Jooboy wrote on 23 Jun 2010 12:25:
shmiras,
Here's a thought on what makes street lust so difficult. For me anytime I can get lust without doing an action my diseased part of me is very happy. So lets say I'm in an airport magazine stand and someone is browsing porn. If I look over his shoulder my addict is happy to get lust and my good neshama side is not too upset because there is the rationalization that "Hey, I didn't take it off the shelf. I didn't do some type of action to get lust".
Of course this really is a nonsense argument but I know it works very strongly in me, especially as it regards street lust. My addict says YAY lust! and my good neshama says what can I do?
For me the sin factor never helped get around this particular mind game. What I have found helpful is the realization that I don't want lust for myself and my own comfort and wellbeing. I want to keep the Torah but frankly, I don't care enough about GOD right now to not do these things for HIM. I have to realize I don't want to do these things because it hurts me!
so this was actually the last post I read so I'm not sure how relevant my response is at this point:
I just gave a quick dvar on this at shul(omitting the extreme relevance to myself). Why did Moshe get angry at the officers for bringing the female midanites back? because they should have killed them, they were guilty! but deeper, by keeping a whole bunch of females hostage, the same that had caused us to fall HARD, we are putting ourselves in grave danger. That is why they gave the gold "in atonement", even though they didnt do anything! while it is incredible that you havent been acting on things, remember that if just being near, even disapproving with intent to punish a threat requires atonement, so much more should we try to guard what we see, and immediatly just destroy a threat or leave it. I dont mean this in an accusatory manner, just trying to share a relevant Torah insight to give strength and motivation!