.png)
YETZER HARA - EVIL INCLINATION
- Petra Hadžidaova
- May 3
- 4 min read
5 The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.
Genesis 6: 5 (NIV)
(1)
INTRODUCTION
God is after our hearts. That is where evil thoughts, inclinations, and imaginations come from. It is those evil thoughts that actually defile us. All have been created in the image of God. All are capable of choosing to do good, as we can also choose to do evil, but we do need Yeshua to be perfect. The Hebrew expression depicting evil inclinations is yetzer hara. Yeshua alone did not have yetzer hara.
DEFILING THOUGHTS
Yeshua was confronted with many questions during His ministry. Some came from genuine interest, and some from offended hearts and hearts inclined toward evil thoughts. Yeshua always knew the motive behind every question He was asked. One day, they asked Him, “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!” (Matthew 15: 2; NIV).
Jews are known for their rules. I agree with them that the commandments do need to be followed, and I also agree that many of the added rules are beneficial to us. But these added rules are not divine commandments; they are suggestions, or rather instructions on how to behave to really prosper in life.
Washing our hands before eating is a necessity because of hygiene; it is not a divine commandement needed to be followed, though. Yeshua agreed and called the questioners out on their hypocrisy. They were teaching their man-made rules as though they were divine commandments.
But ever ready to use anything to teach, Yeshua took the opportunity and taught the people about what really defiles a person. He said in Matthew 15: 11 (NIV):
“What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”
It is the evil thoughts of our hearts, he further mentions in Matthew 15: 19, that defile us.
YETZER HARA
The Hebrew expression for evil inclination is yetzer hara. It is a term expressing humankind's congenital inclination to do evil. It is not a demonic force. In Christianity, it can be akin to the notion of "fallenness" or a corrupted human nature, known in the Augustinian tradition as concupiscence. Concupiscence is humanity's alienation from God and His image. It results in rebellion and spiritual ignorance and leads to a greater tendency to entertain evil thoughts. The root behind concupiscence is original or ancestral sin, whereas the yetzer hara is a natural aspect of God's creation. (2)
YETZER HATOV
In Judaism, a person is thought to be born with the ability to do good or evil. In other words, they possess both good and evil inclinations. The good inclination is known as yetzer hatov. It appears later on in life, contrary to yetzer hara, per Jewish thinking. (2, 3)
THE DUALITY OF YETZER HARA
Also, per Jewish thinking, yetzer hara plays a dual role. While it can lead to very sinful and evil actions if uncontrolled, it can also have a positive side. Greed, for instance, can drive one to be more productive, while sexual lust motivates the formation of families, they say.
INTERNAL VERSUS EXTERNAL
Yetzer hara is considered the internal impulse to do evil. Satan, on the other hand, is often viewed as the personification or external force that activates this impulse. In general, satan (or ha-satan) is not a demonic enemy of God in Judaism, but an adversary whose job is to tempt and then prosecute, pushing humans to make better moral choices.
ORIGINAL SIN AND CHRISTIANITY
Contrary to Judaism, the majority of Christianity teaches that original sin (fallen nature) is passed down through generations all the way from Adam and Eve. This fallen nature required Yeshua to be born as a human. Evil inclination is considered purely a destructive force that must be overcome with grace.
Interestingly enough, this way of thinking was present in the Second Temple period in Judaism but fell out of memory or favor. Perhaps it was actively suppressed. Also, some Christians are more inclined to the Jewish way of thinking (Eastern Orthodox, …)
YESHUA - NO EVIL INCLINATION?
Yeshua’s virgin birth was clearly not just for show. God is not one to make wasteful moves. It is believed that Yeshua had to be born as a human because only a human can redeem a human as a kinsman redeemer. To be acceptable as the Lamb of God, He also needed to be without sin, without blemish. Here lay the problem. Which human has not fallen short of God’s standards? We all know the answer: Yeshua alone. But why?
Him being supernaturally born only of a woman meant that He did not inherit the original fallen state. He did not have yetzer hara. When Satan tempted Him, He did not succeed for he had nothing in Yeshua. There was absolutely no common ground, legal claim, or internal sinful desire in Him for Satan to manipulate.
CONCLUSION
While some may disagree, it is believed that humans are born with a sinful nature. Regardless of the first statement, we do all agree that every human being comes face to face with the evil inclinations of their hearts. The Hebrew expression for evil inclination is yetzer hara. In Judaism, they also teach that a person possesses yetzer hatov, the inclination to do good. Each day, we can choose by free will to either do evil or good. Judaism teaches that we have this innate ability in us, while we Christians believe that we require grace to ultimately overcome sin.
Yeshua was born without the sinful nature because he was born of the Holy Spirit and Mary. This enabled Him to overcome every temptation being thrown His way and bring salvation to all.
Application
Dear Abba, reveal any evil inclinations that you wish to remove from our hearts in this season.
SOURCES
Image created via canva.com
Wikipedia. Yetzer Hara. Available at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yetzer_hara
Jeffrey Spitzer. The Birth of the Good Inclination. Available at https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-birth-of-the-good-inclination/
Comments