Are People Born Good or Evil?

Question

Thank you for your page. It is the most informative and enjoyable page on the web. I was wondering what Judaism say about man being born evil. Thank you for your answer. Regards.

 

 

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Answers

  1. The Just Ask! - AskTheRabbi.org Team

    No, man is not “born evil.”

    The Torah says that “the inclination in man’s heart is evil from his youth.” (Genesis 8:21) The Talmud explains “youth” here to mean from the time of birth. However, this evil inclination is external; it is not intrinsic to a person’s pure soul. Our pure soul is given to us even earlier, at the time of conception.

    So, Judaism sees man as basically good, created in God’s image, but with temptation towards evil. While the evil inclination is strong, Judaism believes that a person can choose to overcome it. This is the concept of free choice, which is basically the purpose of our existence: To choose good over evil.

    Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team