אות-א

And the main refinement of the twelve tribes of G-d, which are forty nine letters, which are the aspect of the forty nine gates of repentance, was in Egypt, which is the aspect of the narrowness of the throat, which is the aspect of superior repentance (as is brought in the writings of the Arizal (Shaar Hakavanos, Sfiras Hu-omer, Drush 11), see there and understand well). And therefore after they were refined there in Egypt and they merited to go out from there, they counted forty nine days of the sfira (-'counting'- the Torah commands to count from the second day of Passover), which correspond to the forty nine letters mentioned above, which are the forty nine gates of repentance. And on the fiftieth day, then (Exodus 19:20), "And Hashem descended on Mount Sinai," this is the aspect of "and I will return to you", the aspect of the repentance of Hashem Yisburach himself so to speak, the aspect of the fiftieth gate, as mentioned above.

And this is (Exodus 1:1), "And these are {Vi-aileH} the names {shimoaT} of the children {binaI} of Israel {YisroeL} that are coming {habu-iM}," the last letters of these words are the letters "TeHiLIM" – Psalms. "To Egypt {mitzraimU}, with {eS} Jacob {YaakoV}, each person {eeSh} and his household {oobaysOa}," the last letters of these words spell out "TeShOoVUh" – repentance. Because through Psalms one merits to repentance, which is the aspect of the names of the Children of Israel that are coming to Egypt etc., because the forty nine gates of repentance are the aspect of the forty nine letters that comprise the names of the Children of Israel that are coming to Egypt to be refined there, as mentioned above.

And this is what we see, that in the days of repentance, that is in (the month of) Elul and the Ten Days of Repentance (-from the New Years till Yom Kippur), all of Israel is occupied then in the recital of Psalms, for the recital of Psalms is mesugal (-propitious) for repentance, as mentioned above. Therefore it is a very great thing to always be engaged in the recital of Psalms, because Psalms is an enormously great arousal to Hashem Yisburach. Fortunate is one who adheres to it (Likutay Moharan vol. 2, Torah 73).

The copier [R' Alter of Teplik] said: See Likutay Aitzos (A Collection of Advice; Entry on Teshuva – Repentance, article 32), where this matter is written in short, with these words: And there is (one) that doesn't know (how) to reach the gate intended for him, that specifically in that way he needs to return to Hashem Yisburach etc., and through the recital of Psalms he will merit etc. and to come to the gate of repentance indigenous to his neshama (soul) etc., see there. And it becomes apparent from his holy words there, that the forty nine gates mentioned above, are an aspect of forty nine ways to repent, for each person, according to the root of his soul, has a unique way and a unique service, that he needs to traverse specifically in that way, and through this he will merit to return to Hashem Yisburach, as this is understood from the Torah "Unoachi" ("I", Likutay Moharan, Torah 4) on the homily of our Sages o.b.m. (Sota 21a), “and he doesn’t know which way he is going,” see there.

And not everyone merits to find his unique way, according to the root of his soul, to return with it to Hashem Yisburach. And on this King David r.i.p. screamed (Psalms 119:9), "With what will a youth merit (/make meritorious) his <specific> way to guard as You prescribed." And our master, leader, and holy rabbi za.tza.l. revealed to us that through the recitation of Psalms, Hashem Yisburach will bestow him with wisdom, and understanding, and realization of knowledge to perceive for himself his own unique way, specific to him according to the root of his neshama (soul), what to do in this world, until he merits through this to complete repentance, and see below article 75.

For inevitably there must be some arousal at all, which is the aspect of isi'arusa d'l'tata. And therefore nothing stands in the way of teshuvah, and until the day of his death He awaits him. For even if he has sinned as he has sinned thousands of times, even so, each time he is aroused with any awakening to return to Hashem — no arousal is ever lost. As is written in the holy Zohar: leis re'uta tava d'is'abed — for through teshuvah sins are transformed into merits, for tikun is made through the very corruptions — for through the very fact that he drew the light to where he drew it, which is the essence of the corruption: afterward when he is aroused to teshuvah he fulfills everything, and through this specifically new vessels are made and new and wonderful light is drawn into them. For through his having drawn the light to coarse places — through this the vessels were thickened and can afterward be refined until all is transformed to good, and specifically through this wonderful vessels are formed to receive new light that could not have been received before.

And all of this is possible only through the great Tzadikim who know this secret to its depth — they can arouse people to teshuvah and strengthen each person and elevate all manner of awakenings in the world — every good point and point — and through this form wonderful vessels, so that each person is rectified in an even greater measure. Therefore one must search greatly for such a Tzadik who can engage in one's tikun. And the very searching and seeking itself is a great eternal good — even if one has corrupted as he has. For the great Tzadikim merited what they merited through their own arousal from below in ultimate perfection. Therefore they made wonderful and awesome vessels that can repair all the corruptions of the world.

Our Sages of blessed memory said in the Midrash on the verse: "And I, through Your abundant kindness, will come to Your house", etc. — which follows the verse about "those who speak falsehood," etc. — that David said this about Doeg and Achitofel and those who disputed him. And he concludes: "And I — as they did, so did I." Yet: "Through Your abundant kindness I will come to Your house." And likewise must every person say about himself — particularly when he truly knows in his soul the pain of his transgressions. Then he must revive himself and greatly strengthen his soul through the kindnesses that Hashem, may He be blessed, has done with him — that he merited to draw close to the true Tzadik, and at any rate he is not one of those who dispute him, and he merits to be included within the holy gathering and the holy house of study of the holy assembly of the true Tzadik.

And he should say to himself: "And I — as those who dispute did, so have I done — yet through Your abundant kindness I will come to Your house" — meaning to the abovementioned house of study. Through this all my hopes are forever. For truly in every generation there is found a yeshivah [academy] of students with a true Rebbe who engage in their house of study with genuine Torah novellae — capable of drawing close to Hashem all the very distant souls who are difficult to grasp and bring to holiness. And some have fallen into the valley of weeping, into the depths of Gehinnom and the lowest depths, through their evil deeds — and principally through the impurity of their evil thoughts, particularly through licentiousness, which is the essential evil inclination, as is explained in the holy Zohar.