B"H
How far to I have to close my eyes in order not to be confronted too much with my own Yetzer HaRah (negative side in each of us) ?
This week's Parashat "Ki Tetze" tells us about a Jewish soldier falling in love with a Gentile female prisoner of war. A Jewish soldier is going out to war, sees a Gentile woman and decides to marry her. Moreover, the Torah is trying to make everyone aware of the occuring problems afterwards.
"Going out to War" means following one's Yetzer HaRah (evil side within us) claim the Kabbalist Rabbi Yitzchak Luria, the Baal Shem Tov and further chassidic Rabbis. We should prepare ourselves for not falling into the pit.
First we have the honest desire of not following our Yetzer but then we see something and try to convince ourselves that it would be so bad. Suddenly you get any excuses of this world into your mind and then weakness comes.
Maybe I try just once and I won't do it again. Promise !
My neighbour is doing it as well, by the way, and haven't I seen the Rabbi doing something last week ? If he can do it, I can do something.
No, I won't do it again. Only this time because this is an exception and it has to be.
Closing our eyes and just passing on without looking ?
Some succeed, some don't.
But before you really really succeed, this tiny little thought is entering your mind asking whether you won't miss something when you don't do this and that. Maybe later regretting that you didn't do it because it wouldn't have been that bad anyway.
Maybe it is not really against Halacha or the Torah ? Couldn't that be ?
Or there is a Machloket about it. Or only the Sepharadim keep it so strict.
In case you have all the listed thoughts, I have bad news for you:
You are human and not a perfect being at all.
Solution:
Closing one's eyes doesn't always help but what you have to do is starting a "let go" process in your mind and behaviour. Only with a strong will of changing for the better you overcome your Yetzer HaRah.
And if you get weak, then avoid depression and start all over again.
I think its less about wanting to "marry" the battlefield booty (pun intended) than inflamed passion of war. The "conquering" soldier satisfying his battle and blood lusts.
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