It
Is
Forbidden
to
Hear
a
Good
Thing
from
a
Bad
Person
Article
No.
4,
1987
It
is
written
(Genesis
13:8-9),
“And
Abram
said
to
Lot,
‘Please
let
there
be
no
strife
between
you
and
me,
or
between
my
herdsmen
and
your
herdsmen,
for
we
are
brothers.
Is
not
the
whole
land
before
you?
Please
part
from
me:
if
to
the
left,
then
I
will
go
to
the
right;
and
if
to
the
right,
then
I
will
go
to
the
left.’”
We
should
understand
why
he
says
“For
we
are
brothers,”
since
they
were
not
brothers.
The
Zohar
(Lech
Lecha,
Item
86)
interprets
this
as
follows:
“‘For
we
are
brothers,’
meaning
the
evil
inclination
and
the
good
inclination
are
close
to
one
another.
One
stands
to
the
right
of
a
person
and
the
other
to
his
left.
That
is,
the
evil
inclination
stands
to
his
left,
and
the
good
inclination
to
his
right.”
Accordingly,
“for
we
are
brothers”
means
that
we
are
speaking
of
one
body
and
the
quarrel
is
between
the
good
inclination
and
the
evil
inclination,
which
are
called
brothers.
This
is
perplexing.
The
good
inclination
tells
the
evil
inclination,
“If
to
the
left,”
meaning
you
are
telling
me
to
take
the
path
of
the
left,
which
is
the
path
of
the
evil
inclination,
for
it
is
always
on
the
left,
as
it
is
written
in
The
Zohar
that
the
evil
inclination
is
to
his
left.
The
good
inclination
tells
him:
“I
will
not
go
by
your
way.
Rather,
I
will
go
by
the
way
of
the
right,
the
way
of
the
good
inclination,
which
is
always
on
the
right.
We
can
understand
this.
But
when
it
says,
“If
to
the
right,”
meaning
that
if
the
evil
inclination
goes
to
the
right,
which
is
the
path
of
the
good
inclination,
why
does
the
good
inclination
tell
it,
“Then
I
will
go
to
the
left,”
meaning
that
the
good
inclination
will
go
by
the
way
of
the
left,
which
is
the
path
of
the
evil
inclination?
This
is
difficult
to
understand.
Baal
HaSulam
asked
why
is
it
that
when
Jacob
had
an
argument
with
Laban,
it
is
written
(Genesis
31:43),
“And
Laban
replied
and
said
to
Jacob,
‘The
daughters
are
my
daughters,
and
the
children
are
my
children,
and
the
flocks
are
my
flocks,
and
all
that
you
see
is
mine.’”
That
is,
Wicked
Laban
argued
that
everything
is
his,
meaning
that
Jacob
had
no
possessions
and
everything
belonged
to
wicked
Laban.
But
why
is
it
written
(Genesis
33:9),
when
Jacob
gave
the
presents
to
Esau,
“And
Esau
said,
‘I
have
a
lot,
my
brother.
Let
what
is
yours
be
yours.’”
He
did
not
want
to
receive
from
him
everything
he
wanted
to
give
him.
But
Laban
claims
the
opposite—that
everything
is
his.
He
said
that
here
there
is
an
order
of
work—how
to
behave
in
the
work
with
the
evil
inclination
when
it
comes
to
a
person
with
its
just
arguments
in
order
to
obstruct
a
person
from
achieving
Dvekut
[adhesion]
with
the
Creator.
“Laban
said”
means
that
it
comes
with
the
argument
of
a
righteous.
It
tells
him,
when
a
person
wants
to
pray
and
wishes
to
prolong
his
prayer
a
little,
or
another
example,
when
he
wants
to
go
study
at
the
seminary,
a
person
had
in
mind
to
be
as
strong
as
a
lion
and
overcome
his
laziness.
The
evil
inclination
comes
and
argues,
“It
is
true
that
you
want
to
overcome,
to
do
the
will
of
your
Father
in
heaven,
as
it
is
written
(Avot,
Chapter
5),
“Yehuda
Ben
Tima
says,
‘Be
as
fierce
as
a
leopard,
as
light
as
an
eagle,
running
like
a
gazelle,
and
as
strong
as
a
lion
to
do
the
will
of
your
Father
in
heaven.’
“However,
I
know
that
you
have
no
desire
to
do
the
will
of
your
Father
in
heaven.
I
know
the
truth—that
you
are
working
only
for
self-love
and
you
have
no
love
for
the
Creator
that
you
can
say
that
the
fact
that
you
are
going
to
do
something
now
is
for
the
Creator.
Rather,
you
are
working
only
for
me,
for
the
Sitra
Achra
[other
side],
and
not
for
Kedusha
[sanctity/holiness].
“Thus,
what
is
this
overcoming?
That
is,
if
you
are
working
for
me
then
I
advise
you
to
sit
calmly
and
enjoy,
since
everything
you
want
to
do
is
for
me.
Therefore,
I
have
pity
on
you
so
you
will
not
make
great
efforts,
and
enjoy
the
rest.”
This
is
what
Laban
said.
That
is,
he
dressed
in
a
white
Talit
[prayer
shawl],
meaning
he
said,
“The
daughters
are
my
daughters
…
and
all
that
you
see
is
mine.”
Jacob
countered
him:
“It
is
not
so.
I
am
working
for
the
Creator.
Therefore
it
is
worthwhile
for
me
to
overcome
my
laziness
and
do
the
Creator’s
will.
I
do
not
want
to
listen
to
your
argument—the
argument
of
a
righteous
that
you
are
making.”
Wicked
Esau
was
the
opposite.
When
Jacob
came
to
him
and
wanted
to
give
him
his
possession
of
Torah
and
Mitzvot
[commandments],
Esau
told
him,
“I
have
a
lot.”
That
is,
“I
have
a
lot
of
Torah
and
Mitzvot
from
other
people,
who
are
all
working
for
me
and
not
for
the
Creator.
But
you
are
righteous;
you
are
not
working
for
me
but
for
the
Creator.
Therefore,
I
have
no
part
in
your
Torah
and
work.
This
is
why
I
do
not
want
to
receive
it
and
admit
it
into
my
authority.
Rather,
a
righteous,
and
you
are
working
only
for
the
Creator.”
Baal
HaSulam
asked
about
it:
Which
of
them
made
a
true
argument,
Laban
or
Esau?
He
said
that
in
truth,
both
said
the
truth—what
is
good
for
the
Sitra
Achra,
that
they
obstruct
a
person
from
achieving
wholeness.
The
difference
is
in
their
arguments:
whether
it
comes
before
the
act
or
after
the
act.
That
is,
prior
to
the
act,
when
a
person
wants
to
overcome
and
do
something
in
Kedusha
to
benefit
the
Creator,
the
evil
inclination
dresses
in
the
argument
of
a
righteous
and
tells
him:
“You
cannot
do
anything
for
Kedusha.
Rather,
everything
you
do
is
for
me.”
This
is
called
“All
that
you
see
is
mine.”
That
is,
you
are
doing
everything
for
the
Sitra
Achra.
In
that
case,
it
is
better
for
you
to
sit
and
do
nothing.
Why
exert
to
overcome
your
laziness?
By
this
it
subdues
a
person
so
as
not
to
engage
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot.
This
is
Laban’s
argument.
Esau’s
argument
is
after
the
act.
That
is,
if
one
finally
overcomes
Laban’s
argument
and
follows
the
path
of
Jacob,
Esau
comes
to
him
and
says:
“You
see
what
a
mighty
man
of
war
you
are?
You
are
not
like
your
friends.
They
are
lazy
and
you
are
a
man!
There
is
no
one
like
you!”
This
puts
him
into
the
lust
of
pride,
of
which
our
sages
said
(Sotah
5b),
“Rav
Hasda
said,
‘Mar
Ukva
said,
‘Any
man
in
whom
there
is
crassness
of
spirit,
the
Creator
said,
‘He
and
I
cannot
dwell
in
the
world.’’”
For
this
reason,
Jacob
counters
him
and
argues,
“This
is
wrong!
Everything
I
did
was
only
for
you,”
meaning
for
his
own
benefit,
which
is
a
will
to
receive
that
belongs
to
the
Sitra
Achra.
“Now
I
must
begin
the
work
anew
so
it
will
all
be
for
the
Creator
and
not
for
you.
But
until
now
I
have
been
working
only
for
you.”
This
is
what
Jacob
gave
to
Esau
as
a
gift
and
Esau
would
not
receive
from
him
and
argued
to
the
contrary,
that
Jacob
was
righteous
and
worked
only
for
the
Creator
and
not
for
his
own
benefit.
Now
we
can
interpret
what
we
asked,
“How
can
it
be
said
that
the
good
inclination
said
to
the
evil
inclination,
‘If
you
take
the
right
path,
I
will
take
to
the
left.’”
After
all
the
path
of
the
left
belongs
to
the
Sitra
Achra
and
not
to
the
side
of
Kedusha.
According
to
the
above
we
can
interpret
that
the
good
inclination
said
to
the
evil
inclination:
“You
should
know
that
you
cannot
deceive
me
because
I
know
one
thing—that
you
want
to
obstruct
me
from
achieving
the
degree
of
a
servant
of
the
Creator,
meaning
that
all
my
thoughts
will
be
in
order
to
bestow.
And
you,
due
to
your
role,
are
trying
to
leave
me
in
self-love.
Therefore,
how
can
I
listen
to
your
right,
meaning
when
you
come
to
me
and
clothe
in
the
argument
of
a
righteous,
namely
advise
me
to
be
righteous
and
work
for
the
Creator.
This
cannot
be
since
it
is
not
your
role.
You
probably
want
to
fail
my
achieving
the
goal
with
your
counsels.
For
this
reason,
when
you
come
with
the
argument
of
the
right,
called
Laban,
what
should
I
do?
Anything
but
listen
to
you,
and
do
the
complete
opposite
of
your
opinion.”
This
is
why
it
is
written,
“and
if
to
the
right,
then
I
will
go
to
the
left.”
Accordingly,
a
person
should
always
be
alert
not
to
fall
into
the
net
of
the
evil
inclination
that
comes
to
him
with
the
argument
of
a
righteous,
and
not
listen
to
it.
Although
it
makes
us
understand
that
we
are
not
going
on
the
straight
path,
since
what
we
want
to
do
now
is
a
Mitzva
[commandment]
that
comes
through
transgression,
by
these
words
it
ties
us
and
we
fall
into
the
trap
and
the
net,
as
it
wants
to
control
us
with
the
justness
of
its
words.
It
is
said
in
the
name
of
the
Baal
Shem
Tov
that
to
know
whether
it
is
the
advice
of
the
evil
inclination
we
must
scrutinize:
If
what
it
says
requires
labor,
it
belongs
to
the
good
inclination.
But
if
listening
to
it
will
cause
you
not
to
need
to
labor,
it
is
the
sign
of
the
evil
inclination.
By
this
we
can
discern
if
this
is
the
advice
of
the
good
inclination
or
the
evil
inclination.
For
example:
If
a
thought
comes
to
him
that
not
every
person
should
rise
before
dawn,
that
this
work
belongs
to
people
whose
Torah
is
their
craft,
and
not
just
any
Jew
can
equal
wise
disciples,
who
must
keep,
“And
he
will
contemplate
His
law
day
and
night,”
but
just
a
Jew.
It
also
brings
evidence
from
the
words
of
our
sages
to
justify
its
argument,
from
what
Rabbi
Yohanan
said
in
the
name
of
Rabbi
Shimon
Bar
Yochai
(Minchot
99):
“Even
if
a
person
reads
only
the
Shema
reading
morning
and
evening,
he
has
kept,
‘This
book
of
Torah
shall
not
move
from
your
lips.’”
Thus,
it
argues
before
him:
“It
is
better
for
you
to
get
up
in
the
morning
like
everyone
else
and
not
be
tired
the
rest
of
the
day.
Then
you
will
be
able
to
pray
with
more
intention
than
you
will
be
able
to
pray
if
you
rise
before
dawn.”
It
is
known
from
all
the
books
of
Hassidut
that
prayer
is
the
most
important,
since
in
prayer,
a
person
thinks
of
nothing
but
that
the
Creator
will
hear
his
prayer.
The
prayer
is
when
we
can
aim
more
easily
and
feel
before
whom
we
stand.
It
is
not
so
when
studying
Torah,
although
it
is
written,
“Learning
Torah
is
equal
to
all
of
them.”
It
is
also
interpreted
that
the
meaning
is
that
the
Torah
brings
one
importance
and
greatness
of
the
Creator.
It
follows
that
the
Torah
is
only
a
remedy
that
brings
a
person
the
ability
to
pray
and
feel
the
words
“before
whom
you
stand,”
which
is
a
remedy
by
which
to
achieve
Dvekut
[adhesion].
When
a
person
prays
to
the
Creator
he
can
know
with
whom
he
speaks
and
in
what
manner
he
is
speaking
with
the
Creator.
At
that
time
he
can
annul
before
the
Creator,
and
this
is
the
most
important—that
he
will
annul
his
own
authority.
He
needs
to
come
to
feel
that
there
is
nothing
in
the
world
but
the
Creator,
and
a
person
wants
to
adhere
to
Him
and
annul
his
own
authority.
Our
sages
said
even
more:
All
the
good
deeds
that
a
person
does,
both
Torah
and
other
things
in
Kedusha,
a
person
can
see
if
they
are
in
order
according
to
his
feeling
during
prayer.
It
follows
that
prayer
is
the
most
important.
“If
you
rise
before
dawn
it
will
all
be
ruined.
So
what
are
you
gaining?”
Clearly,
it
is
arguing
the
argument
of
a
righteous.
At
that
time
a
person
can
scrutinize:
If
he
listens
to
its
argument
and
it
will
give
him
more
work
then
he
can
know
it
is
the
argument
of
the
good
inclination.
If
he
listens
to
its
advice
and
it
will
give
him
less
work,
it
is
a
sign
that
now
the
evil
inclination
speaks
to
him,
but
clothed
in
the
argument
of
a
righteous.
By
this
it
traps
him
in
the
net
it
has
set
up
for
him
by
speaking
to
him
the
words
of
the
righteous.
In
truth,
we
always
need
a
guide
who
knows
how
to
lead
a
person,
so
as
to
tell
between
truth
and
falsehood,
since
one
cannot
scrutinize
alone.
Accordingly,
when
the
evil
inclination
comes
with
an
argument
of
a
righteous,
wanting
to
advise
a
person
how
he
can
enter
Kedusha,
we
can
interpret
what
our
sages
said
(Baba
Batra
98a),
“Anyone
who
boasts
with
a
Talit
of
a
wise
disciple,
but
is
not
a
wise
disciple,
is
not
admitted
into
the
presence
of
the
Creator.”
We
should
understand
why
it
is
such
a
grave
sin
to
boast
with
the
mantle
of
a
wise
disciple,
meaning
to
regard
the
clothing
of
a
wise
disciple
so
highly
as
to
boast
of
it.
After
all,
he
did
not
commit
such
a
grave
transgression
worthy
of
such
a
harsh
punishment
as
not
to
be
admitted
into
the
presence
of
the
Creator.
It
implies
that
we
are
speaking
of
a
person
who
is
worthy
of
being
in
the
presence
of
the
Creator,
but
this
sin
of
boasting
with
a
garment
of
a
wise
disciple
deserves
such
a
harsh
punishment.
We
should
interpret
that
it
means
that
the
evil
inclination
comes
to
a
person
and
boasts
of
the
Talit
of
a
wise
disciple,
meaning
speaks
to
a
person
like
a
wise
disciple
speaking
to
an
uneducated
person
and
advising
him
to
be
a
wise
disciple.
It
is
as
Baal
HaSulam
asked,
“What
is
a
wise
disciple?
Why
do
we
not
say
simply,
“wise?”
It
implies
we
should
know
that
wise
means
the
Creator,
whose
desire
is
to
bestow
upon
His
creatures.
One
who
learns
from
the
Creator
this
quality
of
being
a
giver
is
called
“wise
disciple,”
meaning
that
he
has
learned
from
the
Creator
to
be
a
giver.
Now
we
can
interpret
that
the
evil
inclination
comes
to
a
person
and
advises
him
how
to
achieve
Dvekut
with
the
Creator,
meaning
to
be
in
the
presence
of
the
Creator,
but
he
is
not
really
a
wise
disciple,
namely
that
the
aim
of
the
evil
inclination
is
not
to
bring
him
to
Dvekut,
but
on
the
contrary—to
separation—and
it
is
speaking
like
a
wise
disciple
because
it
wants
to
set
a
trap
for
him
to
divert
him
from
the
right
path.
If
a
person
does
not
notice
who
is
speaking
to
him—the
good
or
the
evil
inclination—and
only
hears
that
it
is
speaking
with
the
Talit
of
a
wise
disciple,
it
takes
pride
in
it,
meaning
lets
him
understand
the
importance
of
a
wise
disciple
while
conspiring
to
divert
him
to
another
path,
to
disparity
of
form.
At
that
time
one
is
told
that
he
should
know
that
if
he
listens
to
its
advice,
one
who
listens
to
its
advice
will
not
be
admitted
into
the
presence
of
the
Creator,
but
to
the
contrary.
Therefore,
one
must
be
very
careful
and
know
with
whom
he
speaks.
He
should
not
mind
what
he
is
saying,
meaning
that
even
if
it
says
good
things,
he
must
still
not
listen
to
it.
It
follows
that
from
an
indecent
person
it
is
forbidden
to
hear
even
decent
words.