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Written by Site Rabbi   
Sunday, 03 October 2010

Question:
I was raised in a traditional Jewish family in New York and went to Jewish schools all my life. In my early teens, I watched a lot of porn on tv/video's ... soon I became sexually active. I became a summer lifeguard in the Caribbean and had sex with many women, one night stands were regular.

My Jewish life was at its lowest point - I barely observed any mitzvoth. Women were just objects, purely for  self satisfaction, I didn’t care about any of them, whether they were Jewish or not. Alcohol and light drugs fueled this. I began working as a legal assistant. My boss is religious, and gradually I started getting more interested in Judaism. At this point I still watched porn regularly, and was promiscuous. Then I met a wonderful Moroccan girl who came from Israel. I went to Israel with her and met her family who were incredibly warm and happy people.  We married and I started keeping Shabbat and davening every day with tefillin. Gradually I stopped watching porn, and cut down on masturbation almost completely.  I am trying to get to the next level now. I am trying not to look at any images of women in lewd outfits, (bikinis, low cut tops, etc). The problem is Hollywood films are full of them, magazines, billboards, Internet, even at my work - its so hard to get away from it.
I also sometimes suffer from memories of porn scenes in my mind, and don’t know how to get rid of them. Any advice you can give me to continue my journey and get to the next level of completely guarding  my eyes and fantasies??? 

Answer:
Mazel tov on your wedding! And yasher koach on your tshuva. It's a great achievement and we are sure that Hashem is very pleased with your efforts.
Now you can put your strength into learning more Torah, including deeper understandings like “The Kuzari,” the writings of the Ramchal, “Nefesh HaChaim,” Rabbi Kook, the Zohar, “HaTanya,” etc.
Also to the extent that you took a lot of selfish pleasure in the past, it is proper to put energy into doing good deeds for others and giving tzedaka. Of course an internet filter is a must and it is best not to know the code - let your wife be the only one who knows. Avoid movies and spending time in shopping malls and the like where women dress immodestly.
A key to spiritual elevation is making aliyah to Israel. It immediately attaches a person to the larger life of the nation and its rebuilding  - part of the reason your wife's Israeli family seems so happy. As your happiness increases, you will find yourself fantasize less and less on unhealthy matters. If you and your wife can build your life together in Israel,, there's nothing higher.

 

Last Updated ( Sunday, 03 October 2010 )
 
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