“Yaacov asked and said to him, ‘tell me now your name.’ He replied, ‘ why do you ask about my name?’ He then blessed him there.”(Bereshit 32:30)
Yaacov fought the whole night with Eisav’s angel, which was also the personification of the Yetzer Hara (evil inclination). When Yaacov was victorious, he asked the being for his name, but was told: “why do you ask me my name?”
Rabbi Yehuda Leib Chasman explained that this was actually the name of the evil inclination, “don’t ask!”
The desires of this world are puff (nothing). If you really take a closer look at them you will see how unimportant and meaningless they are.
As soon as you start asking questions to clarify the reality of the evil inclination you will find that is all an illusion, and there is nothing there.
This is analogous to seeing a shadow and thinking that there is actually something there, but as soon as you turn on a light you realize it was all an illusion.
Use your intellect to see the emptiness of physical desires and you will be a free person.
Some excerpts taken from “Growth Through Torah” by Rabbi Zelig Pliskin
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