668. Rabbi Yitzchak was present before Rabbi Elazar and said to him, Certainly, the love of the Holy One, blessed be He, that a person feels for Him is aroused only from the heart, for the heart is a place of awakening to arouse toward Him love. HE QUESTIONS, If so, why is it written, "With all your heart" and afterwards "and with all your soul," so it seems that there are two manners IN LOVE, one in the heart and one in the soul? If the heart is the essence, why is the soul necessary? He said to him, The heart and the soul are two and they join into one, for heart and soul and money all unite together, but the heart is the essence and foundation of everything.

669. We have learned that "with all your heart" MEANS with two hearts, which are two inclinations, the Good Inclination and the Evil Inclination. Of these two, which are each called 'the heart,' one is called 'good heart' and one is called 'evil heart.' Therefore, IT SAYS, "your heart" WITH TWO BET'S AND IT DOESN'T SAY 'YOUR HEART' WITH ONE BET, which SHOWS two, the Good Inclination and the Evil Inclination.

670. HE QUESTIONS, It should have said, 'And with your soul.' Why does it say, "And with all your soul?" Why is 'all' said?" HE ANSWERS, It comes to include Nefesh, Ruach and Neshamah, for this is the meaning of, "And with all your soul" all that pertains to this soul "and with all your might." WHY DOES IT SAY 'ALL?' IT IS because there are many kinds of substance, for they are all different one from another, NAMELY SILVER, PRECIOUS STONES AND SO ON. Therefore, it says, "and with all YOUR MIGHT" MEANING WITH ALL HIS BELONGINGS, because the love for the Holy One, blessed be He, means to give Him all this, and to love Him in everything.

671. If you ask, How is it possible for a person to love THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, with the Evil Inclination, for the Evil Inclination persecutes so that the person should not approach the service of the Holy One, blessed be He? So how is it possible to love HIM with it? HE ANSWERS, This is an even MORE PRECIOUS MANNER of serving Hashem, for when this Evil Inclination is subdued to Him and that person breaks him, this is the love of the Holy One, blessed be He. Because he knows how to bring close the Evil Inclination to the service of the Holy One, blessed be He.

672. Here is the secret of those who know Judgment. For everything that the Holy One, blessed be He, made above and below is all only to show His honor, and everything is for His service. Who saw a servant go against his master?! Whatever is the will of his master, he becomes an Inciter NOT TO DO THE WILL OF HIS MASTER. The will of the Holy One, blessed be He, is that people should be constantly in His service, and that they should go in the true path in order to merit much good. Since this is the will of the Holy One, blessed be He, how could an evil servant come and incite against the will of his Master and turn people to the evil path and thrust them from the good path and cause them not to do the will of their Master, and turn people to the evil path?

673. HE ANSWERS, Certainly he is doing the will of his master. It is LIKE a king who had an only son, and he loved him exceedingly. And he commanded him with love not to come close to an evil woman, because anyone who approaches her is not worthy to enter the king's palace. That son promised that he would lovingly do the will of his father.

674. Outside of the king's palace was a harlot who was very beautiful to behold. After a few days, the king said, I want to see the wishes of my son toward me. He called that harlot and told her, Go and entice my son, in order to test the wishes of my son toward me. What did that harlot do? She went after the king's son and started to embrace him and kiss him and entice him with all kinds of enticements. If that son is proper and observes the commands of his father, he scolds her and does not listen to her and thrusts her away from him. Then the father rejoices with his son, brings him into the inner sanctum of his palace, and gives him presents and gifts and great honor. Who caused all this honor for that son? We must say that it was the harlot.

675. HE QUESTIONS, Does that harlot deserve praise for this or not? HE SAYS, Certainly she deserves praise from all aspects, for she did the king's command and she brought that son all the good, all this love of the king toward him. Therefore, it is written, "And, behold, it was very good" (Beresheet 1:31). "And, behold, it was good" refers to the Angel of Life, while 'very' refers to the Angel of Death, THE EVIL INCLINATION, who is certainly very good, for he who fulfills the command of his master. Come and see, if there would not be this Enticer, then the righteous would not inherit those supernal treasures that are their share in the World to Come.

676. Blessed are those who met this Enticer and blessed are those who did not meet this Enticer. HE EXPLAINS, Blessed are those who met him, NAMELY THOSE that were saved from him, for because of him they inherit all that good and all those delights, and all those pleasures of the World to Come. About them, it is written, "Neither has the eye seen, (that) an Elohim, beside You" (Yeshayah 64:3).

677. Blessed are those who did not meet him, MEANING THEY DID NOT STUMBLE BECAUSE OF HIM - for they would have inherited Gehenom and would have been banished from the Land of the Living. For those wicked ones who met him and would have listened to him, all would be drawn after him. Therefore, the righteous have to recognize his good, for they inherit all the good and delights and pleasures of the World to Come because of him.