As we begin a new school year amidst the month of Elul, just a few weeks before Rosh Hashanah, it behooves us all to look for ways in which to improve upon ourselves. One approach to repentance is to look into the ways the yetzer hara (evil inclination), or our inner enemy, tries to force its way in. Most people tend to focus on how the evil inclination causes us to sin, but here I prefer to explore how this week’s parsha teaches us ways the yetzer hara prevents us from becoming the best version of ourselves. If we can understand this, then we have a chance of counter him and grow into the individuals we are destined to become.
Parshat Re’eh begins with the words ראה אנכי נתן לפניכם היום ברכה וקללה - “Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse.” There are numerous questions to explore on this pasuk:
- Why does the pasuk start off in the singular with the word ראה and then continue with the plural with the word לפניכם?
- What is added by the word אנכי, “I,” do we not know that it is Hashem who is doing this?
- Why does Hashem say he is giving, in present tense, נותן? Shouldn’t it say נתתי in the past tense?
- Why does it say לפניכם, that “I set before you”, shouldn’t it say לכם, that I give “to you?”
- What do we glean from the word היום, “on this day?”
The Sefer Otzrot HaTorah quotes the Vilna Gaon who explains that the Torah is teaching us the pathway to repentance, and how to defeat the yetzer hara. Let’s see the progression:
Step One - The yetzer hara tries to prevent us from repenting with various misleading arguments. He begins with the argument with stating that since you spent most of your days on the wrong path and you have committed various sins, you have no way of salvaging yourself by choosing the path of repentance now. To that, the pasuk says - נותן - in the present tense, as if to say that Hashem is telling us even until the day you die, you have the choice to change and choose the proper path.
Step Two - The yetzer hara argues: how could you do teshuvah, you are full of sin and past misdeeds. How can it help? To that, the pasuk says היום - to mean that a baal teshuva, one who works to correct his ways and the path he is on, “today” is like a newborn baby, 100% free of iniquity.
Step Three - The yetzer hara might get an individual to wonder: how can I do teshuvah and prevent myself from sinning in the future? Do I really have the strength for that? To that, the pasuk says אנכי - to say that Hashem is promising us that He will be with us throughout our journey. He will be there to support us every step of the way.
Step Four - Lest you say the path of the yetzer haTov is wrong and the path of the yetzer hara is the correct path, to that the pasuk says לפניכם - Hashem is saying “I am not forcing this up you, I am placing it before you, for you to choose.” That is proof it is the correct way, for Hashem has the confidence that He does not need to force it upon you; if you look deeply, you will come to see the path of Torah is the correct one. It is the way of the peddler to try and sell you the goods, even when they know the quality is poor. Hashem, and your yetzer haTov don’t act in a pushy or conniving way to convince you of anything. They place if before you to see for yourself, and choose for yourself.
Step Five - Lest you ask yourself, how could you repent when the world around you is enjoying a life of sin, and how could you do this on your own? To that, the pasuk says, ראה - “see” in the singular - you can do it, even on your own!
If we take these lessons to heart, we can hope for a better chance of a כתיבה וחתימה טובה!
Remember:
- It is never too late to change
- When you do Teshuvah it is as if your spiritual life is reborn
- Hashem loves you and is going to be with you every step of the way
- Judaism is not a religion that needs to be forced on us; if we look deep enough, we will see that Torah is truth and eternal
- You can do it! Have faith in yourself!
