YETZER  HARA

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 29 Friday in Ordinary Time  is, “Yetzer Hara.”

It’s a Hebrew term for the inclination or impulse to evil.

I first heard about it when reading Bill Moyer’s book on Genesis. It’s in reference to Genesis 4:7 where we hear about Cain and Abel and the comment about  sin lurking at one’s door like a crouching beast ready to devour us. Then it says you have to master it.[1]

In the traditional Hebrew belief system, Yetzer hara is considered as an essential part of human nature.

TODAY’S FIRST READING

Today’s first reading from Romans - Chapter 7 -  triggers my memory of reading that comment in Bill Moyer’s book years ago. Paul’s famous words should resonate with every one of us. Paul says we plan on doing good - and yet we walk out the door and do just the opposite. Then he adds: ”Why do I do this?”

How many times have we said, “Why, why, why? Why am I so stupid, stupid, stupid?”

Then Paul says that we don’t do evil, but the evil within us does evil.

We can all relate to this - because we all do this - whether it has to do with gossip, sexuality, dieting,  money - walking away with a nice ballpoint pen at the Funeral parlor - or what have you.

How come: sin is at our door - trying to sneak in like a mouse or a cat.

We’ve all heard the American Indian similar take on all  this. They had a folk tale that inside every person there are two wolves [or dogs]: the bright one and the dark one.

American Indian wisdom teachers tell their kids that these 2 are always fighting inside us. Don’t we know it?  And when asked, “Which one wins?” the answer is: the one we feed.[2]

In a Charlie Brown cartoon, we see Charlie,  when told about the two dogs fighting within each person, stopping and listening and then he says, “I can hear them fighting in there right now.”

I have type 2 diabetes and I’m very good in not eating cookies and cake - ice cream and candy - but I also have bad skin - and I tend to pick it - if it’s uneven. Why do I do this? Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.  Yet I do it every time.

CONCLUSION

Saint Paul here in Chapter 7 gives the classic text on all this - and it has helped folks ever since. Saint Augustine grabbed onto this - because he knew it was so true - and in his Confessions he talked about this reality of the pull towards self destruction - when it came to his lusts. Paul calls it a war - a battle - or the law of sin - and how can we be saved from this dynamic” make good choices - as well as communion with Jesus Christ.

Anyone familiar with the 12 Steps in Alcoholics Anonymous spirituality - know the first 2 steps. In Step One we admit I’m powerless over alcohol or some addiction. In Step Two I ask a Higher Power for help to move towards a healing.  Christians simply call their Higher Power God or Jesus Christ as Paul states it here in Romans 7. Amen.

O O O O O O O

NOTES

1) Bill Moyers, Genesis, Doubleday, New York, 1996. This is the comment made by Rebecca Goldstein,  “In the Jewish tradition, there’s a notion of the yetzer hara, the evil inclination. It’s almost an externalization of your evil inclinations, waiting there to attack you.” page 78

2) Here’s the Cherokee Parable of The Two Wolves

An old Cherokee chief was teaching his grandson about life...

“A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy. “It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves.

“One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, self-doubt, and ego.

“The other is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.

“This same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too.”

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?”

The old chief simply replied, “The one you feed.”