A young man asked a gadol what he could do to keep himself from looking at the indecent things on bill- boards, in store windows, etc.

The gadol responded: “The verse in Mishlei 3:11 reads: ‘Mussar Hashem, b’ni, al timas,’ which is generally translated as, ‘My son, do not despise Hashem’s chastening education.’

“However, it can also be translated as:

“‘Mussar Hashem’ — this is not mussar delivered by another human being, but the mussar delivered by Hashem Himself, who says…

“‘B’ni’ — you are My child, therefore…
“‘Al timas’ — do not do anything that is despicable.” Remember who you are. The standards of behavior for a

prince are more exacting than for others, and a person should remember that he is a child of Hashem, and hold himself to a high standard of behavior.

It is good to repeat this verse when feeling tested: “Mussar Hashem, b’ni, al timas.” I am a child of Hashem, and I must behave accordingly.

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