“Only be strong not to eat the blood…” (Devarim 12:23)
Rashi notes that the commandment not to eat blood should ostensibly be very easy to observe because people are typically repulsed by the sight of blood. By highlighting such a mitzvah as one that requires us to strengthen ourselves in order to perform it, the Torah highlights the exigency of reinforcing oneself in the performance of mitzvos in general – as the Evil Inclination is exceedingly fierce in its effort to persuade one to err and sin.
A story in Sanhedrin (102b) illustrates the tenacity of the Evil Inclination:
One day, Rav Ashi ended his lecture just before reaching the topic of the three kings who lost their share in the World to Come. “Tomorrow we will begin with our colleagues, the three kings,” he told his students.
That night, King Menashe came to him in a dream and criticized Rav Ashi for naming him as his “colleague,” i.e. an equal. He asked the sage whether he knows from where one is required to cut the loaf of bread when reciting the HaMotzi. Rav Ashi admitted he did not know, demonstrating that he was, in fact, not in the league of Menashe. Rav Ashi asked Menashe to teach him the halacha and he would repeat it in his class the next day in his name. Menashe told him the loaf is cut at the point where it is most well-baked.
Rav Ashi then said, “If you are so wise, why did you worship idols?”
“Had you lived in that generation,” responded Menashe, “you would have lifted the bottom of your robe to be able to run quickly in pursuit of the avodah zarah.”
When Rav Ashi entered the lecture hall the next day, he told his disciples that they would begin the day’s lesson with “our teachers” – ones who were indeed great in Torah knowledge, but whose sins caused them to lose their share in the World to Come.
Our sages argue that Menashe ultimately did earn a share in the World to Come because he repented for 33 years of his life and entreated Hashem. Hashem made a special secret pact in Heaven for him to be admitted.
Rabbi Yitzchak Dov Koppelman, Rosh Yeshiva of Lucerne, notes here the forceful intensity of the Evil Inclination in inciting an individual to pursue his desires, despite the person’s disgust with his proclivity. When the sages saw the insurmountable challenges the population encountered due to their desire to worship idols, they prayed to Hashem to remove that craving. Other passions, however, still exist, and the Torah therefore adjures us (Devarim 12:4) “You shall not do this to Hashem, your G-d.” Despite an innate repulsion for blood, there is still the possibility that one may be tempted to eat blood because the Evil Inclination is persistent, persuasive, and compelling.
The pasuk says (Vayikra 20:26), ”I have separated you from the people of the nations to be Mine.” One should disconnect himself from anything that is sinful and accept upon himself the yoke of the Heavenly Kingdom. But it should be clearly apparent that his actions are totally for the sake of Heaven. Our sages teach us that one should not say that he is repulsed by non-kosher meat, nor that he abhors wearing a garment made of linen and wool; rather, one should say, “I would like to be able to eat non-kosher meat, but the Torah decrees us not to do it.”
Rabbi Koppelman observes that one who abstains from a practice that is forbidden by the Torah because he is disgusted by it is in truth serving himself and not the Creator.
A chain-smoker once came to the Rabbi and described how he could not exist without his cigarettes. Smoking was his greatest pleasure, however he very much wanted to stop smoking. All he saw and all he could think about was cigarettes. He had joined numerous programs and spent thousands of dollars, yet despite all his efforts to quit smoking he had been unsuccessful. To his surprise, the rabbi advised him, “Listen, my good friend, continue to smoke as you wish! Do not get involved in trying to do something that you know you will not be able to do. However, I would make one suggestion. Only smoke half the cigarette, and throw away the remainder. Do not concern yourself about the aveirah of bal tashchis – wasting – because it’s a bigger waste when you smoke it. After three or four weeks you will have become accustomed to smoking only half of the cigarette. At that point come back to see me.”
Indeed, the plan worked. The man adapted to smoking half a cigarette, and he returned to the rabbi.
“Now,” said the rabbi, “divide the remaining half that you are smoking into half again, and smoke the remaining quarter of the cigarette. Try this for three or four weeks.”
The advice worked and the smoker succeeded in kicking the habit.
Why did it work and why aren’t there such programs in the world? The reason is because according to the Torah and our holy sefarim, our soul is inspired by our deeds. The Sefer HaChinuch (Mitzvah 16) states that “man is acted upon according to his actions, and his heart and all his thoughts always follow after the actions that he does.”
