Parshas Haazinu: The Pupil of the Eye

ימצאהו בארץ מדבר ובתהו ילל ישמן יסבבנהו יבוננהו יצרנהו כאישון עינו

“He found them in a wilderness land, in arid, shrieking desolation. He encircled them around, He granted them understanding, He sheltered them like the pupil of His eye.”

Numerous times in Tanach (e.g. שמרני כאישון בת־עין – Guard me like the pupil of Your eye (Tehillim 17:8)) and in our tefillos, we mention the idea of shmirah with regards to the pupil of the eye. In the tefillah of Ana B’koach, it says כבבת שמרם – watch them like the pupil of the eye. It is mentioned again in the hoshanos on Sukkos that we say on Shabbos: אום נצורה כבבת, A nation guarded like the pupil of the eye. In the zemiros of Shabbos, we say in Dror Yikra, וינצרכם כמו בבת – and protect you like the pupil of the eye.

We find this concept of protecting the pupil in our pasuk as well. יצרנהו כאישון עינו – He sheltered them like the pupil of His eye. Most of the Rishonim hold that the word ishon comes from darkness, as in באישון לילה – the darkness of the night (Mishlei 7:9). However, there is a disagreement about which structure of the eye the words ishon eino refer to. Rashi clearly writes that the ishon is the pupil – השחר שבעיין. Rashbam and other Rishonim hold that the ishon is the eyelid, and it is called ishon because it makes the eye dark by covering it. According to the latter interpretation, it is quite understandeable why the pasuk draws a comparison between ‘protection’ and ‘eyelids,’ as the eyelids provide protection for the eyes. But according to Rashi’s explanation that it refers to the pupil, we still need to understand what protection it provides.

An interesting p’shat is mentioned by the Radak in the name of his father, which is found in Rabbeinu Bachye and the Metzudos as well. They write that ishon comes from איש – man. This is because when you look at someone in the eye you see a reflection of yourself (a small man) in that person’s eye. (The added vav and nun at the end of a word is used to make whatever one is talking about smaller, hence איש-ון/small man). In English, it is called “pupil,” which also means student. Perhaps this is because a true student is a reflection of the teacher. The oft-used expression “apple of his eye” comes from here as well, as it describes something precious that a person gazes at with adoration.

Why is the pupil used as a mashal to illustrate something well-guarded? In the twenty-first century, more than ever before, it is easily understood why one needs a special shmirah for the eyes, a.k.a. shemiras einayim. The Ohr Hachaim writes שאין העין סובלת נגיעת אצבע האדם בה, והטעם לצד כי גוף האצבע עכור והעין זכה ואין הרוחני סובל הגשמי – The eye cannot tolerate being touched by the finger of man. The reason for this is that whereas the eyeball is scrupulously clean, man's fingers are not. The eye symbolizes spirituality, while the finger symbolizes physicality. The former does not like to be touched by the latter. The Meorei Hachaim quotes the Ohr Yitzchok (Parshas Vayeishev), who says that “the eyes are the window to the soul,” and are thus more spiritual than the rest of the body’s organs. (This famous quote is commonly attributed to Shakespeare, but it turns out that it is actually mentioned in the Radvaz, who lived a century earlier.)

The pupil is well protected by the iris (colored part) and the sclera (white part) that surround it. This is hinted to earlier in the pasuk where it says יסבבנהו, He encircled them.

I heard from Rav Avrohom Chaim Feuer shlit”a in the name of his father-in-law Harav Mordechai Gifter zt”l the following beautiful idea: Many people have a tendency to look at others in a negative manner, looking down at them, trying to pinpoint their flaws. The reason why this is done is because if one can manage to find a way to make the other person smaller, by default they themselves become bigger. Perhaps they lack self esteem and do not have a healthy self image, so they need to build themselves up. So instead of improving themselves, they put others down. This is a bad middah and can be an incredible nisayon for many people. The Eibishter did not give us the chush har’iyah to use it negatively; on the contrary, He wants us to see good. Therefore, Hashem made it that when we look at another, we see ourselves in small. This is the correct way to look at another person, “I am small and he is the one that is big.” So, it is called ishon to help us remain level headed, reminding us that we are small people. This will remind us to learn from others and desire to help the others. This is an important level of necessary shmirah, reminding us to always look at people’s ma’alos and not their chesronos. May we be zoche to this level of shmirah from Hashem at all times.

Ah git gebentched yuhr!

  Good Shabbos, מרדכי אפפעל