Our holy Chazal (Berachos 12b) expounded on the posuk ‘ולא תתורו אחרי לבבכם ואחרי עיניכם› - ’And you shall not stray after your hearts and after your eyes’ (Bamidbar 15:39), explaining: ”After your hearts—this refers to heresy; after your eyes—this refers to immorality.” The posuk concludes, ‘למען תזכרו ועשיתם את כל מצוותי והייתם קדושים לאלקיכם’ - ‘So that you may remember and perform all My commandments and be holy to your G-d.’ With these words, the Torah testifies that it is impossible to fully observe all the mitzvos properly and attain the status of ”holy to Hashem” unless one sanctifies his eyes and refrains from gazing upon sights that arouse licentious thoughts, Rachmana litzlan.
Indeed, experience proves that this matter is a foundation for the observance of the entire Torah. Any weakening in fundamental religious principles stems from a disregard for this foundation. Initially, one who corrupts his eyes is drawn into sins of immorality, Rachmana litzlan. As Rashi explains on this posuk: ”The eye sees, the heart desires, and the body commits the transgressions.” Once a person stumbles in this sin, he becomes increasingly distanced from Hashem Yisbarach. As a result, he becomes lax in his observance of all mitzvos and ultimately comes to degrade the very fundamentals of faith, Rachmana litzlan.
