The world of Kabbalah is strange. It operates on laws that most people would find difficult to comprehend. It’s not uncommon for us to hear stories about how Kabbalists saved the day through some weird ritual or solved a person’s problem by suggesting something obscure nobody would’ve thought.
One such cases is that of the X-Ray Kabbalist, Rabbi Israel Ifargan, who’s proven his powers to see through a person’s soul merely by looking at them.This is a tremendous skill that comes from guarding his eyes. But what does it mean to “guard one’s eyes”? And what are the secrets behind this strange power?
Guarding One’s Eyes
The masters of Mussar teach us that the eyes are the entrance to the soul. Contrary to other organs like the mouth, nose and ears, the eyes have no barriers that filter images from becoming etched in one’s souls. Not surprisingly, this is also brought in secular literature.
Many people are not aware, but the commandment to guard one’s eyes is actually written explicitly in the Torah in the verse we read during Kiriat Shemah(reading of the Shema): “Guard yourselves exceedingly so that you don’t go astray after your eyes”. This verse teaches us to be careful with what we see. The language used for “going astray” is “zonim” [after the images the eye sees], which is used in a derogatory manner to indicate a woman that has strayed from the proper path. This teaches a little about the importance of keeping one’s eyes to oneself, and guarding it from bad sights. As the sages teach in the Talmud “The eyes see, the heart lusts, and the body follows after [the desires]”.
Therefore, guarding one’s eyes is not, as many think “something reserved for Chassidim and Tzadikim”, rather it’s a simple Halacha codified in the Shulchan Aruch.
It’s important to note that both men and women are commanded from guarding their eyes. Men mostly because they lust after women, and women mostly because they become jealous of seeing other women, though of course this is not an ironclad rule.
Secrets of Guarding one’s eyes
The eye is shaped like a Yod (י), which is a dot/point, and is a reference to the primordial Olam HaNekudim עולם הנקודים (“world of points”) which broke. When that happened, the shards of the Sephirot fell and became the spiritual worlds we know nowadays: Atzilut, Beriyah, Yetzirah and Assiyah. Therefore, as we are built in the “image of God”, we need to realize that the eyes are indeed incredibly important.
As important as they are, they also need to be guarded exceedingly. This is because the eyes are also a reference to a person’s Sephirah of Chokhmah(wisdom). Like the Yod is floating from the writing line, so too the Chokhmah is a light that shines from above to a person. This light can only be seen when a person spiritually looks above (i.e. to the Spiritual Worlds), and is not so attached to the lower worlds. Protecting one’s eyes is therefore not only a way not to sin (which is also important!), but a way of attaching oneself to Hashem in a very powerful way! This is because the body is mainly attached to the physical world by virtue of a person seeing things with his physical eyes.
In fact, one very important Kavanah (mystical intention) from the writings of the Arizal is to perceive oneself as a seat for the Shekhina and intend that each one of our members receives light from a particular name of Hashem with its appropriate punctuation. This Kavanah states that, for the eyes, we focus on 5 times the name יהוה which is numerical value 26, and a reference to the Chassadim and Gevurot. 5 times 26 is also 130, the numerical value for עין (eye). In doing so with each organ, a person can merit to see spiritual matters with his eye, or hear them with his ears, smell spiritual smells with his nose and even speak lofty things with his mouth. The possibilities are infinite!
Finally, when a person is careful with his eyes, he can indeed receive many gifts from Heaven. In fact, Tzadikim like Maran Ovadiyah Yosef, the Baba Sali, Rebbe Nachman and many others throughout the ages attributed their wisdom, health, strength and even fortunes to their merit in guarding their eyes!
May we also merit all these gifts by guarding our eyes from all bad sights!
This article was written in the zechut of Ben tzion ben shoshana. May HaShem help him attain all his hearts desires speedily with complete emuna.
Studying Kabbalah is a huge source of merit that can bring all sorts of salvation to a person’s life. If you want to sponsor to have me study in-depth Kabbalah from the Arizal or the Rashash in your merit and receive its blessings, especially for sustenance, children and health ❤️
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