Two sides of Man

Two Yods

A medieval Jewish commentator, Rashi, explains this spelling in the following way: it hints at two creations, “a creation for this world and a creation for the (time of) resurrection of dead”. However, one of the most prevailing views in Judaism today is that each of these yods stands for the word "yetzer," meaning “inclination”. The existence of two yods here indicates that God has created man with both good and evil inclinations. 
   

Good and Bad

The Yetzer HaTov (Good Inclination) is the moral conscience, the inner voice reminding us of God's law, when we are about to break it. The Yetzer HaRa (Evil Inclination) is the selfish nature, the desire to satisfy personal needs; it’s not a bad thing – but if left unchecked, it might lead to evil. The existence of two Yods indicates that from the very beginning, humanity was formed with these two impulses. 
    

Discover the nuances of the Bible

According to Jewish understanding, every word and every letter of the Scriptures is significant. There is no such thing as accidental repetition: if a letter or word is repeated, there is an underlying message to be recognized and understood. This important characteristic of the Hebrew text is of course, completely lost in translation. Enroll in our live online course Discovering the Hebrew Bible and together we will bring these nuances to light.