{"id":47942,"date":"2019-01-22T20:59:59","date_gmt":"2019-01-22T18:59:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=47942"},"modified":"2022-08-17T08:07:08","modified_gmt":"2022-08-17T05:07:08","slug":"the-yetzer-the-power-of-desire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/the-yetzer-the-power-of-desire\/","title":{"rendered":"The Yetzer – The Power Of Desire"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[281],"tags":[376,366,544],"acf":{"old_id":"47942","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":43389,"related_cahpter":"139","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"Balaam knew the right thing to do and nonetheless went the other way","content":"

We learn about the inner struggles.<\/span><\/p>\n

Balaam doesn\u2019t reply to King Balak\u2019s messengers immediately. \u00a0Instead he tells them to stay the night, and he waits to hear from God in his dream. \u00a0When he wakes, he faithfully tells them that he cannot curse the Israelites, for they are blessed by God. King Balak does not give up. He doubles his efforts of temptation, sending more distinguished men and more money. Again Balaam doesn\u2019t answer immediately and waits to hear from God in his sleep. This time, however, it is obvious that Balaam knows the answer, since he is aware of the Divine will. \u00a0Still he is hoping for God to validate his personal desires by providing a different answer. This is the Yetzer, the inner powers of desire that are tempting Balaam, forcing him to struggle between what he knows is right, and what he wants. It is at this point that God gets angry and sends His angel to deal with Balaam and the donkey. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you beaten your she-donkey these three times? Behold, I have came out to thwart you, for you have (<\/span>yarat) <\/span><\/i>hastened against Me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

It seems from this verse that the reason God sends the angel hinges upon Balaam hastening, and in Hebrew, <\/span>yarat<\/span><\/em> (\u05d9.\u05e8.\u05d8)<\/span><\/p>\n

Rashi offers multiple interpretations of this word <\/span>yarat<\/span><\/em> – hastened. <\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Perhaps it is an acronym \u201cShe feared (y<\/em><\/span>arah<\/span><\/em>) <\/span><\/i>, she saw (r<\/em><\/span>a\u2019ata<\/span><\/em>), she turned aside (<\/span>nat’ta<\/span><\/em>)\u201d emphasizing how even the donkey knew, but you didn\u2019t. You should have, instead you provoked me.<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Literally it means hurried: Balaam was hurrying on his way in order to anger God.<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. It could also mean desire: Balaam was desiring to go against God.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Why is Rashi so keen on painting Balaam so negatively?<\/span><\/p>\n

    The Netziv explains: When a person is far from sin, the sin does does not dance before him, but when one intentionally brings oneself close, it is very difficult to overcome the yetzer, and one is quick to go through with the sin.<\/span><\/p>\n

    We portray Balaam in a negative light because he knew the right thing to do and nonetheless went the other way. \u00a0He tempted himself by trying again, by asking again, hoping for a way to fulfill his personal desires of making lots of money. \u00a0Balaam puts up no fight, shows no signs of resistance against his inner desires. Balaam chooses, against his better judgement, to hurry down the path that so clearly was wrong, ensuring that he would lose his self control. \u00a0God gets angry when choices are so clear that even a donkey can see what\u2019s right, yet Balaam gives into his selfish desires and chooses the wrong path.<\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":47977,"id":47977,"title":"Balaam","filename":"Balaam.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Balaam.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/the-yetzer-the-power-of-desire\/balaam\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"balaam","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":47942,"date":"2019-01-22 21:18:32","modified":"2019-05-04 20:11:35","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1701,"height":1701,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Balaam-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Balaam-300x300.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Balaam-768x768.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":768,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Balaam-1024x1024.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Balaam.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1536,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Balaam.jpg","2048x2048-width":1701,"2048x2048-height":1701,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Balaam-1200x1200.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Balaam-420x420.jpg","home_baner-width":420,"home_baner-height":420}},"embedded_video":"","video_duration":"","show_fb_comments":true,"credit_media":""},"tile":{"top_caption":"","main_caption":"The Yetzer - 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