How many times have you looked back on decisions you made and said: “If only I followed my intuition.” Or, “I never go wrong when I follow my gut instinct.”
We often hear people advise that if you want to be successful, you should “follow your intuition” , “listen to your gut instinct” , or “follow your inner voice.”
What is that feeling we all have inside us that guides and advises us and sometimes creates inner conflict?
Your intuition, gut instinct, and inner voice is one and the same. It arises as a feeling within your body that only you experience. Because of this, trusting your intuition is the ultimate act of trusting yourself to follow what you know to be the correct thing to do.
You may have heard things like:
“Don’t shush your inner voice, It’s who you really are.”
“Be aware of your inner voice and follow it, even though most of the time it will tell you the most uncomfortable path is the one to choose.”
“Follow your heart, listen to your inner voice, and stop caring about what others think.”
In Judaism the intuition is known to be the Yetzer Hora and Yetzer Tov, the evil and good inclinations.
Hashem created the world with choice. We all have the right to choose the path we want to take in life and once we choose, Hashem helps us get there.
As it states in the Torah in Parshas Netzavim chapter 30 pasuk 19
הַֽעִדֹ֨תִי בָכֶ֣ם הַיּוֹם֘ אֶת־הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם וְאֶת־הָאָ֒רֶץ֒ הַֽחַיִּ֤ים וְהַמָּ֨וֶת֙ נָתַ֣תִּי לְפָנֶ֔יךָ הַבְּרָכָ֖ה וְהַקְּלָלָ֑ה וּבָֽחַרְתָּ֙ בַּֽחַיִּ֔ים לְמַ֥עַן תִּֽחְיֶ֖ה אַתָּ֥ה וְזַרְעֶֽךָ:
This day, I call upon the heaven and the earth as witnesses [that I have warned] you: I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. You shall choose life, so that you and your offspring will live.
In addition in Gemurah, Yima 39:A it states:
תנו רבנן (אל) תטמאו בהם ונטמתם בם אדם מטמא עצמו מעט מטמאין אותו הרבה מלמטה מטמאין אותו מלמעלה בעולם הזה מטמאין אותו לעולם הבא תנו רבנן (ויקרא יא, מד) והתקדשתם והייתם קדושים אדם מקדש עצמו מעט מקדשין אותו הרבה מלמטה מקדשין אותו מלמעלה בעולם הזה מקדשין אותו לעולם הבא:
The Sages taught the following with regard to the verse: “And do not impurify yourselves with them, so that you should not be thereby impurified”; a person who impurifies himself a bit, they impurify him greatly. If a person impurifies himself of his own volition below, on earth, they impurify him even more so above, in Heaven. If a person impurifies himself in this world, they impurify him in the World-to-Come.
Conversely, the Sages taught the following with regard to the verse: “Sanctify yourselves and you will be sanctified” (Leviticus 11:44); a person who sanctifies himself a bit, they sanctify him and assist him greatly. If a person sanctifies himself below, they sanctify him above. If a person sanctifies himself in this world, they sanctify him in the World-to-Come.
We choose the path we want to follow and Hashem opens the doors for us and helps us get there.
In order for us to have guidance, to have choice and to choose good, Hashem gave us the inner voice, our intuition.
Whenever you are faced with a dilemma or a decision needs to be made, take time to listen to the inner voices.
You will hear the Yetzer Tov put forward the points as to why you should choose the good and Torah path, while the Yetzer Hora makes the case on why you should choose the easy way out or the choice that is more fun at the moment.
These contradicting inner voices are good for us, they are meant to help us grow and become mature and better people with the skilled abilities to choose good and to reach our full potential.
Once you learn to recognize and listen to your own God-given inner voices, you will be able to make great decisions in your life without feeling unsure with yourself and your own choices. In addition, you won’t feel the need to ask outsiders (other than your spouse) for their opinions on how to live your life.
Remember to always daven, pray, and speak to Hashem, ask Him for assistance and clarity to be able to make the correct Torah decisions.
