it is best for him to turn his face aside and not to look at her. And so do we read in Job, "I made a Covenant with my eyes not to gaze on a maiden" (Job 3 1: 1). The verse "He shuts his eyes against looking at evil" (Isaiah 33:15) refers to the person who does not look at women when they are doing their washing.' When they wash their clothes, they lift their skirts so as not to soil them and thus uncover their legs; and we know that a woman's leg is a sexual excitement. And so said the Sage, "There is no greater barrier to sexual arousal than closing one's eyes. (Sefer Chassidim 9) THE GUARDING OF THE BRIT AND THE GUARDING OF THE EYES 3 There are desires that are very difficult to control unless one has been taught from childhood like for example refraining from looking at women. Therefore, must a man teach and educate his sons on the right path so when they grow old they will not abandon it (Sefer Chassidim 10) Sexual temptation is the main test in life. It is sent as a challenge to refine us. When you are subjected to this test it puts you in a type of "exile". You should cry out to G-d: scream and cry out to Him over and over again, like a woman in labor who cries out from the pain of her contractions. Seventy times she cries out (Zohar III, 249b). You must do likewise and cry out to G-d again and again until He takes pity and helps you to strengthen yourself and break your desire. New ideas and new perceptions will be born within you. The secrets of Torah, which before were guarded, will now be unveiled for you. The greater the determination with which you stand up to the trial, the greater the revelation you will receive in Torah and devotion to G- d. You will be able to see the seventy faces of the Torah (Likute Etzot 36) 4 THE GUARDING OF THE BRIT AND THE GUARDING OF THE EYES The one who goes after the desires and pleasures of his heart stumbles in the sin of discharging semen in vain” (Kav Ha Yashar ch. 61) THE NATURE OF A PERSON IS TO BE PULLED BY THE THOUGHTS AND ACTIONS OF HIS FRIENDS AND ACQUAINTANCES AND TO BEHAVE ACCORDING TO THE CUSTOMS OF THE PLACE WHERE HE RESIDES, THEREFORE A MAN MUST ASSOCIATE WITH TZADDIKIM AND SIT NEXT TO THE WISE SO HE CAN LEARN FROM THEIR ACTIONS. AND HE SHOULD DISTANCE HIMSELF FROM EVILDOERS THAT WALK IN DARKNESS SO THAT HE WILL NOT LEARN FROM THEIR ACTIONS. (Rambam, Hilchot Deot, chap. 6) Reciting the Keriat Shema at bedtime is a great correction for the sin of discharging semen in vain (Kitve ha Arizal, Kav ha Yashar ch. 68) The Torah is called a "Covenant," (BRIT) The Holy One, blessed be He is called "Covenant," and this holy sign of circumcision is called the "Covenant" (The holy Zohar III 73b). THE GUARDING OF THE BRIT AND THE GUARDING OF THE EYES 5 Who is a Tzaddik? He who guards the Brit. We learn this from Yoseph, who, by reason of his having observed the Covenant, is known as "Yoseph the righteous" (Yoseph Ha Tzaddik) (The Holy Zohar, Vol I, 59b) It is forbidden to hold the membrum while urinating. If one is married and his wife is in town and she is clean, it does not matter, for since he has the possibility, he will not indulge in lustful thoughts or become stimulated; but it is, nevertheless, a matter of piety to avoid it. When not for the purpose of urinating, the above is forbidden by law. (Kitzur Shulchan Aruch, Chapter 151) A man should not say after he reads about all these warnings: “I transgress all of them or some of them and still I do not come to spill semen in vain”. Because it is possible that some drops of semen might come out of him through the urine, and the words of Our Sages, may Their memory be a blessing, are holy and faithful (The Chida, Sefer Avodat ha Kodesh, Tziporen Shamir, end siman 7) 6 THE GUARDING OF THE BRIT AND THE GUARDING OF THE EYES INTRODUCTION We come with praises and thanks to the G-d of heaven and earth for giving us the opportunity of compiling this collection of holy teachings, in order to show the reader the importance the guarding of the Brit and the guarding of the eyes have. WE ARE RARELY EXPOSED TO THESE SUBJECTS IN OUR SYNAGOGUES AND BET MIDRASHIM Sadly, due to our many sins we don’t hear theses subjects more often when we attend public lectures or when we study with the Rabbis in the synagogues. Therefore we thank again Hashem for giving us the chance of helping bring Holiness to the Jews and for letting us avenge His jealousy as it is written in regards to Pinchas (Bamidbar 25:10-13): “10 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 11 Pinchas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the Kohen, has turned My anger away from the people of Israel, while he was zealous for My Jealousy among them, that I consumed not the people of Israel in My jealousy. 12 Therefore say, Behold, I give to him My Covenant of peace; 13 And he shall have it, and his seed after him, the Covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his G-d, and made an atonement for the people of Israel. MAY WE BE SAVED FROM THE SWORD THAT AVENGES THE JEALOUSY OF G-D And as Pinchas atoned for the people of Israel, may the study of this book be an atonement for us and lead us to guard the Holiness of the Brit and may it save us from the sword that avenges the Brit of Hashem as it is written in the holy Zohar (I, 66b): “R. Shimon Bar Yochai said: 'There is no sin in the world which so much provokes the anger of the Almighty as the sin of neglecting the Covenant, as we read, "A sword that shall execute the vengeance of the Covenant" (Lev. 26, 25). THE GUARDING OF THE BRIT AND THE GUARDING OF THE EYES 7 AND WHO ARE WE TO WRITE ON THESE HOLY SUBJECTS And who are we, and what is our life that we should write about this holy subject? But you, dear reader, you should know that we haven’t written anything of our own. All we have done is a compilation of teachings of our Holy Sages, may their memory be a blessing. May the merit of Pinchas bring us closer the coming of Eliyahu announcing the arrival of our righteous Mashiach, AMEN. Even when one has the need to talk to a woman, his eyes should look down and not look at her for any reason, because the life of a person depend on this, and this will be good for him in this world and in the World to Come. (Tochachot Chayim, R Chayim Palaggi, Vaetchanan) 8 THE GUARDING OF THE BRIT AND THE GUARDING OF THE EYES CHAPTER 1 THE SIN OF DAMAGING THE COVENANT EXPLAINED DAMAGING THE COVENANT= EMITTING SEMEN IN VAIN THE ONE WHO DAMAGES THE BRIT [COVENANT] BECOMES A DAMAGING BEAST The sin of emitting semen in vain is encompassing and it damages the mazal of the person at the level of DAAT. Because the one who sins in this fashion, the image of G-d immediately runs away from him and he becomes a beast, damaging with anger, pride and all evil traits, a destroyer indeed, like one of the demons and even less than them, and his Torah and his prayers are broken by the Kelipot…and as long as he doesn’t do Teshuva, he is like one who has no portion in the G-d of Israel and it is forbidden to talk to him (Zochar Chai, Vayechi 377b) THE SIN OF EMITTING SEMEN IN VAIN CREATES DESTRUCTIVE BEINGS THAT LATER DEMAND VENGEANCE Woe, woe to the one who destroys his seed, whether deliberately or as a result of improper thoughts! Aside from the severity of the sin, [be aware, that] the Lord made only spirits, not bodies for destructive beings.