Where Does Yetser Ha'ra Come From?

(ז) וַיִּיצֶר֩ ה אֱלֹקים אֶת־הָֽאָדָ֗ם עָפָר֙ מִן־הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה וַיִּפַּ֥ח בְּאַפָּ֖יו נִשְׁמַ֣ת חַיִּ֑ים וַֽיְהִ֥י הָֽאָדָ֖ם לְנֶ֥פֶשׁ חַיָּֽה׃

(7) Hashem formed (va'yitser, ​root word יצר) the human of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the human became a living soul.

(ה) וַיַּ֣רְא ה' כִּ֥י רַבָּ֛ה רָעַ֥ת הָאָדָ֖ם בָּאָ֑רֶץ וְכָל־יֵ֙צֶר֙ מַחְשְׁבֹ֣ת לִבּ֔וֹ רַ֥ק רַ֖ע כָּל־הַיּֽוֹם׃ (ו) וַיִּנָּ֣חֶם ה' כִּֽי־עָשָׂ֥ה אֶת־הָֽאָדָ֖ם בָּאָ֑רֶץ וַיִּתְעַצֵּ֖ב אֶל־לִבּֽוֹ׃ (ז) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ה' אֶמְחֶ֨ה אֶת־הָאָדָ֤ם אֲשֶׁר־בָּרָ֙אתִי֙ מֵעַל֙ פְּנֵ֣י הָֽאֲדָמָ֔ה מֵֽאָדָם֙ עַד־בְּהֵמָ֔ה עַד־רֶ֖מֶשׂ וְעַד־ע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם כִּ֥י נִחַ֖מְתִּי כִּ֥י עֲשִׂיתִֽם׃

(5) And Hashem saw that the evil of the human was great in the earth, and that every yetser of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all day. (6) And Hashem regretted having created the human on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart. (7) And Hashem said: ‘I will blot out the human that I have created from the face of the earth; from human to beast to creeping thing to fowl of the air; for I regret that I have made them.’

(כא) וַיָּ֣רַח ה' אֶת־רֵ֣יחַ הַנִּיחֹחַ֒ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר ה' אֶל־לִבּ֗וֹ לֹֽא אֹ֠סִף לְקַלֵּ֨ל ע֤וֹד אֶת־הָֽאֲדָמָה֙ בַּעֲב֣וּר הָֽאָדָ֔ם כִּ֠י יֵ֣צֶר לֵ֧ב הָאָדָ֛ם רַ֖ע מִנְּעֻרָ֑יו וְלֹֽא־אֹסִ֥ף ע֛וֹד לְהַכּ֥וֹת אֶת־כָּל־חַ֖י כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשִֽׂיתִי׃

(21) And Hashem smelled the sweet smell; and Hashem said in His heart: ‘I will not again curse the ground for humanity’s sake; for the yetser of a person's heart is evil from his youth; I will not again smite every living thing, as I have done.

(א) "מנעריו" - מנעריו כתיב משננער לצאת ממעי אמו נתן בו יצר הרע

"From his youth" It says from his youth, (m'n'urayv, root word נער) from when he shook (n'na'er, root word נער) to come out of his mother's innards, the yetser ha'ra was given in him.

קשה יצר הרע שאפילו יוצרו קראו רע שנאמר (בראשית ח, כא) כי יצר לב האדם רע מנעוריו

The yetser ha'ra is difficult, for even its Creator called it "bad", as it is written "for the yetser of a person's heart is evil from his youth"

אמר רב יצחק יצרו של אדם מתחדש עליו בכל יום שנאמר (בראשית ו, ה) רק רע כל היום

Rabbi Yitzhak said a person's yetser renews upon him every day, as it is written "only evil all day."