Beraishis 6C Free Will and Evil – יצר מחשבות לבו רק רע כל היום

וירא השם כי רבה רעת האדם בארץ וכל יצר מחשבת לבו רק רע כל היום

God saw that the evil of man was great on the earth and that every design of of the thoughts of his heart was nothing but evil every day.

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כי רבה רעת האדם בארץ
Man’s evil deeds shattered the harmony in the world.

וכל יצר מחשבת לבו רק רע כל היום
יצר has been incorrectly translated and understood to mean “impulse” or “urge”. This is the source of Christian dogma that claims that the power of evil holds sway over man over which he can only be saved by virtue of a certain belief.

But the root of the word יצר does not mean forcing, but shaping. Additionally, the word Yaitzer used here is written in the passive form, not the active form. It does not shape but it is shaped. Accordingly יצר מחשבת לבנו means the formations, designs, of our thoughts.

A weaver’s work is called מעשה חושב. He connects and combines the materials. So too the word for thought is חושב. The raw material is handed over to the intellect. All qualities, good or (seemingly) evil are turned over to combine them into צורות – shapes.

We can exercise our free will and shape the material we are entrusted with any way we like. We are instructed by God to follow His Will. He shows us the correct pattern to weave. If we follow His pattern, all is good. All aspects of our existence are planned and used as He wishes. (There is no inherent evil. There is wrong application. GS)

(see more on page 169)

Beraishis 6:5
pages 167-169