Guided by Rashi’s literal commentary, let us bring the opening psukim of our Parasha:(21: 10-13);’if you go out to war’ - an optional war, as in an obligatory war, no captives are to be taken alive - ‘and you see a beautiful woman amongst the captives, and you desire her for yourself as a wife.’ - the Torah here makes a concession to the yetser hara, the evil inclination - in this case, lust - for if Hashem did not allow him to take her for a wife, he would have relations with her anyway in a prohibited manner.
We should add, that the Torah here goes on to forewarn, that the outcome of the union is likely to be very unfavorable - but, if you decide nevertheless ‘to bring her into your home.. she must shave het head and let her nails grow’ - in order that she look repulsive - ‘and take off the garment she wore ‘ - to reduce her attractiveness - She must remain in your house, and she must weep for her father and her mother for a full month ‘ - again, to make her undesirable - and then, if despite all this, you still wish to marry her, you may do so, having been forewarned as to the likely sad outcome.
The Ohr Hachaim Hakadosh brings the very different commentary of the Zohar Hakadosh, as to these psukim, especially as to the central role of the yetser ha’ra:’The ‘beautiful captive woman’ referred to, is the soul of a person, and is called ‘beautiful’, because the soul is truly beautiful, but has been soiled by improper deeds - however, when the person defeats the yetser ha’ra, he will see how beautiful it is.
‘And he will desire her’: the desire which he had due to the temptation of the yetser ha’ra, he will now dress in desired things, and - when he defeats the wiles of the yetser ha’ra- he will bring his soul into his house - meaning the body from where the soul was separated, by the wiles of the yetser - but, as it had been in an impure place, it needs to be purified from that which adhered to it - represented by the hair, which now must be shorn, and also the external forces represented by the nails, which must therefore be pared, and remove the garment, in which the soul had covered its impurity.
‘And - to complete the repentance - she should be placed in the place specially set aside - in ‘your home’: the Beit Hamidrash, and there tearfully make vidui for having transgressed against ‘her father’ - Hakadosh-Baruch-Hu - and ‘her mother’: the congregation of Bnei Israel - for thirty days, the period that suffices for repentance - or an allusion to the month of Ellul, which is the month that is special for repentance.’
Both in the literal reading of our psukim, and the elucidation in the Zohar Hakadosh, the yetser ha’ra is seen as a negative force, the prime role of which is to subvert man from the ways of Hashem.
Indeed, the Gemara (Sukkah 52.)comments: ’The yetser ha’ra has seven names, yet Hakadosh-Baruch-Hu calls him רע: ’bad’, as it says:(Breishit 8:21)’The yetser of the heart of man, is רע: bad, from the days of his youth’.
This is underscored by the Gemara (Baba Batra 16.): The Angel of Death, he is Satan, he is also the yetser ha’ra.
The midrashim which relate the seminal events of the Akeida - in the merit of which - as the Gemara Rosh Hashanah relates - we plead on Rosh Hashanah - that Satan, who is yetser ha’ra, was the prime cause of this test, and, also, the one who sought to subvert its success.
Here, we MUST ask - can this be reconciled with the teaching of Rabbi Akiva: ’All that Hashem does, He does for the good’?
How can that which Hashem Himself calls רע: ‘bad’, be ‘good’?
Further, can this be reconciled with our Sages comments - in several places - that Hashem regrets - as it were, creating the yetser ha’ra, as it is the cause of people transgressing?
The answer is - in reality - quite simple: The whole world of ‘reward and punishment’ revolves on the manner in which a person reacts to the wiles of the yetser ha’ra.
It is - in a real sense - our principal objective in this world.
The manner in which we confront the wiles of the yetser ha’ra in its efforts to subvert our avodat Hashem, is the true measure of our service of our Creator.
The centrality of our battle to defeat - or, sadly, succumb to it - is graphically illustrated by the saying of Rabbi Yehuda (Suk’ 52.):’In the future, the yetser ha’ra is brought by Hakadosh-Baruch-Hu, and slaughtered before the righteous and the wicked.
‘To the righteous, it appears ss like a high mountain; to the wicked, as a shoe string - both cry: the righteous cry, saying: ’How could we have conquered such a high mountain?’ - recalling their great diffficulty in their efforts to resist the wiles of the yetser ha’ra.
‘The wicked cry, saying:’How could we not defeat this string?’.
‘Hashem, too, wonders with them’, at this sight.
We brought the passuk in Breishit, which is the first reference to our subject.
Cain is down-hearted that the offering of Abel is preferred to his offering to Hashem.
We read the Torah’s response to him:(Breishit 4:7) ’Is it not so that if you improve, it will be forgiven you.'
‘If you do not improve, however, at the entrance, sin is lying and to you is its longing, but you can rule over it’ - Rashi: ’The longing of sin i.e the evil inclination: היצר הרע, which constantly longs and lusts to cause you to stumble: But you can rule over it if you wish - you will overpower it.’
Herein lies the answer to our query - an answer to each and every one of us, in each generation.
A parting gem from Rav Shimshon Raphael Hirsch: ’The word רובץ: literally: ‘crouch’ - in the passuk relating to Cain - without exception, throughout the scriptures, denotes ‘crouching peacefully’, as is the word תשוקה: literally ‘desire’, is not used as alluding to enmity, but always of longing - as we read in Shir haShirim(6:11) ’I am to my beloved and for me is his תשוקה: desire’.
‘It does not allude to unceasing hostility, but to the very opposite: unceasing yearning.
‘True, the yetser ha’ra has the power to rule over you, but if you do not irritate him, he crouches peacefully at the entrance - moreover, you can rule over him.
‘Hashem created the yetser ha’ra, not so that he should rule over you, but that you should rule over it - not that you should kill him, but that you should rule and conduct the yetser.
‘Its יעוד : destiny, is that you should rule over it - when this occurs, the yetser has achieved its purpose, and - to enable it to do so - its yearning is אליך: ‘for you’.
‘It has no independent nature - whether it is good or bad, depends on your ethical usage.
‘In summary, the desire or the yetser to fulfill its purpose, is by subjugation to man.
‘Therefore, it does not seek to lure man to succumb to it, but rather that man subjugate it.’
This enables us to better expound the wondrous struggle between Yaakov and the angel - who we now can perceive as being the yetser ha’ra.
The reason that the angel implored Yaakov to release him, was that it was his turn to say שירה: praise Above.
Why now, after it was bested by Yaakov? Because every angei only merits to say Shira once in its existence - when it has achieved the purpose for which it was created.
Proffers Rav Hirsch - the destiny that ‘the older shall be subjugated to the younger’ - as he was Esav’s angel, and admitted that Yitzchak’s blessings rightfully came to Yaakov - was fulfilled and the purpose for which he was created, achiever, he merited for the one and only time, to say the Shira to his Creator, Above.’
לרפואל נועם עליזה בת זהבה רבקה ונחום אלימלך רפאל בן זהבה רבקה, בתוך שאר חולי עמנו.