I have strayed like a lost sheep; seek Your servant

206 - I have strayed like a lost sheep; seek Your servant I have strayed like a lost sheep; seek Your servant etc. [Psalms 119] There is a great difference in the transgression that a person commits, G-d forbid, depending on whether he is aroused immediately and returns in repentance right away. In such a case, it is possible for him to return to his place easily, because when he commits a transgression, G-d forbid, he deviates from the straight path to another corrupted path. From that path emerge many straying and highly corrupted routes and ways. When one begins to follow that evil path, G-d forbid, one becomes lost and confused in those paths, making it difficult to return and escape from there. However, Hashem, blessed be He, has the way of calling the person immediately upon seeing that he is straying from the path of intellect, urging him to turn back. He calls each one according to their aspect: some with a hint, some with an actual call, and some He kicks and strikes—this is their call. For the Torah proclaims before them "How long,

you simple ones, will you love simplicity" [Proverbs 1], and the Torah is Hashem, blessed be He, Himself, who calls them and seeks their return to Him. Therefore, when one has not yet deviated much from the straight path, it is easy to return, as he still recognizes the voice and is accustomed to it. This person was recently close to Hashem, blessed be He, hearing His voice—the voice of the Torah—and has not yet forgotten it, nor strayed far into those other confusing and bewildering paths. Thus, return is possible with ease. This is like the parable of a shepherd: when one sheep strays from the path, he calls it immediately. If the sheep has not strayed far, it recognizes the voice and follows it right away. But if it has deviated greatly, it forgets the voice and no longer recognizes it, and the shepherd also despairs of seeking it further, as much time has passed since it wandered away. Similarly, when one has prolonged their time in wickedness, G-d forbid, deviating far from the straight path into those corrupted, straying, confusing, and bewildering paths, return becomes difficult as mentioned above. Know that in these corrupted and straying paths, when a person wanders in them extensively, G-d forbid, it is sometimes possible that through the very excess of wandering in those confusing paths, it turns around, and he returns until he is very close to his original place. Only a small distance remains between him and his initial position, and with a minor trial, he can easily return to it. But when Hashem, blessed be He, calls him and arranges the trial, he does not recognize the voice and does not heed the return to his place. This is the difference between a youth and an elder: one still in youth, not yet aged in sins, can return more easily than the elder, as he remains close and has not forgotten the calling voice. This is "I have strayed like a lost sheep"—I have deviated from the straight path like a lost sheep that strays as above. Therefore, I ask before You, seek Your servant, for Your commandments I have not forgotten—that is, hasten to seek me while I still remember the calling voice of the Torah and commandments. This is "seek Your servant, for Your commandments I have not forgotten"—hasten to seek me immediately, "for Your commandments I have not forgotten" yet, and I still recognize the calling voice of the commandments, which are the Torah. Thus, my plea is for mercy to seek me swiftly, while I have not forgotten Your commandments—that is, while I still recognize the calling voice of the Torah and commandments. For when a person ages in sins, G-d forbid, it is very hard to seek him, as he has forgotten the voice of the Torah and commandments and no longer recognizes the call. Therefore, one must request from Hashem, blessed be He, that He hasten to seek and return him while he has not completely forgotten the voice of the Torah and commandments, as above. This is what King David, peace be upon him, requested: "seek Your servant, for Your commandments I have not forgotten," as above (explaining the urgency of divine intervention before complete forgetfulness sets in).