A typical polite chat with “Yetzer HaRa” (Based on a true story):
First “Yetzer” cunningly goes to the Ultra Orthodox Jew and says:
“Look at those Reform Jews, a worthless group of clowns, manipulating the Torah and its scholars; ruining the Jewish nation as a whole!”
Yetser has a point. Sounds convincing.
Next step, reassured from his success, Yetzer now goes to the Reforms, and tells them:
“See those strange behaving – old fashion people, estranging themselves from the normal community, not contributing to society and ruining the Tikun Olam we’re trying to build. Locked in their Getho’s and not letting anyone in; proud and prejudiced”?
Sounds like strike 2. Hmmm…
Like a Yoyo, bouncing to and fro the Yetzer continues this prosperous adventure, not wasting a minute, enjoying the moment. Wearing a broad smile while seeing his work now done by itself. For, as we well know, there are many creative exponential ways for disagreement. –All one has to do is decide which side he stands for, or rather which side is he not. Then the absolute madness, ignorance, work of evil appears. It works like a fire that starts with a small match, and then bursts into dangerous flames that must be put out; careful! Do not go near!
Ohh, how could we forget, it never stops there with just those two groups, Yetzer won’t cease fire till he gets to every two Jews he can! Then, he intervenes to put in an extra word, an evil speech in a whisper: ‘are your friends really true?’ Maybe they belong to another sort of “RE”: Reform, REconstrucunist, REconservative, maybe even a dangerous RE-zbhallah..
Perhaps, Yetser drills, all the talk of liberal kindness, is really a sort of “wall” in their mind? Because that’s all they ever talk about. On the other hand there are different walls of dispute: Walls for a Getho, Walls for a Mechitza, Walls of tears (Kotel), Oh my goodness they are getting us to a new WALL-ocaust…
One might ask: What is the problem? G-d created Yetzer Hara of argument for this particular job. To spark an argument between a person and a spouse, rise arguments between neighbors and so on… He starts the fight, he pushes you into the pit of sin, then he shoots you from the back. That’s his job….(Baba Batra 15). Arguments sharpen the mind; debates-clarify and strengthen one’s point of view.
BUT, our ancestors tell us, it doesn’t stop there. Yetser does not play fair. HE IS A LIER! Always behind disguise.
To Reform ears he speaks in language of liberty and peace – in the name liberté their old fashion education must be stopped. They don’t accept basic Égalité, it is another proof their ways are inferior to ours. On behalf of fraternité I exclude you from the family for not accepting new modern rules.
HE IS A LIER! Always uses the right terminology.
Yetzer then sits in the Orthodox office, and over a traditional glass of well aged scotch with a piece of smoked Salmon, he begins the chat – A Broch! What a hurting fall from the slippery slope. We must put more fences, don’t let them come close. So what if she’s Jewish, she sings too well, you cannot accept that sings nor listen to her or you will be thrown to hell! Did you notice her Talis?…
Yetzer HaRa of disagreement is brought in front of the court of justice:
Judge: What is your name and address?
Yetzer: my English name: Evil inclination of disagreement. I do not have a set address, I live everywhere – I’m not racist at all, I dwell in everyone! Ultra Orthodox, Reform, Secular, Black and white Jews, Right and left wing, Zionists or Neturei Karta, Scholars and labor at every heart. I always expand my fields of expertise.
Judge: Who do you work for?
Yetzer: Nobody, I am here on behalf of the Evil. I just fool you successfully..
Judge: How do you fool us?
Yetzer: I know you are really one nation; sisters and brothers of the same family. I know that what you have in common is way more that what separates you. I know that HASHEM loves you ALL, that you share the same enemies, that you are all good people with positive intensions – and that there is ONLY ONE WAY TO DESTROY YOU.
Judge: Huh? And what is that?
Yetzer: When you’re not together, when you are divided by things you think are crucial. It is actually me destroying you.
Judge: How come you’re telling me all this straightforwardly? Aren’t you afraid we will discover your deceit?
Yetzer: No. I am not afraid. I know you all too good. For thousands of years you fight with each other, losing way more than you gain. And yet you continue… Look at the Bible, every time you fall in my pits of false disagreements, it is full of examples of brother rivalry
Chaverim,
We know the ways of the evil inclination, there is nothing new.
At the same time, and this is the good news, we also know the cure for this illness; an old remedy that always works although it doesn’t shine with appeal and it is sometimes hard to swallow:
AHAVA and EMUNAH. That’s all there is to it: Love and faith. Tons of it. Tons of love for every fellow Jew, and tons of faith in HASHEM that His Will for us is to be together despite the differences.
This sort of medicine, prescribed by God himself in the old cure book of Torah, can be taken several times a day. Actually, as opposed to modern medication, it has no limit. The more you take- the better! And it’s free!
You see, the advantage of belonging to such an old nation over so many years in so many countries, is that everything that we go through, every hardship and every sickness: its all: been there done that.
To every problem, there is precedence. And so it has been proven over the centuries, that every time the above prescription was taken- it worked! Nothing can stop us when we are untied. Everything can happen to us- when we are not.
Once we take the first step and make the effort, we can pray to Hashem for the rest:
עוֹשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם בִּמְרוֹמָיו הוּא יעֲשֶׂה בְּרַחֲמָיו שָׁלוֹם עָלֵינוּ וְעַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן
OSE SHALOM BI-MROMAV HU YAA’SE SHALOM ALENU VE AL KOL ISRAEL – AMEN!