Shalom,
The pasuk that is brought on 3a near the top regarding the idea that nobody does an aveira except if a ruach shtuss overcomes him is bothersome to me -- the pasuk ONLY seems to imply that a ruach shtuss overcomes an adultress in her transgression! How does that generalize to all aveiros!?
Kol tuv.
Simcha Feldman, Baltimore, USA
The Maharsha makes your point. It seems that the Gemara understood that although the Pasuk refers to an adulteress, it is a general idea which can be learnt to all types of sins. The Maharal (Chidushei Agados) explains that the Gemara means to tell us that no one does a sin if he weighs the full implications of his actions. Therefore we can say that a person who does do a sin has done something illogical, and we say a Ru'ach Shtus has enterd him.
The Maharsha seems to learn that the Ru'ach referred to is the product of a persons evil thoughts (i.e. his decision to do the sin) which then persuades the person to bring his thought to fruition. This idea is explained by Rav Chaim from Vlozhin in his Sefer Nefesh ha'Chayim (1:6 and 11).
Dov Freedman