Milchemes HaYetzer Can Be Exciting
There are many weaknesses that we all have. A temper, Kin'ah, Ta'ava, Kavod; they are all difficult, and every person has his own challenge, despite his having an easier time in other areas. How can you convince a Baal Ta'ava who enjoys his Ta'avos to let go? When you supply him with a different Yetzer Hara that could be even more exciting! "I'm a tough Gibbor."
Milchemes HaYetzer can be exciting, and you can get tremendous: סִיפּוּק satisfaction and fulfillment by considering yourself to be a “General” who fights Gevaldige difficult battles and wins! It gives you Kavod and pride and the feeling of superiority, etc. Such a person needs to develop a certain taste for Redifas HaKavod, and become a Kavod freak who has to be smarter and stronger than everyone.
You need to learn how to scream and to say: “I'm no pushover!" "You take that from him?" Don't be a “wimp” or a “weakling”, a piece of "mush" "butter" a "fool" or a "lowlife". רִ גְזוּ וְאַּל תֶּחֱט אוּ! Destroy your Yetzer Hara without Rachmanus! I'm an Adam Gadol! (Don't be afraid to exaggerate). I have Malchus! (i.e., "I am the Melech over my Retzonos). "I'm strong!" "I'm powerful!"
Keep giving yourself these type of pep talks even when they aren't true, and with time they'll be more and more: לְ מַּ עֲ שֶּ ה real. אַּשְ רֵי חֶּלְקְךָ! Being strong and tough is a major motivation. "I'm not a weak and silly Baal Ta'ava’nik" or "an uncontrollable Ka'asan!" (Keep lying)! Nasser, Y'mach Sh'mo, was the tough, big-mouthed, anti-Semitic president of Egypt.
He once remarked that if he wouldn't talk like he owns the world, he'd be out of business. The Arabs like a strong man. A Macho! A: גֶּ בֶּ ר בְ גוּבְ רִ ין real “Gavra”. A somebody! Not a fish! "What, are you a baby?" "A wimp?" And the same with all those "strong man" Reshaim, like Russian Czars, and like Hitler, Y'mach Sh'mo, screaming with enthusiasm: We will "mercilessly destroy all our foes" (who aren't even real!!)
It just makes life exciting when you invent an enemy that needs to be destroyed, and you have dangerous battles "through thick and thin" with Mesirus Nefesh ב אֵש וּבַּמַּיִם through fire and water! And all the empty-headed people shout along with war cries of Jihad! Or whatever stupidity turns you on. This is the Tevah (nature) of a human; the Churban of being a useless Baal Ga'ava who feels important in all kinds of fake causes and religions! Khomeini was such a leader, who caused untold havoc to mankind. People who knew him up-front testified how he wasn't too normal.
Your Jihad Energy Is Meant for Positivity Like Fighting in Learning & Milchemes HaYetzer
This energy was meant for: מִ לְ חַּ מְ ת הּ שֶּ ל תוֹר ה fighting in learning and for Milchemes HaYetzer! מֵאוֹיְבַּי תְחַּכְמֵנִי תהלים קיט צח We become smarter by learning from our enemies! L'havdil, Boaz was strong in his infinite patience in marrying Rus and overcoming his Ta'avos. Being patient is a major Gevura, and is the opposite of Chet HaEigel. And of course, Rus was the true Eishes Chayil, and the Passuk says: וַּתֵרֶּא כִי מִתְאַּמֶּצֶּת הִיא רות א יח and the Targum says: מְ אַּ לְ מ א a tough Lashon.
And Boaz says: כִי יוֹדֵעַּ כ ל שַּעַּר עַּמִי כִי אֵשֶּת חַיִל א תְ רות ג יא everyone knows that you are an Eishes Chayil, and the holy Alshich says "since you're strong, you shouldn’t be concerned over the possible Lashon Hara about you; they are all: רֵ קִ ים וּ פוֹחֲ זִ ים לֵ יצ נֵ י הַּ דוֹר a bunch of nobodies, and you are a true Eishes Chayil, i.e., you are strong!" This is real Novardok: אַּ מִ יצוּת courage; their main strength being their “not caring what people think”.
And what did the Z'keinim tell Boaz? וַּעֲשֵה חַיִל בְאֶּפְר ת ה וּקְר א שֵם בְבֵית ל חֶּם רות ד יא Be strong in Efras. We have to trade our Yetzer Hara's from Ta'avos etc. to the thrill of being a: לוֹחֵׂם fighter. To glorify the greatness of being a fighter in Hashem's army, and not to be impressed by our weaknesses, נְפִילוֹת failures, Aveiros, and our never–ending issues that plague us.
We are always talking with pride over the fact that we keep learning Mussar and make Kabalos (resolutions) and daven, despite the fact that things don't seem to be working. I knew one of the greatest Rosh HaVaad of Novardok, upon whom someone said that he appeared to have many more issues than most people. Because of this, he was always "on the war-path" against his Yetzer Hara.
