A Letter from the Enemy: A Personal Note from the Evil Inclination

Date: Every day and day...

Hello there!

Pleased to meet you. My name is surely familiar to you; after all, I am the most involved partner in your life... However, you have never seen my face.

In fact, I am your greatest enemy... Try to recall if there was ever a time I acted in your favor... Yet somehow, you reveal yourself to be quite lenient with me, often reconciling with me, sometimes several times a day... Your ability to forgive me fills me with amazement...

What's interesting about you is that you know very well that I wish you harm, and that doesn't prevent you from using my advice.

And something else. You're sure that you know my methods, yet I always manage to surprise you anew...

(Illustrative image: Flash 90)

If we start from the beginning, then our first introduction was indeed on the day of your birth. With your arrival into the world, I appeared. Since then, I'm with you, close to you, and accompany you wherever you may go. And if you think that at some point I will abandon you, I have 'good' news for you - I do not intend to part from you until your last day. Even upon your last breath, I will be there to influence you. The truth is, when you remind yourself of your last day, it interferes with my work... Oops! I've given you a hint...

It's true, I don't have complete freedom. I recall when I started to lose a bit of control. It was when you turned thirteen. Suddenly, my good colleague appeared and has since stood in my way. When I complained in the heavens about the new competitor, I was told it was for the balance of choice.

But, alright, overall most of the control is in my hands. For now, you prefer to hire my services because I pay in cash, unlike my colleague who pays on credit after many years.

The truth is, sometimes 'that one' really doesn’t give me freedom... This happens when you're between the walls of the Beit Midrash and delve into your studies... For some reason, when you draw me to such places, I feel suffocation. Even my stone heart melts, my iron strength detonates, and I must exit and look for other clients... But truthfully, I've also found a way to deal with this, I simply ensure to gather all the reasons in the world not to enter the Beit Midrash.

The experience I have gathered working with you has led me to know the depths of your personality more than you know yourself. The depths of your soul and the chambers of your heart are exposed to me; I know exactly what your weak points are, and there is no action of yours that doesn't pass through my sophisticated control system.

From the many years of acquaintance, I know where to press, when to stop, and where it's not advisable to exaggerate. And generally speaking, I advocate the step-by-step method, and I have a lot of patience... One day I say do this, and tomorrow I say do that, until you completely fall into my net.

I don't always come in the form of the devil from the paintings. My skill is in the ability to change like a chameleon and appear each time in a different form - sometimes as the tempter, sometimes as the pious one, and sometimes as the benefactor.

The sages indeed defined me as "old," but when I want to, I can also be young and up-to-date, knowing the "latest word" in technology. In the last generation, I'm increasingly using my youthful form, and in this area, I have quite a few successes. For this purpose, I reduce myself to small, friendly devices that fit in any pocket, and manage to easily infiltrate through the 'backdoor'...

You thought my job ends at causing you to sin – well, you thought wrong... The mission actually ends when I go up and accuse you of the sin I myself caused you to commit. Fair of me, isn't it?...

(Not) yours and (not) for you

Your inner enemy

The Evil Inclination

(Cruel, impure, enemy, obstacle, stone, northern)

The one camped here between the two chambers of your heart

Thus far, the words of the Evil Inclination, from here on, the words of the Good Inclination...