The Only Remaining Pleasure | Rabbi Nachum Binder

Chodesh Elul. A time of introspection. A time of self-improvement. A time, where when we put in the effort, we can be zoche to new levels of Avodas Hashem and of closeness to the Ribono shel Olam. One of the ways of broadening our horizons in our Avodas Hashem is by hearing stories of great people and learning from them how to strive to overcome Nisyonos and to keep on growing throughout our lives. This story is not about what you would call a famous Adam Gadol. It's a story that took place not too long ago with R’ Avrohom Dovid Weisz, may he be healthy and strong, from Monsey, New York. Rabbi Weisz, לא עלינו ולא עליכם, suffers from a debilitating disease, ALS, a disease which רחמנא לצלן shuts down the entire body. And in recent years, doctors have discovered ways to communicate with ALS patients through a computer system that reads their eye movements, and through that, they are able to communicate with those around them. One day, this summer, R’ Avrohom Dovid, unfortunately, fell into a state of semiconsciousness. Hatzalah was called to his home and they had to rush to transfer him to Columbia Hospital in Manhattan. Being that he was semiconscious, it was decided to bring along a group of Hatzalah volunteers and family members to be with him in the back of the ambulance, to make sure that he doesn't totally fall into unconsciousness before coming to the hospital. As they were traveling, one of the people around him realized that R’ Avrohom Dovid was getting a little fidgety. He was uncomfortable. And he asked R’ Avrohom Dovid, What's bothering you? What can I do to make it easier? To which R’ Avrohom Dovid responded through the computer, Please take off my glasses. So they thought that maybe there was something bothering him on his face. His glasses were uncomfortable. So they said: Why? What can we do to make your face more comfortable? To which R’ Avrohom Dovid responded, No, but it's the summer. I'm going into a hospital in Manhattan. I can't close my eyes. I need my eyes open to communicate with the medical professionals. But what's going to be with my Shmiras Einayim? Please take off my glasses that I can be able to watch my eyes, being in the hospital in Manhattan in the summer. מוריי ורבותיי, we're talking about an individual that the one worldly pleasure that he still has is that his eyes can take in his surroundings. And this person realizes that keeping the Kedushah, the purity of my eyes, is worth more than anything and everything, and I'm ready to do anything and everything to keep that Kedushah. How much can we learn from this story in our Avoda of Shmiras Einayim. B’chasdei Hashem, we have bodies that work. B’chasdei Hashem, we can enjoy other pleasures, physical pleasures in life. But the importance of keeping the purity of our eyes, and through that, the purity of our Neshama, how much we have to make sure that we retain that, that we keep that strong. And with that, we will be zoche to enter the days, the Yomim HaNora’im, of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Hakippurim better, cleaner, and we will be zoche to a Kesiva v’Chasima Tova, a gut gebentsht yohr.