A member of the GYE community was very inspired after hearing a speech that attributed much of Klal Yisrael's Tzaros to breaches in Tzniyus and Kedusha, and which urged everyone to work on improving in these areas (chizuk e-mail #1049). He sent the speech to a family member, who posed the following question: There are 613 Mitzvos. Who are we to say that breaches of Tzniyus/Kedusha are what is causing all the Tzaros in Klal Yisrael? How are we to know the ways of Hashem with such certainty?
The GYE member responded as follows:
This is more than just guesswork. The Torah sometimes tells us specifically that certain Aveiros produce certain results. In such cases, there is nothing wrong with assuming that the Torah means precisely what it says. Unlike most other Aveiros, Arayos is called a Tumah, which means that it separates us from the Ribbono Shel Olam (on that point, please listen to this speech by Rav Aharon Feldman - from 3:05-4:02). When we're, R"L, separated from the RBS"O, we don't have His protection. That means that, lo aleinu, we're more susceptible to illness and to other terrible Tzaros. See also Devarim 23, 15, which makes this precise point: that if Ervah can be seen among us, Hashem will turn away from us. Thus, the speaker did not say anything that is not firmly grounded in the Torah. Listen also to this 20 second audio clip from Rav Yosef Viener, Rav of Kehillas Shaar Shamayim, Monsey.
Does this mean that every Tzara in Klal Yisrael is caused by breaches in Tzniyus and Kedusha? There's no need to go that far. But, it's clear that an Aveira that drives away the Shechinah can rightfully be blamed for much of the Tzaros of our People. (On a Kabbalistic level as well, Kedusha from Arayos, including a man's "personal holiness," is called Yesod, because it is the foundation of a person's spirituality. If a building's foundation is weak, it can collapse, even if the rest of the structure is strong. Accordingly, Tzniyus/Kedusha is not just one of the 613 Mitzvos, but is the foundation of the entire Torah).
This is not to say that other Mitzvos are unimportant, but that observance of Mitzvos related to Kedusha and Tzniyus are essential to keeping the Shechina in our midst, which will, b'Ezras Hashem, protect Klal Yisrael from all types of Tzaros.
This discussion should be a Zechus for Shalom Daniel ben Leah, B'soch She'ar Cholei Yisrael.