Faith
Overcoming the Evil Inclination: How Humility and Self-Awareness Lead to True Happiness
Why humility is the foundation of joy, and how viewing others with compassion can transform your spiritual journey
Image of a man standing with his back to the viewer, gazing at the blue sky with white clouds and looking directly towards the sun.
The evil inclination (Yetzer Hara) is made of fire, while we are flesh and blood, and without the help of the Creator, we would not be able to overcome it (Kiddushin 30b). God can intervene without affecting our free will, because He sends us messengers to guide us on the path toward the trait of humility, and also places ideas in our hearts, giving us insight into how to overcome anger and pride. Sometimes, Hashem will arrange for us a personal reminder that will humble us and help us recognize our true place.
Just as we pray every day for sustenance, health, and wisdom, we must also pray for humility, for it is the root of true joy, which leads a person to the peak of happiness.
Know Your Place
The Ramban (Nachmanides) writes in his famous letter to his son:
"Every person should be greater in your eyes than yourself. If he is wise or wealthy, you must honor him. And if he is poor and you are wealthier or wiser, think in your heart that you are more obligated than he, and he is more innocent than you; for if he sins, it is by mistake, while you sin knowingly."
Moshe Rabbeinu (Moses), was the humblest of all men in his generation, as the Torah testifies. What did Moshe Rabbeinu think in his heart when he saw the wicked Datan and Aviram? Did he genuinely believe they were better than him?
In the book Michtav Me’Eliyahu, Rabbi Eliyahu Dessler explains that Moshe Rabbeinu indeed considered Datan and Aviram superior to him in a certain aspect, for two reasons:
Perspective of Environment and Soul: Moshe thought, “If I had been given souls like theirs, and if I had grown up in their environment, perhaps I would have acted even worse than they do.”
Judgment by Potential, Not Results: A person is judged by God not based on visible successes or failures, but on how much of their potential they fulfill. Moshe would say to himself, “I was granted an exceptionally lofty soul, so the expectations from me are immense. Perhaps I have not yet lived up to the level expected of me. But Datan and Aviram, with their lower spiritual starting point, might actually be maximizing their potential in the face of their tremendous yetzer hara.”
