Yetzer ha ra

Jewish teaching describes an inclination towards good, yetzer ha tov, and an inclination towards wrongdoing, yetzer ha ra. These help explain why doing what is right can involve an internal struggle. Having an inclination towards wrongdoing does not make a wrong action unavoidable.

Jewish tradition describes a struggle between yetzer ha-tov, the inclination towards good, and yetzer ha-ra, the inclination towards wrongdoing. Having an inclination does not mean that an action is inevitable: people must decide which direction to follow.