Downcast Eyes, Uplifted Soul
Father, zy”a, always practiced what he preached. He never demanded of another Jew something that he did not do himself. Protecting his eyes was no exception. As is well-known, for the duration of forty years, Father obeyed his father’s command not to leave his house. When he did go out, his eyes were fixed to the ground. He did this in a most masked manner, so that no one realized the extent of his modesty.
One Shabbat, we had to walk to a distant Beit Hakeneset in Marseille. It would take us one and a half hours to get there. Moreover, Father had broken his leg and found walking difficult. But he dismissed our suggestion that he forego this walk. He said that since he had already given his word to the rabbis of the other congregation that he would come to visit, it was considered as though he had made a promise. He would keep his word at all cost.
We made our way to the distant Beit Hakeneset, while Father’s eyes remained glued to the ground the entire time. He looked neither right nor left. One of the men accompanying us finally gathered the courage to ask him, “Honored Rav, why do you look down the whole time?”
Father was too humble to say that he was taking precautions to protect his pure eyes. Instead, he said that there was often dog excrement on the road. He wanted to make sure not to dirty his shoes before entering the synagogue.
In truth, Father was worried about sullying his eyes. But he was careful to guard his deeds from public acclaim, thereby fulfilling the command to “walk humbly with your G-d” (Michah 6:8).
