The Real Battle

The case of the יפת תואר, the woman taken captive, is referred to a situation of דיברה תורה כנגד יצר הרע, that the Torah spoke opposite one’s evil inclination.

The Torah is showing an awareness of the struggles an individual has, in battling the Yeitzer Hara. The temptation to take the beautiful and vulnerable captive woman is so great, that a procedure had to be devised to minimize the damage. The Rabbis acknowledged that without this permitted procedure, the captive woman would be taken anyways in a forbidden manner.

There is a story told about a war that was fought and won in the days of the Pharisees, those who strictly upheld Jewish tradition. When the triumphant soldiers returned in great celebration of their victory, they received a stern warning from the rabbinic leaders.

They were told that they may have won a physical victory, but the real battle has just begun. They were referring to the battle with one’s evil inclination.

There are so many challenges that we are faced with in life. Aside from being able to overcome the physical temptations to sin, there are numerous other temptations we are faced with.

We might be confronted with certain business transactions that may not be entirely proper. We have to be strong and resist the temptation of earning money in a deceitful manner.

It is sometimes challenging to be truthful in all of our dealings with our fellow man. We have to own up for our actions without making excuses.

Probably the biggest temptation of all is to overcome our fears and worries. This is also the work of the Yeitzer Hara that fills us with doubts in our ability to cope with all that is placed before us.

The evil inclination is not something to be taken lightly. We must realize that it is a daily battle. With faith, discipline, and hard work, we can overcome and win the battle.