Chapter 13
פרק יג
Accordingly, we may understand the comment of our Sages that “beinonim are judged by both [their good and evil inclinations]”1—both “judge” him and dictate his conduct. As Scriptural support for this contention, the Talmud cites:
וּבָזֶה יוּבַן לְשׁוֹן מַאֲמַר רַבּוֹתֵינוּ־זִכְרוֹנָם־לִבְרָכָה: "בֵּינוֹנִים זֶה וָזֶה שׁוֹפְטָן" [פֵּירוּשׁ, יֵצֶר טוֹב וְיֵצֶר הָרָע],
As it is written: “He—the Almighty—stands at the right hand of the poor man to save him from them that judge his soul.”2 The plural “them that judge” indicates the presence of two judges within the person, the evil inclination and the good.
דִּכְתִיב: "כִּי יַעֲמוֹד לִימִין אֶבְיוֹן לְהוֹשִׁיעַ מִשּׁוֹפְטֵי נַפְשׁוֹ",
We thus find that the beinoni’s inclinations are described as his “judges.” Now, were the term beinoni to be understood in its simple, literal sense of one who has an equal history of good deeds and bad, it should more properly be said that “the beinoni is ruled by both [inclinations].” For one to sin, his evil inclination must rule him; for him to do good, his good inclination must rule. The beinoni who supposedly does both must be ruled (and not merely “judged”) by both.
However, according to the explanation of the term beinoni given in the previous chapter, it is clear that, indeed, the beinoni is merely judged by both inclinations, not ruled by both, as shall be explained presently.
Note that [our Sages] did not say, “He is ruled by both the good inclination and the evil,” G-d forbid,
וְלֹא אָמְרוּ "זֶה וָזֶה מוֹשְׁלִים" חַס וְשָׁלוֹם,
because where the evil nature gains any rule and dominion, albeit momentarily, over the “small city,” i.e., whenever the evil rules one’s body (likened to a city which both the good inclination and the evil seek to conquer),
כִּי כְּשֶׁיֵּשׁ אֵיזוֹ שְׁלִיטָה וּמֶמְשָׁלָה לַיֵּצֶר הָרָע בָּ"עִיר קְטַנָּה", אֲפִילוּ לְפִי שָׁעָה קַלָּה –
one is deemed “wicked” (rasha) at such times.
נִקְרָא רָשָׁע בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה.
Rather, the evil inclination in the beinoni is no more than, for example, a magistrate or judge who expresses his opinion on a point of law,
אֶלָּא, הַיֵּצֶר הָרָע אֵינוֹ – רַק עַל דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל כְּמוֹ שׁוֹפֵט וְדַיָּין הָאוֹמֵר דַּעְתּוֹ בַּמִּשְׁפָּט,
yet in fact, his decision is not necessarily final, for there is another magistrate or judge who disagrees with him.
וְאַף־עַל־פִּי־כֵן, יָכוֹל לִהְיוֹת שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה פְּסַק הֲלָכָה כָּךְ לְמַעֲשֶׂה, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁיֵּשׁ עוֹד שׁוֹפֵט וְדַיָּין הַחוֹלֵק עָלָיו,
It then becomes necessary, in order to formulate a binding decision, to arbitrate between the two, and the final verdict will rest with the arbitrator.
וְצָרִיךְ לְהַכְרִיעַ בֵּינֵיהֶם, וַהֲלָכָה כְּדִבְרֵי הַמַּכְרִיעַ.
Similarly, in the battle between the evil inclination and the good: The evil inclination states its opinion in the left part of the [beinoni’s] heart, i.e., it creates an evil desire in his heart and demands that he act accordingly, thus rendering “judgment” as to his future conduct.
כָּךְ, הַיֵּצֶר הָרָע אוֹמֵר דַּעְתּוֹ בֶּחָלָל הַשְּׂמָאלִי שֶׁבַּלֵּב,
From the heart, [the desire] ascends to the mind for contemplation. This ascent is automatic; whenever a desire is awakened in the heart, the brain will contemplate it.
וּמֵהַלֵּב עוֹלֶה לַמּוֹחַ לְהַרְהֵר בּוֹ,
Immediately upon its ascent to the brain, it is challenged by the second “judge,” the divine soul [residing] in the brain,
וּמִיָּד חוֹלֵק עָלָיו הַשּׁוֹפֵט הַשֵּׁנִי שֶׁהוּא הַנֶּפֶשׁ הָאֱלֹהִית שֶׁבַּמּוֹחַ,
which extends into the right part of the heart, where the good inclination abides (i.e., reveals itself).
הַמִּתְפַּשֵּׁט בֶּחָלָל הַיְמָנִי שֶׁבַּלֵּב – מְקוֹם מִשְׁכַּן הַיֵּצֶר טוֹב,
The good inclination is actually the voice of the divine soul’s emotional attributes and is hence active in the right part of the heart; see ch. 9. The good inclination thus battles the evil, ensuring that the latter’s passion not be realized, for the “opinion” of the good inclination is that all of the body’s faculties and organs be utilized only for matters of holiness.
The final verdict rests with the arbitrator—the Holy One, blessed be He, who comes to the aid of the good inclination, enabling it to prevail over the evil inclination.
וַהֲלָכָה כְּדִבְרֵי הַמַּכְרִיעַ, הוּא הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא – הָעוֹזְרוֹ לְהַיֵּצֶר טוֹב,
As our Sages say, “[Man’s evil inclination gathers strength daily…and] if the Almighty did not help him (i.e., help his good inclination) he could not overcome it (his evil inclination).”3
כְּמַאֲמַר רַבּוֹתֵינוּ־זִכְרוֹנָם־לִבְרָכָה: "אִלְמָלֵא הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא עוֹזְרוֹ אֵין יָכוֹל לוֹ".
The help that G-d grants him is the glow of divine light that illuminates his divine soul,
וְהָעֵזֶר, הִיא הַהֶאָרָה שֶׁמֵּאִיר אוֹר ה' עַל נֶפֶשׁ הָאֱלֹהִית,
that it may gain superiority and mastery over the folly of the “fool,” the evil inclination, [a dominion] paralleling the superiority of light over darkness, as stated above, in ch. 12.
לִהְיוֹת לָהּ יִתְרוֹן וּשְׁלִיטָה עַל סִכְלוּת הַכְּסִיל וְיֵצֶר הָרָע, כְּיִתְרוֹן הָאוֹר מִן הַחוֹשֶׁךְ, כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל.
Just as a little light banishes much darkness, so is the abounding folly and darkness of one’s evil inclination driven away by dint of the little light of holiness emanating from his divine soul. It is this ray of divine illumination that constitutes G-d’s assistance to the divine soul.4
In the previous chapter, the Alter Rebbe described the spiritual profile of the beinoni. In the beinoni’s heart, said the Alter Rebbe, evil desires may often arise, but his divine soul constantly prevents such desires from finding expression in actual thought, speech, or action. On the contrary, these three soul-garments are the exclusive domain of the divine soul and are utilized by the beinoni only for thought, speech, and action of Torah study and the fulfillment of the mitzvot.