When the brothers came before Yosef, he confronted them of being spies! Look how Yosef lies and accuses! Remember how Yaakov lied and stole? וַיַעְקְבֵנִי זֶה פַעֲמַיִם תולדות כז לו “He tricked me twice!” These are the words of poor uncle, Eisav. L'havdil, he himself is quite a liar (as it says: כִי צַיִד בְפִיו תולדות כה כח he trapped using his mouth. Rashi) fooling his father (and himself) like most people. There is no doubt that many things the Avos did were also: מְ שָ לִ ים examples how to fight the Yetzer Hara. Just as the: נָ חָ ש הַ קַ דְ מוֹנִ י first snake was: עָרוּם מִכֹל חַיַת הַשָדֶה more “cunning” than all the other Cha’yos (animals), so too we have to be: עָרוּם בְיִרְ אָה ברכות יז א shrewd and cunning in Yiras Shamayim! Like lying to yourself that you’re a Tzaddik!
That you are a Tzaddik is probably true (especially if you are reading Bitachon Weekly!) But the Yetzer Hara keeps playing games and puts you down with “real” proofs how bad you really are.
