Words of Rabbi Nachman - Article 6

6

The evil inclination <yaitzehr huhruh, usually spelled: yetzer hura> resembles someone who goes and runs amongst people with a closed fist, and no one knows what is inside it. And he deceives people, and asks each one: “What am I holding?” And to each one it seems as If he is holding what he (-that person) desires. And therefore everyone runs after him, because each one thinks that he (-the yetzer hura) has in his hand what he (-each person) desires. And afterwards he (-the yetzer hura) opens his hand and it has nothing in it. Similarly mamash (-exactly) [is] the evil inclination in that he deceives the entire world, and everyone runs after him, and he deceives each and everyone, so that it seems to each and everyone as if he (-the yetzer hura) has in his hand what he (-each one) desires, each one according to his folly and his desire, and afterwards in the end he (-the yetzer hura) opens his hand, and there is nothing in it, because there is no one who fills their desire by him.

All the desires of the world are also similar to beams of light that enter the house from the light of the sun, ostensibly they appear to be shafts due to the shining of the sun. And it is they want to grasp those beams of light, so they grasp and grab but there is nothing in the hand, so too are all the desires of this world.[1]

---

[1] See also Likutay Moharan 72, that just like today thoughts of idolatry have no substance and are just folly, so too the (physical) beauty and allure of women in reality is just emptiness and folly, see there.

Na Nach Nachma Nachman MayUman!