Likutei Moharan 72:4/ליקוטי מוהר"ן ע״ב:ד׳

14. Therefore, when someone is beset by judgments, God forbid, and experiences some misfortune, may the Compassionate One spare us, he must make every attempt to get free of the evil inclination. This is because the evil inclination stems primarily from the judgments. For even the coarse and vulgar evil inclination of turbid blood certainly has a root more exalted than itself. And this higher evil inclination likewise has a root, since there are many different forms to the evil inclination. {There is even a strong evil inclination associated with getting closer to God. {That is to say, there are times when too much enthusiasm beyond the proper limits stems from the evil inclination. This is the aspect of “lest they break through,” as explained also elsewhere. When one begins getting closer to God, one experiences a strong evil inclination. Thus at the Giving of the Torah, God cautioned Moshe: “Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to God in order to see” (Exodus 19:21). For the Jewish people were then on a very high spiritual level and it was necessary to warn them of the evil inclination associated with getting closer to God.}

2There is also an evil inclination that is not as vulgar, which does not stem from turbid blood. It is, rather, the aspect of a fine husk. And even this is still not the evil inclination of the holy ones who possess wisdom and awareness. Theirs is only the evil inclination of on high, which is a holy angel, the aspect of severities and judgments. This [last form of evil inclination] is the ultimate supernal root of all the evil inclinations: from the highest evil inclination to the lowest—the vulgar and polluted, the foolish, idiotic and stupid evil inclination [of] turbid blood. Therefore, when a person is beset by judgments, since the severities and judgments—the source of every evil inclination—assail him, then his own evil inclination greatly increases its assault on him. Thus he needs to muster greater effort and resolve to [defeat] it.

3And know, most people’s evil inclination, which is [their] turbid blood, is foolishness, madness and a great stupidity. As [our Sages] taught: A person does not sin unless a spirit of foolishness enters him (Sotah 3a). For in truth, there is a foolish spirit of sin that is wiser than everyone, and even so it is a spirit of foolishness. However, this spirit of foolishness of the majority of people is genuinely foolish, daft, idiotic and mad.

4Indeed, one can see that there are many people who experience idolatrous thoughts. There are those who, when they get up to pray, an idolatrous image materializes in front of them. And even though they themselves know that it is not real, it still overwhelms them. The form takes shape and stands opposite them, and it is very difficult for them to remove it from their imagination and thoughts. Now, see, is there any greater foolishness and madness than this?

5It is certainly very difficult for someone overcome by these illusions to escape them and remove them from his thoughts. The more he exerts himself, shaking and throwing his head back and forth, the more these illusions assail him. This is the nature and specialty of these polluted evil inclinations: the more one wants to overcome these thoughts, the stronger they make themselves. It is like a person escaping from something, who looks over his shoulder at the thing he is fleeing. The thing then attacks him even harder, since he has not taken his mind off of it. On the contrary, he repeatedly looks behind him, at this thought. Understand this.

6This is known to anyone who has become trapped in this and has these thoughts, may the Compassionate One spare us. And with this everyone can understand that it is immense foolishness and madness, and that it comes only from turbid blood—from the turbidity and confusion of the mind. Everyone knows that idolatry is not real, and even so it is very difficult to remove one’s thoughts from it because one’s mind has already become very turbid and confused. It is the same for the promiscuous thoughts that most people have, especially when one is visually stimulated, as when crossing paths with a woman that appears in one’s view. When a person wants to be upright and has no desire for these thoughts, and so shakes his head hoping to remove the thoughts from himself, they assail him all the more.

7In truth, for someone with spiritual awareness, this is immense foolishness. He in no way considers his not having undesirable thoughts from this as an accomplishment, nor has he any need whatsoever to throw and shake his head. Just as for the majority of people these thoughts of idolatry are foolishness and madness, promiscuous thoughts are foolishness for him. Thus we find in the Zohar (III, 84a) that when Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai happened to see some beautiful women, he said, “Turn not to false gods” (Leviticus 19:4)—for they are the aspect of false gods; just as idolatrous thoughts are universally recognized as foolishness, these promiscuous thoughts are likewise foolishness and madness.

8Therefore, the main way to remedy this for someone who has become trapped and experiences these thoughts—whether thoughts of sex or idolatry, God forbid—is only by his sanctifying and purifying his body, so as to spiritually refine and purify his blood. And he should go to a true sage who will guide him on the path of repentance, the path of wisdom, [with] proper counsel for every matter. This will subdue his [spiritually] uncircumcised heart “and he will be healed” (Isaiah 6:10). However, as long as he has yet to sanctify and purify his body, increasing his resolve and exertion affords him no remedy. Attempting to remove the thoughts causes him much suffering, since they become stronger and stronger.