There is a custom, stated in Shulchan Aruch (see Rema 264:9), that on erev Shabbos someone should light the wicks, and then immediately blow them out. Later, when the wife lights the Shabbos lecht, it will be easier for the wicks to catch fire because they were already lit and singed earlier. Perhaps this is to hint to us that the primary avodah is to light the candle that had blown out. This means that even if a person fell from his level and thinks that the אדם נשמת 'ה נר, the candle of his neshamah, was eternally extinguished, he should strengthen himself and rekindle the candle of his soul. If he does so, his neshamah will now shine brighter than had the candle never been extinguished.
Someone told Reb Mendele of Vitebsk zt'l that he sees no end to his battle against the yetzer hara. When he finally succeeds in breaking one yetzer hara, a new one arrives. "What is the purpose. There is no end to the fighting." Rebbe Mendele explained to him that these tests create clothes for Hakadosh Baruch Hu, keviyachol. Just as people don't want to wear the same pair of clothing every day, so, too, Hashem wants to wear new clothing. We create these clothes when we overcome the yetzer hara in various ways, due to the different tests that come our way.
Limud Zechus
Hashem considers our great challenges, and with this in mind, our aveiros seem less severe. Hashem understands that people aren't so guilty for their aveiros, because (8:21) מנעריו רע האדם לב יצר, from the time when one is very young, the yetzer hara enticed him to perform aveiros.
When Noach brought the korbanos after the flood, Hashem remembered this truth and decided to have compassion on mankind. As it states (8:21), את עוד לקלל אסף לא לבו אל 'ה ויאמר מנעריו רע האדם לב יצר כי האדם בעבור האדמה, "Hashem said in His heart: 'I will not continue to curse again the ground because of man, since the yetzer of man's heart is evil from his youth."
On the other hand, this same yetzer hara was the reason and the cause of the decree and punishment of the flood, as it states in parashas Bereishis (6:5-7) האדם רעת רבה כי 'ה וירא ...היום כל רע רק לבו מחשבת יצר וכל בארץ ויאמר ...היום כל רע רק לבו מחשבת יצר וכל בארץ בראתי אשר האדם את, "Hashem saw that the evil of man was great in the earth, and every yetzer of his heart was only evil all day long.... Hashem said, "I will blot out man, whom I created..." How can the same yetzer hara be initially the cause of decree and punishment, and afterwards, be the reason Hashem has compassion on us?
The key to deciphering this contradiction is in the words היום כל רע רק, "only evil, all day long." When one is bad "all day long," this means he isn't trying to do good. When one battles against the yetzer hara, although he will lose many times, there will also be some successes. As it states, וקם צדיק יפול שבע, "A tzaddik falls seven times and rises". His attempts to be good will arouse Hashem's compassion. However, היום כל רע רק implies that the yetzer hara took over, and the person doesn't even try to improve his ways. This brought on Hashem's wrath and the decree of the mabul.
When Noach left the teivah he offered up korbanos. Hashem said (8:21), את עוד לקלל אסף לא מנעריו רע האדם לב יצר כי האדם בעבור האדמה, "I will never again curse the earth because of man because man's heart is bad from his birth..." The Kedushas Levi asks: If man's heart is evil, wouldn't that be a reason to punish him? How do we understand the pasuk?
The Magid of Mezritz zt'l (quoted in Kedushas Levi) explains that man's corrupt heart, when overcome, is the source and origin of Hashem's immense pleasure. Hashem says that He will never again destroy the earth because Hashem enjoys the service of people who, despite their tendency to do bad, fight and overcome their yetzer hara.
The Kedushas Levi adds that this explains the beginning of the pasuk (8:21), ריח את 'ה וירח הניחוח, "Hashem smelled the pleasant aroma [of the korbanos]." The Baal HaTurim writes that the expression, ריח את וירח is written only twice in Tanach. Once in pasuk (8:21) and the other is (Bereishis 27:27), בגדיו ריח את וירח, which can be translated, "He smelled the scent of rebellion." It is the rebellious nature of his heart that creates ניחוח ריח, Hashem's pleasure, when a person overcomes this nature to serve Hashem.
