Ki Tzeitaei – How to fight the Yetzer Hara, Our Bad Inflinations

Home › Forums › Decaffeinated Coffee › Ki Tzeitaei – How to fight the Yetzer Hara, Our Bad Inflinations

Viewing 12 posts - 1 through 12 (of 12 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • August 17, 2021 12:10 am at 12:10 am #2000370
    Reb Eliezer
    Participant

    The Midrash compares the war against the yetzer hara to a king who comes home celebrating the battle he just won and he is told that now you must fight the real battle against your bad inclinations.If we realize that this battle is against our enemy, ovecha and not our friend (to which he disguises himself), then Hashem will give him into our hands and we will have control over him.

    See https://www.theyeshivaworld.com/coffeeroom/topic/eikev-the-tactics-of-the-yetzer-hara
    ‘

    August 18, 2021 9:15 am at 9:15 am #2000923
    Avi K
    Participant

    What are inflinations?

    August 18, 2021 9:51 am at 9:51 am #2000973
    Reb Eliezer
    Participant

    Should be inclinations which I am sure you knew.

    August 20, 2021 10:47 am at 10:47 am #2001548
    Reb Eliezer
    Participant

    The Dubner Magid interprets the gemora Shabbos (31,1) about Shamai pushing away a convert who wanted to convert on one leg. So Hilel told to him, מה דעלך סני לחברך לא תעבד whatever is hated by you don’t do to your friend where Rashi says this includes Hashem who is also your friend. He gives a mashel to a young man who invested with his uncle. He noticed that his investment is constantly diminishing rather than increasing. He went to a financial advisor who told him, know your uncle is a ganov who is robbing you and telling you that you are losing money but taking it for himself. You must separate yourself from him. The yetzer hara makes himself look like a friend but is really your enemy. So his interpretation is of the above, whoever has hatred towards you, don’t make him your friend.

    September 4, 2022 11:44 am at 11:44 am #2120933
    Reb Eliezer
    Participant

    The Ben Ish Chai says that the name שד-י the Almighty is the name to fight the yetzer hara with as when each letter of יצר is written in full יוד, צדי and ריש the last letters add up to שד-י. When we recognize the Almighty, we realize that He gives us the strength and abilities to be able to fight the yetzer hara. It says in the parasha that it we fight the yetzer hara, ונתנו ה’ אלקיך בידך, Hashem will help us to capture him. The Chasam Sofer gives us a practical means to fight him. It says ושבית שביו grab a methodology from the yetzer hara. He sways us away from Hashem step wise in slow increments. He does not want for us to violate the greatest aveiros but starts from the smallest ones first. Similarly when correcting ourselves we should improve ourselves by fixing incrementally our smallest violations first. It says סור מרע ועשה טוב, turn away from bad and do good בקש שלום ורדפהו, look for peace and chase it, fight it, fight the peace that the yetzer hara is making. There is always a conflict between body and soul. What one wants, the other does not. But the yetzer hara makes peace by having the soul want what the body wants. We should disturb this peace and have the soul do something that the body does not like and continue doing it until we make peace by having the body get used to it. Continue this by improving ourselves constantly in small increments.

    September 4, 2022 6:18 pm at 6:18 pm #2121085
    moishekapoieh
    Participant

    I have NO inflinations.
    But I do have some inclinations, none of them good

    September 5, 2022 11:20 am at 11:20 am #2121248
    Ray Kaufman
    Participant

    I had an inflination. They gave me antibiotics for it.

    September 5, 2022 11:20 am at 11:20 am #2121292
    Reb Eliezer
    Participant

    moishe, your comment has been discussed above. The point is that we must fight our bad inclinations as it was also discussed above how to do that.

    September 5, 2022 3:21 pm at 3:21 pm #2121413
    Reb Eliezer
    Participant

    Maybe it should be his bad infiltration as we build protective walls but the yetzer hara tries to infiltrate it.

    September 7, 2022 9:22 am at 9:22 am #2122086
    Ray Kaufman
    Participant

    I know that this is an awkward question, but what inclinations are we talking about? Is Ta’avah in general a problem or are talking about specific ones. For instance, ice cream. I really love ice cream. Whenever I see the display in the supermarket, I think about how good it tastes and how I’d like some. Is that what we’re talking about?

    September 7, 2022 9:50 am at 9:50 am #2122101
    Reb Eliezer
    Participant

    The first mishna in Bava Kama enumerates four main means of harm to the individual which also apply to spirituality. The ox is gaiva, haughtiness by saying I deserve this and I am better than anyone else, reflected the way it stands with its horns pointing straight above. The pit is the other extreme atzvus, being sad in a depression. The mouth is speaking badly on each other and the fire of desire to do what is forbidden. These are the main contributors of all sins. The yetzer hara causes bad inclinations by tempting the person towards these behaviors.

    September 7, 2022 1:57 pm at 1:57 pm #2122177
    Reb Eliezer
    Participant

    The yetzer hara strengthens our bad inclinations and thereby put it into fruition.

  • Author
    Posts
Viewing 12 posts - 1 through 12 (of 12 total)
  • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.