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Why does the yetzer hara grow stronger daily instead of weaker? The shiur distinguishes between two types: Hashem (ה׳)'s original yetzer hara that enables free choice, and a second destructive force born from our awareness of mortality after Adam's sin. Each day's reminder of finite existence strengthens this death-awareness yetzer hara, explaining why only divine help can overcome it.
This shiur analyzes a Gemara (גמרא) in Sukkah 52b that discusses the nature of the yetzer hara and its daily renewal. Rabbi Zweig presents a fundamental distinction between two different types of yetzer hara that affect human behavior and spiritual development. The first yetzer hara is the one created by Hashem (ה׳) to provide humans with genuine free choice - the desire to act independently rather than follow divine will. This yetzer enables bechirah chofshis (free choice) and is not inherently evil, but rather a necessary component of human spiritual development. Without this drive for independence, humans would lack the ability to choose between good and evil.
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Sukkah 52b
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