What does the evil prompting resemble? When it first comes to associate itself with a man it is like iron before it is placed in the fire, but afterwards like iron when it is heated and becomes wholly like fire.
R. Hiya said: ‘The evil prompting is at first like a wayfarer who comes to the door of a house and, finding that there is no one to stop him, goes into the house and becomes a guest. Finding that there is still no one to stop him he takes liberties and acts as the master1v. Bereshith Rabba, 22b. until the whole house is subject to him.
From where do we leam this? From the story of David and Nathan. Nathan first said, “There came a traveller to the rich man”-a mere traveller who passes the door without any intention of staying there and meaning to proceed on his way. So the evil prompting when it first approaches a man prompts him to a petty sin, being still but a chance visitor. Then the text goes on, “to prepare for the guest that came to him”. So the evil prompting incites him to greater sins one day or two days like a guest who stays in a house one or two days. Next it says, “And dressed it for the man (ish) that was come to him” (the word ish meaning “master”, as in “the man, the master of the land” (Gen. 42, 30)). So the evil prompting becomes the “master of the house” in respect of the man, who is now bound to his service, and he does with him what he likes.
Hence a man should ever carry about with him words of Torah in order that the evil prompting may be subdued by them, since there is no opponent of the evil prompting like words of Torah; wherefore it is written, “And these words shall be upon thy heart” (lebabeka), that is, upon both thy promptings, the good prompting that it may be crowned with them and the evil prompting that it may be subdued by them.’ R. Judah asked: ‘Why does the good prompting need them?’ He replied: ‘The good prompting is crowned by them, and the evil prompting, if it sees that a man does not repent nor seek to study the Torah, goes above and points out his guilt.’
תָּא חֲזֵי, יֵצֶר הָרָע לְמָה הוּא דּוֹמֶה. בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאָתֵי לְאִזְדַּוְּוגָא בְּבַּר נָשׁ, הוּא כְּפַרְזְלָא, עַד דְּעָאלִין לֵיהּ בְּנוּרָא. בָּתַר דְּיִתְחַמֵּם אִתְהַדָּר כֹּלָּא כְּנוּרָא.
What does the evil prompting resemble? When it first comes to associate itself with a man it is like iron before it is placed in the fire, but afterwards like iron when it is heated and becomes wholly like fire.
רִבִּי חִיָּיא אָמַר, יֵצֶר הָרָע כַּד אָתֵי לְאִזְדַּוְּוגָא בֵּיהּ לְבַּר נָשׁ, דָּמֵי לְבַּר נָשׁ דְּקָרִיב לְפִתְחָא, וְחָמֵי דְּלָא אִית מַאן דְּמָחֵי בִּידֵיהּ. עָאל לְבֵיתָא, וְאִתְעָבִיד לֵיהּ אֹרֵחַ. חָמָא דְּלָא אִית מַאן דִּמְחֵי בִּידֵיהּ, וְיֵיזִיל לֵיהּ לְאָרְחֵיהּ. כֵּיוָן דְּעָיִּיל לְבֵיתָא, וְלָא אִית דְּיִמְחֵי בִּידֵיהּ, אִתְמְנָא עָלֵיהּ וְאִתְעָבִיד מָארֵיהּ דְּבֵיתָא עַד דְּיִשְׁתְּכַח דְּכָל בֵּיתָא קָאִים בִּרְשׁוּתֵיהּ.
R. Hiya said: ‘The evil prompting is at first like a wayfarer who comes to the door of a house and, finding that there is no one to stop him, goes into the house and becomes a guest. Finding that there is still no one to stop him he takes liberties and acts as the master1v. Bereshith Rabba, 22b. until the whole house is subject to him.
מֵאַן אוֹלִיפְנָא. מִפַּרְשְׁתָּא דְּדָוִד אוֹלִיפְנָא. מַה כְּתִיב, (שמואל ב י״ב:ד׳) וַיָּבֹא הֵלֶךְ לְאִישׁ הֶעָשִׁיר, הֵלֶךְ דְּקָרִיב לְפִתְחָא, וְלָא בָּעֵי לְאִתְעַכְּבָא תַּמָּן, אֶלָּא לְמֵהַךְ לְאָרְחֵיהּ. כַּךְ הוּא יֵצֶר הָרָע, כְּמָה דְּמִקְרַב לְבֵיתָא, מִתְקָרֵב גַּבֵּי דְּבַּר נָשׁ, אִתְּעַר עָלֵיהּ בְּחוֹבָא זְעֵיר, דָּא הוּא אוֹרֵחַ עֲרָאי. חָמֵי דְּלֵית דִּמְחֵי בִּידֵיהּ, מַה כְּתִיב, לַעֲשׂוֹת לָאוֹרֵחַ הַבָּא אֵלָיו, אִתְעָבִיד לֵיהּ אוֹרֵחַ אַכְסְנַאי בְּבֵיתָא, אִתְּעַר עָלֵיהּ בְּחוֹבוֹי יַתִּיר, יוֹמָא חַד, אוֹ תְּרֵין יוֹמִין, כְּהַאי אוֹרֵחַ דְּשָׁרָאן לֵיהּ בְּבֵיתָא, יוֹמָא חֲדָא, אוֹ ב' יוֹמִין, (בגין דאיהו אורח) כֵּיוָן דְּחָמֵי דְּלֵית מַאן דִּמְחֵי בִּידֵיהּ, מַה כְּתִיב, (שם) וַיַּעַשׂ לְאִישׁ הַבָּא אֵלָיו, אִתְעָבִיד מָארֵי דְּבֵיתָא, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (בראשית מ״ב:ל׳) הָאִישׁ אֲדוֹנֵי הָאָרֶץ. (רות א׳:ג׳) אִישׁ נָעֳמִי. כַּךְ הוּא יֵצֶר הָרָע, אִתְעָבִיד לָקֳבְלֵיהּ דְּבַּר נָשׁ, אִישׁ, בַּעַל הַבַּיִת, הָא אִתְקְשַׁר בַּר נָשׁ בְּפוּלְחָנֵיהּ, וְהוּא עָבִיד בֵּיהּ רְעוּתֵיהּ.
From where do we leam this? From the story of David and Nathan. Nathan first said, “There came a traveller to the rich man”-a mere traveller who passes the door without any intention of staying there and meaning to proceed on his way. So the evil prompting when it first approaches a man prompts him to a petty sin, being still but a chance visitor. Then the text goes on, “to prepare for the guest that came to him”. So the evil prompting incites him to greater sins one day or two days like a guest who stays in a house one or two days. Next it says, “And dressed it for the man (ish) that was come to him” (the word ish meaning “master”, as in “the man, the master of the land” (Gen. 42, 30)). So the evil prompting becomes the “master of the house” in respect of the man, who is now bound to his service, and he does with him what he likes.
וְעַל דָּא בָּעֵי בַּר נָשׁ לְשַׁוָּאָה מִלִּין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא עָלֵיהּ תָּדִיר, בְּגִין דִּיְהֵא הַהוּא יֵצֶר הָרָע תָּבִיר בְּהוּ, דְּלֵית לֵיהּ מְקַטְרֵג לְיֵצֶר הָרָע, בַּר מִלֵּי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, וְהָיוּ הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וְגוֹ', עַל לְבָבֶךָ, עַל תְּרֵי יְצָרֶיךָ, יֵצֶר הַטּוֹב אִתְעֲטָּר בְּהוּ, וְיֵצֶר הָרָע אִתְכָּנַע בְּהוּ. אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, יֵצֶר הַטּוֹב, מַה בָּעֵי מִלֵּי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. אָמַר לֵיהּ, יֵצֶר הַטּוֹב אִתְעֲטָּר בְּהוּ. וְיֵצֶר הָרָע, כֵּיוָן דְּחָמֵי בַּר נָשׁ לָא תָּב, וְלָא בָּעֵי לְאִשְׁתַּדְּלָא בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, כְּדֵין הוּא סָלִיק לְעֵילָּא, וְאוֹלִיף עָלֵיהּ חוֹבָה, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (משלי ג׳:ל״ה) וּכְסִילִים מֵרִים קָלוֹן.
Hence a man should ever carry about with him words of Torah in order that the evil prompting may be subdued by them, since there is no opponent of the evil prompting like words of Torah; wherefore it is written, “And these words shall be upon thy heart” (lebabeka), that is, upon both thy promptings, the good prompting that it may be crowned with them and the evil prompting that it may be subdued by them.’ R. Judah asked: ‘Why does the good prompting need them?’ He replied: ‘The good prompting is crowned by them, and the evil prompting, if it sees that a man does not repent nor seek to study the Torah, goes above and points out his guilt.’