The Help Meet
The maggid of Zlotchov was asked by one of his disciples: “The Talmud says that the child in the womb of his mother looks from one end of the world to the other, and knows all the teachings, but that the instant it comes in contact with the air of earth, an angel strikes it on the mouth, and it forgets everything. I do not understand why this should be: first know everything and then forget it?” “A trace is left behind in man,” the rabbi answered, “by dint of which he can re-acquire knowledge of the world and the teachings, and do his service.” “But why must the angel strike him?” asked the disciple. “If this were not so, there would be no evil.” “Quite true,” the rabbi answered. “But if there were no evil, there would be no good, for good is the counterpart of evil. Everlasting delight is no delight. That is how we must interpret what we are taught: that the creation of the world took place for the good of its creatures. And that is why it is written: ‘It is not good that the man’—that is to say the primal man God created—’should be alone,’ that is, without the counter-effect and the hindrance of the Evil Urge, as before the creation of the world. For there is no good, unless its counterpart exists. And further on we read: ‘I will make him a help meet for him’—the fact that evil confronts good gives man the possibility of victory: of rejecting evil and choosing good, and only then does the good exist truly and perfectly.”
Tales of the Hasidim (p. 134). Kindle Edition.
The maggid of Zlotchov was asked by one of his disciples: “The Talmud says that the child in the womb of his mother looks from one end of the world to the other, and knows all the teachings, but that the instant it comes in contact with the air of earth, an angel strikes it on the mouth, and it forgets everything. I do not understand why this should be: first know everything and then forget it?” “A trace is left behind in man,” the rabbi answered, “by dint of which he can re-acquire knowledge of the world and the teachings, and do his service.” “But why must the angel strike him?” asked the disciple. “If this were not so, there would be no evil.” “Quite true,” the rabbi answered. “But if there were no evil, there would be no good, for good is the counterpart of evil. Everlasting delight is no delight. That is how we must interpret what we are taught: that the creation of the world took place for the good of its creatures. And that is why it is written: ‘It is not good that the man’—that is to say the primal man God created—’should be alone,’ that is, without the counter-effect and the hindrance of the Evil Urge, as before the creation of the world. For there is no good, unless its counterpart exists. And further on we read: ‘I will make him a help meet for him’—the fact that evil confronts good gives man the possibility of victory: of rejecting evil and choosing good, and only then does the good exist truly and perfectly.”
Tales of the Hasidim (p. 134). Kindle Edition.
Zlotshov is the name of a Hasidic dynasty founded by Rebbe Yechiel Michel; Zlotshov or Zlotshev is the Yiddish name of Zolochiv, a town in present-day Ukraine. Known as the "Maggid of Zlotchev", Yechiel Michel (1726 - the 25th of Elul 5546/18 September 1786) was a disciple of the Baal Shem Tov, the founder of Hasidism, and of the Maggid of Mezritch.
With The Evil Urge (The Yetzer)
Once, when Rabbi Pinhas entered the House of Study, he saw that his disciples, who had been talking busily, stopped and started at his coming. He asked them: “What were you talking about?” “Rabbi,” they said, “we were saying how afraid we are that the Evil Urge will pursue us.” “Don’t worry,” he replied. “You have not gotten high enough for it to pursue you. For the time being, you are still pursuing it.”
Tales of the Hasidim (p. 124). Kindle Edition.
Once, when Rabbi Pinhas entered the House of Study, he saw that his disciples, who had been talking busily, stopped and started at his coming. He asked them: “What were you talking about?” “Rabbi,” they said, “we were saying how afraid we are that the Evil Urge will pursue us.” “Don’t worry,” he replied. “You have not gotten high enough for it to pursue you. For the time being, you are still pursuing it.”
Tales of the Hasidim (p. 124). Kindle Edition.
רבי מאיר הוה מתלוצץ בעוברי עבירה יומא חד אידמי ליה שטן כאיתתא בהך גיסא דנהרא לא הוה מברא נקט מצרא וקא עבר כי מטא פלגא מצרא שבקיה אמר אי לאו דקא מכרזי ברקיעא הזהרו בר' מאיר ותורתו שויתיה לדמך תרתי מעי ר' עקיבא הוה מתלוצץ בעוברי עבירה יומא חד אידמי ליה שטן כאיתתא בריש דיקלא נקטיה לדיקלא וקסליק ואזיל כי מטא לפלגיה דדיקלא שבקיה אמר אי לאו דמכרזי ברקיעא הזהרו ברבי עקיבא ותורתו שויתיה לדמך תרתי מעי
The Gemara relates: Rabbi Meir would ridicule transgressors by saying it is easy to avoid temptation. One day, Satan appeared to him as a woman standing on the other side of the river. Since there was no ferry to cross the river, he took hold of a rope bridge and crossed the river. When he reached halfway across the rope bridge, the evil inclination left him and said to him: Were it not for the fact that they proclaim about you in heaven: Be careful with regard to Rabbi Meir and his Torah, I would have made your blood like two ma’a, i.e., completely worthless, since you would have fallen completely from your spiritual level. Rabbi Akiva would likewise ridicule transgressors. One day, Satan appeared to him as a woman at the top of a palm tree. Rabbi Akiva grabbed hold of the palm tree and began climbing. When he was halfway up the palm tree, the evil inclination left him and said to him: Were it not for the fact that they proclaim about you in heaven: Be careful with regard to Rabbi Akiva and his Torah, I would have made your blood like two ma’a.
פְּלֵימוֹ הֲוָה רְגִיל לְמֵימַר כׇּל יוֹמָא ״גִּירָא בְּעֵינֵיהּ דְּשָׂטָן״. יוֹמָא חַד מַעֲלֵי יוֹמָא דְכִיפּוּרֵי הֲוָה. אִידְּמִי לֵיהּ כְּעַנְיָא. אֲתָא קְרָא אַבָּבָא, אַפִּיקוּ לֵיהּ רִיפְתָּא. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: יוֹמָא כִּי הָאִידָּנָא כּוּלֵּי עָלְמָא גַּוַּאי וַאֲנָא אַבָּרַאי? עַיְּילֵיהּ וְקָרִיבוּ לֵיהּ רִיפְתָּא. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: יוֹמָא כִּי הָאִידָּנָא כּוּלֵּי עָלְמָא אַתַּכָּא וַאֲנָא לְחוֹדַאי? אַתְיוּהּ אוֹתְבוּהּ אַתַּכָּא. הֲוָה יָתֵיב מְלָא נַפְשֵׁיהּ שִׁיחְנָא וְכִיבֵי (עֲלֵיהּ) וַהֲוָה קָעָבֵיד בֵּיהּ מִילֵּי דִּמְאִיס. אֲמַר לֵיהּ:
The Sage Peleimu had the habit to say every day: An arrow in the eye of Satan, mocking the temptations of the evil inclination. One day, it was the eve of Yom Kippur, and Satan appeared to him as a pauper who came and called him to the door, requesting alms. Peleimu brought out bread to him. Satan said to him: On a day like today, everyone is inside eating, and shall I stand outside and eat? Peleimu brought him inside and gave him bread. He said to him: On a day like today, everyone is sitting at the table, and shall I sit by myself? They brought him and sat him at the table. He was sitting and had covered himself with boils and pus, and he was doing repulsive things at the table. Peleimu said to the pauper:
תִּיב שַׁפִּיר. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: הַבוּ לִי כָּסָא, יְהַבוּ לֵיהּ כָּסָא. אַכְמַר שְׁדָא בֵּיהּ כִּיחוֹ. נְחַרוּ בֵּיהּ. שְׁקָא וּמִית. שְׁמַעוּ דַּהֲווֹ קָאָמְרִי: פְּלֵימוֹ קְטַל גַּבְרָא! פְּלֵימוֹ קְטַל גַּבְרָא! עֲרַק וּטְשָׁא נַפְשֵׁיהּ בְּבֵית הַכִּסֵּא. אָזֵיל בָּתְרֵיהּ, נְפַל קַמֵּיהּ. כִּי דְּחַזְיֵיהּ דַּהֲוָה מִצְטַעַר גַּלִּי לֵיהּ נַפְשֵׁיהּ. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: מַאי טַעְמָא אָמְרַתְּ הָכִי? וְאֶלָּא הֵיכִי אֵימָא? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: לֵימָא מָר ״רַחֲמָנָא נִגְעַר בֵּיהּ בְּשָׂטָן״.
Sit properly and do not act in a revolting manner. Satan then said to him: Give me a cup. They gave him a cup. He coughed up his phlegm and spat it into the cup. They berated him for acting this way, at which point Satan pretended to sink down and die. They heard people around them saying: Peleimu killed a man! Peleimu killed a man! Peleimu fled and hid himself in the bathroom. Satan followed him and fell before him. Upon seeing that Peleimu was suffering, he revealed himself to him. Satan said to him: What is the reason that you spoke this way, provoking me by saying: An arrow in the eye of Satan? He replied: But what then should I say? Satan said to him: Let the Master, i.e., Peleimu, say: Let the Merciful One rebuke the Satan.
רַבִּי חִיָּיא בַּר אָשֵׁי הֲוָה רְגִיל כׇּל עִידָּן דַּהֲוָה נָפֵל לְאַפֵּיהּ הֲוָה אָמַר: ״הָרַחֲמָן יַצִּילֵנוּ מִיֵּצֶר הָרָע״. יוֹמָא חַד (שְׁמַעְתִּינְהוּ) [שְׁמַעְתֵּיהּ] דְּבֵיתְהוּ, אֲמַרָה: מִכְּדֵי הָא כַּמָּה שְׁנֵי דְּפָרֵישׁ לֵיהּ מִינַּאי, מַאי טַעְמָא קָאָמַר הָכִי? יוֹמָא חֲדָא הֲוָה קָא גָרֵיס בְּגִינְּתֵיהּ. קַשִּׁטָה נַפְשַׁהּ, חָלְפָה וְתָנְיָיה קַמֵּיהּ. אֲמַר לַהּ: מַאן אַתְּ? אֲמַרָה: אֲנָא חָרוּתָא דַּהֲדַרִי מִיּוֹמָא. תַּבְעַהּ. אֲמַרָה לֵיהּ: אַיְיתִי נִיהֲלַי לְהָךְ רוּמָּנָא דְּרֵישׁ צוּצִיתָא. שְׁוַור, אֲזַל אַתְיֵיהּ נִיהֲלַהּ. כִּי אֲתָא לְבֵיתֵיהּ הֲוָה קָא שָׁגְרָא דְּבֵיתְהוּ תַּנּוּרָא, סָלֵיק וְקָא יָתֵיב בְּגַוֵּיהּ. אֲמַרָה לֵיהּ: מַאי הַאי? אֲמַר לַהּ: הָכִי וְהָכִי הֲוָה מַעֲשֶׂה. אָמְרָה לֵיהּ: אֲנָא הֲוַאי. לָא אַשְׁגַּח בַּהּ, עַד דִּיהַבָה לֵיהּ סִימָנֵי. אָמַר לַהּ: אֲנָא מִיהָא לְאִיסּוּרָא אִיכַּוַּונִי. כׇּל יָמָיו שֶׁל אוֹתוֹ צַדִּיק הָיָה מִתְעַנֶּה עַד שֶׁמֵּת בְּאוֹתָהּ מִיתָה.
The Gemara relates: Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Ashi was accustomed to say, whenever he would fall on his face in prayer: May the Merciful One save us from the evil inclination. One day his wife heard him saying this prayer. She said: After all, it has been several years since he has withdrawn from engaging in intercourse with me due to his advanced years. What is the reason that he says this prayer, as there is no concern that he will engage in sinful sexual behavior? One day, while he was studying in his garden, she adorned herself and repeatedly walked past him. He said: Who are you? She said: I am Ḥaruta, a well-known prostitute, returning from my day at work. He propositioned her. She said to him: Give me that pomegranate from the top of the tree as payment. He leapt up, went, and brought it to her, and they engaged in intercourse. When he came home, his wife was lighting a fire in the oven. He went and sat inside it. She said to him: What is this? He said to her: Such and such an incident occurred; he told her that he engaged in intercourse with a prostitute. She said to him: It was I. He paid no attention to her, thinking she was merely trying to comfort him, until she gave him signs that it was indeed she. He said to her: I, in any event, intended to transgress. The Gemara relates: All the days of that righteous man he would fast for the transgression he intended to commit, until he died by that death in his misery.