178. **One needs precisely _

178. **One needs precisely _ Vidui Devarim_** (confession in words). Know that one needs exactly _ vidui devarim _, confession in words—that is, one must articulate the sin in detail, confessing it verbally each time, for every individual deed. There are many obstacles: sometimes the sin is forgotten, sometimes it is difficult or painful to utter verbal confession, and more. One needs the joy of a mitzvah—such as the joy felt at a wedding, or other joyful mitzvah. Joy corresponds to the full stature of the body: 248 limbs and 365 sinews. Therefore when one is joyous or dancing, see that the joy passes from head to foot. Sometimes joy is limited to the legs, or to the heart, or to the intellect. Scripture says: “Everlasting joy will be upon their head” (Isaiah 35:10). The essential joy is that which passes through the entire stature. To achieve that, one needs many mitzvot, because at the root of all mitzvot is joy. Psalm 19 says: “The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart.” Every one of the 613 mitzvot has its corresponding joy-limb. Therefore if one blemishes a mitzvah—positive or negative—then when joy passes through the body it will hit the limb corresponding to that mitzvah. If that limb is blemished, joy cannot flow there, and instead one feels anxiety: as it is written, “I am troubled by my sin.” But by performing many mitzvot—even if someone is a “transgressor,” as Chagigah 27a states that even the sinners of Israel can be “like filled pomegranates”—this abundance of mitzvot nullifies the anxiety that prevents joy. The flourishing joy-light kindles and cancels the barriers of sin, and then confession becomes possible. Vidui devarim _ repairs the world of speech (cf. sign 78), for the sin blemish exists in the soul, and the soul manifests through speech: “My soul went out at his word” (Song of Songs 5:6). Therefore one must confess verbally in order to repair and build the blemished speech-aspect. As it says in Hosea 14:2, “Take words and return to Gd.” When speech is repaired and rebuilt through _ vidui devarim _, a holy union arises between the Blessed Holy One and His Shechinah; the upper voice awakens and unites with the speech. One also needs a lower awakening: building speech leads to the awakening and desire of voice, which unites with the speech—as in Psalms 103:20, “Who do His word, listening for His word-voice.” The Zohar (Lech Lecha 90a) teaches that those who merit hearing the upper voices are those “who do His word,” i.e. who repair their speech—and thus they merit hearing the word-voice. More wonders include receiving the melody of voice, song, and musical instrument. Isaiah 51:3 says, “Gladness and joy shall be found in her, thanksgiving and a voice of song.” The thanksgiving (aspect of _ vidui devarim _) and the song-voice arise within joy and gladness.