Refined under the Sway of Sin

I am currently re-reading Romans via Uriel Ben Mordechai’s “Kosher Paul: An “old” translation of Rav Sha’ul’s letter to the Romans”.[1]

I love how he has translated Chapters 7 & 8.

For many years I have seen these chapters as a great explanation of the reality of our ‘good and evil inclinations’, our ‘Yetzer haTov’ and ‘Yetzer HaRa’.

I have written on this topic a number of times as I see this ‘two hearts’ understanding, which is derived from the Tanakh and most significantly from the Shema, as pivotal to comprehending human behaviour (my own included!).

For instance you will find some mention of it here - 'The Yetzer haRa and Yetzer HaTov';  'Maintaining Holiness Through Confronting Error'; 'You Shall Be Holy – Introduction' - and in my book ‘Doctrinal Pitfalls of Hellenism’ (free pdf version here).

Here is Uriel’s translation of Romans 7:14 “We are genuinely aware that the Torah is divinely inspired. However, I am human, being refined under sway of the choice to sin.”

This ‘sway of the choice to sin’  is a reference to the ‘evil inclination’, the Yetzer HaRa (as can be very plainly seen when the whole of Uriel’s translation is read).

But the important point here is that Rav Sha’ul (the Apostle Paul) notes that we as ‘refined’ by it!

That is, even our ‘evil inclination’ can be for our good! This is what Mussar (Jewish ethics – a 600 year old discipline) teaches.

This is part of the amazing way in which the Almighty had made us to hopefully drive us towards constant improvement and refinement of character. It is part of how He has created our lifetime curriculum and our potential journey towards being all we are capable of being.

And also consider 8:13 “Honestly, if you are living in collaboration with the evil inclination, then it is inevitable for you to die. However, if with a Yetzer ha’tov, you do away with deeds that you would have carried out, you will live.”

Here in Romans 8:13 we see Rav Sha’ul teaching us that when we are refined by the Yetzer ha’ra and learn from it, and in so doing instead learn to turn, heed and be guided by our Yetzer Ha’tov, then we gain life!

Eternal life! Life in the Coming Age, the Kingdom of God. Life with our Mashiach and brother Yeshua.

Again, I encourage you to get Uriel’s translation ‘Kosher Paul’ to see for yourself.

---

[1] available from Amazon or direct via http://www.above-and-beyond-ltd.com/store/books/if.html#kosher_paul