Sukkah, Daf Nun Bet, Part 4
Introduction
The sugya continues to discuss the yetzer hara.
אמר רבי יצחק: יצרו של אדם מתגבר עליו בכל יום, שנאמר +בראשית ו+ רק רע כל היום.
אמר רבי שמעון בן לקיש: יצרו של אדם מתגבר עליו בכל יום ומבקש להמיתו, שנאמר +תהלים לז+ צופה רשע לצדיק ומבקש להמיתו, ואלמלא הקדוש ברוך הוא שעוזר לו – אינו יכול לו, שנאמר +תהלים לז+ ה’ לא יעזבנו בידו ולא ירשיענו בהשפטו.
R. Isaac stated: The [Evil] Inclination of a person grows stronger within him from day to day, as it is said, "Only evil all the day" (Genesis 6:5).
R. Shimon b. Lakish stated: The Evil Inclination of a person grows in strength from day to day and seeks to kill him, as it is said, "The wicked watches the righteous and seeks to slay him" (Psalms 37:32); and were it not that the Holy One, blessed be He, is his help he would not be able to withstand it, as it is said, "The Lord will not leave him in his hand, nor suffer him to be condemned when he is judged" (Psalms 37:33).
These two statements talk about the great power of the Evil Inclination, which according to R. Shimon b. Lakish, a person could not withstand were it not for the help of God.
תנא דבי רבי ישמעאל: אם פגע בך מנוול זה – משכהו לבית המדרש. אם אבן הוא – נימוח, אם ברזל הוא – מתפוצץ. אם אבן הוא – נימוח, דכתיב +ישעיהו נה+ הוי כל צמא לכו למים, וכתיב +איוב יד+ אבנים שחקו מים. אם ברזל הוא – מתפוצץ, דכתיב +ירמיהו כג+ הלא כה דברי כאש נאום ה’ וכפטיש יפוצץ סלע.
The school of R. Ishmael taught: If this repulsive wretch meets you, drag him to the Bet Hamidrash. If he is of stone, he will dissolve, if he is of iron he will burst into fragments.
"If he is of stone he will dissolve," for it is written, "Hoy, every one that is thirsty come to the water" (Isaiah 55:1) and it is written, "The waters wear the stones" (Job 14:19).
"If he is of iron, he will burst into fragments," for it is written, "Is not my word like fire? Says the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?" (Jeremiah 23:29).
This section uses some midrashic references to show that the antidote to the Evil Inclination is the study of Torah. This is something the rabbis believed in quite fervently. Indeed, in other places we learn that the Torah was specifically created to be the antidote for the Evil Inclination.
אמר רבי שמואל בר נחמני אמר רבי יונתן: יצר הרע מסיתו לאדם בעולם הזה, ומעיד עליו לעולם הבא. שנאמר +משלי כט+ מפנק מנוער עבדו ואחריתו יהיה מנון, שכן באטב"ח של רבי חייא קורין לסהדה מנון.
R. Shmuel ben Nahmani said in the name of R. Yohanan: The Evil Inclination entices man in this world and testifies against him in the world to come, as it is said, "He that delicately brings up his servant from a child shall have him become a ruler (manon) at the end" (Proverbs 29:21), and according to the Atbah of R. Hiyya a witness is called manon.
The perniciousness of the Evil Inclination is twofold: it entices a man to sin in this world and then it testifies against him in the world to come. This is related to a midrash on Proverbs 29:21 in which the "servant" is interpreted as the Evil Inclination. The Evil Inclination is given over to a person’s control, like a servant. But if he doesn’t take control, the evil inclination will testify against him in the world to come. This is derived from an "Atbah" which is a letter code system whereby each Hebrew letter corresponds with another letter. Using this particular "atbah" system, the word "manon" corresponds to "witness."
רב הונא רמי: כתיב +הושע ד+ כי רוח זנונים התעה וכתיב +הושע ה+ בקרבם! – בתחילה התעם, ולבסוף בקרבם.
אמר רבא: בתחילה קראו הלך ולבסוף קראו אורח ולבסוף קראו איש, שנאמר +שמואל ב יב+ ויבא הלך לאיש העשיר ויחמול לקחת מצאנו ומבקרו לעשות לאורח, וכתיב ויקח את כבשת האיש הרש ויעשה לאיש הבא אליו.
R. Huna pointed out a discrepancy between verses: It is written, "For the spirit of harlotry has led them astray" (Hosea 4:12), but is it not also written, [For the spirit of harlotry] is within them" (Hosea 5:4)? First it only causes them to err, but ultimately it enters into them.
Rava said: First he is called a passer-by, then he is called a guest, and finally he is called a man, for it is said, "And there came a passer-by to the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to prepare a meal for the guest and then it is written, "And he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man that came to him." (II Samuel 12:4).
These two midrashim point out the progressive influence and eventual dominance that the yetzer hara exerts over a person. At first it is an external force, residing outside of the person. Eventually, it takes him over and utterly dominates his life. I think the same could be said about many evil influences in our life at first they are visitors to our daily lives, causing us to err, but not radically changing our personality. Eventually, however, they become a part of our identity, making it all the more difficult to be free.
אמר רבי יוחנן: אבר קטן יש לו לאדם, מרעיבו – שבע, משביעו – רעב, שנאמר +הושע יג+ כמרעיתם וישבעו וגו’.
R. Yohanan said: There is a small organ in man. When he starves it, it is satisfied, when he satisfies it, it is starving, as it is said, "When they were starved they became full " (Hosea 13:6).
While the immediate reference for this statement seems to be the (male) sexual organ, it could also refer to the yetzer hara in general. The more one succumbs to one’s evil inclination, the larger that inclination grows. In contrast, when we resist the urges that push us to do the wrong thing, we often are able to grow stronger, more resistant to temptation.
אמר רב חנא בר אחא, אמרי בי רב: ארבעה מתחרט עליהן הקדוש ברוך הוא שבראם, ואלו הן: גלות, כשדים, וישמעאלים, ויצר הרע.
גלות – דכתיב +ישעיהו נב+ ועתה מה לי פה נאם ה’ כי לקח עמי חנם וגו’. כשדים – דכתיב +ישעיהו כג+ הן ארץ כשדים זה העם לא היה. ישמעאלים – דכתיב +איוב יב+ ישליו אהלים לשודדים ובטוחות למרגיזי אל לאשר הביא אלוה בידו. יצר הרע – דכתיב +מיכה ד+ ואשר הרעתי.
R. Hana b. Abba stated: It was said at the house of the Rav: There are four things that the Holy One, blessed be He, regrets having created, and they are the following: Exile, the Chaldeans, the Ishmaelites and the Evil Inclination.
"Exile": as it is written, "Now, therefore, what am I doing here, says the Lord, seeing that My people is taken away in vain" (Isaiah 52:5)
"The Chaldeans" as it is written, "Behold the land of the Chaldeans this is the people that was not" (Isaiah 23:13).
"The Ishmaelites," as it is written, "The tents of the robbers prosper, and they that provoke God are secure since God brought them with His hand" (Job 12:6).
"The Evil Inclination", since it is written, "And her that I have afflicted" (Micah 4:6).
In this midrash, God regrets having created four things: the exile of the people of Israel, the Chaldeans (a people renowned for their sorcery), the Ishmaelites (known as robbers) and the Evil Inclination. I should emphasize that all of these verses are being read midrashically and not according to their peshat (simple) meaning.
אמר רבי יוחנן: אלמלא שלש מקראות הללו נתמוטטו רגליהם של שונאיהן של ישראל, חד – דכתיב +מיכה ד+ ואשר הרעתי, וחד – דכתיב +ירמיהו יח+ הנה כחומר ביד היוצר כן אתם וגו’. ואידך – +יחזקאל לו+ והסרתי את לב האבן מבשרכם ונתתי לכם לב בשר. רב פפא אמר: אף מהאי נמי +יחזקאל לו+ ואת רוחי אתן בקרבכם וגו’.
R. Yohanan said, Were it not for following three Scriptural verses, the feet of the enemies of Israel would have sunk. One is the verse, "And her that I have afflicted"; the other is the verse, "Behold, as the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O House of Israel" (Jeremiah 18:6); and the third, "And I will take away the heart of stone out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh" (Ezekiel 36:26). R. Papa observed: The following verse as well, "And I will put My spirit into you" (Ezekiel 36:27).
These three (four) verses bring comfort to Israel (the enemies of Israel is a euphemism for Israel) for they offer a promise that the evil inclination will not continue to rule over us forever. Ultimately, God is in control of humanity and will remove that stone that He has given us as a heart.