In “Serving God with One’s Evil Inclination” I discussed a particular perspective appearing in HaKetav VeHaKabbala’s commentary on Devarim 6:5, all stemming from the Talmud’s assertion in Berachot 54a, that one should serve HaShem both with the Good as well as, and even, the Evil Inclination. The dualism within man suggested by positing that each person has within him these two tendencies, i.e., good vs. evil, is reflected in Rabbinic literature down through the ages. The biblical statements, (Beraishit 6:5) “…every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” and (Ibid. 8:21) “…for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth…” bear ample testimony to the existence of a “Yetzer HaRa,” while the postulate that man has been Created in God’s Image (e.g. Ibid. 1:26-7 “26 And God said: “Let us Make man in Our Image, after Our Likeness… 27 And God Created man in His Own Image, in the Image of God Created He him; male and female Created He them”) bears witness to as aspect of the Divine which could be simply depicted as the “Yetzer HaTov.”
The Ever-Present Yetzer(s)
27 Friday Nov 2015
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