Two main drives of the yetser hara: aggression and desire

Shiur #12 in Rav Aharon Kahn’s Hashkafah Series Based on Mishlei with Biur HaGra.

Content Description: Verses 1:10-1:19 , 16:32, and 25:21. Two main drives of the yetser hara: [1] aggression and [2] desire – whether for honor, money, or the sensual. Aggression, which is rooted in the quest for honor, comes later in life. Desire is present from birth. The quest for honor is more easily overcome than the desire for other things, due to its late arrival on the scene, as a function of one’s developing intellect. Learning aggadah as a response to the yetser hara of desire, and learning halachah as a response to the yetser hara of aggression. The yetser hara of aggression is more easily conquered than that of desire, since aggression is less critical to a person’s existence than is desire, which is needed to maintain life (to eat, to procreate, etc.)

Citations: All sources are from the Biur Hagra, included in the source packets.