Eilat – Hothouse of Immodesty
Ensuring the protection of one’s eyes demands great care and supervision. One’s sanctity depends on this, and it affects his Torah study, as well.
A friend of mine once celebrated his son’s bar mitzvah celebration in a Beit Hakeneset in Eilat, Israel. I came to the event, intending to stay for only a few hours. If it had been up to me, I would never have set foot in that defiled city. But I came with an agenda. I wanted to remind the host, an unaffiliated Jew, that there is a Judge and there is justice. It is our moral obligation to do teshuvah.
This man always felt close to the esteemed Pinto family. I wanted him to know that he could not call himself an admirer of my family without accepting the yoke of Torah. I thought that if I made the effort to attend his simchah, my words would be well-received.
After spending some time at the bar mitzvah celebration, my escort and I turned to go home. Man plans, but Hashem decides what will be. Our return trip was met with numerous obstacles. The flight was delayed for about two hours. We found ourselves at the Eilat airport, packed together in close quarters with all the other travelers. The immodesty surrounding us was unbearable. We could look neither left nor right. I stood for over two hours facing the wall, afraid to move an inch.
I was filled with remorse for agreeing to attend this bar mitzvah. Only after we reached our destination did I breathe easily. I thanked Hashem for extricating me from this city of filth with my purity intact.
