The Evil Inclination: Very Good

There is also a sense in which the evil yetzer [the evil inclination within man, Heb. yetzer hara] can be regarded as good. Since it is largely identified with sexual passion, and since without sexual passion the race of man could not continue, and since even sanctified marriage is dependent upon it, the evil yetzer is also good. Again, since business and trade depend (as the Rabbis conceived) upon competition and rivalry, which, in their turn, depend upon the instigations of the yetzer, it may be said that the evil yetzer is good:

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Author: C. Montefiore, H. Loewe

Keywords: Devil, Satan, Evil inclination, Yetzer hara, Yetzer ha Ra, Yetzer ha Rah, Diabolos, Satanas, yetser hara, Yetser ha ra, Yetzer, Yetser, Temptation, Evil urge, Evil desire, Jesus temptation, Jesus tempted, Tempted by the devil, Tempted by Satan, Jesus tempted by Satan, Jesus tempted by the devil, Christ tempted, Christ tempted by Satan, Christ tempted by the devil, Internal temptation, Wiles of the devil, Fallen angel, Lucifer, Rebel angel

Bible reference(s): Gen 1:31

Source: C. G. Montefiore, H. M. J. Loewe, Rabbinic Anthology (Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press, 2012), p. 305.

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