What are some of the good things that Hashem does through the yetzer hora?
ANSWER:
Now this question has a number of details, because the yetzer hora is detailed in a number of points. We will take up only one that I spoke about years ago.
One of the big forms of the yetzer hora is the desire for kovod, for glory. Now how can Hakadosh Baruch Hu make use of this to do great things? So the gemara says, v'ahavta es Hashem Elokecha b'chol l'vovecha, it says two times a beis, not one beis. So two beis'es means with shnei yitzrecho, the yetzer tov and the yetzer hora. How do you serve Him with the yetzer hora? With the yetzer hora means, I am going to do things for Hashem because I want glory! It's a good thing to do.
L'olam yasok adam torah umitzvos shelo lishma, you should do mitzvos, you should collect money for tzedaka, for yeshivos, just because you want the yeshiva to make a banquet in your honor, and don't be ashamed to say so. Collect money for a yeshiva or give money, in order that the yeshiva should make you a guest of honor, yes. Of course if you could do it and send in the $25,000 anonymously, with a postal money order - you can't send an unsigned private check, an anonymous check - but a postal money order; do so. But you won't? So therefore use the yetzer hora of kavod to do great things.
To sit and learn and know a perek of gemara, or a whole mesechta needs work, and therefore some people are not motivated to do it! But when you feel that for the sake of glory you want to do it, then go ahead. So that's one of the ways of utilizing the yetzer hora to do good things.
And never be ashamed to do good things even though you have ulterior motives. Don't say I won't do it because ulterior motives.Because if you won't do it then it's a failure!.
Hashem wants you to do it.
Good Shabbos To All
This is transcribed from questions that were posed to Harav Miller by the audience at the Thursday night lectures. To listen to the audio of this Q & A please dial: 201-676-3210
Important Numbers
