“Akavia ben Mahalel said: Consider three things and you will not come to sin …” The Vilna Gaon refers to the pasuk in Mishlei (19:21) “Rabbos machshavos b’lev ish va’atzas Hashem hi sokum – many thoughts are in a man’s heart, but only the counsel of Hashem will prevail,” and offers an unusual concept. He states that when the individual is overwhelmed with different notions and ideas and the yetzer hora is intent on corrupting him, “atzas Hashem hi sokum.” At that time one should rely on Hashem’s guidance of “sokum” and that will prevail. The Hebrew letters of sokum – tof, kuf, vov and mem, which stand for Torah, Krias Shema umisah (one’s day of death) -- they will save the person from the yetzer hora’s wiles.
