The Middah Is Still Present

The Midrash (20:23) says the seeds of the actions of the Benot Moav were already planted in them from the beginning of their nation when the daughter of Lot had illicit relations with her father which led to the birth of the Moabites.  Why is the daughter of Lot viewed as having an illicit relation if she thought this was necessary to save the world?   Furthermore, the Gemarah in Nazir (23a) calls what she did a מצוה and she was rewarded for it?  Rav Chayim Shmulevetz explains that even though in the situation she was in her actions were praiseworthy, since the action itself was one of זנות אישא middah became implanted into the DNA of the nation she created.  He cites the Or Hachayim Devarim (13:18) says that the Torah says about those who killed the individuals of a עיר הנידחת that  וְנָֽתַן־לְךָ֤ רַחֲמִים֙ because nature would have it that after carrying out such a punishment one would become cruel and therefore the Torah has to give a special beracha that one will not lose their natural trait of compassion.  Again we see even though one is carrying a punishment prescribed by Hashem the natural middah of cruelness still would settle in the person. 

The possuk in Berashis (34:1) says ותצא דינה בת לאה.  Chazal ask why does it say בת לאה and not בת יעקב?  Chazal (cited in Rashi) say since לאה went out to greet Yaakov after she sold the דודאים, therefore this middah of leaving one's confines is attributed to Leah.  Chazal elsewhere praise Leah for her actions and attribute that led to meriting to give berth to Yissocher, so why is is viewed in a negative light?  The Shiuray Daas says the same idea at above.  Even though consequently it is a good action, since it involved a middah which can be negative, that middah can set root and come out in a negative form later. 

Possibly this idea can be used to explain the contradiction between the Zohar and Midrash if Yaakov's gifts that he sent to Esav were to be viewed in a positive light for this is helping to subdue the powers of Esav or is it negative for there is no reason to start up with Esav.  The two may go hand in hand.  It was in the situation the right thing to do but the actions themselves, showing favor to Esav still lead to negative consequences down the road. 

This is what Moshe warns about in Netzavim, פֶּן־יֵ֣שׁ בָּכֶ֗ם שֹׁ֛רֶשׁ פֹּרֶ֥ה רֹ֖אשׁ וְלַעֲנָֽה.  Maybe there is the root of evil within you.  One must uproot even middot raot which may have taken root in doing positive actions.