Recognizing the enemy

The Yetzer (EI) is the nastiest, lowest, most evil dirty fighter that ever lived; what makes life even tougher is that the Yetzer is an angel.

The Talmud teaches that the Yetzer tempts a person into going against Hashem's will, and then flies upstairs to the Heavenly Court to report the crime and demand the punishment. He's the pits...

Here's an example: The Yetzer will tell you that it's perfectly OK to talk about another person; once you do, he makes sure the book gets thrown at you, with all the tiny clauses. He'll tell you that it's OK to relax in front of the TV or to go to a movie - once you do, he'll make sure you get nailed for bitul Torah, or forsaking Torah study in your free time.

As an accusing angel, the Yetzer's a pest; as an inner emotional enemy, he's deadly. The Yetzer tells you that you're worthless, that you'll never succeed. He robs you of your most important armaments in life - your confidence and your self image. Without them, you're an emotional cripple. The Yetzer will literally drive you crazy, send you to the shrink, and drive you to substance usage.

Here's the good news: Hashem maintains a perfect balance of good and evil to insure your free choice. This site is a forward command post with all its big guns trained on the Yetzer. So, for a counter-offensive, let me tell you that the Yetzer is the biggest lier there is. Look at this picture:

What you see is a microscopic view of sand particles from a tropical beach. Notice that each particle is totally unique. Sand, a dormant mineral, is the fourth and lowest order of creation. Above the mineral comes the plant, and above the plant comes the animal. Man is the highest order of creation, since he/she has a physical body with spiritual attributes.

If a grain of sand is special, then your own unique talents transcend your wildest dreams. You are capable of doing things that no one on earth can. That's what you need a good spiritual guide for - to help you learn about yourself and your talents. Fortunately, we are blessed with the best spiritual guides that history has ever known. Never have there been such masters of the soul like Rebbe Nachman of Breslev, Rebbe Schneur Zalman of Ladi, Rabbi Eliahu the Gaon of Vilna, or Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto, all of blessed memory. If you 'd like to know what you're really worth, read their books.

Whenever the Yetzer gets down on you, he's lying through his teeth. The only way to defeat the Yetzer, and to begin tapping the reservoir of wonderful potential within you - for your own happiness and emotional welfare - is to begin giving your exquisite soul what it needs. There's no better food for the soul than personal prayer and emuna.