Shaarei Teshuva 3:9: If one is presented with an opportunity to sin and he has a taavah for ervah and he conquers his inclination, this is from the fundaments of fear of G-d.

Mr. Smith wrote on 01 Sep 2009 10:47:

Sweet Holy Tzadik,
Thanks for sharing this RY! How important for all us here. Consequently we can say "How much Yiras Shomayim can be found on this holy forum where the whole purpose is only to conquer the YH of arayos!"

In the same vein the Stiepler writes in a letter that he who conquers this particular  YH just once is holy like the holiness of Yosef HaTzadik and will ultimately prevail in his own personal battle to completely vanquish this YH.
With a burning love to a brother warrior
Noorah

There is no greater form of avodah if you think about it - than giving up an expirience you desire, simply because it's the will of H-shem that you refrain from it. Even the most strenuous efforts to actively DO things, cannot compare to withholding ones-self from desire (especially one of this nature).
We see that notwithstanding all the avodos of the avos hakdoshim, and all the levels the reached, the yiddin still would not have lasted in mitzrayim, were it not for Yosef Hatzaddik, who laid the groundwork and made their survival possible, by standing up to the nesayon of: temptation in it's most extreme form vs H-shem's will. The Meam Loez bring down from the Yifeh Toar, that his agony was even more servere than that of Yitzchok Avinu at the Akeidah!!
If you think about it, it makes perfect sense. All nisyonos of both sur me'ra and asei tov, are just extensions of that first nesayon of the eitz ha'daas - which was a nesayon of temptation. And it is this nesayon which technically DEFINES a jew (the nation which has the role of rectifying the eitz ha'daas) as we see by Avraham, that H-shem singled him out from the rest of the world, to begin the history of the people who would carry out the name of H-shem through the generations, by giving him the mitzvah of the Bris Milah.

Very well said

Warmest Shalom Alichem to  a new warrior on the forum!

Chazak Chazak Achi!