In continuation of our story, Yerachmiel in the midst of a discussion with the Rosh Yeshiva, trying to understand why he has trouble coping with lust more than other boys do. The Rosh yeshiva continues...
"You surely know what our sages have said, Yerachmiel: 'Whoever is greater than his friend, his Yetzer is greater as well' (Sukka 52a). If you think about it though, common sense dictates that the opposite should be the case. After all, one who is greater than his friend ought to have an easier time dealing with his desires. But Chaza"l say that the exact opposite is true. So with your permission, Yerachmiel, in order to understand Chaza"l's words better, I would like to take you as an example".
"Me?" Yerachmiel's eyes widened in surprise.
"Yes", I continued, my dear Yerachmiel, inside you lies a great and lofty soul that is destined to brighten the world with a light that is unique only to you. All that this soul desires is to surge forth through you, outwards into the world. For some reason though, it is blocked and can't succeed in being expressed yet properly. But because of its great strength, your soul can't stay corked up inside you for even a short amount of time; it must burst forth, and it looks for an alternative way to find expression. In you, it finds expression in the uncontrollable sexual drive that you experience. In other words; the strong sexual drive that you feel, is a physical expression of the power of your soul's character that is locked up inside you".
"I wish!", said Yerachmiel with a bitter smile. "Judging by the sexual urges I feel, I must have unlimited inner strengths".
"Yes, Yerachmiel, that's exactly what I mean", I said. "Now we can also understand better the words of Chaza"l: 'Whoever is greater than his friend, his Yetzer is greater as well'. The greater a person is, the more his soul's strengths require expression. And if the strengths of his character do not succeed - for what ever reason - to find expression in a constructive and positive way, they are forced to erupt forth in an negative way.
Yerachmiel was quiet for a moment and then spoke, weighing each word: "So in actuality, what Chaza"l are saying is that the Yetzer Tov and the Yetzer Hara are really the same inner force, and when we say the Yetzer Tov won - we really mean that our character's strengths succeeded in expressing themselves in a constructive and positive way. And when we say that the Yetzer Hara won, we mean that our inner strengths didn't find a positive way of expression, and that is why they chose a negative way out".
"Wonderful, Yerachmiel", I said, impressed. "I couldn't have expressed it better myself".
To be continued...