What is the Purpose of Evil?

After enduring 20 years of manual labor under his swindling father-in-law Lavan, Jacob journeys back to Israel with his growing family and flocks, seeking a brighter future. But as this week’s Torah portion opens, Jacob finds himself on a crash course with Esau, his estranged twin brother who still harbors murderous intentions. On the eve of this dreaded encounter, Jacob ventures alone to retrieve some final possessions. In this moment of vulnerability, Esau's angel – his guiding spiritual force – strikes.

This was no ordinary celestial being. Our sages reveal that this opponent was none other than the Angel of Death; the Satan; the Evil Inclination. What followed would become perhaps the most consequential wrestling match in history.

Meet the Contenders

We can imagine the cosmic announcement:

"Making his way into the ring... He studied Torah without sleep for 14 years¹… He remained truthful while living under the master of deceit… He’s the father of the 12 tribes... The one and only…. Jacob!!!" [Crowd erupts]

"And, the challenger of all challengers… The force of all death and destruction… Pure evil incarnate… Please allow him to introduce himself (Rolling Stones reference)… the Yetzerrrrrrrr Hara (Evil Inclination)!!!” [Crowd recoils]

Understanding the Stakes

Ok, maybe not quite, but all joking aside, the profound implications of this conflict demand our attention. The Yetzer Hara – the Evil Inclination – is the force that unleashes all misery, anxiety, and suffering in our world. On an individual level, it is the negative inner voice driving our endless mental chatter, self-doubt, and reckless pursuit of fleeting pleasures. At its most destructive, it fuels both self-hatred and hatred of others, bringing out the very worst in mankind.

The wrestling match between Jacob and the Evil Inclination thus represents humanity's most fundamental battle: the eternal struggle between our highest aspirations and our darkest impulses.

The Battle and Its Aftermath

As the dawn breaks after the night-long struggle, the angel pleads with Jacob to release him. Jacob stands firm: “I won’t let you go until you bless me.” Acceding, the angel declares: “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with Elohim (God) and with men, and you have prevailed." The name Israel derives from שרית עם־אלהים (sarita im Elohim) – "struggles with God."²

This extraordinary encounter raises three profound questions:

1. Why does the Evil Inclination refer to itself as Elohim? Surely Jacob wrestled with the devil, not the Divine!
2. Why does the Evil Inclination seek release at daybreak?
3. Why does our nation bear a name commemorating the struggle rather than the victory?

Every Story Needs a Villain

To begin solving the mystery, let's discuss something we can all relate to: ever wonder why nearly all great stories have a villain? On a simple level, the villain infuses the story with drama. But dig deeper, and you’ll discover that the villain serves an even more essential purpose: the villain pushes the hero to achieve his greatest potential. Only when trapped and battered do heroes reach within to unleash their true capabilities, forging the legends we know and love.

Like our heroes, each of us has our own arch-nemesis; a force that constantly works to thwart our highest aspirations. That villain is our Evil Inclination. Why does it exist? Like any villain worth his salt, its plan is world domination (and if we look around, it's doing a pretty good job). But let’s ask the question more precisely: why would God create such a force? Doesn’t God want a world filled with goodness and blessing? Why engineer a being responsible for suicide, war, and genocide?

We now know the answer: Just as an author introduces a villain to bring out the best in the hero, God provides us with the ultimate opposition to bring out our greatest potential. Every day, we wake up into a battlefield – a beautiful, holy tug-of-war between our good and evil inclinations. Through this daily combat with our lesser selves, we build ourselves into the heroes of our own life story.

This insight resolves our first question: The Evil Inclination identifies itself as "Elohim" because it ultimately serves as God's agent, specifically tasked with catalyzing our growth toward greatness.

The answer to our second question follows naturally: Why must the angel depart at dawn? Rabeinu Bachya, one of Rashi’s contemporaries, explains that, upon completing its mission, an angel returns to God to sing praises.³ How did the Yetzer Hara fulfill its purpose through wrestling with Jacob? It got beat. That’s right - the Zohar tells us that the Yetzer Hara fulfills its purpose precisely through defeat.⁴ It presents as our greatest enemy until we actively resist – then it reveals its true nature as a divine messenger, ascending to heaven to celebrate our victory over its challenges⁵.

Finally, why does Israel's name commemorate the struggle rather than the triumph? Because victory over the Yetzer Hara is only ever temporary. Each defeat prompts it to return stronger, smarter, more cunning. True victory lies not in final conquest but in commitment to the endless struggle, fighting to improve ourselves day after day. The name Israel reminds us to prepare for a lifetime of confronting our inner adversary, perfecting ourselves and our world through each engagement.⁶

This daily battle can take many forms, as illustrated by a famous story about the Chofetz Chaim, the leader of European Jewry in the pre-war era. One cold winter morning, as he rose early to pray, his Yetzer Hara whispered, 'How can you get up so early? You're an old man and it's freezing outside!'

The Chofetz Chaim replied with characteristic wit: 'You're a lot older than me, and you're up already!'

Practical Applications

The battlefield of good and evil exists first and foremost within our minds. We choose which thoughts to embrace and which to reject. What we believe, we strengthen. When we empower negative thoughts, we aid the Yetzer Hara in creating a darker reality, ceding ground in life's ultimate wrestling match.

Today's challenge: stand guard over your thoughts. When you catch a negative thought arising, meet it with a smile and declare: "You're here to make me better!" Then consciously choose the positive alternative. Each victory, no matter how small, brings you closer to your highest potential.

Remember: these battles aren't meant to break us – they're designed to build us. The Yetzer Hara may appear as our greatest enemy, but in truth, it's an angel created for one purpose: to help us unlock our true greatness.

Wrestle on, fellow Israelites!

1. Rashi on Genesis 28:11 - “AND [HE] LAY DOWN IN THAT PLACE —The word ההוא, that, has a limitative force: in that place he lay down to sleep, but during the previous fourteen years when he sat under his teachers in the School of Ever he never slept at night for he was incessantly engaged in the study of the Torah.”
2. Genesis 32:28
3. Rabbeinu Bachya, Bereshit 32:27
4. Zohar: A metaphor for the force of evil: A king wants to test his son so he sends him with money and everything he needs to live on his own. Then, he sends a harlot after him to try to entice him. The harlot tries her best. When the son successfully resists, she celebrates. That’s Jacob wrestling with the angel.
5. There’s one very important distinction: this Yetzer Hara is different than any other villain. The Shaarei Teshuva, one of the greatest Mussar (personal development) training manuals of all time, tells us “The Yetzer Hara comes at you like a tidal wave, but shout at it and it disappears into the sand.” Similarly, the Chovos HaLevavos, another of the great Mussar manuals explains: “Don’t be afraid of the yetzer hara – all it does is make falsehood look true. The second you identify it, it’s gone.” The message is simple: the whole game of the Yetzer Hara is to appear big and important – unconquerable. But all we have to do is engage with it – fight back, and he reveals that he was all smoke and mirrors. When we face him and struggle against his attempts to pull us down, he gives us the nod – the blessing – and he’s off to sing our praises!
6. The gematria of Jacob (Yaakov) + Satan = Israel
7. To my star pupil,I am writing this letter to let you know what I think of you. Up here in heaven things are not like they are down on Earth. Over there, people only know what they can see. If they see a person is “successful”, they think that he is the greatest guy. When they see somebody struggling, they think he might be one of the weaker elements.Let me tell you something. Hashem gives every person certain abilities that nobody knows about down where you live. Some people are capable of tremendous things, while others were put there for much smaller purposes. Only Hashem in His infinite wisdom is able to give every person exactly what he needs, to reach his potential.I am very misunderstood. Most people hate me, and I don’t really blame them. Most people think that my job is to make sure that they fail in all aspects of Mitzvos, and that I rejoice every time they sin. This is the furthest thing from the truth. Have you ever watched a boxing coach train his student? It is really a funny sight. The coach will put on gloves, and fight against his student. At first, he won’t hit him so hard, or throw his best punches. But, as the student gets better and better, the coach will start to fight him harder and harder. He does this so that the student will improve his skills, and become the best boxer he can be. This is where it gets strange. Every time the coach knocks down the student, the student gets yelled at!! But finally, when the coach throws everything he has at his student, and not only does he withstand the beating, but he knocks the coach down, there is nobody in the world happier than the coach himself!

   This is exactly how I feel. If you fail right away, and don’t even try to fight back, I see that there is not much talent to work with, and so I take it easy on you. But if you get back up swinging, I realize that I may have a real winner here, and so I start to intensify the beating. With every level that you go up, I increase the intensity of the fight. If you finally deal me a blow that knocks me out, I will get up and embrace you and rejoice with your success.

   Sometimes my job is very disappointing. I see a person with a lot of potential and I start right in on him. He fights back for a while, but when the fight gets too tough, he quits and just remains on whatever level he was on. (And he usually ends up going down!) I feel like yelling at him, “Get up you fool! Do you have any idea how much more you could be accomplishing?!” But I am not allowed to do so. I just leave him alone, and go try to find another promising candidate.

   If I have chosen you to be the target of my more fierce battles, it was not for no reason! You have tremendous ability! You were born into a very special family, you have Rebbeim who really care about you, and parents who would help you grow in Torah and Mitzvos. You are a very respectful and kind person.

   Always remember one thing: you have a secret weapon at your disposal. I shouldn’t really be telling you – but I will anyway. Hashem himself is watching our “training” sessions very closely. I’m pleased to inform you that He’s rooting for you! If things should ever get tough, almost too tough to bear, just call out to Him with a prayer, and He will immediately come to your aid. I wish you the best of luck, and I hope that after 120 years when your time is up in that world of falsehood, you will come up here to the world of truth, where I will be waiting for you with open arms, to congratulate you on your victory, and personally escort you to your place next to the Kisei HaKavod.

   Sincerely, and with great admiration I remain,

   Your Yetzer Hara