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The Role of Torah in the Struggle to Avoid Arayos
The drive for forbidden conjugal relationships is rooted in fantasy and delusion. Clarity of perception is critical to reducing the pull of ta’avah. A person who observes the laws of yichud and who takes careful precautions to avoid ordeals in arayos appears to the outsider as very much pre-occupied in this area, but this is the pre-requisite for success.
Learning is not just an intellectual activity. The antidote to a powerful attraction to the superficial beauty of arayos is a replacement attraction and connectedness to the beautiful woman that is Torah. Pre-occupation with Torah thoughts can save us from sin because it nourishes the same deep elements within the human psyche.