It says in the Talmud, “Sinful thoughts are worse than the sin itself.”(Yoma 29a) Guard your thoughts very carefully, for thought can literally create life. The higher a faculty, the farther its capability to reach. You can kick something with your foot, but you can throw it much higher with your hand. Your voice can reach still farther, calling to a person far away. Hearing reaches even farther. Father yet is the reach of sight, which can touch even the astronomical bodies. The higher a faculty, the farther it can reach. The highest of all is the mind, which can penetrate the loftiest heights. You must therefore safeguard your mind above all else.(Sichos Haran 46)

Our minds are constantly flowing with thoughts. From one thing to another like an internal conversation. The environment we are around very much effects these thoughts in one way or another. If you close your eyes you can see the mind at work as you will see images flashing before your eyes, like a kaleidoscope. Controlling your thoughts can be difficult at first, but with practice and patience it can be done.

In the evening prayer service we say that we will meditate on the Torah both day and night. Having extraneous thoughts are part of being a human being. I’m ashamed at my own thoughts sometimes, but I know that it is normal to have them. At the same time, I try to quickly change my thoughts so I don’t dwell on the negatives thoughts. The second a negative thought comes into our minds we must immediately cast it aside with a good upright thought. If this seems impossible at the time, we must cry out from the depths of our heart to Hashem.

The holy Seer of Lublin had a strong practice from his youth that he would not think, speak, or do anything except what would give some satisfaction or pleasure to Hashem. (Seder Ha-Yom Ha-Katzar, P.12) The Rebbe when he was young, once went to be with his rabbi, Rebbe Elimelech of Lizensk. As he was traveling along one day, there was a very heavy rain, and it was extremely cold outside. He lost his way as it was dark and was drifting in the forest. He saw a house with lit windows and thereby entered it. It was very warm and cozy inside and he felt relieved after having suffered so much in the cold and rain.

In one room he saw a beautiful young single woman, and the Rebbe didn’t know what to do as it was forbidden to be alone with a woman. It also became clear that this woman was trying to talk the Rebbe into sinning. She started telling him how she was unmarried and was ritually clean and the Rebbe became very distressed by her enticements and her attempted seduction.

Though he was loosing his composure, he at least remembered the fence he had made for himself and answered her saying, “I have accepted on myself not to do anything, not even something permitted, except what gives some pleasure to my Creator. But what satisfaction will Hashem derive from this?” Just as he uttered these words, he realised that the whole scene before him was imaginary. There was no house, no forest and no woman. He was standing by the road all alone.(Eser Orot, p. 89, #23) It was all a test to see if he would be strong and control his thoughts.

Facing sin in its face and running, that is how these tzaddikim became so pure. Rabbi Singer of Passaic said that it was specifically these moments when we face our sins face to face and relent that we become great. Next time you face a sin before your eyes, be strong and know that its a test and by passing it you will reach an all new high level. Be strong as with the help of Hashem you can overcome even the most difficult of tests.

Iyov, Job, was a clear target for the Satan, as he was a very pious humble man. Everything was good for him, and the Satan asked permission from Hashem to test him to see if he would still want to serve Him.

The Vilna Goan says, “A person who is wise in his eyes will not make positive changes. Since he thinks he is correct, he is not aware of his negative and counterproductive behavior. But if a person is aware of what he is doing wrong, then there is hope that he will correct himself”.

One has to rise above themselves and look at themselves as with a mirror which reflects ones image. One should learn mussar to help themselve to do this. Through hisbodidus one can nullify their ego and thereby completely illuminate all their bad character traits.

Rav Levi bar Hama says, in the name of Rav Shimon bar Lakish, “A man should always incite his good impulse to fight against the evil impulse. For it is written, ‘tremble and don’t sin’. If he subdues it, it is well and good. If he has trouble, he should study the Torah. For it is written, ‘Commune with your own heart’. If he still has more difficulties, he should recite the Shema. For it is also written, ‘Upon your bed’. Should the negative impulse still effect him, let him remind himself of the day of death. As it says, ‘And be still, Selah.’” (Berakoth 5a) This advice from Rav Shimon bar Lakish should really be enough to help one overcome the yetzer hara but since it is so tricky to defeat him, we need a little more advice as well to help us.

If a person has erotic thoughts and cannot banish them from this mind, Rabbi Yehuda HeChassid has a few ideas to help this. A person should try going for a walk until the thoughts go away, or he should talk to people about other things, or he should try pressing his toes onto the ground and place the full weight of his body on them.(Sefer Chassidim P. 222)

Another thing a man can do to help him fight his evil inclination is to purify himself in the mikvah. Rabbi Mordechai of Lechovitz said, “You should always seek to purify yourself in the mikvah, especially when necessary, for the mikvah purifies the mind.(Zichron L’Rishonim, p.32) The mikvah represents the womb. When an individual enters the mikvah, he is reentering the womb. Then when he emerges, he is as if born anew. From this he attains a completely new status.(Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, Waters of Eden, p.13)

It is said about the Baal Shem Tov, that he attained his enlightenment and great levels of holiness because he very frequently used the mikvah.(Keter Shem Tov, DhtvhY section on Taharah, p. 16b) So here is before you clear evidence that immersion in the mikvah often will help you fight your evil inclination.

When a person gives of themselves to others through charity and kind deeds then they will think less of themselves and are not as prone to sin. Ones life should be devoted towards helping others and one shouldn’t be centered only around themselves. This will help balance their actions and thoughts. Charity protects against immoral fantasies.(Likutey Etzot Tzidaka 31) It is also a remedy for immorality. (ibid 32)

The following advice can be found in Sefer Hamidos in various places: Depression causes one to experience an emission. A wastefull emission of seed is brought on by eating garlic and eggs, engaging in idle talk or by having used vulgar words. A person who is afraid of having immoral thoughts because of what he might see while walking through the marketplace should recite the verse, “Behold, the mighty ones will cry outside”.(Isaiah 32:7) This will save him from the evil effects which come from his eyes having wondered. Gritting your teeth is a segulah against unholy thoughts. Gazing down at ones tzitsis has the ability to guard one from sin. To chase away the evil inclination you should say, “Hashem, rebuke the Satan”. When a person studies Torah and performs acts of kindness they have mastery over their inclination. Crying can also dispell one of immoral thoughts.To dispel immoral thoughts, a person should picture his father’s image, in his mind. A solution that is practical for preventing evil thoughts is to become angry at something, as in the verse in Tehillim 4:5, “Become angry and do not sin.” Rabbi Noson adds, that the intent here is to become angry with oneself. This is hinted at in the teaching, “A person should always incite the anger of his good inclination against his evil inclination because it is written, ‘Become angry and do not sin.’ This means to become angry at oneself but not to have real anger which is a sin. A person can also uproot themselves and go elsewhere, as well as jumping from ones place. Reciting the “seven voices” in pslam 29 humbles the evil spirit. The light of a candle subdues the rule of the kelipah. All these things can help a person in times of panic to subdue their inclination.” Please don’t make these things a crutch to overcoming your desires as the true way is to work on yourself and nothing will protect you as well as the learning of Torah.

Ones sexual desire is very much bound up with what they see and hear around them. Try to stay away from situations that will lead you to tempation and bad thoughts. Turning your face can be a simple remedy to avoid these problems. The thought that you are standing before Hashem always, “Shivisi Hashem Linegdi Samid” will certainly protect you from making these errors.

Sexual purity and mastery of the holy tongue are connected with each other. The more you speak with words of holiness, the more you will succeed in purifying yourself. In this way you will also make amends for any immorality you have commited in the past. In the same token, the holier you become, the more your mastery of the holy tongue will grow. Each one feeds the other though and you should understand that a similar relationship exists between sexual immorality, G-D forbid, and the abuse of language.(Likutey Etzot p.35) Reb Nachman says, “Be carefull not to listen to words of a person who is wicked and also intellegent. The mear words going from his month to your ears can effect your soul. By actually speaking words of holiness purposely when attacked by improper thoughts, you can completely subdue them. The words one speaks are very powerfull and can certainly influence them for good or for bad. The level of religious perception that a person can attain depends completely on the degree of purity he achieves.”(Ibid p.40)

A man once can to Rabbi Michel of Zlotchow explaining that he had inadvertenly done something which was forbidden to do on shabbos. He asked the rabbi what he must do for his teshuvah to be accepted. Rabbi Michel then explained to him the severity gravity of violating the shabbos and that shabbos is equivalent to all the other 612 mitzvos. His sin was a very serious one, and he therefore prescribed for the man a stern remedy of fasting and self-mortification as his penance.

This man thereafter came to the Baal Shem Tov and he told him that the fasting that was prescribed by Rabbi Michel was not necessary. Rather he should just provide the shul with candles for the pulpit. The man went out and bought candles that were made of tallow from animal fat as that is what they were made of in those days. A dog then came and ate them, walking through an open door in the shul. He then replaced the candles but whenever they were lit they blew out. This he took as a divine signal that his teshuvah was rejected and he told this to the Baal Shem Tov.

The holy Baal Shem Tov understood that the problem was due to Rabbi Michel’s interference who believed that the stricter penance was necessary. He then sent a message to Rabbi Michel inviting him to come for shabbos.

Accepting the invitation, the rabbi set out on the road Wednsday in order to give himself enough time to arive comfortably before shabbos. The trip was constanly interupted with one mishap after another. A axle of the wagon breaking, a wheel falling off, stormy weather and the driver getting lost. Finally Rabbi Michel arived late Friday right before shabbos. When he walked in to the Baal Shem Tov’s home, he saw the Rebbe in his garments, the table set and he imediately fainted. The Baal Shem Tov revived him and explained to this pious man that he had accepted upon himself the holy shabbos a little earlier and that he had not violated the shabbos. He then said to Rabbi Michel, “When you thought for a moment that you had violated the shabbos, how distressed were you? Don’t you realize that if the awareness that one has sinned causes a person to feel deeply distressed at having transgressed the word of Hashem, this is the true essence of teshuvah? There is no need for additional selfpunitive behavior when regret has already occurred. This man who came to you had already experienced the pain of the awareness of having transgressed. Therefore, all that was necessary was a small action of penance because the true teshuvah had already taken place.

If a person has repented for a certain sin, and has reached true perfection, he must still make amends for his earlier repentance. What he had achieved then was good only in proportion to the perception of G-dliness he had at that time. Now after his repentance, his perception has undoubtedly increased. In comparison with his present perception, his earlier one turns out to have been very materialistic. He must therefore repent for the levels he achieved earlier because he had lessened the true exaltedness of Hashem to the level of materialism.(Likutey Etzot 331,7)

One can see from this that teshuvah is something continuous. As we assend levels spiritually we realize how far from Hashem we truly were before. It says in sefer Hagilgulim that no two neshamos can be on the same level at the same time. As each person assends up a level, they can give the person above them a boost upwards, which is also why sometimes even when we don’t do anything extra we suddenly can feel a complete rise, closer to Hashem. As we go up we cannot completely forget the time we waisted bellow this level. We must ask Hashem from this new clarity of mind we have to forgive us as we realize more of the true hurt we have done from our sins.

There are many other charactoristics the yetzer hara goes after in a person. We have centered in on the main one, as by defeating our evil inclinations in sexual purity, all else will follow easily. When a person has one sickness, many times a doctor treats the ailments of the side effects lossing focus on ones main problem. Without a proper defense one cannot defend themselves in war. Weather you know it or not, you are at war with your yetzer hara. You must gather together your plans of defense. To win you must understand your opponents straggedies. I hope I have helped you here to prepare your defence. Please don’t forget that the satan is waiting for you to get depressed as when you do, you shut down all your systems and let him run all over you!

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