In this week’s Parsha, we find that Yaakov Avinu fought with the Malach of
Eisav, who was also the personification of the Yetzer Hara. When Yaakov was
victorious, he asked this Malach for his name, but was asked: "Why do you ask
me my name?"
This answer by the Malach may be misconstrued as simply
answering a question with a question--or perhaps as a refusal to give a
truthful answer. However, Rabbi Zelig Pliskin (Growth Through Torah, p.
97) brings a remarkable insight from HaRav Yehudah Leib Chasman,
Z’tl. HaRav Chasman explains that this was actually the name of the
evil inclination, "Don’t ask!"
Rabbi Pliskin elucidates: "The
desires of this world draw a person like a magnet. The best way to overcome
one’s negative impulses is to be aware of how illusory these pleasures
actually are. As soon as you take a close look with your intellect at
worldly desires you will see how empty and meaningless they are. The Yetzer
Hara cautions you: ’Don’t ask!’ As soon as you start asking questions to
clarify the reality of the evil inclination, you will find that there is
nothing there. This is analogous to seeing a shadow and thinking that
something is actually in front of you. As soon as you light a candle, you
realize that what you saw was only an illusion. Use your intellect to see
the emptiness of negative desires and you will be free from their pull (Ohr
Yohail, Volume 2, p. 35)."
Rabbi Pliskin, who has written 22 important
books, B’EH, will be speaking at Hakhel’s Yarchei Kallah this Thursday
morning.
This is an important lesson for each and every one of us.
Whenever we are faced with a situation in which we say to ourselves "Better
not to think about this too much" or "Let me go with my impulse" or
"Ignorance is bliss" or "Just this one time"...remember that the Malach, the
Yetzer Hora "Don’t Ask" may be making these suggestions to you. Why not
void that temporal temptation, the pleasure-filled bag of
illusion--by lighting your own candle inside--the candle of truth?
Important Numbers
