The Secret of Sight and Providence: From Garments of Skin to Garments of Light

Class No. 215 | Tape 215, Sunday, Parashas Lech Lecha, Eve of 8 Cheshvan 5760, Certificate Distribution Party at the Shaarei Torah Yeshiva Ketana

Reb Noson of Breslov teaches that the entire Torah, from "Bereishis" (In the beginning) to "L'einei kol Yisrael" (Before the eyes of all Israel), revolves around guarding one's eyes and the secret of Divine Providence. Through guarding our eyes and the holiness of Tefillin, we strip off the "garments of skin" of the primordial serpent and merit "garments of light," which prepare us for the spiritual body of the Resurrection of the Dead.

The holy Reb Noson says that the entire Torah, from its beginning to its end, fundamentally speaks about the concept of guarding the eyes. The Torah begins with the word "Bereishis" (In the beginning). The word Bereishis contains within it the letters "Rashei Bas" (Heads of a daughter), as well as the words "Re'i Bas" (See, daughter). The Torah addresses the soul, which is considered a "daughter," and tells it: "Re'i Bas" – look and observe carefully where you are going. Do not look at the streets; rather, look into the Torah.

As the Mashgiach (Spiritual Supervisor), Rabbi Eliyahu Lopian zt"l, used to say: "The Angel of Death is waiting for you outside. If you were to go outside and knew that people were shooting at you, you would certainly crawl and walk bent over. Re'i Bas – see where you are going and where you are stepping!" The word Bereishis also hints at "Bas Ayin" (the pupil of the eye) and the colors of the eye, because Divine Providence operates through the power of sight.

The Secret of the Garments of Skin and the Serpent

After the sin of Adam HaRishon (the First Man), all bodies in the world became clothed in the garments of the Sitra Achra (the Other Side, forces of impurity). The body we see today is not our true body; rather, it is an aspect of "garments of skin" (spelled with the Hebrew letter Ayin), which is the skin of the serpent. Until we reach the Resurrection of the Dead and return to the pure bodies that existed before the sin, this body is considered a body of the Sitra Achra.

The entire Torah was given to us in order to strip off the skin of the serpent. Therefore, as the Sefer HaChinuch explains (Mitzvah 188), there is a severe prohibition against forbidden gazing between men and women, as it is stated:

"And you shall not wander after your hearts and after your eyes."

The prohibition stems from the fact that currently, our bodies are bodies of the Sitra Achra, and when one looks—they do not see the holiness and they do not see the Godliness, but only the kelipah (outer shell of impurity). The entire spiritual work of a person is how to guard their eyes, in order to attain the eyes of Adam Kadmon (the Primordial Man), the eyes from before the sin. Tzaddikim like the Chozeh of Lublin, who closed his eyes for two years, merited through this to see from one end of the world to the other.

The Eyes of Providence Roam the Entire Earth

Just as the Torah begins with sight ("Bereishis" - Re'i Bas, see daughter), so too it ends with sight. The concluding verse of the Torah is:

"And for all the strong hand, and for all the great awe, which Moshe performed before the eyes of all Israel."

"Before the eyes of all Israel" means that six hundred thousand eyes are looking at you at all times. Wherever a person goes, even if he enters the innermost chambers, closes the door, shuts the blinds, and draws the curtains—he must feel that six hundred thousand eyes are watching him and never let up.

Divine Providence is drawn from the seven eyes of Hashem, as it is stated in Zechariah:

"These seven are the eyes of Hashem, they roam the entire earth."

The holy Zohar explains that there are seven eyes of the Duchra (the masculine aspect) and seven eyes of the Nukva (the feminine aspect), and together they make fourteen eyes. This is the secret of "On the evening of the fourteenth [of Nissan], we search for the chametz" (leavened bread) – the Supernal Eyes roam and search for a person in every corner. If a person hides, whether on the peak of the Carmel or in the depths of the sea, he is seen and his actions are known. Therefore, when a person commits a sin in secret, suddenly everyone mocks him and laughs at him, and he does not understand why. The reason for this is that the spiritual reality publicizes it, as it is stated: "For a bird of the skies will carry the sound, and a winged creature will tell the matter."

Hewing the Souls from the Throne of Glory

Hashem creates completely new souls every single day. When a boy reaches the age of Bar Mitzvah, he receives a new soul from the Upper World, a soul with four wings. These souls are hewn every day from the Kisseh HaKavod (Throne of Glory) and are kept in a special heavenly chamber called "Guf" (Body), until Hashem, blessed be He, has mercy and brings them down to the world in the merit of the prayers and the righteousness of the generation.

But if a person opens his eyes to forbidden sights, he simply burns his soul. Everyone must pray, already from the age of thirteen and fourteen, with terrible weeping, in order to merit receiving the souls of tzaddikim from the Throne of Glory, and not, Heaven forbid, blemished souls.

Thus we find with King Chizkiyahu, who saw through Ruach HaKodesh (Divine Inspiration) the soul of his son Menashe. He cried out and wept that he did not want this soul, but he was told from Heaven: "For what purpose did you come into the world? Only you can rectify this soul!" However, after Chizkiyahu showed the gentiles the Kodesh HaKodashim (Holy of Holies) and the Tablets, it was said of him, "A talebearer reveals a secret." At the very moment the secret was revealed, the light was covered and disappeared, and the lofty soul of Menashe flew away, leaving him with a soul that required a tremendous tikkun (rectification) stemming from the sin of Adam HaRishon.

The Secret of Tefillin and the Resurrection of the Dead

In order to rectify all these blemishes and merit a holy body, Hashem gave us the mitzvah of Tefillin. Reb Noson explains that the entire secret of Tefillin is to transform the 'garments of skin' (spelled with the letter Ayin) into 'garments of light' (spelled with the letter Aleph).

Through the holiness of Tefillin and guarding our eyes, we merit to exchange our material bodies and prepare ourselves for the spiritual body of the Resurrection of the Dead. This is the very same secret of reviving the dead that Hashem showed to the prophet Yechezkel in the valley of the dry bones – the secret of rebuilding the body anew in holiness and purity, through Divine Providence and a pure vision from one end of the world to the other.

Part 3 of 3 — Lesson No. 215

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