Q&A: A Bit Embarrassed, But….
A Bit Embarrassed, But….
Question
I’m dealing with a major struggle in coping with the evil inclination.
Sometimes it happens that I spend an entire night in front of the computer, watching forbidden things, and I wanted to ask a question —
if I give in to the urge immediately and emit semen, the urge naturally calms down.
If not, I can struggle for hours, and during those hours I keep looking at forbidden images and entertaining sinful thoughts.
Is it preferable to just emit semen right away and thus save hours of transgression, or should I try to control the urge, even if that means my mind will be occupied with bad things for a longer time?
Answer
Seemingly, this depends on Rabbi Ilai’s statement (Moed Katan 16). But according to the Rif and the Rosh, and probably Maimonides as well, the Jewish law does not follow his view. Therefore, as I understand it, one should try to struggle. But not to keep watching and struggle; rather, the struggle should be against the viewing itself. Put on a filter or something like that.
There’s no need to invoke Rabbi Ilai’s statement in order to answer that this is forbidden.
Emitting semen by hand is a halakhic prohibition, whereas forbidden sights are among the prohibitions of the heart (even though the concern is about the result, and that too is not clear).
A halakhic prohibition stands on a different level from all prohibitions of the heart, and you can’t permit a halakhic prohibition in order to avoid prohibitions of the heart.