DEFEATING THE YETZER HARA

FIGHTING TWO ENEMIES SIMULTANEOUSLY

Parshat Ki Tetze begins with the pasuk: "ki tetze lamilchama al oyvecha" "when you will go out to war against your enemies" (Devarim 21:10). The word oyvecha is written in full form - with a yud after the vav and after the bet, implying that there are two enemies. The pasuk continues: "unetano Hashem Elokecha beyadecha veshavita shivyo" "and Hashem your G-d will deliver him into you hand, and you will capture its people as captives". This time the word beyadecha is written with only one yud, implying that Hashem will only deliver one enemy into your hand. If there are two enemies we are fighting against, why will Hashem only deliver one enemy into our hand?

I would venture to say that the two enemies we are fighting are the physical external enemy and the internal enemy - the yetzer hara. The Torah continues with the concept of the yefat toar: "and you will see among its captivity a woman who is beautiful of form, and you will desire her, and you will take her to yourself for a wife." Although the Torah permits marrying a woman under such circumstances, we must keep in mind that it is only a heter, it is not an ideal situation. As Chazal teach us regarding the yefat toar - "lo dibra Torah ela keneged yetzer hara" "the Torah spoke only against the drive toward evil." (Rashi citing Kiddushin 21b) Had the yetzer hara not been so strong, there would have been no need to permit a person to marry the yefat toar during this period of war.

FREE TO SERVE HASHEM

The world-at-large mistakenly associates freedom with being allowed to follow the dictates of the yetzer hara. Their understanding could not be farther from the truth. What is the true difference between a slave and a free man? A slave is subordinate to the will of his master. Even should the master be kind and considerate and not overburden the slave with hard labor the way Pharaoh did, in the final analysis it is the master who determines the course of the slave's life, not the slave himself. A free man, on the other hand, dictates his own path in life, he does as he wishes and is not subjugated to the wishes of anyone else. According to this, we can say that one who follows the dictates of his yetzer hara is nothing more than a slave. It may appear to him that he is a free man, but in truth he is a slave. Why? Because what my yetzer hara wants is not necessarily what I want. My yetzer hara is not "me", rather another entity - outside of "me". My soul, the G-dliness in me, is the true "me". What my soul wants is the opposite of what my yetzer hara wants. Therefore, if I allow my yetzer hara to dictate my life, I am nothing more than a slave to it, and it is my master. On the other hand, if my actions follow the dictates of my soul and not those of my yetzer hara, then I am not a slave but I am a free man in control of my actions.

THE YETZER HARA IS THE BIGGEST ENEMY

The Chovot Halevavot (Shaar Yichud Hamaase 5) writes that a person must understand that the yetzer hara is his biggest enemy. When you are asleep it is awake (you may not notice him, but he is waiting to trip you up), you may ignore him but he certainly does not ignore you, he dresses up in the garments of friendship (he pretends to be your friend, as if he loves you). The truth is that he is your biggest enemy and he is only masquerading as your friend.

In my humble opinion, the Chovot Halevavot has not carried this idea out fully. We can explain this by means of an analogy - if someone undertakes a mission to spy on another nation (Syria for example), in his attempt to uncover Syrian military secrets, he may disguise himself as a good friend of the Syrian President or Chief of Staff. The spy may succeed in convincing the president that he is indeed his good friend, yet there is one thing he will never succeed in convincing him - that he (the spy) is the real President of Syria.

THE YETZER HARA IS NOT THE TRUE YOU

This is the best a human spy can hope for. The yetzer hara, however, has far more sophisticated methods - it not only disguises itself as someone else who loves you, but disguises himself as YOURSELF. He tries very hard to persuade you that he is YOU! What "he" wants is what "you" want. The truth is, however, that what "he" wants is not at all what "you" want. What does the yetzer hara desire? He wishes to remove you from the world - not only from the Next World but from this world as well. Chazal point out that if we were to leave a goat or a small lamb beside a snake or scorpion, no harm will befall them, for the goat knows to beware of them. If, however, one would, G-d forbid, leave a baby near them, the baby, out of curiosity would try to touch the snake or scorpion and will end up being bitten, G-d forbid. Similarly, leaving a goat or lamb near an open pit will not result in any grave consequences. Should one, however, leave a baby near an open pit, heaven forbid what can result from this!

What accounts for this distinction? Because "man's inclination is evil from his youth" (Bereishit 8:21) - "from the time that he stirs to go out of his mother's insides, the urge to do evil is put in him" (Rashi). At this ripe age, the yetzer hara is already pushing man into acting in a way that places his life in danger. The yetzer hara has no such desire when it comes to the lamb, but the baby it does wish to kill. We see that the yetzer wishes to take us not only from the Next World but from this world as well.

How many people do we know who, fully aware of the associated dangers, continue to smoke? Who is not aware of the damage drugs can cause, yet people continue to use them? Why is this so? This is the yetzer hara's attempt to hasten man's departure from this world. If he does not succeed in removing us from this world, then he tries to at least make sure we do not enter the Next World. The yetzer hara is our biggest enemy, and we should take care not to mistake his identity for our own.

OUR SOULS HAVE NO DESIRE FOR THIS WORLD

While the yetzer hara draws us into sinning, our souls have the opposite aspirations. All souls originate from under the Throne of Glory (see Zohar chelek 3, 29b). This is especially true of Jewish souls which come from a lofty and holy place, and as such have no interests at all in the aspirations of the yetzer hara. Chazal explain the pasuk "yet his wants are never satisfied" (Kohelet 6:7) using the following parable. There was once a simple city dweller who married a princess. He could shower her with all the gifts this world has to offer and it would have no meaning to her. Why? Because as the king's daughter she grew up with whatever she desired. On the same note, if we were to offer our souls all the delicacies of the world, it would have no meaning. Our soul comes from way up above and has no interest in physical things such as food (see Kohelet Rabba 6:1). If a princess were to marry a simple villager, she would derive no pleasure from the country lifestyle. What is in it for her - some onions and garlic? In the king's palace she was accustomed to fatted geese ducks, roasted doves, and other royal delicacies.

This is precisely how the soul feels in this world. The soul was carved from under the Throne of Glory, and is accustomed to spiritual delicacies - Torah and mitzvoth are its source of nourishment. What does it get in this world? Fish and meat! What does a soul need fish and meat for? Nothing! Meat and fish may be eaten in honor of the Shabbat or in order to strengthen one's body to be healthy and better able to serve Hashem. This then is a mitzvah and the soul derives benefit from it. However, eating food for pleasure's sake alone is of no value to the soul. Why? Because it originated in lofty places and is nourished from spiritual things only, not from the physical fish and meat.

MY BODY IS NOT ME

As we mentioned, man's "self" is his soul and not his yetzer hara. We can add that man's body is also not his "self". Cells are being replaced constantly - within a month all the cells have died and new ones are generated in their place. In the space of a month we have a totally new body. Yet, we still feel the same "self". Obviously this points to the fact that my "self" is not my body but my soul. (Based on this, I have difficulty understanding the bracha we recite each morning - "Elokai neshama shenatata bi tehora hee" "My G-d the soul that You placed within me is pure". What does it mean "the soul that You placed within ME" - is the soul itself not "me"? How then can we speak of placing the soul within "me").

If the body is not "me", than how do we view the body? The body is the clothing for the "self", to house the soul that Hashem sent down to this world. The body provides the tools with which to observe mitzvoth and perform good deeds. Had it not been for the body, the soul would have no means with which to carry out its task in this world.

My soul has been given other tools to assist it in fulfilling its mission as well. My mind, for example, is not "me" - it is another tool used to assist the soul in its work. On of the Rishonim defined the mind as "the messenger that is the go-between between man and his G-d". I can use my intellect as a means of better knowing and serving Hashem. This, in no way implies that my mind is "me". The only "self" is my soul.

Our parents, spouses, and children are also tools to aid us in serving Hashem. When a man, G-d forbid, dies without children, the deceased's brother has a mitzvah to perform yibum. This is because the deceased's wife was given to him to enable him to father children. Because he did not merit this, his tikkun is that his brother will father children through her. Similarly, monetary possessions are also tools to assist in serving Hashem. When the daughters of Tzlafchad demanded their father's inheritance they did not claim "why should our share be diminished", but rather "why should the name of our father be omitted from among his family" (Bamidbar 27:4). The next of kin inheriting the father's possessions is a tikkun for his soul, when there is no heir this tikkun is lacking. Their wish was to provide a tikkun for their father's soul by inheriting his share of the Land of Israel and all his other material possessions he had in the desert. We see that material wealth is also a means of assisting us to better serve Hashem. Just as I am fully aware that my material possessions are not "me", and my wife is not "me", so too my body and my mind are not "me" either.

Avraham and Sarah made souls in Haran - what defines one's soul? We recite daily in Kriat Shma "You shall love Hashem, your G-d, with all your heart, with all your soul ('nafshecha')" (Devarim 6:5). Chazal tell us "with all your soul - even if he takes your soul" (Brachot 61b). This explanation is fitting for times when one is required to give up his life in an effort to sanctify Hashem's Name. What about when a person does not need to give his life but can live? How then does he love Hashem "with all his soul ('nefesh')"? The Rishonim (Rashi, Ramban, Sforno) interpret the pasuk "im yesh et NAFSHECHEM likbor et meiti milefanai (Bereishit 23:8), to mean "if it is truly YOUR WILL to bury my dead before me". The "nefesh" is a person's will and desire. We can now explain that loving Hashem "bechol nafshecha" implies with your entire will. When Avraham and Sarah made souls in Haran, they "made their will for them" - they transformed so that their desires were no longer to follow the dictates of their yetzer hara, but their true desire was what their soul wished - to serve Hashem. This is how they "made souls". The people during that time may not have been Jewish, but the internal desire of even a non-Jew is to serve Hashem. When it is possible to convert them, we must do so. When this is not a possibility, we should at least influence them to accept upon themselves the seven Noachide laws.

KILLING THE YETZER HARA

The Gemara writes: "in the future time, Hashem, will bring the evil inclination and slaughter it in the presence of the righteous and in the presence of the wicked" (Sukkah 52a). Whether or not Hashem actually slaughters it, He will at the very least limit its influence, or increase the power of the yetzer tov.

We are not told how Hashem will do so, but we are promised that in the end, the entire nation will repent. What this means is that a person's free choice is within the limits of a particular framework. Pharaoh was given the choice whether or not to enslave the Jewish people, but only within prescribed limits. Later on he is forced to send them free, whether he wishes to or not. On the one hand, it is too late for him to repent, on the other hand he does free the Jewish people - this, however, is regardless of whether he wishes to do so. The same may be said for all evil people - they are given the option of acting in a way contrary to the will of Hashem, this option, however, is not without its limitations. We see that Haman's desired decree was rescinded and within three days he was hanging from a tree fifty amot high! All free choice is within a prescribed framework.

Chazal teach us "The words of Torah are not retained except by one who kills himself over it" (Shabbat 83b). This cannot be taken literally, for even one who is ill, let alone dead, will have difficulty learning. Chazal's intention was to the "killing" of one's yetzer hara, one's desire for the vanities of this world, and the strengthening of one's quest for spiritual greatness. We must do our best to study yet another page of Gemara, to daven more, perform still more mitzvoth and acts of chesed. This is the true way to defeat our yetzer hara.

One of the many mitzvoth found in Parshat Ki Tetze is the mitzvah of returning lost objects (Hashavat Aveida). Many of us fondly recall learning the intricacies of this Mitzva when we studied Bava Metzia. I would like to discuss two areas of the Mitzva which are not intuitively obvious.

In Masechet Sanhedrin we are taught that a Jew is obligated to "return" his friend's health and well being to him. There is an obligation upon the doctor to heal, the lifeguard to save, and the medic to respond to calls of distress. This obligation is part of the mitzvah of Hashavat Aveida and extends beyond the general mitzvah of Lo Ta'amod al Dam Rei'echa "neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy fellow". One must expend effort and resources, perhaps hire workers, to return a friend's "body".

I would like to now discuss the second point. The Mishna at the end of Bava Batra teaches us that he who seeks wisdom ought to study the laws of torts (Nezikin). Indeed, the laws of nezikin have a special place in Talmud study, and are emphasized in the classic yeshiva curriculum. We know that the Torah requires the mazik to pay for damages incurred, but does that imply that damaging itself, or enabling damages, is a Torah prohibition? Perhaps he is not in violation of halacha, nevertheless he is still liable for the consequences of his actions.

The answer may be gleaned from the Mitzva of Hashavat Aveida. If we are obligated to return a lost object to a fellow Jew, then we are obviously prohibited from damaging it. With this in mind, the Rashash (Ktuvot 18b) understands that causing another monetary loss, even through mere speech, violates the principles of Hashavat Aveida. The Talmud goes further and mandates that one must go so far as to prevent oncoming floodwaters from damaging another's field, thereby causing Aveidat karka - loss of land.

All too often we see these principles of Hashavat Aveida trampled upon. Lack of concern for other people's property is rampant. Ignoring danger to other people's well-being is widespread. The month of Elul is a good time for us to contemplate this, and other cardinal Mitzvot in the realm of Bein Adam L'chaveiro.

May we all be inscribed in The Book of Life.

Yitzchak Korn

The parsha opens with: "ki tetze lamilchama al oyvecha" "If you will go forth to war against your enemies"

Chazal interpret this "war" as the war we wage everyday - our battle against the yetzer harah. Many commentaries discuss strategies on how to win this battle and ultimately defeat the yetzer harah. Let us examine a few:

The Baal Shem Tov says that one must employ the yetzer harah's own tactics against it. That is, just as the yetzer harah is stubborn, and refuses to let up, so should we stubbornly battle the yetzer hara, refusing to ease up.

In a similar vein, the Chasam Sofer states that the yetzer harah does not cause a person to violate the major sins first, but begins with causing him to violate minor sins eventually working its way towards causing him to stumble further and to violate the greater sins. This is precisely the tactics a person should use in the battle against his yetzer harah - begin with battles which are easier to win and then continue onwards to the more difficult ways to change. We can apply this principle when involved in kiruv work - teach the newly religious to work their way slowly, to begin with mitzvoth which they find less difficult and to eventually work their way towards full commitment to Torah and mitzvoth.

The Baal HaTurim notes the juxtaposition between the end of Parshat Shoftim, which we read last week, and the opening words of our parsha. He points out that the last word in Parshat Shoftim is the Name of Hashem and this week's parsha begins with: "When you go out to war against your enemy..." We can derive from this connection that Hashem is always with us in the eternal battle against our yetzer hara. The opening pasuk concludes:

"...Hashem will place them in your hands, you may take them as captives."

The Baal HaTurim offers a beautiful commentary that "ki tetze lamilchama" - when we go out in battle Hashem will come to our assistance - "unetano Hashem Elokecha b'yadecha), and we will ultimately defeat the enemy ("v'shavita shivyo").

HaRav Yissachar Frand offers an alternative method for defeating the yetzer hara. In his discussion of Parshat Vayishlach, he poses the following question regarding the story of Yaakov and his fight with the angel. Yaakov struggles the entire night with the angel of Esav. Yaakov emerges victorious. As morning arrives the angel asks Yaakov to release him. Yaakov refuses to release the angel unless he first blesses him. The angel then informs Yaakov that his name will be changed to Yisrael. We then read of Yaakov asking the angel what his name is to which the angel responds with a very puzzling question: "Why do you ask me my name?"

Rav Frand asks what the meaning behind this dialogue is.

He answers in the name of Chazal that the angel of Esav was actually the Satan, AKA the yetzer harah. Rav Leib Chasman explains that since the name of a person or being reflects his essence, when Yaakov asked the angel for his name he was actually trying to discover his essence. He was in effect asking: "What are you all about, yetzer hara? What makes you tick? What is the secret of your power over people?"

Rav Frand quotes Rav Chaim Dov Keller, Rosh Yeshivah of Telshe in Chicago, who offers a different interpretation of the dialogue between Yaakov and the angel, along the lines of Rav Chasman. Yaakov was trying to understand the essence of the yetzer hara to forewarn and prepare his descendants against this entity. The angel responded: "My mission is to test people, and the only way I can accomplish this is to change my form in every generation. The situations change, the temptations change, and I change. In one generation, the temptation may be idol worship, the next - illicit relations, and nowadays, perhaps internet and cell phones. These areas are where I focus my concentration. Your efforts to learn my mission are useless, as it changes in every generation. Therefore, "why do you ask me my name?" To defeat the yetzer hara we must be cognizant of the form it is taking in our generation.

We all know how difficult this war is. We find ourselves falling and turning back often... but what if we could only understand that Hashem guarantees success if we only set out on the right path and make the effort. When it states in our Parasha: "When we go to war..." we are referring to life ... When we go out to life...

Throughout Shana Alef, Rav Bina made an emphasis on how important it is to understand that we live in a ghetto - we are in the Old City adjacent to the Kotel, we have fantastic Rebbeim, and all the essentials to lead an ideal Torah life. But that's not the litmus test of how we are faring in life. It's how we live outside of the Old City walls. How we live without the Kotel looking at us in the face. How we live life when no one is pushing us to go to Minyan, learning, and the amazing chesed activities which the Yeshiva offers us an opportunity to be involved in. How are we going to fight the war - the war of life - the war of the yetzer hara. Baruch Hashem the Torah gives us the solution - simply try, put in the effort of wanting, put in our effort and Hashem will provide us with victory. He will allow us and push is to succeed.

I would like to add one final point - the Baal Haturim notes that "if you will go forth" implies that Moshe is saying, "Go out against them; do not allow them to come against you". In other words, if you are not making an advance towards conquering your yetzer hara, then you are necessarily going downhill. We can compare this to a bicycle climbing a steep hill, if you're not moving forward, then you must be moving backwards.

May we always be aware of the yetzer hara and make a conscious effort to defeat it to become the best we can be.