Q:
How can I prevent myself from looking where I shouldn’t be looking on the street?
A:
Number one: When your head is a vacuum, when your mind is empty, then all kinds of stupidity will enter your mind. But it’s different when your mind is full of good machshovos. Even the lectures that you hear here, make sure to think about them all the time. Try to fulfill what you have heard. And when you learn, even when you learn halachos, make sure to keep your mind full of those ideas and concepts – even when you leave the sefer, and when you leave the beis medrash. Then, because your mind is full, all the wicked things – the wicked sights and the wicked ideas – won’t be able to come into your mind so easily. That’s number one, the most important thing. Keep your mind full of Torah ideas.
Second: When you’re in the street, look at the sidewalk while you are walking. Don’t look left or right – unless you are crossing the street. When you cross the street look left and look right, look left and look right. Otherwise look at the sidewalk. Study the cement the whole time that you’re walking. Keep your eyes down. You’ll be surprised how much that will help you. Keep your eyes down.
Now it’s a good idea to know – and this should help – that all the people around you are ti’mei’im. All the people around you are bi’heimahs. They’re lost neshamas. All of them are going to Gehenom. All of them. All of them. It’s a rachmanus. All of them are without any sense at all. They don’t think about Hakodosh Boruch Hu once in their entire lives. Not once! So how can you compare yourself to them? They’re bi’heimahs. Animals. “Vi’ro’mam’tanu mi’kol ha’lishonos.” You elevated us from among all the nations of the world. So you should have a certain amount of regard for yourself as a Jew. Know who you are. And therefore don’t look at anybody else. What’s it to you? It’s just people wasting their lives. But you’re living differently. You’re living with Hashem in your mind. So just look at the sidewalk.
TAPE #E-239
