Derasha 3 on Bereishis 4:7

TT #158 · Parashas Bereishis · Fourth Aliyah · Passuk 7

Complete Passuk

הֲל֤וֹא אִם־תֵּיטִיב֙ שְׂאֵ֔ת וְאִם֙ לֹ֣א תֵיטִ֔יב לַפֶּ֖תַח חַטָּ֣את רֹבֵ֑ץ וְאֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ תְּשׁ֣וּקָת֔וֹ וְאַתָּ֖ה תִּמְשׇׁל־בּֽוֹ׃

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

TT points to Berachos 61a (verified).

E-Daf image (Berachos 61a)

Core Text

Core Textאָמַר רַב: יֵצֶר הָרָע דּוֹמֶה לִזְבוּב וְיוֹשֵׁב בֵּין שְׁנֵי מַפְתְּחֵי הַלֵּב, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר זְבוּבֵי מָוֶת... וּשְׁמוּאֵל אָמַר: דּוֹמֶה לְחִטָּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר לַפֶּתַח חַטָּאת רֹבֵץ.
English of Core Text: Rav said: The evil inclination is like a fly and sits between the two openings of the heart, as it is said “Dead flies...” And Shmuel said: It is like a wheat [kernel], as it is said “sin crouches at the door (petach).”
On the daf / in context: Two images of the yetzer hara are derived; Shmuel’s reading links “chatas” to “chittah” (wheat).
Type of Learning: Custom (image of the yetzer hara)
What Is Learned: The yetzer hara is compared either to a fly at the heart’s openings or to a wheat kernel crouching at the doorway.