“Seeing” Shabbat
The Gemara in Masechet Eruvin (13b) cites a fascinating remark made by Rebbe (Rabbi Yehuda Ha’nasi): “The reason why I am cleverer than my colleagues is because I saw Rabbi Meir from the back. And if I had seen him from the front, I would be even cleverer.” Rebbe attributed his unique intellectual skills to the inspiration he received from seeing Rabbi Meir from behind. Simply looking upon a righteous sage has a profound impact upon a person.
Elsewhere, we find that the opposite is also true. In the Book of Bereshit (27:1), we read that Yitzhak Avinu’s eyesight began failing when he reached old age, and the Midrash (Tanchuma, Toldot 8) says that this is because he regularly looked upon his wicked son, Esav. The sight of a sinful person has a negative impact upon a person, and thus Yitzhak lost his eyesight due to his looking at Esav. Similarly, the Gemara (Megillah 28a) tells that Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korhah attributed his longevity to the fact that he never looked upon a wicked person.
Another application of this concept appears in the Ha’amek Davar commentary (by the Netziv, Rav Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin of Volozhin) to Vayikra (5:1). The Ha’amek Davar writes that when a person guards his eyes against inappropriate sights, he is rewarded with opportunities to see righteous people and righteous deeds, which will inspire and elevate him. Conversely, one who looks upon inappropriate sights is then shown further improper sights which will have an adverse effect upon him.
This is also one of the reasons why the Torah requires that witnesses to a crime should be involved in punishing the perpetrator (Devarim 17:7). For example, when a person is found guilty of murder, the witnesses who testified about the crime are to take part in the execution. One reason for this law is to discourage false testimony, as people will be more hesitant to falsely testify if they know that they would have to be the ones punishing the defendant. Additionally, however, this is done to reverse the negative effects of seeing a sin being committed. Such a sight has a harmful spiritual effect upon a person, and thus the witnesses must play an active role in punishing the sinner in order to erase this negative impact.
The story is told of a man who lived in a neighborhood that did not have a religious kindergarten. He asked the Hazon Ish (Rav Avraham Yeshaya Karelitz) whether it was appropriate to enroll his young child in the local secular preschool, as the boy was too young to be bused out of the neighborhood to a religious institution. The Hazon Ish advised the man to have the kindergarten staff place pictures of Torah sages on the walls, as the spiritual impact of seeing these images would ensure the child’s spiritual growth despite being in an environment that was not conducive to spirituality.
Indeed, Rav Naftali Nussbaum was once asked whether one receives the benefits of seeing Torah sages by looking upon their pictures, and he answered in the affirmative. Although the impact is certainly greater when one sees a righteous individual in person, there is great benefit to seeing their pictures, as well.
Rav Yissachar Frand tells that he once bought for his wife a book entitled A Day in the Life of Israel, which collected pictures taken by sixty of the greatest photographers in the world of different parts of Israel. The book contained a picture taken in a nursery for newborns in Bnei-Brak, and showed that one of the cribs had a picture book opened and displaying the pictures of the Hazon Ish, the Steipler Gaon and Rav Shach. The caption of the photo was, “Education starts early in Israel.” Even for newborns, the sight of great tzadikim has a profound spiritual impact.
In the aforementioned passage in Masechet Eruvin, the Gemara cites as the source of this concept a verse from the Book of Yeshayahu (30:20), והיו עיניך רואות את מוריך (“Your eyes will then see your teacher”). Rashi, in his commentary to Yeshayahu, explains this as a prophecy of the time when Beneh Yisrael will be able to “look” upon the Almighty, who is our Teacher. In the future, we will have an experience resembling that of Matan Torah, the Revelation at Sinai, when Beneh Yisrael beheld a vision of G-d, in whatever sense this can be possible, as He taught them His commandments. At that time, we will have the privilege of not only studying the Almighty’s Torah, but studying it while “seeing” Him, which will be far more powerful and impactful, catapulting us to great spiritual heights.
Every Friday, as Shabbat begins, we announce, פני שבת נקבלה, which literally means, “Let us greet the face of Shabbat.” The Shem Mi’Shmuel (Parashat Bo) explains that Shabbat has a “face,” an “appearance” of sorts. Of course, this is not a physical appearance; the world looks the same on Shabbat as it does at all other times. In a spiritual sense, however, Shabbat “looks” different than weekdays, and this special “appearance” inspires us and has a powerful spiritual impact upon us. This is one reason why, as our Rabbis teach, proper Shabbat observance has the ability to help us avoid inappropriate sights during the coming week. As the Ha’amek Davar noted, looking upon sacred sights leads us to look upon additional sacred sights and avoid inappropriate sights. Thus, the “appearance” of Shabbat, the special kedushah which we “see” and experience when we properly prepare for and observe Shabbat, inspires us and helps us to properly guard our eyes all week long.