Alternative Diet | Rabbi Mordechai Alster

The Torah tells us the Issur to look at inappropriate things in the pasuk The question is obvious. Why in the middle of Parshas Tzitzis, why in the middle of the מצוות עשה of ועשו להם ציצית did the Torah tell us the Issur of looking at inappropriate things? Where does it come in to the מצוות עשה of Tzitzis? I was once sitting next to a doctor, a dietitian, and I asked him: What do you do? And he said: I advise people on what not to eat, on the foods that are not good for their health. Some people have to refrain from eating fatty foods. Some people have to stay away from sugar. Others have to stay away from salt. And I advise them and I coach them and I convince them to stay away from the unhealthy foods and stick to the healthy foods. And I asked him, But how could you just tell people to stay away from foods? They crave those foods, they like those foods, they have an urge to eat those foods. And the doctor told me: You're right. If I would just tell them what not to eat, I would be totally unsuccessful. I would not be able to convince them. But I don’t only tell them what not to eat. I give them an alternative. I tell them: Instead of eating fatty meats, eat fish. Instead of eating sugary drinks and sugary snacks, they should eat salads and fruits. Instead of eating white breads, they should eat whole wheat breads. I give them an alternative and I give them a meal plan and I tell them what to stay away from, but I also tell them what foods to eat. And because I give them an alternative, I have a chance to be Matzliach, to be successful in convincing them to stay away from the bad foods. The Torah is the same way. The Torah doesn't just tell us, Don't look at things that are inappropriate, don't give in to your urge and look at inappropriate things. The Torah gives you an alternative. The Torah says: Don't look at inappropriate things, but look at your Tzitzis, look at the Tcheiles, which is דומה to the Yam, which is דומה to the רקיע, which is דומה to the כסא הכבוד. You'll see Hashem, you'll have more fulfilling vision, you'll be able to see things that are more fulfilling, that will give you more benefit, that will be a קיום מצווה. The Torah doesn't just tell us what not to do. The Torah gives you an alternative. But the question is, Is this really an alternative? I have an urge to look at inappropriate things. I feel satisfied, my Yetzer Hara gets fulfilled. There's a certain satisfaction for my Yetzer Hara when I look at inappropriate things. I don't have that craving to look at Tcheiles. I don't have that urge to look at Mitzvos. And I turned to the doctor and I said, Is the healthy foods that you're suggesting an alternative? Is the fruits and vegetables that you're suggesting an alternative to the tasty meats and the tasty sweets and the sweet snacks and the good foods? Why do you think that that's considered an appropriate alternative, to the extent that you're assuming that the person will be able to win the battle and stay away from the bad foods? So the doctor answered: You're 100% right. If I would try to convince them that they'll be just as satisfied by eating the healthy foods as they are by eating the unhealthy foods, I will fall flat and I would not be able to convince them of anything. Because the unhealthy foods is definitely more gratifying and is definitely more satisfying and their urge is definitely to eat the unhealthy foods. But that's not what I tell them. I tell them that over time, if they eat the healthy foods, they'll feel so different that they'll have more energy and they'll have so much more strength, and they'll have a bounce in their step. They'll be able to do things that they couldn't do previously. They'll never want to go back to the bad eating habits and to the old lifestyle again. The Torah tells us the same thing. Stay away from looking at bad and inappropriate things. Look at the good things. Look at the Mitzvos. You won't feel gratified right away, and you won't feel satisfied right away, and the Yetzer Hara will not be satiated, and the Yetzer Hara will not be happy right away, but over time, you're going to be Kedoshim. You're going to be holy. You're going to be attached to Hashem. You're going to feel so different. Your mindset will be a mindset of Ruchniyus. It may take time and it won't happen right away, but once you feel that והייתם קדושים לאלוקיכם, you'll never want to go back to the lifestyle of Aveiros again.