Tehillim 27, or How to Eat, Drink, and Preserve Spiritual Vision

Tehillim 27, or How to Eat, Drink, and Preserve Spiritual Vision

Tehillim 27:4 - “...Lachazot b'Noam HaShem...” - (to behold the goodness of G-d). Ben Ish Chai (may his merit protect us) teaches that the placement of the organs on our face has a specific inner meaning. The mouth is at the very lowest level; above it is the nose, while at the highest level are the eyes. In this world, says Ben Ish Chai, the primary source of pleasure is food and drink – (the mouth). In the World to Come, we first enter the lower Gan Eden, where our souls delight in exquisite fragrances - (the nose), after which we ascend to the upper Gan Eden to delight in the wonders of beholding the Divine glory - (the eyes). This progression corresponds precisely to the structure of the face, and this is its message: preserve your spiritual vision at all costs. David HaMelech speaks of this as well, teaching that the greatest pleasure for the Jewish soul is: “to behold the goodness of G-d.” (“Od Yosef Chai,” Va'etchanan, Year 1)