Rabbi Marc D. Rudolph

According to the rabbis, there is an internal struggle between good and evil in the human psyche. The force that pulls us to act morally and to think of others is called the “Good Inclination”. The force that pull us to act against moral and ethical standards and to act selfishly is called the “Evil Inclination”. The Sefat Emet interprets Pharoah’s dream in the Joseph story as teaching us something important about human nature. In this teaching, the Evil Inclination is personified. First, here are the relevant verses from this week’s Torah portion:

“…….Paraoh dreamed that he was standing by the Nile,

“when out of the Nile there came up seven cows, handsome and sturdy, and they grazed in the reed grass.

“But presently, seven other cows came up from the Nile close behind them, evil looking and gaunt, and stood beside the cows grazing in the reeds on the bank of the Nile;

“and the evil looking gaunt cows ate up the seven handsome sturdy cows. And Pharaoh awoke.” (Genesis 43:1-4)

The seven evil looking gaunt cows symbolize the Evil Inclination. Note that they undertake three actions – 1) They come up from the Nile  2) They stand beside the handsome and sturdy cows  3) they devour the seven handsome and sturdy cows.

This represents three steps the Evil Inclination takes.

First, “coming up from the Nile” –The Evil Inclination seems to come out of the blue. It cautiously investigates a person’s ways. It follows him at a distance and carefully examines a person’s behavior.

Second, standing beside – The Evil Inclination joins a person and becomes comfortable in his or her presence.

Third, it swallows him entirely.

This is what the Talmud means when it says that the Evil Inclination is first invited in as a guest and afterwards becomes the master of the house.