“And he made a copper washbasin and its copper base
from the mirrors of the women that came to pray at opening of the
Mishcan.” (Shemot 38:8)
I remember first learning about the yetzer ha’rah
and the yetzer ha’tov as a student in elementary school. We were told that the yetzer ha’rah is
constantly urging us to do bad things.
But the yetzer ha’tov gives us the proper guidance. It directs us to do good things and battles
the evil council of the yetzer ha’rah.
I remember the image evoked by this lesson. I imagined two little angels – one perched on each of my
shoulders. The angel on one shoulder –
the yetzer ha’rah – whispers evil council into my ear, while the other angel
situated on the other shoulder – the yetzer ha’tov – advises me to ignore the
tempting suggestion of its adversary.
Of course, I do not attribute this simplistic characterization to my
teachers – probably my first and second grade rabbayim. Instead, this was the manner in which I –
the immature – student interpreted and adapted the sophisticated ideas that
were beyond my immature level of understanding.
As I grew older I decided that this imagery – indeed
my fundamental understanding of the yetzer ha’rah and the yetzer ha’tov –
needed some reworking. I became
disillusioned with this simplistic characterization on many levels. On the most basic level, I came to realize
that the yetzer ha’rah and the yetzer ha’tov seemed to conform to forces with
which I had some familiarity. These two
terms seemed to accurately describe the battle I often experienced between
urges that I identified as less than wholesome and my better judgment which
recognized the folly in following these urges. So, although there was some
attraction in clinging to the belief that there was some real internal me that
acted as an arbitrator between these two external forces, I realized that in
reality these forces were intimate elements of my internal nature.
On a more intellectual level, I was uncomfortable
with the idea that Hashem had created some evil force whose sole purpose was to
mislead and corrupt innocent individuals.
So, the idea of a purely evil yetzer ha’rah was somewhat
disturbing.
So, what is the yetzer ha’rah? Can it be a purely evil force? Does Hashem create in each of us an
inclination to perform evil? How can
such a concept be reconciled with the Torah’s concept of a perfectly benevolent
Creator who does no evil? An important
insight into this issue is contained in this week’s parasha.
Our parasha describes the actual fabrication and
construction of the Mishcan. Each
component is briefly describes and its place within the overall structure of
the Mishcan is defined. In the above pasuk,
the Torah discusses the washbasin which was located in the courtyard of the
Mishcan and used by the Kohanim to wash their hands and feet prior to
performing their service in the Mishcan.
The pasuk tells us that this washbasin and its stand were manufactured
from the mirrors of the women that would congregate to pray at the opening of
the Mishcan.
Rashi comments that Moshe was reluctant to accept
this contribution. What was Moshe’s
objection? In order to appreciate his
objection, we must begin with a simple question. For what purpose are mirrors used? We look in mirrors to study our appearance. Mirrors are a tool that we use in order to
indulge personal vanity. Vanity is an
expression of the yetzer ha’rah. So,
mirrors are one of the tools of the yetzer ha’rah. Moshe was concerned with this association between mirrors and the
yetzer ha’rah. The Mishcan was designed
for the service of Hashem. So, he
concluded that it was inappropriate to build an element of the Mishcan from a
material associated with the yetzer ha’rah.
Moshe’s reasoning seems sound. But
apparently Moshe was wrong. Hashem
instructed Moshe to reverse his decision.
Why did Hashem want this donation to be accepted? What was Moshe’s error?
Rashi explains that one of the reasons the Egyptians
afflicted Bnai Yisrael with intense physical labor was to slow down the
population growth. Paroh wanted to work
the men to the point of exhaustion. He
reasoned that this would undermine relations between man and wife. The women defeated Paroh’s plan. They would travel out to the men. They would bring food. And they brought their mirrors. Man and wife would share a meal. Then the wife would hold her mirror in front
of herself and her husband. Jokingly
the wife would brag of her greater beauty.
A relaxed banter would develop.
The rigor of the work would be temporarily forgotten. Marital life was maintained.[1]
On a superficial level, the comments of Rashi are
difficult to understand. Moshe argues
that these mirrors were the tool of the yetzer ha’rah. On this basis, he rejected them for use in
the fabrication of an element of the Mishcan.
Hashem responded by pointing out that the mirrors had been used for a
positive end and for this reason they should be included in the materials for
the Mishcan. But if this is the meaning
of Rashi’s comments, then Moshe actually seems to be fully justified in his
objection. It is true that in an
isolated instance the mirrors were used for a positive end. But this does not refute Moshe’s objection. Surely, Moshe was aware of this incident in
which the mirrors had been used for a positive purpose. But Moshe’s objection was that this isolated
instance does not compensate for the overall nature of the mirrors. Despite this single instance in which the
mirrors had served a positive end, their overall nature is clear and unchanged. They are a tool of the yetzer ha’rah! How can a single instance of this tool being
employed for a positive end compensate for its overall nature?
But before we consider an alternative interpretation
of Rashi’s comments let us study another pasuk.
“And you should love Hashem your G-d with all of
your heart and with all of your soul and with all of your resources.” (Devarim 6:5)
This familiar pasuk is recited each day as part of the Shema. It instructs us in the commandment to love Hashem. It explains that this love must be all encompassing. It must reflect the feeling of our hearts, our souls and that all of our resources must be made available for the expression of our love of Hashem. The Mishna explains that the phrase “all of you heart” means with both the yetzer ha’tov and the yetzer ha’rah.[2] We can readily understand that we must love Hashem with our yetzer ha’tov. But the amazing element of this comment of the Sages is that we can and must love Hashem with our yetzer ha’rah! How does one do this?
Maimonides discusses this issue at length. The general message of Maimonides is that a
person a person should serve Hashem in all of one’s actions. He makes two points. First, he explains that ideally, a person
should not eat in order to indulge desires.
Instead, a person should eat in order to give oneself the strength to
serve Hashem. Second, he explains the
comments of the Talmud in Tractate Shabbat.
The Talmud comments that a Torah scholar should seek to secure a
pleasant marital life, a pleasant home, and pleasant clothing – for these
elements of life aid the scholar in his studies.[3] According to Maimonides, a
person is influenced by one’s environment.
This environment can either encourage a positive attitude or foster
depression. A scholar will be most
successful in his studies if his attitude and general outlook is positive. Therefore, the scholar should seek to secure
a positive environment.
According to Maimonides, this is the meaning of
serving Hashem with our yetzer ha’rah.
We all have physical needs and material desires. In satisfying our physical needs we should
set as our objective the service of Hashem.
We should also not neglect our material desires. When these desires are addressed in a
measured and realistic manner, we can achieve a state of internal peace that is
essential in the study of Torah. When
we neglect these desires, we encumber our efforts with frustration and
depression.[4]
Apparently, Maimonides defines the yetzer ha’rah as
our physical and material desires and urges.
According to his interpretation, we do not actually directly serve
Hashem with our yetzer ha’rah. But we
must consider and develop an accommodation with our yetzer ha’rah in order to
serve Hashem fully. We cannot
overindulge our yetzer ha’rah and neither can we ignore it. Instead, complete service of Hashem requires
a balanced accommodation of human nature.
Without this accommodation our service will be compromised.
In Maimonides’ approach, the yetzer ha’rah is
neither evil nor good. It is an element
of basic human existence. We are
physical, material creatures.
Therefore, we are subject to desires that stem from this element of our
nature. If we respond to these desires
properly, the results will be positive.
If we do not respond properly the outcome will be evil.
Now, let us return to Rashi’s comments regarding the
mirrors used for the washbasin. If we
adopt Maimonides’ approach to understanding the yetzer ha’rah, Rashi’s comments
can be readily understood. Moshe
rejected the mirrors because they represented the yetzer ha’rah. But let us reconsider Hashem’s refutation of
Moshe’s argument. Perhaps, the point
that Hashem made to Moshe was that even though the mirrors represent the yetzer
ha’rah, this does not disqualify them for use in the Mishcan. The yetzer ha’rah is neither evil nor
good. The women of Bnai Yisrael used
these mirrors in order to attract the attention of their husbands and to brighten
their mood. They were evoking and
appealing to the physical desires of their husbands. But they were not interested in awakening these desires simply as
an expression of lust. Instead, their
goal was to assure the future of Bnai Yisrael.
In summary, the yetzer ha’rah is neither good nor
evil. If it is indulged as an end unto
itself, it leads us away from Hashem.
We are also diverted from the service of Hashem if we neglect the yetzer
ha’rah. But if we respond to the urges
of the yetzer ha’rah, we will be empowered to more fully serve Hashem. In addition, as Rashi points out, the yetzer
ha’rah can even act as an ally in serving Hashem.