We began exploring the idea of 'sinful desire' last week. Here's what we learned: The Torah often prohibits specific thoughts and feelings, including hatred, bearing a grudge, haughtiness, cynicism, sadness and anger.

When prohibiting turning to practicers of Ov and Yidoni with questions about the future, the Torah also hints that one should not even 'desire to become impure through them'.

Medieval philosophers believed that a great person no longer desires to sin.

The Talmud indicates that it is better to retain the desire to sin but still overcome it.

The Rambam reconciles the two schools of thought: logical, self-understood wrongs such as theft and murder should never be desired, while one should retain desire for novel sins such as eating pork. We're left with some basic questions: Why should it be forbidden to desire to sin?

If desire to sin is problematic, why should only desire for 'logical sins' be prohibited?

Why is it specifically in the context of Ov and Yidoni, rather than within any other prohibition, that the Torah teaches us this lesson? The soul of a wicked man desires evil; his neighbor finds no favor in his eyes. נֶפֶשׁ רָשָׁע אִוְּתָה רָע לֹא יֻחַן בְּעֵינָיו רֵעֵהוּ -Mishle, 21:10



-Additionally, we saw the Ruach Chaim's explanation of the teaching in Pirke Avot, 'Nullify your will before His', saying that one should only desire to do God's will. And the great Rabbi Chaim Shmulevitz echoes this idea:



The purpose of a person is to reach the level in which is not acting according to his own wisdom, but through a complete and decisive servitude...

-Sichos Mussar



-These teachings shed some light on the verse in Mishle; it is wrong to desire to sin, but not only for the reason we would have guessed. A person's sinful desire doesn't just lead to him to wrong actions, but also shows that he is lacking in his relationship with Hashem. We recently learned (Moshe: Servant of God; Vayikra-Tzav) that Moshe Rabbenu was called Hashem's servant because the only thing he wanted was Hashem's Honor. Inversely, then, one who wants to steal or do something that goes against God's will must not be fully dedicated to Him- this desire is bad regardless of whether he will act upon it.



At the same time, it's not technically a sin to harbor these desires; although the actions and thoughts that the Torah normally forbids-the 'negative commandments'-are not at all flexible, desiring to commit them is a different thing altogether: not inherently wrong, but rather a reflection of poor commitment to Hashem. Accordingly, we can accept that conquering such inclinations is often the work of a lifetime; the many physical and emotional drives Hashem implants in us cannot always be fully overcome immediately, and our job is to constantly work at eliminating them. So while Moshe did reach the level of a completely devoted servant, the desires we ordinary people still have don't make us sinners- just human. The key is to continually strive towards 'Nullify your will before His' (Pirke Avot).

Still, we only must eliminate desires for 'logical' sins- because if Hashem designed the human soul to feel that murder, theft and adultery are wrong, it must be because He wants us to feel that way. (After all, He could have made us with the intuition that eating pork is a terrible thing- we only can't imagine what the problem would be because He didn't design us with that moral instinct!) -And so if Hashem decided that we should instinctively oppose murder intellectually, then to desire it would be a violation of His will. Put simply, if He wants us to think that something is wrong, He does not want us to desire it. Sins like eating pork, though, work in the opposite direction. Being that we weren't made to naturally reject wearing wool and linen together, the best way to grow in our 'servitude level' is to maintain a desire for it. For example, I should want to buy a really nice suit although it's forbidden to wear- and to nevertheless abstain. That builds my dedication to Hashem, in that I am reinforcing my commitment to follow His commands, since the only reason I am not buying that suit is Hashem.



-So it's really all about how we can become better servants of Hashem through the mitzvot he gives us. This gives new meaning to a famous teaching:

- Mitzvos were only given to refine us. See the Ramban on the mitzvah of Shiluach HaKen in Parashas Ki Tetze.



Like the smith who purifies his silver through tremendous heat, so does Hashem purify us- bringing out our potential as His People- through the commandments He gives us. In fact, this comparison should really remind us of our very begining as the Chosen Nation...

We had been in Egypt for many extremely difficult years before Hashem took us out:

'...and He took you out from the metal crucible (Rashi: the tool with which one purifies metal), from Egypt, to be His as a Nation...' -Va'etchanan, 4:20



-What's the meaning of that expression? We now understand: that exile, in which we were slaves and completely subjugated, served as a purification process, so that we would emerge as servants of a different type: Hashem's People. As commentators explain, only once we had felt real slavery could we truly know how to dedicate ourselves to Hashem; Egypt, despite the pain and suffering it brought us, was also the best way for us to become close to God.

Ironically, though, the more we commit ourselves, the less of a burden this relationship becomes! As we evolve from simply 'making His will like our own' to 'Nullifying our will before His', we no longer 'fight' the mitzvot, but rather embrace them as opportunities to grow and become closer to Hashem. Even in maintaining desire for 'illogical' commandments, we aren't forever struggling to follow Hashem. Rather, we eventually reach the point where we must be work to have any 'sinful' desire at all!

Finally, we may now understand the reason why the hint to this whole topic is found specifically in the context of Ov and Yidoni. Elsewhere, the Torah has strong words for those who engage in sorcery, fortunetelling and the like:



For whoever does all these is an abomination for Hashem... You shall be whole with Hashem your God! -Shoftim, 18:12-13



Go with Him with simple faith, and yearn for Him. And don't go after 'the futures', but rather all that comes to you accept with simple faith- and then you will be His nation, and as His portion. -Rashi



-So that's the answer to our last question; Ov and Yidoni are directly opposed to simple faith, to wanting what Hashem wants. And in avoiding the lures of looking to the future, we choose to live with the faith that everything Hashem gives us is good. We value our relationship, trust Him and believe that the Torah is good. And then we can truly call ourselves His People. For starters, here's the source the Rambam quotes in supporting the philosophers' belief:-Mishle, 21:10-Additionally, we saw the Ruach Chaim's explanation of the teaching in Pirke Avot, 'Nullify your will before His', saying that one should only desire to do God's will. And the great Rabbi Chaim Shmulevitz echoes this idea:The purpose of a person is to reach the level in which is not acting according to his own wisdom, but through a complete and decisive servitude...-Sichos Mussar-These teachings shed some light on the verse in Mishle; it is wrong to desire to sin, but not only for the reason we would have guessed. A person's sinful desire doesn't just lead to him to wrong actions,. We recently learned (Moshe: Servant of God; Vayikra-Tzav) that Moshe Rabbenu was called Hashem's servant because the only thing he wanted was Hashem's Honor. Inversely, then, one who wants to steal or do something that goes against God's will must not be fully dedicated to Him- this desire is bad regardless of whether he will act upon it.At the same time, it's not technically a sin to harbor these desires; although the actions and thoughts that the Torah normally forbids-the 'negative commandments'-are not at all flexible, desiring to commit them is a different thing altogether: not inherently wrong, but rather a reflection of poor commitment to Hashem. Accordingly, we can accept that. So while Moshe did reach the level of a completely devoted servant, the desires we ordinary people still have don't make us sinners- just human. The key is to continually strive towards 'Nullify your will before His' (Pirke Avot).Still, we only must eliminate desires for 'logical' sins- because if Hashem designed the human soul to feel that murder, theft and adultery are wrong, it must be because He wants us to feel that way. (After all, He could have made us with the intuition that eating pork is a terrible thing- we only can't imagine what the problem would be because He didn't design us with that moral instinct!) -. Sins like eating pork, though, work in the opposite direction. Being that we weren't made to naturally reject wearing wool and linen together, the best way to grow in our 'servitude level' is to maintain a desire for it. For example, I should want to buy a really nice suit although it's forbidden to wear- and to nevertheless abstain. That builds my dedication to Hashem, in that I am reinforcing my commitment to follow His commands, since the only reason I am not buying that suit is Hashem.-So it's really all about how we can become better servants of Hashem through the mitzvot he gives us. This gives new meaning to a famous teaching:MitzvosRambanmitzvahShiluach HaKenParashas Ki Tetze.Like the smith who purifies his silver through tremendous heat, so does Hashem purify us- bringing out our potential as His People- through the commandments He gives us. In fact, this comparison should really remind us of our very begining as the Chosen Nation...We had been in Egypt for many extremely difficult years before Hashem took us out:'...and He took you out from the metal crucible (Rashi: the tool with which one purifies metal), from Egypt, to be His as a Nation...' -Va'etchanan, 4:20-What's the meaning of that expression? We now understand:. As commentators explain, only once we had felt real slavery could we truly know how to dedicate ourselves to Hashem; Egypt, despite the pain and suffering it brought us,! As we evolve from simply 'making His will like our own' to 'Nullifying our will before His', we no longer 'fight' the mitzvot, but rather embrace them as opportunities to grow and become closer to Hashem. Even in maintaining desire for 'illogical' commandments, we aren't forever struggling to follow Hashem. Rather, we eventually reach the point where we must be work to have any 'sinful' desire at all!Finally, we may now understand the reason why the hint to this whole topic is found specifically in the context of Ov and Yidoni. Elsewhere, the Torah has strong words for those who engage in sorcery, fortunetelling and the like:For whoever does all these is an abomination for Hashem... You shall be whole with Hashem your God! -Shoftim, 18:12-13. -Rashi-So that's the answer to our last question; Ov and Yidoni are directly opposed to simple faith, to wanting what Hashem wants. And in avoiding the lures of looking to the future, we choose to live with the faith that everything Hashem gives us is good. We value our relationship, trust Him and believe that the Torah is good. And then we can truly call ourselves His People.

Have a great Shabbat!

Elli