The Highest Level of Pleasure | Rabbi Yechiel Spero

The Ben Ish Chai says something very fascinating. In this world, Hashem has structured the human face to have three levels of pleasure. Three sources of pleasure. Our mouths, the lowest area of our face, our nose, which is a little higher, and our eyes which are the highest. And in this world, in this lowly world, in this materialistic world, our greatest pleasure comes when we can eat a delicious, succulent steak from our mouths. When we taste something delicious. A delicious milkshake, a piece of pizza, some sushi. The greatest pleasure comes from the lowest area. However, when a person dies, his mouth, the taste buds will give him zero pleasure. On the contrary, the pleasure comes from the higher levels of one's face. The nose, Chazal tell us, says the Ben Ish Chai, will provide a Re’ach. The aroma will give us pleasure in גן עדן התחתון, in the lower levels of Gan Eden. And then, when our soul elevates even higher, and it goes into the גן עדן העליון, into the highest levels of Gan Eden, the source of pleasure will be from our eyes. Says the Ben Ish Chai, one that protects his eyes in this world will find endless pleasure in the next world through those very eyes. But if, Chas V’shalom, a person is constantly giving in, then those eyes that can give him so much pleasure, will give him frustration, because he won't be able to enjoy the עולם הרוחני, the spiritual world. And that's why we must be emboldened and we must be empowered to understand that it's an investment for our future. Every time a person is faced with an opportunity to look at something inappropriate or to look away from it, you're making an investment not only for now, but for the future. And not only that, the Sefer Hachasidim tells us that if a person wants good Yiddishe children, grandchildren, עד סוף כל הדורות, the greatest investment you can make is with your eyes. Protect your eyes, you protect your future, you protect your children, you protect everything you love and you cherish. What a wise investment it will be.