Q:
What kind of lesson can we learn from carbon monoxide which is very dangerous but it doesn’t give out a warning smell?
A:
We see that Hakodosh Boruch Hu created things in the world that are dangerous even though we don’t know about it. So we should know that the biggest danger is something we don’t know anything about and that’s the yetzer hara. The yetzer hara is concealed.
That’s why it’s compared to a snake in the grass. The nachash, על גחונך תלך – he crawls on his belly. Why on his belly? So you shouldn’t see him.
It’s dangerous to walk in grass unless you have boots because the snake in the grass bites chalilah suddenly it’s too late. You were bitten. And that means therefore that the yetzer hara is always lurking to attack us. We’re not aware but always there’s a yetzer hara. And if you’re not always on guard, sometimes all of a sudden something can happen; chas v’shalom, the yetzer hara catches hold of a person.
And therefore, השמרו לכם – Always be on guard. Always be careful. Always think, “I have to watch myself.” Yes. Always. You can never lean back and relax in this world until you’re dead.
A live person should always think, “Who knows what might happen?” Suddenly something might come out; he might lose his temper suddenly and say something wrong or do something wrong. Chas v’shalom.
So you know when you open your mouth, careful! Careful what you’re saying. When you’re looking, careful! Careful where you look. Where you’re going, careful! Always be careful. You’ll never make serious errors if you’ll have that in mind.
Zehirus, carefulness. That’s the first step of perfection on the ladder that goes up to the shomayim. Zehirus and zerizus and so on. But the bottom rung is zehirus. He always has to be careful. That’s called zehirus, carefulness.
Zehirus means zahir and zahir comes from the word zohar which means to illuminate, to illuminate your mind.
Now, what will bring you to zehirus? תורה מביאה לידי זהירות – learning brings you to zehirus. In order to be careful at all times, it’s important to learn Torah. Learning makes you aware of many things in life that you have to avoid. A person that learns is capable of being more perfect than a person who didn’t learn.
But even then, he has to work on zehirus. He has to keep in mind that I have to be on guard always. Because it’s a hidden danger. And that’s what carbon monoxide can remind a person – that the biggest danger in the world, the yetzer hara, is concealed.
TAPE #E-168 (Dec 3, 1998)
