From Online Torah Classes with Rabbi Mendy Goldberg by R Mendy Goldberg.

• Published: Mon, 17 Aug 2026 19:27:02 GMT
• Duration: 00:53:55
• Audio: https://anchor.fm/s/10f48890/podcast/play/124352013/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-7-17%2F430018167-44100-2-d05065b8eb84b.mp3
• Page: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mendy-goldberg/episodes/Beyond-The-Conflict-e3nhe2d
• TorahApp: https://torahapp.org/share/p/3P_r_mendy_goldberg_online_torah/e/fda0f342-0dfe-431e-be9d-fa339f18f9df

Beyond the Conflict

Don't fight the yetzer hara (evil inclination) head-on, it's exhausting. Instead, rise above it by setting fixed times for Torah study for its own sake.

The pleasure of Torah naturally eclipses cheap desires, so the battle never even starts. This is the answer to why the fight against the yetzer hara is hinted at through an optional war, because once you transcend the battlefield, the fight becomes unnecessary, "optional" rather than mandatory.