The Battle Against Sexual Fantasies Excerpted from the Tanya, Chapter 27, by the first Admore of Chabad, the Baal HaTanya, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi. “However, should the sadness (in serving G-d) not stem from worry over sins, but from evil thoughts and desires that enter his mind – if they appear not during Divine Service but while he is occupied with his own affairs and with everyday matters, he should, on the contrary, be happy in his portion that, though they enter his mind, he averts his mind from them in order to fulfil the obligation, That you seek not after your own heart and your eyes which lead you astray (Bamidbar, 15:39).
“This verse does not speak about Tzaddikim, to refer to them as going astray, G-d forbid, but of people of intermediate standing (benonim) like him, in whose mind do enter sexual fantasies, whether of an innocent nature or otherwise. When he averts his mind from them, he is fulfilling the commandment of the verse. Indeed, the Rabbis of blessed memory have said, ‘He who has passively abstained from committing a sin, receives a reward as though he had performed a precept’ (Kiddushin 39b). Consequently, he should rejoice at his compliance with the injunction as when performing an actual positive precept.
On the contrary, this sadness is due to conceit in that he does not recognize his position (as a benoni and not a tzaddik). Hence, he is sad at heart because he has not attained the rank of a tzaddik, in that tzaddikim are certainly not troubled by such foolish thoughts. For had he recognized his station, that he is very far from the rank of a tzaddik, and be happy in his being a benoni, and not a wicked person for even a single moment of his life. For this is the nature of the service of the intermediate level – to subdue the evil impulse and thought rising from the heart to the brain, and to completely avert the mind therefrom, thrusting the temptation away with both hands, as has been explained (Tanya, Ch. 12). And with every thrust that he expels the fantasy from his mind, the sitra achra down below is suppressed, and since “the stimulus from below causes a stimulus from above” (Zohar 135b), the sitra achra above which soars like an eagle, is also suppressed, in accordance with what is written, ‘Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, thence I will bring thee down, says the L-rd’ (Ovadia, 1:4). Thus the Zohar, Parshat Trumah, extols the great satisfaction before the Holy One Blessed Be He when the sitra achra is subdued here below, for then the glory of the Holy One Blessed Be He rises above all, more than any other praise, and this ascent is greater than all else (Zohar 128b).
“Therefore, no person should feel depressed, nor should his heart become exceedingly troubled, even though he be engaged all his days in this conflict, for perhaps because of this he was created, and this is his service – constantly to subjugate the sitra achra.”
Advice of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov (From Likutei Etzot, Thoughts and Fantasies, 4).“Therefore, when sexual fantasies come upon one’s thoughts, and the person breaks his passion and averts his thoughts from them, this is his main t’shuva and the principle manner that he rectifies his past transgressions to the Brit, each person according to his deeds. This is doing repentance measure for measure. Thus, a person shouldn’t become depressed when he sees that wicked and ugly sexual fantasies are overwhelming him. On the contrary – this is his way of repentance and rectification, for precisely when these fantasies coming to him now and he overcomes them, this is his main t’shuva and tikun, and in this manner, he liberates sparks of holiness that fell into impurity through transgressions to the Brit. This is the way he merits to rectify the Brit.”
Tikunot and Hadrachot, Ch. 31“This is a rule that you should know, my son, the Holy One Blessed Be He does not test a person beyond his powers and his ability to withstand the trial, because the Holy One Blessed Be He does not needlessly cause his creations to suffer. On the contrary, the Holy One Blessed Be He only tests a man to his benefit, to elevate him, and to bring him praise, and to rectify his soul. For a person is brought into this world precisely to undergo trials. Holiness is not awarded to a person from Heaven as a gift without the withstanding of trials. And when a person knows and believes that Holy One Blessed Be He is with him during all of his trials, then this faith strengthens his mental and physical powers, and all evil forces are scattered before him.”
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