The pasuk (6:5) commands that you shall love HaShem with all your hearts (be’chol levavcha), which Rashi reveals refers to loving HaShem with both your inclinations; the yester hatov and the yetzer hara. How can one possibly use the yetzer hara – that force which attempts to hijack one’s spirituality and pull one away from HaShem – for good?
In Alei Shur (page 35), Rav Wolbe quotes Rav Tzaddok HaKohen who writes that the area with which the yetzer hara tests/entices a person is that same area where we have the greatest potential for growth in serving HaShem. For example, one might have a big yetzer hara test to say brachos really quickly and get on to eating the food – here Rav Tzaddok is telling us that since the yetzer hara is attacking your area of brachos, it must be that you have great potential to say brachos properly and with the correct intentions and mindset. It is much like war; the enemy will focus their attentions on attacking the area most potent and useful to the other side. So too will the yetzer hara attack each person’s individual strength and area of growth – and this area will be different for each individual for each person has their own unique strengths. Rav Wolbe comments on this that we learn from here that one is not to merely ignore one’s yetzer hara, but to confront it and realise one’s area of greatest potential. Thus, this is one way we can use our yetzer haras for the positive – by noticing which area they attack and thus using it to identify our strongest area of growth.
Alternatively, one can use the yetzer hara to fuel one’s performance of mitzvos. For example, if you are competitive by nature then use this to become better at learning Torah than the next person. Or, if you are stingy then use this to motivate you to daven well; commit to give a certain sum of money to charity for every Shmoneh Esrei you daydream through. Each bad middah can be turned round to spur on and promote the development of a positive middah or mitzvos.
Previous Article
By The Light of The Moon
Next Article
