Yetzer Tov
Yetzer Tov is the force that motivates one to serve Hashem, and in Chassidus it is sometimes referred to as the Nefesh Elokis (Divine Soul).
Origin of the Name[edit | edit source]
The Yetzer Tov is not mentioned in the Torah, and on the contrary, only the Yetzer Hara is mentioned. However, in the Midrash it is mentioned that "The Holy One, blessed be He, created two inclinations: one good inclination and one evil inclination." It is also mentioned that unlike the Yetzer Hara which accompanies a person from birth, the Yetzer Tov arrives at Bar Mitzvah. In Avos D'Rabbi Nasan it states: "They said that for thirteen years the Yetzer Hara is greater than the Yetzer Tov. From a person's mother's womb it grows and comes with him... after thirteen years the Yetzer Tov is born."
Furthermore, the Rambam writes in his book:
"And after they explained to us that the Yetzer Hara is the 'Satan' and he is an 'angel', without doubt - I mean to say, that he is also called an 'angel', because he is among the 'sons of G-d' - so too the Yetzer Tov is truly an 'angel'; if so, this concept well-known in the words of our Sages of blessed memory, that every person is accompanied by 'two angels' - one on his right and one on his left - they are the 'Yetzer Tov' and the 'Yetzer Hara'" — Part 3, Chapter 22, in a slightly different translation (Rav Kapach)
The War of the Inclination[edit | edit source]
In the Tanya it is brought that the Yetzer Tov and Yetzer Hara originate from two souls. The Jewish people have two souls, one animal soul and the second is the Divine soul. The Yetzer Tov is primarily based on thought and intellect, while the Yetzer Hara expresses the emotions and spontaneous feelings with which a person is born, as by nature a person is drawn to physical and bodily desires. As a continuation of this approach, in Chabad Chassidus and particularly in Tanya, the method of "Moach Shalit Al HaLev" (the mind rules over the heart) is emphasized, meaning to control the heart and personality and direct them according to the conclusion of the intellect.
It is also told that during Napoleon's war, the Chassid R' Moshe Meizlish, who was spying on the French army, was inspected by Napoleon to see if he was a spy. R' Moshe fulfilled the principle that "the mind rules over the heart," and thus Napoleon was unable to discover that he was a spy.
The Tanya also mentions the parable of the small city, that just as there is a small city that is fought over to determine who will rule it, so too there is a dispute between the Yetzer Tov and the Yetzer Hara about who will control the body and soul.
External Links[edit | edit source]
- The aspects of the Divine Soul (Neshama, Chaya, Yechida) and the Yetzer Tov (Ruach), 'Shalem B'Talmudo' collection, issue 22, 11 Nissan 5784 (2024) page 239