My Eyes are Yours | R’ Yitzchok Oelbaum

A few years ago, I had to go down to Manhattan for a medical test, and I was very uptight going down to Manhattan, the whole experience, I was very uptight about it. For two reasons. First of all, it was a medical test that I was being tested for, even though it wasn't life-threatening, and I was worried what the results are going to be. And then, at the same time, traveling to Manhattan, I know always comes with a tremendous amount of Nisyonos, being out there in the world, especially a place like Manhattan, it's so difficult for one to watch their eyes. Well, before I went, it happened to be, it was a coincidence, that I heard a speech that when a person goes on a trip and he knows he's going to a situation where there may be many Nisyonos, it's not enough to say, Okay, I'm going to be careful and watch my eyes. He should make a commitment. Hashem, I'm giving You my eyes. My eyes belong to You. These are the most outstanding things that you gave me. These are the things that proclaim your existence. HaKadosh Baruch Hu, I'm giving You my eyes. I remember, it was a Chasidishe speaker, and he said: Ribono shel OIam, And I decided before I go and make this trip, I'm going to do that, I'm going to make the commitment, HaKadosh Baruch Hu, my eyes are Yours. They're Your eyes. And I kept on repeating that to myself the whole trip, till I came to Manhattan. When I came to the doctor, we went through the testing and he scheduled the surgery. On the way home, I kept on, again, repeating the same things, HaKadosh Baruch Hu, my eyes are Yours. They’re Your eyes. And I experienced on the way back a tremendous miracle. And I knew that there's a message over here. And I said: Ribono shel Olam, just like I did today, I'm going to continue this. The surgery was scheduled for two months. I told my wife: I believe I'm not going to need the surgery. I have a reason why I believe that I'm not going to need the surgery. And from that day on, I was committed with that thing. Keep on repeating, HaKadosh Baruch Hu, my eyes are not mine. They're Your eyes. I give my eyes to You. A month later, I went to be retested and at that time, the doctor said: It's a 50-50 if you need surgery. A month later after that, he said: Okay, it healed on its own, you do not need surgery. And since then, that commitment, it's not a question of struggling and fighting with yourself. It's giving over your eyes. HaKadosh Baruch Hu, my eyes are Yours. I give You over my eyes. And I'll tell you what happens, exactly like the רא”ש teaches us. It doesn't become such a Nisayon. It's not difficult anymore. It becomes to a situation, where when you see something that's inappropriate, you automatically look away. It's like the sun is shining in your eyes. It's just a glare that you just can't see and you automatically block it out. Usually you close your eyes, but even if you don't close your eyes, you just block it out from you, and that becomes your normal situation, your normal thing that you do. It's because HaKadosh Baruch Hu gives back the eyes to you. When you give it to Him, we’ll be zoche to a miracle. Something which seemingly is so difficult, is so hard to overcome, HaKadosh Baruch Hu is going to give it back to us, He’s going to give us control upon our eyes. It comes to a situation that it's the normal. You're not going to want to see it. If we are careful with our eyes, if we give our eyes over to HaKadosh Baruch Hu, then we will be answered in our Tefillos. We could tell HaKadosh Baruch Hu we're His. We are Yours, HaKadosh Baruch Hu, please answer our Tefillos. And with that, we’ll be zoche to ותחזינה עינינו בשובך לציון ברחמים.