yetzer ha-ṭov

Judaism

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June 17, 2026

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In Judaism, yetzer ha-tov refers to the good inclination within a person. This concept is contrasted with yetzer ha-ra, the evil inclination. Both inclinations are believed to enter a person after birth, and it is a person's duty to overcome the evil inclination. This struggle is central to human experience and is rewarded.1

Judaism emphasizes that all humans are created in the image of God and are therefore equal. While Jews have specific religious duties, the ethical framework extends to all humanity. Actions are viewed through the lens of both individual behavior and communal responsibility, with a focus on justice and compassion. A moral transgression against God or man is called an avera, the opposite of a mitzvah (commandment or good deed).123

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Judaism
The ethically bound creature
…disobedience, and subsequently the counter-term yetzer ha-ṭov (“the good impulse”) was used to indicate humans’ obedience. These terms more clearly suggest the ethical quality of human duality, while their opposition and conflict point to human freedom and the ethical choices humans must make. Indeed, it is primarily within the realm…
Read More
…disobedience, and subsequently the counter-term yetzer ha-ṭov (“the good impulse”) was used to indicate humans’ obedience. These terms more clearly suggest the ethical quality of human duality, while their opposition and conflict point to human freedom and the ethical choices humans must make. Indeed, it is primarily within the realm…
Read More

Talmud and Midrash
Doctrine of man
…impulse, personified by two angels, yetzer ha-ṭov (the good inclination) and yetzer ha-raʿ (the evil inclination), which enter each man after birth. It is the duty of man to overcome his evil inclination, and it is for this that he is rewarded. Moreover, since there is corporate responsibility, not only…
Read More
…impulse, personified by two angels, yetzer ha-ṭov (the good inclination) and yetzer ha-raʿ (the evil inclination), which enter each man after birth. It is the duty of man to overcome his evil inclination, and it is for this that he is rewarded. Moreover, since there is corporate responsibility, not only…
Read More