The Path to Purity | Rabbi Yitzchok Hisiger

My Rebbe, R’ Shlomo Feivel Schustal, related, the following about his father, R’ Simcha Schustal, the Stamford Rosh Yeshiva. Down the block from the Stamford Yeshiva, was a restaurant, an eatery. Quite a noisy place, with loud music, and an environment quite contrary to the Yeshiva right down the block. And at one juncture, the restaurant was put up for sale. And those close to the Yeshiva wondered if it would be a good idea for the yeshiva to purchase the store, and turn it into a Kosher eatery that the Bachurim would be able to frequent. And the question was whether that’s a proper thing for the Yeshiva. And so they came to the Rosh Yeshiva, R’ Simcha Schustal, to discuss the matter. He looked at them and he said, "?איז דא א רעסטאראן אויף די גאס" There’s a restaurant on this block?” R’ Simcha had no idea that there was a restaurant located just feet away from his Yeshiva, despite the fact that his own apartment had a window that was diagonally across from the restaurant. That was the level of פרישות, of detachment, that R’ Simcha had. But the postscript I think is even better. His grandson told me that R’ Simcha lived in a building His grandson told me that R’ Simcha lived in a building His grandson told me that R’ Simcha lived in a building where the layout was such that the steps to the street were located right near his apartment. And yet, every single day, R’ Simcha would take an elevator to the other side of the building, and he would go out the steps on that side of the building. And on Shabbos, when he couldn't use the elevator, he would walk all the way around, despite it being a circuitous route, and he would go out of the building on the other side. And someone once asked him about this seemingly perplexing custom of his. And he answered, that the other exit was just a bit closer to the Yeshiva than the exit near his apartment. In his language, אביסל וויניגער גאס, a little less of the street. And that warranted the detour so to speak, And that warranted the detour so to speak, to enter the building through the other door. And I was thinking, when we talk about this Inyan of Shemiras Einayim and Kedusha, very often people get overwhelmed. I can’t turn over my life. I can’t change in an instant. My job, my daily obligations. There’s too much that I’m exposed to. But what R’ Simcha teaches us is, אביסל וויניגער גאס. Just a little less of the street could make a colossal difference. A little less every day, and then you could grow incrementally, because the path to greatness, and the path to purity is paved one step at a time.