And you shall not stray (v’lo sasuru) regarding inanimate objects.
Question
Is there a prohibition of “v’lo sasuru” regarding objects that bring about certain thoughts related to the object (not thoughts about people/men/women)?If yes, I would appreciate sources that discuss this.
Answer
Shalom uVracha,
You didn’t explain exactly what the case is, and what the problem is with someone having thoughts about a certain object. Presumably, you mean that a person is having thoughts about committing some sort of aveirah through that object.
In that case — it is forbidden to have thoughts of an aveirah, and not only in matters of arayos, but in all kinds of aveiros.
As Chazal said (Berachos 12b) on the pasuk “v’lo sasuru acharei levavchem v’acharei eineichem” — “It was taught: acharei levavchem refers to heresy.”
And the Meiri (Kiddushin 39b) writes:
A person must always be careful not to dwell on thoughts of an aveirah, for even though Hashem does not count a sinful thought as if it were an action — meaning he is not punished as if he actually did the deed — nevertheless, he is punished for it, since his intent in that thought was to commit the aveirah. The only reason he did not act on it was not because he restrained his yetzer, but because he did not have the opportunity to carry it out.