Reply To: An Eitza Against The Yetzer Harah.

Once we get used to doing things, we basicly lose control over them. Even if we try not to do it, it doesn’t make us feel right. When we reach the level of aino yochol lichvosh es yitzro, we have to cut ourselves some slack, relax, and evaluate the situation. Beating ourselves up will do no good. Thinking that we can just stop is counter productive. Stopping and starting again, stopping and starting, makes us into a wreck. In the end, we lose hope, and think we are worthless.

The aitza is not to change the situation in ways we are not yet capable of, nor to think that we must do so, but to come to terms with the situation in ways that are productive and beneficial in the long term.

The first important idea is to not define yourself as a bum. The yetzer hara is the bum and you are its victim.

Once you disassociate yourself from what the yetzer gets you to do, you can better come to terms with it and gradually improve. The first improvement is that you no longer define yourself as bad. Along with this, you should stop promoting the bad things. The reason people promote the bad things they do is because they end up defining themselves by it. Once you stop defining yourself with the bad, you can stop promoting it.

Secondly, there is much to gain from the situation, such that when it’s over you become a better person than you would have been otherwise. The most important benefit is the easiness to acquire the trait of humility, because of where you have been. Once you come out of the dark tunnel, the humility that you have gained will put you eons ahead of others.

You have to think only about HaShem. He understands you and knows what you’re going through. He wants you to gain from the situation. You don’t need to run away from Him like you have to from others. Complain to Him. Show to yourself and to Him that you deeply care to do the right thing.