The Birth of the Good Inclination
Rabbinic texts in Hebrew and English translation on the birth or ensoulment
of the yetzer hatov, the good
inclination.
By Jeffrey A. Spitzer
The following texts describe the psychological and
spiritual growth of the early adolescent from a rabbinic perspective.
Avot d'Rabbi Natan 16
The yetzer hara [evil inclination] is 13 years older than the yetzer
hatov. While still in the mother's womb, the yetzer hara begins to develop in a
person. If he begins to violate the Sabbath, nothing stops him. If he commits
murder, nothing stops him. If he goes off to another sin, nothing stops him.
But 13 years later, the yetzer hatov is born. When he
violates the Sabbath, it rebukes him, "Airhead (literally: 'empty one')!
Don't you know it says 'Everyone who violates it will surely be put to death' (Exodus
31:14)?" If he is about to commit murder, it rebukes him, "Airhead!
Don't you know it says 'Whoever sheds a man's blood, by man will his blood be
shed' (Genesis 9:6)?" If he is about to engage in a sexual sin, it rebukes
him, "Airhead! Don't you know it says 'Both the adulterer and the
adulteress will surely be put to death' (Leviticus 20:10)?"
Ecclesiastes 4:13 and Rashi's Commentary
Better a poor and wise child than an old and foolish king
who no longer knows to receive admonition.
Better a poor and wise
child: This is the yetzer hatov, and why is it called a child? Because it
does not enter a person until 13 years.
poor: because the
limbs do not obey the yetzer hatov as they do the yetzer hara.
wise: which gives
a person intelligence to follow the good way.
than an old and
foolish king: the yetzer hara which rules over all the limbs.
old: for when the
child is born, it is put into him as it is said "sin lies at the
opening" (Genesis 4:7).
and foolish: for
it misleads him in the way of evil…
who no longer knows to
receive admonition: for the yetzer hara has become old and does not accept
reproof.
R. Isaac Arama, Sefer Akedat Yitzhak, 61
For the first 13 years of
life, one rebels, but in the 14th year, the light of intelligence appears in
him, and then he becomes bar mitzvah and subject to the punishment of a human
court. Similarly, our sages, of blessed memory, hinted at this when they said,
"On the evening of the 14th we search for hametz [leaven] by the light of a candle" (Mishnah Pesachim
1:1).
R. Abraham Joshua Heschel of Apta, Sefer Ohev Yisrael--Parashat Vayetze
On the night of the 14th we
check for hametz with a candle, for in Nisan, renewal comes to the world.
Israel becomes like a child whose yetzer hatov does not enter him until after
13 years. Similarly, we check for hametz after the 13th night by the light of a
candle, on the model of a child who becomes bar mitzvah after 13 years. And
then we must remove [literally destroy, l'va'er]
all of the bad characteristics [of childhood].
R. Kalonymus Kalman Epstein of Cracow, Sefer Ma'or v'Shemesh, Parashat
Lekh-L'kha
And it seems from the holy
books, that initially, "man is born a wild ass" (Job 11:12), and he
has no yetzer hatov, only yetzer hara, until he is 13 and becomes a bar
mitzvah. Then the yetzer hatov comes upon him, and he begins with the mitzvah
of wearing tefillin [phylacteries].
This causes his heart to be awakened to the worship of God. This happens very,
very slowly, but he is still full of self-centeredness and confused thoughts.
Therefore the obligation is cast upon all who have a desire to connect to God
to uproot evil thoughts from one's heart and mind. Afterwards, as he continues
to grow in his worship of God and matures, he is already well rooted in the worship
of God. Nevertheless, it is the characteristic of the truly righteous and pious
to continue to examine and explore one's acts and find one's own
shortcomings...
Jeffrey A. Spitzer is
the Senior Educator at Jewish Family
& Life! and the producer of the JSkyway
online professional development program for educators at Jewish schools.
