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bamidbar

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another’s point of view and submitting his opinion to that of his friend.

Achav learned Torah, but he learned alone. Learning with a chavruta
helps one to refine his middot. He straddled two worlds. By lacking a “This is the decree of the Torah, which Hashem
chavruta, Achav was left with his negative character traits. This explains has commanded, saying: Speak to the Children
the contradiction in his behavior. On the one hand, he was engrossed in of Israel, and they shall take to you a completely
Torah study, but on the other hand, he transgressed the three cardinal red cow, which is without blemish, and upon
sins.
which a yoke has not come”
How great is the power of the Yetzer Hara! Achav’s Yetzer Hara told him
that it was enough that he learned Torah; he had no need to worry about (Bamidbar 19:1-2)
his sins. Even a person as great as Elisha ben Avuyah fell into the trap of
the Yetzer Hara. We must be aware how vital it is to distance ourselves
from him. Only by “killing oneself in the tent of Torah,” i.e., studying
Torah and refining one’s middot, can one hope to overpower his evil
inclination.

“This is the teaching regarding a man if he will
die in a tent: Anything that enters the tent and
anything that is in the tent shall be
contaminated for seven days”
(Bamidbar 19:14)