Our Main Avoda in this World | Rabbi Yisroel Brog

The Vilna Gaon says an amazing Yesod, which seems to be a Chiddush. The first time I heard this Yesod, was from none other than R’ Leizer Shach zt”l. The Vilna Gaon says that the purpose for which a person comes to this world, is not necessarily what somebody might think, that is to learn כל התורה כולה. If a person learns כל התורה כולה, but he does not change his character, he doesn't change and he's not מתקן his מידות, the words of the Vilna Gaon are, למה לו חיים? What does he need life for? Human beings are naturally born with a מידה of curiosity. Something's going on, we want to look, we want to see, we want to know, we're interested. Add to that an element of natural interest, inborn desire, and that curiosity becomes greatly enlarged, greatly enhanced. Our job in life is to know we must learn to control that curiosity. If a person is able to overcome his natural desire to look for things and to imagine things, because the looking leads to imagination, that's a tremendous accomplishment that a human being can accomplish, and that's the purpose for which he comes to the world. The eyes are the windows of one’s Neshama. We must protect our Neshama, enhance our Neshama, and live for the purpose that we were created for. Watching one's eyes is not just another Avoda, it's the Avoda which goes to the core of our essence and of our being in this world. May we succeed in squelching our Yetzer Hara, and developing ourselves into better human beings.