From the Medrash Yalkut Shimoni, Vayechi
THE FOLLOWING STORY HAPPENED TO RABBI MATYA BEN CHERESH WHO WOULD ALWAYS BE SITTING IN THE BET HA MIDRASH ENGAGED IN TORAH STUDY AND THE BRILLIANCE OF HIS FACE RESEMBLED THE SUN AND THE APPEARANCE OF HIS FACE RESEMBLED THAT OF THE MINISTERING ANGELS, BECAUSE HE HAD NEVER RAISED HIS EYES TO LOOK AT WOMEN
Once the Satan fixed his sight on this Tzaddik and said to himself: "Is it possible that this man does not sin? " Then the Satan went and asked G-d: "How do you consider Rabbi Matya Ben Cheresh?" And G-d replied: "He is a perfect Tzaddik" The Satan said to G-d: "Give me permission to put him to the test". G-d told the Satan: "Go".
THE SATAN APPEARED TO THE RABBI AS A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN AND HE PREFERRED BEING BLIND THAN SINNING BEFORE HASHEM
The Satan appeared to the Rabbi as a beautiful woman the like of which there had never been in the world. When the Tzaddik saw he immediately turned his face away from the woman. Then the woman quickly moved to the side where Rabbi Matya had turned his face to, and he quickly again turned his face away from that woman. Then the Tzaddik said: "I am afraid that my Yetzer haRa will overpower me and will cause me to sin" What did the Tzaddik do? He called a student that was there with him and ordered him to bring him fire with nails. The student brought him nails and the Tzaddik put them to his eyes and became blind. When the Satan saw this he trembled and fell on his back.
HASHEM ORDERED THE ANGEL RAPHAEL TO CURE THE TZADDIK
At that time The Holy One Blessed be He called the angel Raphael for he is in charge of healing and told him: "Go and heal Rabbi Matya Ben Cheresh" Then Raphael came in front of the Rabbi and he asked: "Who are you" and he replied: "I am Raphael the angel, I came for G-d sent me to cure your eyes" and Rabbi Matya replied: "Leave me alone, what is already done is what will be" Raphael returned before the Holy One Blessed be He and said: "Master of the World, thus spoke Matya" G-d said to him: "Go back to him and tell him that I will personally guarantee that the Yetzer haRa will have no power over him". Immediately Raphael went and cured Matya. From here Our Sages said: "All those that are careful not to look at women, The Yetzer haRa has no power over them".