Divrei Torah for the Shabbos Table: Don’t Look – Don’t Give the Yetzer Hara Any Room to Enter

Divrei Torah for the Shabbos Table

Don't Look – Don't Give the Yetzer Hara Any Room to Enter

At the beginning of this week's parsha (21:11), we have the pasuk: וראית בשביה אשת יפת תואר וחשקת בה ולקחת לך לאשה “And you see among the captives a woman of beautiful appearance, and you desire her, and you take her for yourself as a wife.”

There is an obvious question: Only completely righteous men went out to war — anyone who had even a small sin was sent home, because “whoever is fearful because of sins in his hand” would return. If so, how could a perfect tzaddik fall to such a low level, desiring a Yefas To'ar? Chazal say (Kiddushin 21b) that the end of this path is that he feeds her disgusting foods, then comes to hate her, and ultimately has from her a ben sorer uʼmoreh.

The Rosh Yeshiva of Be'er Yaakov, HaGaon Rav Moshe Shmuel Shapiro zt"l in Zahav Mishba writes that the answers lies in one word of the pasuk:

"וראית — and you saw."

A small opening, a small sin of looking in the wrong place, already allows the yetzer hara to enter. Once it enters, it drags a person to great spiritual damage.

The Vilna Gaon writes a similar thing in Kol Eliyahu on the pasuk (Bereishis 4:7): לפתח חטאת רובץ “sin crouches at the door.” A person must guard himself not to open even a doorway to the yetzer hara. Once the door is opened, even slightly, חטאת רובץ, the yetzer hara immediately enters.

Thus, even if the soldier is a complete tzaddik, without any sin, once "וראית" occurs — once he sees — he is already in the grasp of his yetzer hara.

Chazal say (Sukkah 52b): The yetzer hara is first called a traveler (הלך), then a guest (אבסנאי), and finally the master of the house (בעל הבית). Because once you open even a tiny entrance, he eventually takes full control.

A Painful Question of Our Generation

Rav Moshe Shmuel Shapiro raises a very difficult question: The streets today are full of improper sights. Halachically, there is doubt whether one may go out freely at all. If a person goes out without necessity, even if he closes his eyes, he is considered a rasha, as the Gemara says (Bava Basra 48b): If there is another path available, he is called a rasha even if he closes his eyes - because the very act of walking into a place of forbidden sights without necessity is sinful.

So, what can we do? How can one go out at all?

There Is Only One Solution

Rav Moshe Shmuel Shapiro writes there is only one solution: The Rambam writes at the end of Hilchos Issurei Bi'ah: שלבו יהי' מלא בתורה - "His heart must be filled with Torah.”

Like David HaMelech says (Tehillim 119): העבר עיני מראות שוא בדרכיך חייני - "Turn my eyes away from seeing vanity; in Your ways give me life.” Through Torah — the "straight ways of Hashem" — a person walking on the road removes vain sights from his eyes.

He may see the road before him, but he does not look at details. He becomes like one who sees but does not truly see as is known to anyone immersed in Torah thoughts.

Without: בדרכיך חייני - "being focused on Torah", it is impossible to remain protected.

A Powerful Yesod

We see from the words of Rav Moshe Shmuel Shapiro a very powerful yesod [foundation]. We see that if you do not open even the smallest entrance to the yetzer hara — everything will be fine. The problem begins only when you open even a tiny crack. Once opened, the yetzer hara enters and pulls you away from the path of Hashem.

The Kli Yakar (Bereishis 4:7) already say this idea:

Chazal compare the yetzer hara to a fly (Berachos 61a). Why? A fly's mouth is weak; it cannot pierce healthy flesh. But if it finds even a small opening, it settles there and widens the hole.

So too the yetzer hara: If a tzaddik never opens a door, the yetzer hara cannot enter. But once he opens even a small crack, the yetzer hara enters through that opening and widens it until the wound becomes incurable.

Our job in this world, is to make sure not to open an entranceway for the yetzer hara, not even a small one.

A Remarkable Story

One Shabbos night, a man came to the Beis HaMedrash of the Gerrer Rebbe and sat near the Rebbe at the tish.

A fly began to bother him. He waved it away, but it returned to sit on his forehead. He waved again — it returned again. Again and again he sent it away but it kept returning.

The chossid's frustration grew, and finally he struck it hard on the table, killing it.

He immediately panicked — he had just done a melachah on Shabbos, killing a living creature, and in public! All the chassidim saw... perhaps even the Rebbe saw... How could he continue living with such shame?

After a short time, it became clear that the fly had not died. It twitched... moved... lifted slightly... fell... and finally spread its wings and flew away.

Boruch Hashem — he had not violated Shabbos after all.

Suddenly, silence fell over the room. The Rebbe signaled that he wished to speak.

Everyone leaned in.

The Rebbe said:

Chazal say the yetzer hara is like a fly. What is the comparison?

Even if you think you struck it dead — you are mistaken. It is not dead. It is still alive. Perhaps wounded, perhaps weakened — but soon it recovers, stands up, and returns with full strength.

Final Message

Do not open even the smallest entrance to the yetzer hara. And even when you think the yetzer hara is gone - know that it is not. It changes colors, forms, and strategies. It waits for any opening. If we remain vigilant, Hashem will help us and protect us from the yetzer hara. (R' Yisrael Rot shlita)