Going to War Against Your Yetzer Hara – That’s Doing What a Melech Does
Bitachon Weekly | February 16, 2024
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Going to War Against Your Yetzer Hara – That’s Doing What a Melech Does

Bitachon Weekly | December 10, 2025

The Shulchan represented wealth and Malchus, like the saying: “Shulchan Melochim”. (Rashi). What do kings have to do with tables? And why did Dovid (the true king) have to be a person with an unusual Yetzer Hara (an Admoni, like Eisav, L'havdil).

The idea of Malchus is to be: מוֹשֵׁל in control over your own Retzonos, and to be a “Melech” over your: אֵב רִים limbs. If you don’t have a strong Yetzer Hara, then you cannot be considered as if you are really exercising your self-control over anything.

The Rambam calls the section that deals with Melochim: ה ל כוֹת מ ל כ ים וּמִ לְ חַ מוֹתֵ יהֶ ם The Halachos of kings and their wars. A Melech goes to war. And against whom does he war? Against his true enemy; i.e., the Yetzer Hara. (Chovos Halvavos). That’s why Dovid had to have a difficult Admoni nature, with plenty of fighting to do, so he could be the true Malchus. And a Shulchan (table) symbolizes Ta'avos Olam HaZeh, which have to be restrained and/or conquered. That’s why the Shulchan had a: מ ס גֶרֶת fence, besides the: רזֵ crown.

This is similar to the: סוֹרֵג “Soreg”, which was a fence that encircled the: עַז רִה courtyard of the Bais Hamikdash to keep out those who don’t belong (a Tamei and a Goy who doesn’t restrain). We can suggest that the Shulchan can include anyone, not only Malchus Bais Dovid, since every human can become a: מוֹשֵׁל ruler over his Ta'avos. Malchus can extend to others besides Malchus Bais Dovid, as Chazal say: מַאן מַל כֵי רַבּ נִן Who are the real kings? The Chachomim.

The best part of you, your glory, and your shine, is your Yetzer Hara!

The Shulchan represented wealth and Malchus, like the saying: “Shulchan Melochim”. (Rashi). What do kings have to do with tables? And why did Dovid (the true king) have to be a person with an unusual Yetzer Hara (an Admoni, like Eisav, L'havdil).

The idea of Malchus is to be: מוֹשֵׁל in control over your own Retzonos, and to be a “Melech” over your: אֵב רִים limbs. If you don’t have a strong Yetzer Hara, then you cannot be considered as if you are really exercising your self-control over anything.

The Rambam calls the section that deals with Melochim: ה ל כוֹת מ ל כ ים וּמִ לְ חַ מוֹתֵ יהֶ ם The Halachos of kings and their wars. A Melech goes to war. And against whom does he war? Against his true enemy; i.e., the Yetzer Hara. (Chovos Halvavos). That’s why Dovid had to have a difficult Admoni nature, with plenty of fighting to do, so he could be the true Malchus. And a Shulchan (table) symbolizes Ta'avos Olam HaZeh, which have to be restrained and/or conquered. That’s why the Shulchan had a: מ ס גֶרֶת fence, besides the: רזֵ crown.

This is similar to the: סוֹרֵג “Soreg”, which was a fence that encircled the: עַז רִה courtyard of the Bais Hamikdash to keep out those who don’t belong (a Tamei and a Goy who doesn’t restrain). We can suggest that the Shulchan can include anyone, not only Malchus Bais Dovid, since every human can become a: מוֹשֵׁל ruler over his Ta'avos. Malchus can extend to others besides Malchus Bais Dovid, as Chazal say: מַאן מַל כֵי רַבּ נִן Who are the real kings? The Chachomim.

The best part of you, your glory, and your shine, is your Yetzer Hara!

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