Guarding Our Torah | Rabbi Uren Reich

Rabbeinu Yona in Sha’arei Teshuva points out a Dikduk in the psukim in Tehillim that speak about Dovid HaMelech’s incredible level of Teshuva. Dovid HaMelech says, Fountains of water my eyes flow, tears are flowing from my eyes, for not guarding Your Torah. And Rabbeinu Yona says, Why does it say לא שמרו? It should say לא שמרתי. And he says: The eyes that did not keep Torah are the eyes that have to flow with tears. I'd like to add a thought, based on two stories that happened with our great Rosh Yeshiva, R’ Aharon, in Florida. One story was that he came to Florida for an appointment with a wealthy man, and he had time while he was staying in the hotel. Let's say he had an hour or two or more. And immediately, he asked for a pen and paper and started writing furiously. And he was writing and writing and writing. And the Bochur who was accompanying him, R’ Leibush Prystowsky, said at one point, Vas shreybt der Rosh Yeshiva azoy fil? What is the Rosh Yeshiva writing so much? And he said: These are Chidushei Torah from 40 years ago, that I haven't yet had a chance to put down on paper. This is, like, mind-boggling. 40 years, and this was not a regular 40 years. The world had rolled over in those 40 years. He'd lost hundreds of Talmidim in those 40 years. And yet the Torah in his mind was engraved in his heart, and he was capable of putting it down on paper 40 years later. The second story is that he came out of an elevator in a hotel in Florida, and as he came out, as the Gemara calls it בקרן זווית, he saw a lady who was very not Tzniusdikly dressed. He was so agitated, that he literally started crying uncontrollably. And his words were incredible words. Ribono shel Olam, vos hob ich gezindikt? What did I sin that you allowed me to see a ראיה טמאה like this? What a beautiful level of Kedushah that we can only aspire to have a connection with. But, Rabosai, I believe these two stories go together. To hold on to the Kedushah that we have, to remember the Torah that we've learnt, the eyes are the Shomrim, are the guards of our Torah. If we want the lid of our Torah to be secure, the eyes have to be vigilant in their Shemirah. The eyes cry because they did not guard תורתך. Every little bit of Shemiras Einayim gives us an extra Shemira for our Torah, which is so precious. We should all be zoche to great Madregos, כל אחד לפי מדרגתו.