The Seven Names of the Evil Inclination

"And the LORD said in His heart" (Genesis 8:21). The wicked are under the rule of their hearts: "The fool said in his heart" (Psalms 14:1); "And Esau said in his heart" (Genesis 27:41); "And Jeroboam said in his heart" (I Kings 12:26); "And Haman said in his heart" (Esther 6:6). But the righteous have their hearts under their own rule: "And Hannah, she spoke upon her heart" (I Samuel 1:13); "And David said unto his heart" (I Samuel 27:1); "And Daniel set it upon his heart" (Daniel 1:8) - they resemble their Creator. "And the LORD said in His heart: I will not again, I will not again." That is, "never more, never more": I will not add concerning Noah, I will not add concerning the generations. "For the inclination of the heart of man is evil" (Genesis 8:21). Wretched is the dough whose own baker testifies that it is bad; wretched is the leaven about which the One who made it testifies that it is bad, as it is said, "For He knows our inclination" (Psalms 103:14); wretched is the plant whose own planter testifies that it is bad, as it is said, "And the LORD of hosts that planted you has spoken evil concerning you" (Jeremiah 11:17). Antoninus asked our Rabbi, saying to him: From when is the evil inclination placed within a person? He said to him: From before he leaves his mother's womb. He said to him: No, for if so, he would dig through her innards and come out. And Rabbi conceded to him, since this agreed with the view of Scripture: "For the inclination of the heart of man is evil from his youth" (Genesis 8:21) is written - from the hour that he is shaken out into the world. And again he asked him: From when is the soul placed within a person, from when he leaves his mother's womb or before he leaves his mother's womb? He said to him: From when he leaves his mother's womb. He said to him: No - a parable: if you leave meat three days without salt, it immediately rots. And Rabbi conceded to him that this agreed with the view of Scripture, as it is said, "Life and kindness You have granted me, and Your providence has guarded my spirit" (Job 10:12): from when was the soul placed within me? From the hour You took note of me. Our Rabbis taught: Harsh is the evil inclination, for even its Maker called it evil, as it is said, "For the inclination of the heart of man is evil." The evil inclination has seven names. The Holy One, blessed be He, called it Evil. Moses called it the Uncircumcised, as it is said, "And you shall circumcise the foreskin of your heart" (Deuteronomy 10:16). David called it Impure, as it is said, "Create in me a pure heart, O God" (Psalms 51:12) - implying there is an impure one. Solomon called it Enemy, as it is said, "If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat" (Proverbs 25:21). Isaiah called it Stumbling-block, as it is said, "Lift up the stumbling-block from the way of My people" (Isaiah 57:14). Ezekiel called it Stone, as it is said, "And I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh" (Ezekiel 11:19). Joel called it the Hidden One, as it is said, "And the hidden one I will remove far from you" (Joel 2:20).