(ב... רבי נחמיה אמר: בשעה ששמעו ישראל "לא יהיה לך" נעקר מלבם יצר הרע. באו אצל משה אמרו לו: משה רבנו! תעשה את פרוזביון שליח בינותינו. שנאמר: "דבר אתה עמנו ונשמעה" "ועתה למה נמות", ומה הנייה יש באבדה שלנו?! מיד חזר יצר הרע למקומו. חזרו על משה ואמרו לו: משה רבנו! לוואי יגלה לנו פעם שני! הלואי, ישקני מנשיקות פיהו. אמר להם: אין זו עכשיו, אבל לעתיד לבא הוא. דכתיב: (יחזקאל לו) והסירותי את לב האבן מבשרכם.
Rebbe Nechemia (c. 135 CE) said, At the moment that Israel heard "you shall have no other gods..." the evil impulse was torn out of their hearts. They came to Moshe and said, "Moshe Rebbenu, you be a prozbion (advocate?) emissary between us. As it is said "You speak with us...why shall we die now?" (Shemot 20:16) What benefit is there in our destruction?! Immediately the Yetser Hara was returned to its place. They returned to Moshe and said "Moshe Rebbenu! If only [G/d] would reveal a second time to us! If only he would 'kiss me with the kisses of his mouth'" (Shir ha Shirim 1:2) He said to them, "Not now, but in the world to come, as it is written 'I will take away the stony heart of your flesh.' Yechezkel, 35:26)
Mark and Esther are a couple in their 50s. They have four children and the youngest has left home recently for college. They have been having difficulty in their relationship for many years but it has come to a head now that their daughter has left home. Mark talks for half an hour about feeling that his wife does not understand his feelings though when pressed for details of what he would like or how he wants things to change he is very vague.
Finally, I turn to her and ask her what her experience is. She begins to speak about how hurt and disappointed she is but soon Mark interrupts saying that she “tells a good story but really she hurts me.” He begins to repeat many of his complaints again, sometimes word for word. After a few minutes, I interrupt him and and say, “Now I want to ask Esther some questions.” “Go ahead he says, ask her, ask her about how she doesn't care for me.” I turn to her and begin to ask again about her experience. After a few minutes Mark begins again. I tell him, “I see that it is hard for you to not interrupt Esther when she is talking. That is destructive in a relationship. Please stop.”
I begin again. And so does Mark. Again he tells me how she never really supported him and doesn't back him up.
כדדרש רבי יהודה לעתיד לבא מביאו הקב"ה ליצר הרע ושוחטו בפני הצדיקים ובפני הרשעים צדיקים נדמה להם כהר גבוה ורשעים נדמה להם כחוט השערה הללו בוכין והללו בוכין צדיקים בוכין ואומרים היאך יכולנו לכבוש הר גבוה כזה ורשעים בוכין ואומרים היאך לא יכולנו לכבוש את חוט השערה הזה ואף הקב"ה תמה עמהם שנאמר (זכריה ח, ו) כה אמר ה' צב-אות כי יפלא בעיני שארית העם הזה בימים ההם גם בעיני יפלא א"ר אסי יצה"ר בתחילה דומה לחוט של בוכיא ולבסוף דומה כעבותות העגלה שנאמר (ישעיהו ה, יח) הוי מושכי העון בחבלי השוא וכעבות העגלה חטאה
As R. Judah expounded: In the time to come the Holy One, blessed be He, will bring the Yetser hara and slay it in the presence of the righteous and the wicked. To the righteous it will have the appearance of a towering hill, and to the wicked it will have the appearance of a hair thread. Both the former and the latter will weep; the righteous will weep saying, “How were we able to overcome such a towering hill!” The wicked also will weep saying, “How is it that we were unable to conquer this hair thread!” And even the Holy One, blessed be He, will marvel with them, as it is said, “Thus says the Lord of Hosts, If it be marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in those days, it shall also be marvelous in My eyes” (Zechariah 8:6). R. Assi stated: The Yetser hara is at first like the thread of a spider, but ultimately becomes like cart ropes, as it is said, “Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart-rope” (Isaiah 8:18).