A person was sitting in his house, and it was cold. He turned on the heater, but it was still cold. He couldn’t understand why. But then a wise person came and told him, "The heater is working, and is giving off heat, but if the windows are open, it will stay cold here."
The nimshal is as follows: There are people who invest in Shabbos, wanting to experience its kedushah. They daven and sing zemiros with warmth, but inside they feel cold. They wonder why. The answer is that if the windows of one’s eyes and mouth are open and unguarded, even if he tries to warm himself with good deeds, he will remain cold. One must first guard his eyes and mouth, and then he can experience the warmth of Shabbos kodesh and avodas Hashem.
A photographer was offered a well-paying job to take pictures at a major event. He realized that he would have to compromise on some of his gedarim, boundaries, related to guarding his eyes, so he turned down the offer.
A few days afterward, he was at another event. Reb Chaim Kanievsky zt'l was there, and from a distance, Reb Chaim motioned for him to come over. The photographer looked around, trying to understand who Reb Chaim was calling because he couldn’t imagine that Reb Chaim was looking for him. Reb Chaim motioned to him, implying, "I mean you."
He approached the head table, and Reb Chaim told him, "I am jealous of you." The photographer asked, "Why? What did I do?" Reb Chaim replied, "They don't know, but I know." The photographer understood that Reb Chaim was referring to the test that he passed, in order to guard his eyes. He thought to himself, "If Reb Chaim knows, Hashem certainly knows!" His good deed wouldn't be forgotten.
Reb Nisan Gaon tells the story of the holy baal teshuvah who became the tana Nosson Tzutzisa: Reb Akiva once rode on a donkey with his talmidim and asked, "Who is riding there, in the distance, on a donkey? I see a light over his head." The students answered, "He is Nosson the baal aveirah, and we don't see anything over his head." Reb Akiva asked his talmidim to call him over. When he arrived, Reb Akiva told him, "I see a light over your head. How did you merit this?" Noson told him that he had encountered a difficult test, and he overcame his temptations and conquered the yetzer hara. Reb Akiva told him this was why a halo of light shone above his head. Reb Akiva said, "This is your portion in this world, and you will merit Olam HaBa." Nosson studied by Reb Akiva and became the tana Nosson Tzutzitza. We don't have an inkling of the greatness of a tana, but we can understand from this story that when one passes a test related to yiras shomayim, he reaches very high levels.
When one is cautious with his kedushah, and he makes gedarim and takes on kabbalos, he will merit feeling the kedushah of the mitzvos. A hint to this is the Midrash (Vayikra Rabba 24:6) בו מוצא אתה ערוה גדר בו מוצא שאתה מקום כל קדושה גדר, "Every place that there is a גדר, gate, protecting from sins of arayos, kedushah is there." This means that since he is cautious with his kedushah, he will be able to experience the sweetness of kedushah with every holy deed he performs. He will experience the amazing joy of being close to Hashem.
Beis Avraham (Vayigash) explains the Chazal (Shabbos 10b) that Hashem says, מתנה שמה ושבת גנזי בבית לי יש טובה, "I have a good present in My treasury, and it is called Shabbos." The Beis Avraham explains: "גנזי is gematria 70, the letter 'ע, which means eyes (ן"עי). When one guards his eyes with kedushah and taharah not to become tarnished with forbidden sights, and he also has a good eye, to see the good in his fellow man, and to be happy for his fellow man, such a person will merit the good gift, and he will experience Shabbos Kodesh."
