My son went to the beach in Bat Yam yesterday on a class trip. He had a wonderful time BH, except for one minor setback. Towards the end of the day, a larger than normal wave came crashing in. As he fought to retain his balance, he noticed a huge, opaque jelly fish wash towards him. Because he was still trying to stay afloat, he was unable to avoid it. It attached itself to his leg and stomach, stinging him. Finally pulling free, he waded back to shore and went for help. The lifeguard poured vinegar over the burns. The 'refuah' was even more painful than the sting, he told me, but after a few minutes, it began soothing the pain and he felt much better. (He showed me the burn when he got home - the body must have been the size of a large dinner plate, besides the tentacles.)
It got me thinking about how similar our battle is.
We get overwhelmed by the huge waves of stress, anxiety and restlessness that crash over us; throwing us off balance and making it so hard to simply stand securely in one place, never mind actually move forward.
Then the Yetzer Hara attacks out of the blue, blending in to the surroundings so well that we barely even see it before we are overpowered.
Once the stinging attack is over, our pain is terrible, causing us to cry out for help, but the damage is already done. The poison has already seeped in to our bodies.
In comes our (life)Guard! Sure, the refuah seems more painful than the sting in the beginning, but very quickly, we see healing and comfort.
Yet even once we feel better, the scar remains; a clear reminder of the past, and a warning for the future!
One step further: My son's friend fished the jelly fish out of the water (with a stick, not his hand!) and laid it out on the sand in the light of day. Within minutes, it began evaporating, drying out as if nothing more than air!
Just like that Yetzer Hara! Expose him to the light, and we can see him for what he really is - nothing more that mere slime, destined to fade away if we can just get him out into the sunlight!