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The Way of Emunah

Gluttony Arouses the Yeitzer Hara

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רַ ב לָכֶם סֹב אֶ ת הָהָר וגו' ױפְ נוּ לָכֶם צָפֹנָה (ב, ג)

Sefer Ilna D’Chayai explains the words “rov lachem” to mean “you have had enough lachem”. In other words, you have spent too much time satisfying your desires for your own pleasures. “Sov” – the “sibah” (reason) for this is “es hahar hazeh”, this mountain, i.e., the yeitzer hara (which is referred to as a mountain, see Sukkah 52A). Through eating to fulfill one’s hedonistic desires, one arouses his yeitzer hara, which causes his mind to become impure.

The pasuk continues “p’nu lachem” - turn your “lachem” around. Turn away your desires for your personal pleasures. “Tzafonah” (northward) – if you do this, you will go to the “north”, which is a reference to reaching a level of yiras Hashem (see Iyov 37:22).

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