Tanya
For the original quotes see Chabad.
- Positive Vision Day 84 regarding the idea that the struggle can last a lifetime. He expounds on this in Day 87 based on other sources.
- והאר עיננו פרק ג': הדרך לטהרת המחשבה: היות ושמירת העינים והמחשבה תלוי זה בזה וכל אחד צריך לשני וזה בלא זה אי אפשר כמבואר בהרבה מקומות (עי' אוה"ח ויקרא יח, ב ועוד) לכן נביא כאן בקצרה הדרך למלחמת היצר בענין המחשבות הרעות, ונעתיק כאן רק תוכן דבריו הנפלאים של הבעל התניא זצ"ל עקב גודל התועלת שאפשר להפיק מדבריו, כי הם דברי אלוקים חיים משיבים את הנפש ממש כאשר עיניך תחזינה מישרים.
Worlds gained in an instant
Vahaer Einainu Chapter 3
The Baal Hatanya is an excellent source on this issue of purity of thought. "It’s no disgrace," he writes, "to have such thoughts pushing their way in and trying to steal the limelight." On the contrary, it’s an opportunity granted us to firmly eject them, thereby avoiding the Torah prohibition (Bamidbar 15:39), "Do not stray after your heart and your eyes."
"Not every mitzvah calls for an action. Here is a case of a passive mitzvah, and every time we try to switch to a more kosher line of thought it earns us rewards equal to a mitzvas a’sei. When we refuse to yield to unwanted images tugging at our mind’s eye, we have reason to feel elevated and even joyous, equal to the simcha shel mitzvah when performing the mitzvah of succah and lulav. But, you protest, how can I rejoice considering how low I must be if such dishonourable thoughts keep entering my mind?"
Here the Baal Hatanya (Lekutei Amorim ch. 23 and 28), with one stroke of his masterful pen, swings our mood around one hundred and eighty degrees. He makes us feel not battered but flattered. He tells of how there are two types of nachas ruach (delight) before Hashem. The first type is that of the extremely righteous who vanquish the evil elements inside them forever. The second type is the average man who constantly battles against the appealing impurities all around. His task is to keep on shoving away impure thoughts coming from the heart and proceeding towards the mind. This causes tremendous effects in the heavenly realms.
Shall we try to imagine what transpires in shamayim when a Yid finds unholy thoughts and sensations rising inside him and dutifully quells them at once? The words of the Zohar (Parshas Terumah) give us a keyhole glimpse which reveals how the sitra achra (source of all evil) is firmly settled on his perch like a mighty eagle - a bleak prospect indeed. Who is able to unseat this towering menace?
Suddenly, an act performed on earth is reported: A malach announces, "So-and-so has just controlled his thoughts and quietly denied himself a ‘minor’ indulgence. In defiance of today’s decidedly casual, fun-loving society, he chose to crown Hashem as Melech over himself - his body and his soul!"
Immediately, the sitra achra’s power is weakened, for we have a principle that overcoming our sitra achra in This World correspondingly unseats the mighty sitra achra in the upper spiritual worlds. He is demoted and a sublime light spreads all across the heavens. The light of this one "small" deed radiates up to the furthermost celestial spheres.
As for our unsung hero below, Chazal (Yuma 39a) promised that a person need only sanctify himself a little and Shamayim will pour sanctity upon him in abundance.
Some individuals may have a particular immoral fantasy that has been challenging them for years. Again, this is no cause to feel hopeless. This could actually be the purpose of his having being created. It is his personal task that Hashem has entrusted him - to privately keep on championing kedushas hamachashavah, and raising its flag ever higher.
The Baal Hatanya continues that if the unwanted sight keeps vividly re-appearing and replaying itself in your mind, the way to dismiss those unwanted thoughts is to completely ignore them and turn your mind to a totally different subject. Strike up a conversation with someone, sing yourself a song, or just distract yourself in some other way. Concentrate on something else completely - anything! That’s far healthier and more practical than trying to push those images out of your mind. If there is a person standing in a cyclist’s path, the cyclist would not confront him with logical arguments. He will but swiftly swerve!
Never try to deal with undesirable thoughts directly. Just as touching mud gets your hands all dirty, so too struggling with evil brings you in close contact with it. Just focus your thoughts on something else. Engross yourself in your chosen topic; with Hashem’s help, you will succeed.
In conclusion, the Baal Hatanya sheds light on something that poses a real riddle, an occurrence we meet up with all too often. Why do bothersome thoughts often choose to present themselves right in the middle of our learning or davening? What do we really want to do - approach our Creator or, l’havdil, follow our base desires? Can we assume that our avodah is therefore worthless? Surely, if my davening or learning would be of worth, these forbidden thoughts would not be popping up. This phenomenon calls for some clarification.
Two distinct, yet co-existing, forces are at work here. Thoughts of Torah and yirah emanate from the Godly soul within us, while desires for materialism have their source in our animalistic nefesh. The two opposing forces are permanently engaged in a power struggle, vying for control.
As soon as our Yetzer Tov takes charge, Satan’s side feels threatened, and rushes desperately to entrench itself deeper into the mind. This explains those unsolicited, distracting thoughts that arise out of the blue. It doesn’t mean something’s wrong; it’s just the Satan having an allergic reaction to our spiritual sincerity.
The two combatants function simultaneously, yet independently. Hence, despite the tzad hatumah reacting so fiercely against one’s learning and davening, it is a separate entity; one cannot therefore conclude that his service to The King of kings is unworthy. Our mitzvah, though under attack, remains of immense value and has in no way gone down the drain.