“Yosef, the archetype of the true Tzaddik, rises above the realm of sight. He completely closes his eyes to the spectacle of this world and does not cast even a fleeting glance upon it.” (Likutey Halakhot, Rabbi Nathan of Breslov)
In a world saturated with images, distractions, and constant stimuli, it’s hard to imagine someone who entirely closes their eyes. Yet Rabbi Nathan presents Yosef as the model of the true Tzaddik — not someone who struggles with every image, but one who chooses not to look at all.
This is not blindness, but profound inner mastery. Yosef does not flee reality — he lives in Egypt, governs, and takes action — but his gaze remains fixed on Hashem. He understands that what the eyes see can sometimes distance the heart. To close one’s eyes, in this sense, is to preserve a higher vision, a deeper fidelity. It means refusing to be drawn into appearances, and instead staying connected to the essential. A precious lesson for our times: where most eyes scatter, the Tzaddik focuses his vision on the Source.
