The Evil Inclination
Posted by Eli Dahan on December 29, 2009 under Bible, Biblical Hebrew, Jewish Folklore | 
Read the First Comment
“I make peace, and create evil; I am the LORD, that doeth all these things.”
” עֹשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם וּבוֹרֵא רָע; אֲנִי יְהוָה, עֹשֶׂה כָל-אֵלֶּה.”
Isaiah 45:7
The Evil Inclination, Yetzer hara in Hebrew, is a term in Judaism that refers to the temptation to do evil and to disobey and ignore God’s will.
In Judaism the evil inclination is internal and it has its balance, the good inclination. Every man has a yetzer hara, Evil inclination, and a Yetzer tov, good inclination. In order to be able to freely choose goodness and righteousness, we must have the freedom to choose evil, as well. God has created both good and evil and they are not separate powers.
According to the Talmud, every day the Evil inclination of a person overcomes him and seeks to kill him. The Yezer ha-ra is created in man at birth.
The idea of Yetzer hara can also be found in the Bible. Genesis 8:21-
“ וַיָּרַח יְהוָה, אֶת-רֵיחַ הַנִּיחֹחַ, וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל-לִבּוֹ לֹא-אֹסִף לְקַלֵּל עוֹד אֶת-הָאֲדָמָה בַּעֲבוּר הָאָדָם, כִּי יֵצֶר לֵב הָאָדָם רַע מִנְּעֻרָיו; וְלֹא-אֹסִף עוֹד לְהַכּוֹת אֶת-כָּל-חַי, כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתִי.”
” And the LORD smelled the sweet savour; and the LORD said in His heart: ‘I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.”
The Evil Inclination has seven names as follows:
God called it Evil
Moses called it the Uncircumcised
David called it Unclean
King Solomon called it the Enemy
Isaiah called it the Stumbling-Block
Ezekiel called it Stone
Joel called it the Hidden One
As we can see, there is no good without evil and the other way around.
The choice is ours…
Main phrases of the post + transcription + translation
|
Hebrew |
Transcription |
Translation |
|
נֶחְבָּא |
Nehbā’ |
The hidden one |
|
אוֹיֵב |
‘ōyēb |
Enemy |
|
עָרֵל |
‘ārēl |
Uncircumcised |
|
יֵצֶר הַטּוֹב |
Yētser hattōb |
The good inclination |
|
יֵצֶר הָרַע |
Yētser hāra’ |
The evil inclination |
Kathlyn Fauchon said,
Shalom Eli,
This blog quickens me. I’ve even studied it with my husband.
I’ve looked up a Hebrew/English Interlinear Bible and I’ve noted that the words making, creating and forming are used in Isaiah 45:7. My husband says G-d allows things to happen rather than G-d creates evil.
Anyway, talking about obedience, disobedience and choices I’m reminded of Genesis 3:15 where Adam and Eve disobey God or choose to go their own way but G-d makes a promise that the seed of the woman will put things right. This is the first reference to the Messiah. G-d was not surprised by their choice and had already a plan in place to save. G-d didn’t want robots for companionship either.
Through Adams disobedience death entered the world. There was no death before Adam disobeyed.
Genesis 5:3 says Adam had a son in his own image – yetzer hara – or the inclination to go his own way… and yes through our conscience we know we should choose Yetzer tov. I think that’s what is meant by Seth being born in Adam’s image.
In Isaiah 53 (especially verses 6-7) the Messiah suffers a criminal’s death to take the punishment for humankind’s decisions to choose evil over good. Isaiah 9:6-7 refers to a virgin who gives birth to a son.
Christians believe this “Son” is Jesus of Nazareth. We have eye witness accounts of Jesus life. The eye witnesses were blood descendants of Abraham (first the Jews then the Gentiles). One of these observations was Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan River. The witnesses heard a voice from heaven saying, “You are my Son whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” (NT Luke 3:22). Christians believe this is the “Seed of the woman” – descendant of Eve, descendant of Abraham, descendant of King David.
In other words G-d Himself came down from Heaven (NT John 1:1). The Messiah had to be sinless, the spotless Lamb of G-d to be the perfect sacrifice for the whole human race. Jesus died a criminal’s death but because He was without sin, always obeyed G-d, death could not hold him so He rose from the grave. Death (evil) has been conquered.
This is what I believe.
Add A Comment