ANSWER:
Bad memories mean - not sad memories, I'm talking about bad memories. A person once picked up a newspaper and saw a piece of tiflah, something that was foul and it went to his head at that moment, how do you get rid of that? That's important, how do you get rid of the wrong ideas? You passed a billboard, there are very bad ideas on billboards today sometimes. How do you get it out of your head? We follow the Rambam's advice: fill your head with good things so there shouldn't be any room left for wrong things. Now that's very important; your mind must be full of ideas.
When you walk in the street, are you thinking of Torah ideas? For instance, are you thinking how great it is to be a Jew, she'lo uh'sani goy? Are you thinking about your tzitzis? Ur'isem oso uzchartem es kol mitzvos Hashem. Do you ever think about any mitzvos when you look at your tzizis? Oh it's a pity, get in the habit, when you look at your tzizis think about something. Think about mezuzah, think about shmiras halashon, think about learning Torah, there are a thousand things, think about something.
When you see a mezuzah, look at the mezuzah and the mezuzah is saying Hashem echod, Hashem is one. What does that mean? He is the mehaveh, He is the only one that exists, and He made the world come into existence out of nothing, at least that much you should think. Now, I can't say every time you see a mezuzah, but sometimes the mezuzah should be able to remind you of something. It reminds you also to get busy and learn Torah, and when you're in the house at the Shabbos table, the mezuzah is looking at you all the time, and watching you.
You're sitting in the house eating, look at the mezuzah, it's watching you, watch out! Don't talk the wrong things! Don't get angry! Be polite, make a brochoh with kavanah, the mezuzah is looking at you!
Therefore that's how to get wrong things out of your head.
Good Shabbos To All
This is transcribed from questions that were posed to Harav Miller by the audience at the Thursday night lectures. To listen to the audio of this Q & A please dial: 201-676-3210
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