YETZER HARA
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.”