How does one atone for seeing immodest things?

A good week,

1. Such thoughts are forbidden (Shulchan Aruch, Even HaEzer, siman 23, seif 3).

2. The atonement is through complete repentance, which includes 3 stages: 

a. regret over the sin. 

b. verbal confession (as follows). 

c. and acceptance for the future not to return to this sin ever again (Rambam, Hilchot Teshuva, chapter 2, halacha 2).

Verbal confession means that one must say, "Ana Hashem, I have sinned, I have committed iniquity, I have transgressed before You, and I did ______, and behold I regret and am ashamed of my actions, and I will never return to this matter" (Rambam, ibid., chapter 1, halacha 1).

In addition, it should be noted what Rabbeinu Yonah wrote in Shaarei Teshuva (Gate 1, letter 15): the sin of the eyes is atoned for by tears, as it is said (Tehillim 119:136), "Rivers of water run down my eyes because they kept not Your Torah." It did not say, because I kept not Your Torah, but rather, they kept not, because they caused the sin; therefore I brought down rivers of water.

Likewise, what is written in Sefer Reshit Chochma (Gate of Holiness, chapter 8), that the Tikkun of the eyes is by looking with one’s eyes at the creation of the Creator, which it is a mitzvah to do, as King David said (Tehillim 8:4-5), "When I see Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have established, what is man that You are mindful of him." and to look at the mitzvah of tzitzit, as it is written (Bamidbar 15:39), "You shall look upon it and remember" etc. and yes if one sees a Sefer Torah, or a sage, or an elder passing before him, he should rise before him and honor him as required by his mitzvah, and not avert his eyes so that he will not see him and rise, for concerning this it is said in this mitzvah (Vayikra 19:32), "Before gray hair you shall rise, etc., and you shall fear your Hashem."

He also wrote there that part of the Tikkun of the eyes is to shed tears over a righteous person, as our Sages of blessed memory said in tractate Shabbat (105b) on the verse (Tehillim 56:9), "You have counted my wanderings, place my tears in Your bottle; are they not in Your book?" Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi said in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi in the name of Bar Kappara: anyone who sheds tears over a righteous person, Hashem counts them and stores them in His treasure house.

He further wrote there that the תיקון of the eyes is for a person to look with them when reading Torah, especially Written Torah, and especially when, above all, he goes up to read from a Sefer Torah in the synagogue. See there further in his holy words.

3. The main way to divert one’s mind from this is through setting fixed times for Torah every day, as our Sages said in the Gemara (Kiddushin 30b): like this Hashem said to Israel, My children, I created the evil inclination; I created for it Torah as a remedy, and if you engage in Torah, you will not be handed over to its power, etc. See there.

Similarly, it was also said in Avot de Rabbi Natan (beginning of chapter 20): Rabbi Chananiah, deputy of the kohanim, says: anyone who places the words of Torah upon his heart is spared thoughts of sword, thoughts of hunger, thoughts of foolishness, thoughts of immorality, thoughts of the evil inclination, thoughts of a married woman, etc. See there.

Likewise, Rambam wrote (end of Hilchot Issurei Biah) that greater than all this, they said: let a person empty himself and his thoughts toward words of Torah and broaden his mind with wisdom, for thoughts of forbidden relations are not strengthened except in a heart empty of wisdom, etc. See there.

Much success,

Hillel Meirs