R' Reisman
In Parshas Beraishis in 4:6, the Torah introduces us to the Yeitzer Hora by way of a discussion that HKB"H has with Kayin. (וַיֹּאמֶר יְרוָר, אֶל-קָיִן) Hashem says to Kayin. (הֲלוֹא אִם-תֵּיטִיב, שְׂאֵת) If you behave everything will go well (וְאִם לֹא תֵיטִיב, לַפֶּתַח חַטָּאת רֹבֵץ). It depends on what you do now and he tells him (וְאֵלֶיךָ, תְּשׁוּקָתוֹ). The Yeitzer Hora has a (Teshukah) desire to convince you to do bad things. (וְאַתָּה, תִּמְשָׁל-בּוֹ) and you have the ability to be superior, to defeat him. Rav Shamshon Refael Hirsch Teitches as follows. He says that when HKB"H created the Yeitzer Hora, the Yeitzer Hora has a job to entice people to sin. However, the Yeitzer Hora itself Kavayochel has the will to fail. As with all of Hashem's creations, the creations want that there be a world in which the Kiyum Ratzon Hashem, in which HKB"H's Kavod and glory is obvious. So that in a sense the Yeitzer Hora is given the job to entice, however, its goal is not to succeed. The success of the Yeitzer Hora is to fail so to speak. So that, Rav Shamshon Refael Hirsch Teitches (וְאֵלֶיךָ, תְּשׁוּקָתוֹ, וְאַתָּה, תִּמְשָׁל-בּוֹ) the Teshukah of the Yeitzer Hora is to entice and that you should succeed against him. It is an insight that Rav Shamshon Refael Hirsch is not unique, is not alone in offering.
Rav Schwab (in Mayan Bais Hashoeva on page # 268 - 269) brings this in Parshas Acharei Mos 16:8 in the discussion of the Azazeil. There, the Ramban reveals to us what he calls the secret of the S'ir L'azazeil, that Azazeil is Sarei Shel Eisav. It is the Yeitzer Hora, Eisav's power. The Korban to Azazeil is not a Korban on the Mizbaiach but the Azazeil S'ir is destroyed and killed, it is an offering so to speak to the Sar Shel Eisav. How does that work?
Rav Schwab explains based on this Rav Shamshon Refael Hirsch. Azazeil is Az Azeil, meaning the strength of the Yeitzer Hora is gone. Yom Kippur, the Yeitzer Hora, the Sar Shel Eisav is happy that his Tafkid was done perfectly. He entices Klal Yisrael and on Yom Hakkipurim those who come to the Bais Hamikdash and successfully do Teshuva, they have in a way accomplished that which the Sar Shel Eisav, the Yeitzer Hora is created. And that is Mirumaz and symbolized by the fact that we say thank you to the Azazeil, thank you to the Sar Shel Eisav having enticed us and as he wants, not succeed.
Rav Schwab says as we turn back to Parshas Vayishlach, that that is the secret to the epic battle between Yaakov Avinu and the Sar Shel EIsav which is a part of the Chumash which we don't understand. It sounds like there was some scuffle between Yaakov and this angel the Sar Shel Eisav and at the end Yaakov asked the Sar Shel Eisav for his name. To which the Sar Shel Eisav says (לָמָּה זֶּה תִּשְׁאַל לִשְׁמִי; וַיְבָרֶךְ אֹתוֹ). Why do you ask my name and he gave him a blessing and as Rashi says from there he went to sing praise to HKB"H in heaven.
What took place here is that Yaakov Avinu succeeded in his battle with the Sar Shel Eisav. He succeeded in not being enticed, not being reduced by the Sar Shel Eisav. When he said what is your name, the Sar Shel Eisav replies what is the difference it doesn't matter anymore. My mission is over. Now is the time for me to go and sing the praise to HKB"H. When a person is given a job and completes it he returns to the one who sent him. The Sar Shel Eisav says you have overcome the Sar Shel Eisav and then he goes to HKB"H and says I have done what you wanted me to do. (וַיְבָרֶךְ אֹתוֹ) At that point he gave him a Beracha. The Sar Shel Eisav really wants for the success of Yaakov. This is Rav Schwab's insight into this battle.
The truth is that we all experience this. We only need to stop and think for a moment and realize it. The Sar Shel Eisav, the Yeitzer Hora is constantly in a scuffle with us. Situations come up in which we have a choice to serve Hashem or not to serve him. To behave arrogantly to other people or to behave properly.
Let's say for example that a person is in a situation where he feels justified to speak out angrily against his friend, against his wife, or against his parent's. The Sar Shel Eisav is here, he entices him to speak out angrily. Now any thinking person who thinks back and remembers a time that he wanted to speak out with Kas and he restrained himself. It must have happened to you once in your life, will remember that it was a good feeling. That being able to control oneself and not speak angrily. Being successful is a good feeling. What is that good feeling? (וַיְבָרֶךְ אֹתוֹ). That is when the Yeitzer Hora tries to entice you and you withstand it (וְאַתָּה, תִּמְשָׁל-בּוֹ). What happens then is (וַיְבָרֶךְ אֹתוֹ). The Yeitzer Hora gives you a blessing. The struggle is over and a person feels good.
A person has a Seder, he needs to go out to the Seder. He is enticed not to. A person who will remember and when he is successful with his battle against the Yeitzer Hora, when he goes and he puts aside all of his weekday thoughts and he concentrates on his learning. Afterwards there is a Geshmak, a feeling of accomplishment. What is that feeling? (וַיְבָרֶךְ אֹתוֹ) That is the Sar Shel Eisav giving a Beracha. We all need to remember that at the end result of us succeeding is an enticement not to go to a Mishmar. Remember that when you go to a Mishmar and you put in the hour or the hour and a half and you go home you feel that you have done something worthwhile, there is a certain Geshmak. That Geshmak is (וַיְבָרֶךְ אֹתוֹ). A person has to remember that, remember that there is a Geshmak so to speak at the end of the rainbow and to try to be successful by remembering the battle of Yaakov with the Sar Shel Eisav a battle which takes place over and over. Every Thursday night I would guess that there are 200 people who have the battle and about 100 of them appear at our Mishmar, the other 100 could do so as well. They fail. They could have had that Beracha. That Beracha from the Sar Shel Eisav and they failed.
