Yes! You Have the Strength!

“See, I set before you today a blessing and a curse.” (Devarim 11:26) 

Since the rise of the internet and its ease of access, guarding one’s eyes has become an ever-greater challenge. From the privacy of one’s home, with a personal device in hand, a person can instantly view immodest images. Resisting this is difficult, as the pull toward such things is extremely powerful. 

The Yetzer Hara seeks to make you surrender without a fight. To do this, it tries to plant within you a sense of despair convincing you that there is no hope of resisting its pull. It makes you believe that you were simply born this way, with certain instincts and desires, and that there is nothing you can do to stop yourself from acting on them. 

This is even more true for someone who has already stumbled and become addicted to modern technology, sinking into forbidden images and harmful desires. Even when he eventually recognizes the damage—to both his body and his soul—and awakens with a desire to repent, the Yetzer Harah floods his heart with despair, convincing him that breaking free completely is impossible. 

The challenge is made even greater by certain schools of psychology – that are like messengers of the Yetzer Harah – that promote the idea that our mental health requires us to indulge our animal instincts. People who struggle with unhealthy desires are sometimes told that the only way to find relief is to give in—at least a little—such as by looking, in order to ease their inner distress. 

Healed Through Strength 

The Gemara (Sanhedrin 75a) relates an incident that occurred during the times of the Greeks:  

There was a man so consumed by desire for a woman, that he actually became ill. The doctors of the time—what we might call the ‘psychologists’—insisted he could not recover unless he fulfilled his craving. But the Sages ruled firmly: it is never permitted to cross moral boundaries, even if one’s life is at stake, for some lines are too sacred to break. 

When those ‘psychologists’ realized they would not be granted permission for the actual act, they suggested a compromise—that perhaps he could be healed if he were simply allowed to look at her without clothing. Yet the Sages, who understood the danger in this way of thinking, rejected the idea outright. To them it was clear: giving in to desire, even in part, only feeds the problem. True healing comes not from surrendering to one’s urges, but from rising above them. 

The Midrash records how this story ended. In the end, the man was spoken to at length and urged to think clearly: was it really worth throwing away his future for a fleeting moment of desire? That reflection gave him strength. He resisted his urges, overcame his struggle, and was healed. 

Not only that—he became a penitent of the highest order. The sages of his generation testified that they saw a radiant light of holiness shining upon him from Heaven, a sign of the great merit he had earned by conquering his impulses. In time, he rose to become one of the leading sages of his era—the Amora known as Mar Ukva. 

We Can Overcome 

I can testify to this from personal experience: 

Many times, when I encouraged young men to set boundaries for themselves and commit to a life of discipline, they would answer that psychologists had told them it was simply impossible—that their nature made them incapable of resisting. 

  

But once I explained to them that, in fact, they did have the power to choose differently, many agreed to try. To their surprise, they discovered real strength within themselves. They not only overcame the challenge but went on to live happier lives and build stable, lasting families. 

To be fair, psychologists are not entirely wrong. From the perspective of human psychology alone, these struggles are incredibly difficult. Even in the more refined segments of broader society, there are many clear-minded people who cry out about the devastating effects of the internet—how it is destroying their children both physically and emotionally. Yet despite their awareness, they often cannot find an effective solution to protect themselves and certainly cannot free someone who has already fallen into addiction. Left to human power alone, the battle feels unwinnable. 

However, the Jews who commit themselves to overcome these challenges and fight these impulses and addiction, do succeed, because they have siyata d’shmaya (Heavenly assistance). As Chazal taught (Yoma 38b), “He who comes to purify himself is assisted.” 

In other words, without this Divine Assistance, it would be impossible to defeat the Yetzer Harah, as Chazal taught (Kiddushin 30b): “Were it not that the Holy One, blessed be He, helps him [a person], he would not be able to overcome it…” Without Hashem’s help, he would not be able to prevail over his inclination. But with Heavenly assistance, it is possible to overcome every trial, even when they are immeasurably great. 

To Reach Higher Heights 

One of the core teachings of the Torah is that Hashem never places a person in a situation beyond his ability to overcome. Every challenge is given with the strength to meet it. 

Hashem’s Will is for you to rise up, confront the Yetzer Hara, and prevail. If a particular test comes your way, it is only because He knows you have the power to triumph. 

Chazal taught (Shabbos 104a), “If one comes to defile himself, they open for him…” The tzaddikim taught that whenever a person is faced with a temptation to defile himself, Heaven also provides him with a way out. 

The opportunity for rescue is always there, and with it the strength to overcome the pull of the Yetzer Hara. In fact, by resisting, he doesn’t just protect himself—he uses the trial itself as a springboard to reach even higher levels of growth. 

It’s in Your Hands! 

Now we can relate this concept to our parsha: 

The pasuk says, “See” which is a clear reference to the power of sight. Then the pasuk continues and says, “I set before you today…” Hashem gives this power into your hands to use each day according to your choice, whereby a person chooses for himself—”a blessing and a curse”—whether he will have a life of blessing, or a life of curse, chas v’shalom. 

This idea is hinted at in this week’s Torah portion, reminding us of the need for extra vigilance in guarding our eyes. As we return to our daily routines and workplaces, it is just as important to set clear boundaries that distance us from unfiltered technology and other harmful influences. 

The message is clear: the choice is in our hands. If we resolve to overcome temptation in this area, we open the door to a life filled with blessing. 

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The Kalever Rebbe is the seventh Rebbe of the Kaalov Chasidic dynasty, begun by his ancestor who was born to his previously childless parents after receiving a blessing from the Baal Shem Tov zy”a, and later learned under the Maggid of Mezeritch zt”l. The Rebbe has been involved in outreach for more than 30 years and writes weekly emails on understanding current issues through the Torah. Sign up at www.kaalov.org.