Home › Forums › Inspiration / Mussar › Out Of The Mailbag: (Flatbush Kiddush: Tznius & Drinking Out Of Control) › Reply To: Out Of The Mailbag: (Flatbush Kiddush: Tznius & Drinking Out Of Control)
This is an issue (tznius) that must be addressed and worked upon in our schools, in our workplaces and in the home. No one is immune from its effect. Please don’t believe that “you can handle it” and that “it doesn’t affect you”. You can’t.
There is a famous story involving Reb Elya Lopian, that a bochur once came to him and asked for permission to attend a relative’s wedding, during the conversation Reb Elya asked the bachur what the attire of the attendees would be. The bochur replied that it would be more “modern” dress (or the equivalent term used during that time period), but that it’s not to worry because he will not let it affect him.
Reb Elya replied in a surprised manner, “I am over 70 years old and I can hardly see anymore, and I can tell you that it affects me tremendously!”. My friends, this was one of the Gedolei Hador talking.
Please do not make this issue secondary and passive in the chinuch of your children (and yourselves). Its deleterious affect on our neshamos is severe. Our ability to grow in dveykus with Hashem is stymied to no small extent.