#10

Anger causes sins.

"Anger is a terrible 'middah' that causes people to sin..." ( A "middah" is a way that people naturally behave.) The Ramban is warning us that anger is a very bad "middah", which causes a person to do many horrible sins. When a person gets angry, he loses his power to control his thoug hts, words, and actions. We see that when a person gets angry, he does and says foolish things. He would never have done or said these things if he were relaxed and calm. In his anger, he loses himself. Because this behavior is so disgusting for a person, C hazal say, "Anyone who gets angry - it is as if he worshipped idols!"

Why is this? When a person loses control of himself and his good judgment, he is giving himself over to the "yetzer hara". This is how the "yetzer hara" works: First, he tells you to get upset. Tomorrow, he tells you to get angry. This continues slowly, until he finally tells you to worship idols !
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