[Avodah] Yetzer HoRa Issues

[David Riceman]

From: "Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer" <ygbechhofer at gmail.com>

>I have been asked to
> address the fundamental statement made by Chazal (Koheles Rabbah 4:15)
> that is a core issue in the education of high school age students -- 
> viz., that while  one is  born with his or her yetzer ho'ra, the yetzer
> ha'tov only begins its development at the age of bar or bas mitzvah.

You might try the (fairly ancient) identification of the yetzer hatov with 
the koah hasechel and the yetzer hara with the koah hadimyon.  Modern 
(secular) sources start with Piaget (your wife knows more than I do about 
this) and go on from him.

Thirteen would be lav davka (e.g., onas nedarim starts before bar mitzva, 
and the prohibition of selling real estate extends several years later). 
There are lots of sayings in Hazal, but it would take a serious effort to 
collect them.

David Riceman