Shelach 15:39 · unit 2 — not after your heart and eyes

Parashas Shelach · Aliyah 7 · Passuk 39

The Complete Passuk

… וְלֹֽא־תָתֻ֜רוּ אַחֲרֵ֤י לְבַבְכֶם֙ וְאַחֲרֵ֣י עֵֽינֵיכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־אַתֶּ֥ם זֹנִ֖ים אַחֲרֵיהֶֽם׃

…and you shall not explore after your heart and after your eyes after which you go astray.

Torah Temimah: the heart and the eyes are the agents of straying; tzitzis restrains them.

Core Text

וְלֹא תָתֻרוּ אַחֲרֵי לְבַבְכֶם וְאַחֲרֵי עֵינֵיכֶם אֲשֶׁר אַתֶּם זֹנִים אַחֲרֵיהֶם.

English: And you shall not explore after your heart and after your eyes after which you go astray.

Guard against desire and visual temptation.

The sight of the fringe interrupts the path from eye and heart to action that the spies’ report had exemplified.