Common wisdom is that the fight with the yetzer harah occurs for the common people. The wicked are wicked because the yetzer harah has won while the righteous are righteous because they have conquered the yetzer harah.
In fact this is not necessarily so. The yetzer harah gets stronger if it is regularly conquered because a balance of forces is needed in order to have free-will.
While the point of free-will varies widely amongst people [Michtav M'Eliyahu] - the basic principle of free-will requires a stronger and smarter yetzer harah. This idea is expressed by the statement in Sukkah (52a) - the greater the person the greater is his yetzer.
Sukkah(52a) R. Judah expounded: In the time to come9 the Holy One, blessed be He, will bring the Evil Inclination and slay it in the presence of the righteous and the wicked. To the righteous it will have the appearance of a towering hill, and to the wicked it will have the appearance of a hair thread. Both the former and the latter will weep; the righteous will weep saying, ‘How were we able to overcome such a towering hill!’ The wicked also will weep saying, ‘How is it that we were unable to conquer this hair thread!’ And the Holy One, blessed be He, will also marvel together with them, as it is said, Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in those days, it shall10 also be marvellous in My eyes.
While the point of free-will varies widely amongst people [Michtav M'Eliyahu] - the basic principle of free-will requires a stronger and smarter yetzer harah. This idea is expressed by the statement in Sukkah (52a) - the greater the person the greater is his yetzer.
Our Rabbis taught: ‘But I will remove far off from you the hidden one’,27 refers to the Evil Inclination which is constantly hidden in the heart of man; and will drive him into a land barren and desolate28 means, to a place where there are no men for him to attack; with his face toward the eastern sea,28 [implies] that he set his eyes against the First Temple29 and destroyed it and slew the scholars who were therein; and his hinder part toward the western sea28 [implies] that he set his eyes against the Second Temple and destroyed it and slew the scholars who were therein. That his foulness may come up and his ill-savour may come up28 [means] that he leaves the other nations in peace and attacks only Israel.30 Because he hath done great things.28 Abaye explained, Against scholars31 more than against anyone;32 as was the case when Abaye heard a certain man saying to a woman, ‘Let us arise betimes and go on our way’. ‘I will’, said Abaye, ‘follow them in order to keep them away from transgression’ and he followed them for three parasangs across the meadows. When they parted company33 he heard them say, ‘Our company is pleasant, the way is long’.34 ‘If it were I’,35 said Abaye, ‘I could not have restrained myself’, and so went and leaned in deep anguish against a doorpost, when a certain old man36 came up to him and taught him: The greater the man, the greater his Evil Inclination.
Of course it is important to realize also that the nature of choice changes as one becomes more righteous. As many commentators have pointed out - a righteous person is unlikely to be persuaded to eat a ham sandwich. But he might be persuaded that speaking lashon harah or stealing is a mitzva - in situations where is is simply not so. What I would like to present is an interesting piece by Rav Tzadok dealing with the dangers inherent in reaching a high spiritual level. A gadol has a bigger yetzer harah which has a different strategy to make him sin then for the average man.
http://daattorah.blogspot.com/2008/08/jesus-shabsai-tzvi-fell-from-high.html
http://daattorah.blogspot.com/2008/08/jesus-shabsai-tzvi-fell-from-high.html
ספר מחשבות חרוץ - אות א
וחטא אדם הראשון היה במחשבה כמו שמובא בתיקוני זוהר שם ושם, וזהו הדמיון שהכניס בו הנחש במה שאמר (בראשית ג', ה') והייתם כאלקים וגו' כי זהו שורש של כל המחשבות של תוהו והבלים ודמיונות שבאדם לדמות עצמו שיהיה באיזה מעלה וענין שהוא למעלה ממנו ושאין ראוי לה כל אחד כפי השגתו, ואדם הראשון שהיה בתכלית השלימות על דרך (תהלים פ"ב, ו') אני אמרתי אלקים אתם וגו' הכניס בו דמיון שיהיה ממש כן:
ועל זה הוצרכה תורה להזהיר קדושים תהיו יכול כמוני תלמוד לומר וכו' (ויקרא רבה סוף פרשה כ"ד, ט') כי כשהוא בתכלית המדריגה מקדושה עד שידמה למלאכי השרת הוא בכח הבחירה שבו אין היצר הרע מניחו לעולם כלל ומסיתו שיוכל להתקדש כביכול כמוהו ממש, ומזה יוכל להפילו מאגרא רמה לבירא עמיקתא חס ושלום כמו שקרה להאיש ולשבתי צבי שם רשעים ירקב על ידי ריבוי פרישותם גבר כח הדמיון שבהם לחשוב שיוכלו לדמות לעליון ובא להם על ידי שחשבו עצמם תחילה קדושים, וזהו שורש הסתת הנחש שמתחיל במועט עד וכו' ותחילתו במחשבה ודמיון ובלבוש החיצוני של מחשבה אלא שנוגע לכל מדריגות שבמחשבה כדאיתא שם:
וכל זמן שלא נתקן חטא אדם הראשון לגמרי שיהיה על ידי משיח המקווה במהרה בימינו אין המחשבה נקיה לגמרי עדיין מדמיונות כל אחד כפי מדריגתו, והקדוש בקדושתו יוכל לטעות גם כן בדמיונות שונות שנחשבות למחשבת הבל ותוהו אשר מזה נגרם גם למעשה דאין אדם צדיק בארץ אשר יעשה טוב ולא יחטא, דהצדיק הוא העושה רק טוב אך היצר מתלבש גם בו לדמות לו שהוא טוב והוא חוטא בהטוב כי אינו טוב אלא כפי הדמיון של היצר המתעהו, וזה מצד הדמיונות שבמחשבה אבל כל זה אינו ענין למחשבה שהוא עיקר האדם דזהו החכמה שבמוח שהוא נשמה שנתת בי טהורה כידוע דנפש רוח נשמה הנשמה היא במוח והיא מה' יתברך כמו שנאמר (בראשית ב', ז') ויפח באפיו וגו' מאן דנפח וכו' חלק אלוה על כן היא טהורה:
ועל זה אמרו (שיר השירים רבה ה', ב') הקדוש ברוך הוא לבן של ישראל כמו שנאמר (תהלים ע"ג, כ"ו) צור לבבי וחלקי וגו', כי מוחא וליבא תרין רעין כנזכר ועל ידי שהוא שוכן במוחו דזהו נקרא חלקי ממילא הוא גם בלבו, וכל הדמיונות הם לבושים חיצונים המקיפים המחשבה הפנימיות דעל כן המשילו (סנהדרין מ"ד.) החטאים לחילפי הסובבים האסא שהוא עיקר האדם הישראלי שבפנימיות לבו ומוחו, וכידוע דברי רמב"ם (סוף פרק ב' מהלכות גירושין) בטעם כופין עד שיאמר רוצה אני, אלא שמכל מקום הלבושים דמחשבה פועלים לפי שעה קצת גם בפנימיות והיינו בלבושין שבפנימיות כי גם בפנימיות המחשבה יש מה שדא לבושא לדא וכמו שנתבאר:
This is very interesting indeed.
ReplyDeleteHowever, technically speaking, stealing or loshon hara are equally assur to eating chazir - in that they are all d'oraita aveiras [there may be helev if one eats non kosher beef].
It is a very important question, since I am always baffled by the maxim of "the greater the person the greater is his yetzer."
I suggest that the greater one's intellect, the greater the risk of being caught in cognitive dissonance. But this doesnt explain the gashmius type aveiras.
The Chozeh writes that the Yefas Tohar is mutar specifically because we are dealing with tzadikim. The only people going to war are those that don't fear death for their sins (end of parshas shoftim). When you think you are so holy, you are more susceptible to fall to the yetzer hara
ReplyDeleteIncorrect. It's NOT because one "thinks they are holy", it's rather because they ARE actually holy. The people who were in the army were legitimate TZADIKIM, not ego-filled haughty individuals who thought highly of themselves. The message above is: when someone reaches such great heights in Ruchniyus their susceptibility to the Yetzer HaRah is greater too. Moreover, when we refer to "sin" of a Tzadikim, it means on their level to be considered "sin". Often we can't even comprehend what the Torah or Meforshim explain as "sin" because we are so far removed from their lofty status.
ReplyDeleteThis is the question - is the sin of Tzaddikim, eg Moshe striking the rock, a miniscule thing for regular beinonim? Or is it they actually have a greater yetzer hara, than beinonim, eg Abaya in the story above, was more susceptible than an am haaretz?
ReplyDeleteFurthermore, how was it that Aharon was able to build a golden calf, obviously out of fear, but how do we understand this?
I'll have to look it up again, but from what I remember the Chozeh is not saying pshat like the standard mussar vort that you are saying. He's brought in eeturei Torah. Of course they were tzadikim but to think that your free of sin is a dangerous thought that leads to yefas toar
ReplyDeleteNobody is immune from falling prey to the Yetzer HaRah. Aside from four people in history who never sinned, Chazal tell us שבע יפול צדיק וקם. Which means that not only are Tzadikim vulnerable to sin, due to their greatness they not only repent but subsequently rise to even higher Madraygos thereafter. As the חז״ל teach us: ״אל תשמחי איבתי לי כי נפלתי קמתי כי אשב בחשך ה׳ אור לי״ - which the מדרש in תהלים says: ״אלמלא נפלתי לא קמתי, אלמלא ישבתי בחשך לא היה אור לי״ - "If it weren't for my falling I wouldn't have arisen, were it not for my sitting in darkness the light wouldn't have been illuminating to me". רבנו יונה adds this fascinating insight: כי יהיה החשך סבת האורה - "The darkness itself will be the producer of the light." How a incongruous situation is in truth the ideal suited path to success & achievement. A legitimate Tzadik embodies and personifies these words of Chazal. One who is an imposter or a fraud will not only be submissive to his Yetzer HaRah on minor infractions, he'll also fail to use his failings as an opportunity for growth.
ReplyDeleteWell in one posuk in Tehillim it says God favours the simple while in another it says that the death of the righteous is precious in His eyes. So what's the advantage of being a tzadik over a simple person?
ReplyDeleteHashem holds one accountable in accordance with his level of Ruchniyus. The higher the level one has reached ergo is his judgment properly suited. As Chazal tell us in last weeks Parsha about Nadav and Avihu - that due to their supreme loftiness in Ruchniyus henceforth they were subjected to such harsh scrutiny and punishment. The commoners wouldn't be admonished and even more so wouldn't be categorized as a sinner for what they had done. Due to Yiridas HaDoros, and moreover that Hashem knows how the Nisyonos we face in our generation are immensely extreme & frequent - He knows what our expectations and strengths are and to what degree is appropriate for each and every one of us. We are required to overcome and train ourselves in self-control only to our best ability and circumstances.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Or Hachayim hakadosh, if the tzadikim at war would see the neshama that belonged among Klal Yisrael trapped among the captives, they could bring back that neshama back to Klal Yisrael through the process of aishes yifaas toar....
ReplyDeleteOr chachamim in parshas kisei tzei...
The definition of a tzadik is someone someone who overcomes his taivot...
ReplyDeleteSo a simple person is often times the true definition of a tzadik.
A man who knows all of shas by heart, but has bad middos is not a tzadik.
Simplicity is the only key to righteousness.
Incorrect. One who overcomes their Yetzer is labeled a גיבור as explicitly stated in Perkay Avos. A Tzaddik is righteous person. An entirely different definition and status where even his good deeds are done in virtuous, upstanding, and honorable manner. Merely repressing one's desires alone, as respectively it may be, it's a far cry from being a Tzadik.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest danger of being on a high spiritual level is that you will probably be attacked on a blog at some time in your career...
ReplyDeleteThe Rambam discusses this in Shemonah Prakim.
ReplyDeleteThis Gemora bothered me for many years along with the explanation given that this is necessary to maintain Bechirah, as Abayei said clearly that he would have been worse than the other person, not equal. So why does this indicate a balance of Bechira? If anything, it indicates an unfair situation where tzadikim are doomed to failure? I think the answer is obvious. The tzadik is more vulnerable once he's already in a compromising situation, but his tzidkus protects him from getting into those situations because of his foresight! So while the regular person would walk by himself with a woman regularly and sin maybe 5% of the time, Abayai recognized the danger and didn't walk by himself with woman. On the small chance that Abayai would have done so, he would sin most of the time. So each person faces the same level of challenge even though the tzadik takes precautions while the regular person takes risks.
ReplyDeleteRav Nachman of breslov actually defines a tzadik as someone who overcomes his sexual desires. Hence why yoseph was known as Yoseph Hatzadik since he overcame the temptation of aishes potifar....
ReplyDeleteBut what do I know?
I think in this particular case, it might be explainable. Consider secular folk, today, who have no problems kissing women socially, no restrictions on negiah etc, so they come into physical contact with many women on a daily basis, and have no restrictions on their "private" lives. In contrast, the Torah Gadol
ReplyDeleteavoids all things, including kol isha, shaking hands, tv, etc. he is continuously fighting his yetser. For such a person, seeing a woman's finger is a temptation, whereas for a completely secular/gashmius person, even seeing a semi naked woman is no big deal, because every day he sees it on tv, magazines and in the nightcluubs he goes to.
I think the paradox of being frum makes one more susceptible to taavah, in this specific area.
רש״י in the beginning of פרשת נח says that עיקר תולדותיהם של צדיקים - מעשים טובים. The רא״ש & the דעת זקנים there bring the מדרש on the פסוק in משלי of ״פרי צדיק עץ חיים״ that it's referring to their Torah that they toiled over as the תורה is called עץ חיים. I don't know about you, but I'd go with what the Rishonim's definition of a צדיק over Rav Nachman from Bresliv.........
ReplyDeleteIf we rethink the title of this post, then it suggests that being on a higher plane should come with special warnings, ie to prevent these dangers. I look at the Torah commandment to build a maakah, on your roof. There are dangers of falling from on high. Whilst this is a clear rational mitzvah, it does suggest that we must take precautions against the yetzer hara even when we are growing spiritually.
ReplyDeletekol eilu v'eilu divrei elokim chaim.....
ReplyDeleteShivim panim laTorah....
There is a Freudian explanation for this phenomenon - the yetzer hara is displacing or sublimating its repressed desires. Ra-banim always find a way to cleverly express their yetzer hara and make it appear to be an act of frumkeit or lomdus. Except some do not even conceal those behaviours and act with no constraints.
ReplyDelete