A bochur approached the Lev Eliyahu - Rav Elya Lopian zatzal to request permission to leave yeshiva to attend a wedding in a location not known for being a paragon of tznius. He told him not to go. The bochur responded, "Rebbi, I won't have hirhurim", to which Rav Elya responded, "Give me your name and your mother's name." "Why?", asked the boy. The Lev Eliyahu responded, "I am 85 years old, half blind and half deaf, and when a lady walks past the door of the bais medrash, I have hirhurim. You a teenage bochur, in the prime of life with working organs, don't?! You must be ill! I need to daven for your health!"
Putting this into perspective, years before, the aged Sfas Emes stood up for a young Elya Lopian despite his youth, claiming that he sensed Elya had experienced gilui Eliyahu HaNavi. Obviously he was a great tzaddik already back then. And this is the man testifying that at an advanced age and with compromised faculties, he still experienced challenges.
The message. Be aware experiencing challenges and triggers is normal and to be expected. You can be a great tzaddik and still have tough moments. Our actions are what count. Are we protecting ourselves as best as we can? Do our devices have filters? Do we avoid triggering locations whenever possible? Do we have chaverim that we can reach out to for some chizuk? Or do we access the forums or a chizuk sefer from time to time? Do we prepare a plan when we know we will be presented with challenges - example - business trip, airport, hotel? (Similar to preparing for Shabbos or kashrus concerns in those situations.) Is all the above being done in a panicky way, or do we make it a normal part of our lives - second nature?
We don't need to get tzebrochen seeing that this is a lifetime challenge. We don't get down about lashon hara being a lifetime challenge. We just deal with it. So lets be men, and with syatta d'shmaya do what we know we need to do.
