refers to the "good inclination" or "good impulse."
humans have two moral inclinations within them:
Yetzer Hara was the natural human tendency toward selfishness and temptation—not a fallen angel, demon
Yetzer Hatov (יֵצֶר הַטּוֹב) – The good inclination
The internal drive to do righteousness and follow God's commandments.
Encourages obedience to the Torah and ethical living.
Associated with wisdom, justice, and self-discipline.
Yetzer Hara (יֵצֶר הָרָע) – The evil inclination
The internal drive toward selfishness, temptation, and sin.
Not inherently evil but represents base desires that must be controlled.
Old Hebrew Understanding (Pre-Greek Influence, 1 BC)
By 1 BC, the Yetzer Hatov concept was well established in Hebrew thought, especially in the Second Temple Period. It was rooted in the Tanakh (Old Testament) and early Jewish writings rather than later Greek philosophical interpretations.
Biblical Roots: While the term itself is not directly found in the Old Testament, the concept appears in verses like:
Genesis 6:5 – "The inclination (Yetzer) of the heart of man was only evil continually."
Deuteronomy 6:5 – "Love the Lord your God with all your heart..." (interpreted as following Yetzer Hatov).
Ecclesiastes 7:29 – "God made mankind upright, but they have sought many schemes."
Before Greek influence (Hellenization), Hebrew thought saw Yetzer Hatov as an integral part of covenantal obedience to God, not as an abstract moral dualism like in Greek philosophy. Unlike later rabbinic discussions (post-Philo, post-Mishnah), the 1st-century BC understanding was practical and Torah-centered, emphasizing free will, obedience to God, and moral struggle rather than philosophical speculation.