A Necessary Evil

A Necessary Evil: The Yetzer ha-Ra
Last week I explained that in Judais ha-Satan!

the Adversary! was "ne "# the $severe% a&ents "# '"d( An"ther such harsh )ut
necessary #"rce in '"d*s creati"n is the Yetzer ha-Ra! which is vari"usly
translated as the $Evil Ipulse!% the $Evil +esire!% the $,el#ish +esire% "r -ust
$+esire(% It is that aspect "# nature! )ut especially huan nature! which drives us
t" c"pete! t" #i&ht! t" p"ssess! )ut "st "# all t" desire sexual &rati#icati"n(
./"stcard )y Jun&enstil artist 0"ses Ephrai Lilien1
Th"u&h it is c"unter-)alanced )y the Yetzer ha-Tov! the $altruistic desire!% it is
n"netheless the s"urce "# uch "# the &rie# in huan li#e 2 lust! vi"lence!
sel#ishness! ven&eance! and a)iti"n( 3ne w"uld think that huanity w"uld )e
truly )etter "## i# we c"uld destr"y this ipulse( I always think in this c"ntext "#
J"hn Lenn"n*s $Ia&ine(% It has struck e that Lenn"n is thinkin& "# s"ethin&
akin t" the Yetzer when he wr"te that s"n&( Ia&ine i# huan )ein& were #inally
#ree "# all the sel#ish drives4 N" th"u&hts "# pr"perty! security! sel#-
a&&randizeent "r the #uture4 5"uldn*t thin&s )e per#ect! "r at least a wh"le l"t
)etter4 Is Lenn"n ri&ht4 5ell! in #act! the ,a&es "# Taludic ties anticipated
Lenn"n )y a)"ut 6788 years and ia&ined -ust such a scenari"( This is their
ythic acc"unt "# the $+ay the 0use .al"st1 died%:
And [they]cried with a great voice to the Eternal their God (Neh. 9!". #hat did
they cry$...#oe% woe% it i& he [the Yetzer ha-Ra] who ha& de&troyed the
Sanct'ary% ('rnt the Te)*le% +illed the righteo'&% driven all ,&rael into e-ile and
i& &till dancing in o'r )id&t. Yo' have &'rely given hi) to '& that we )ay
receive )erit thro'gh hi). #e want neither hi) nor )erit thro'gh hi). ,n that
)o)ent a ta(let /ell /ro) the /ir)a)ent% the word 0tr'th1 in&cri(ed '*on it
[2eaven accede& to the re3'e&t]..They [the Sage& o/ the Great A&&e)(ly]
ordered a co)*lete /a&t o/ three day..where'*on he [the Yetzer] wa&
&'rrendered to the). 2e ca)e /orth /ro) the 2oly o/ 2olie& li+e a /iery lion..
At that )o)ent the *ro*het declared% 4Thi& i& the Yetzer5.the *ro*het &aid%
4ca&t hi) in a lead (arrel5 (See 6ech. 78"..2e [the Yetzer] &aid to the)%
4Realize that i/ yo' +ill )e% the world i& /ini&hed.5 They held hi) /or three day&%
then they loo+ed in the whole land o/ ,&rael and not an egg co'ld (e /o'nd. So
they a&+ed% 4#hat &hall we do now$5.So they *'t o't hi& eye& and let hi) go9
thi& hel*ed in that )en (eca)e le&& inclined to ince&t (Yo)a :9(".
5hat a rearka)le st"ry( It teaches a "st pr"#"und truth( 5e see evil in
"urselves! it "##ends us! and we think the ri&ht thin& t" d" is t" t"tally pur&e
"urselves "# it( Yet we d"n*t truly understand it! #"r thin&s we s" easily
characterize as $evil% actually sprin& "ut "# the very nexus "# h"liness( ,urreal as
it is! this )aa&eh akes an incredi)le p"int 2 it is the stri#e "# the spirit! the very
stru&&le )etween "ur ipulses that akes the w"rld w"rk( 5ith"ut theYetzer ha-
Ra! the w"rld as we kn"w w"uld cease 2 pe"ple .and anials1 w"uld n" l"n&er )e
driven t" )uild! t" create! t" have children( In sh"rt! li#e as we kn"w! includin&
n"t "nly evil aspects )ut "st "# what we re&ard as )eauti#ul als"! w"uld cease(
5ith"ut +esire! Li#e itsel# w"uld sl"wly wither away! and that w"uld )e a sad
thin&( ," the &"al "# the spiritual pers"n is n"t t" destr"y the sel#ish-sexual-evil
ipulse! )ut rather t" su)liate it t" '"d*s purp"se( T" )e truly what '"d wants
us t" )e! t" achieve "ur #ullest huan p"tential! we need t" learn t" )end (oth "ur
ipulses t" &"dly ends( 5e sh"uld n"t cease t" lust! )ut sh"uld direct that ur&e
t"ward l"ve( 5e sh"uld turn "ur ipulse t"ward ven&eance int" the desire #"r
-ustice! "ur a)iti"n #"r ac9uirin& p"ssessi"ns int" the creati"n "# wealth that
will $#l"at every )"at!% as '3/ rhet"ricians like t" say(
As 'enesis Ra))ah teaches:
And '"d saw all that :e had ade! and #"und it very &""d;vehinei tov zeh
yetzer hatov% vehinei tov )e1od zeh yetzer hara 2 <&""d< re#ers t" the '""d
Inclinati"n )ut <very &""d< re#ers t" the Evil Inclinati"n(
5hy4 =ecause were it n"t #"r the Yetzer ha-Ra n" "ne w"uld )uild a h"use! take a
wi#e! &ive )irth! "r en&a&e in c"erce(
In "ther w"rds! '"d is the s"urce "# the Yetzer ha-Ra and! despite what we ay
think! has )lessed us th"u&h it with a purp"se in ind 2 t" #ill us with desire> the
desire t" ake the w"rld )etter than it is(

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A Necessary Evil: The Yetzer ha-Ra

Last week I explained that in Judais ha-Satan!

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