ערך תשובה

For in truth one must judge every person to the scale of merit. For even though certainly one must speak with him and illuminate his mind and bring him out from what he needs to be brought out from — and all of this is the aspect of judgment and law [din u'mishpot] — as explained in the inner teachings — even so, one must overpower oneself with compassion to enter with one's fellow beyond the letter of the law [lifnim mishuras hadin]. Not to look at him for bad — only for good — [for good] — and to judge him to the scale of merit always. So that one can speak with him. And as is explained elsewhere — that this is the aspect of the commandment: "And you shall do what is right and good" [Deuteronomy 6:18]. From which our Sages of blessed memory derived [the obligation] to go beyond the letter of the law. And they also derived from this the law of bar metzra [the neighbor's right of first refusal] — which is the aspect of the commandment to strive to broaden one's fellow's boundary. And both are one. One who is on the lowest level — he must specifically find merit in himself — so as not to fall entirely, G-d forbid. And the essential purification and repentance of such a person is specifically through this. And this is the aspect of the purification of the parah adumah [the red heifer].

The essential teshuvah is to return from pride — from which come all the sins, G-d forbid. And to humble oneself and feel one's lowliness and insignificance in truth. For the essential teshuvah is the submission and the lowliness and a broken heart before G-d. Through this He forgives him for all the sins — and all the judgments are nullified from him.

Our Sages of blessed memory said that for the severe sin of wasting seed, G-d protect us — teshuvah is not effective for it. And in truth this is fitting for it — as explained in the inner teachings. But in truth even so — there is nothing that stands before teshuvah. Only the essential repair is through the Tzadik of the generation — as is explained in the inner teachings.

There is nothing that stands before teshuvah. And even for the blemish of drops of the brain [tipei hamoi'ach] — about which our Sages of blessed memory said that teshuvah is not effective, as mentioned above — and likewise for those about whom the verse says: "All her returnees do not return, and they will not attain the paths of life" [Proverbs 2:19] — but in truth, truth is truth: teshuvah is effective for all sins. As we have already found many, many wicked people who blemished in drops of the brain, and denied the very foundation — and even so they were accepted — [accepted] — in teshuvah. Only — since they blemished so greatly — therefore they must join themselves together and be tested and stand in this trial of the distancing. That is, it is written of them that teshuvah is not effective for them. And when a person is foolish and senseless and has no compassion upon himself — not to destroy his world, G-d forbid — then he finds an excuse and exemption for himself to distance himself from teshuvah. Since it has already been written of him that teshuvah is not effective for him, G-d forbid. But one who thinks in truth about his purpose — and has compassion upon himself and considers his ways — for even so what will become of him in the end, and what will he do on the day of reckoning? Then — the more he finds and sees that they distance him further — the more compassion he has upon himself and he cries out to G-d from ever deeper in the depths of the heart. Until G-d looks down and sees from Heaven. For even though it has already been written of him that he is not accepted in teshuvah — even so he cries out to G-d about this itself: that he has blemished so greatly that they distance him so greatly. And even though I know that it is fitting to distance me because of the greatness of my blemishes — and certainly all that our Sages of blessed memory said is true and firm — even so, I know and believe that there are kindnesses of G-d, and such great — [great] — compassion before G-d, that He can also draw us close with compassion and receive us in complete teshuvah. For even so, did our Sages of blessed memory not say themselves: "There is nothing that stands before teshuvah." And then — when one merits to stand in this trial of the distancing, and even so returns in complete teshuvah — then G-d has compassion upon him and he draws close through this specifically — through having stood in this trial of the distancing. And this is the aspect of: the distancing is the ultimate purpose of the drawing close.

The essential of all the blemishes of all the sins is in the aspect of the twenty-two letters. For one draws, G-d forbid, the letters that are in that thing which passes over him — to a place that draws them toward the sitra achra, etc., G-d protect us. For the essential vitality of all things is the letters within them — as is known. And therefore the essential repair is through speech — in the aspect of: "Take with you words and return to G-d" [Hosea 14:3]. And our Sages of blessed memory said: "He asks of you nothing but words." That is, one should multiply speaking holy words of cries and supplications and requests and songs and praises to Him, blessed be He. Until all the letters will be joined and repaired for good. And certainly this is a great and easy counsel — that everyone can fulfill. For one can merit teshuvah and the life of the World to Come through speech alone. Even if one does not merit to toil and labor in his service like the Tzaddikim and the upright who preceded us — who toiled and labored very, very greatly in many fasts and harsh and enormous mortifications. And even if, G-d forbid, what passes over him still passes over him — even so, if he does not allow himself to ever fall — and strengthens himself to speak words at the very least always before G-d — with cries and many supplications and requests to G-d — certainly in the end he will return to G-d. But the baal davar intensifies against a person to prevent him — [to prevent him] — even from this. And the essential [obstruction] is through the entanglement of livelihood — through which one does not engage fully even in this easy counsel to return to G-d through holy speech. And therefore one must remind himself every single time of the truth — that "it is not through strength that a man prevails" [I Samuel 2:9]. And livelihood does not derive — [derive] — through one's toil and labor alone — but everything comes through the kindness of G-d and His salvation. And worries and entanglements do not help at all for livelihood — on the contrary, they damage livelihood greatly. And therefore even a craftsman or businessman can find himself some hours in the day to engage in the recitation of Psalms and hisbodidus, etc. And through this he will certainly return to G-d for the life of the World to Come.

Every person must strive greatly to seek and search after the lost things [avaidoas] all the days of his life. For this is the entire purpose of a person — who was created only for this: to seek after the lost things. Which are the aspect of the fallen sparks [nitzotzos hanefilim] — that are the aspect of things lost and cast away — that every person must strive greatly to seek and search after them all the days of his life. And especially if one has already sinned and blemished according to however he has blemished — especially the blemish of the bris, G-d forbid — through which he has now lost many more things himself. And one must search and seek after them greatly. And when one searches and seeks well — certainly he will find. For: "I toiled and did not find — do not believe" [Megillah 6b]. And this is the essential teshuvah for sins — as it is written: "And you will return to G-d, etc. — even if your scattered ones are at the very end of the heavens — from there He will gather you, etc." [Deuteronomy 30:2–4]. And it is written: "And you will seek from there G-d your G-d and you will find, etc." [Deuteronomy 4:29]. For one must greatly seek and search after the paths of holiness. For all the distance a person is from G-d is on account of the aforementioned lost things — through which he goes and wanders like a lost sheep and cannot find the path of life. And therefore a person must strive greatly all his days to seek and search after his lost things. For this is the essential teshuvah as above. And if one searches and seeks well — certainly he will find all that is needed for the repair of his soul. And even at the time when he does not yet merit to find — even so, through every toil and searching he has already found much. For no toil and searching is ever lost at all. And certainly one has already found much through every single word and through every toil and searching. For lais re'usa tava d'is'avad [no good intention is ever lost]. And even if one sees nothing of what he has found — and it appears to him that he has still not found anything and he is still far from G-d as before — even so, one must believe with complete faith that certainly one has found much through the toil itself. As our Sages of blessed memory said: "I toiled and found — believe" [Megillah 6b] — believe — [believe] — specifically. Even though one does not yet see what he found.

The essential teshuvah of every person is to return every single time from the evil thoughts in which he has been caught — to holy thoughts. In the aspect of: "Let the wicked abandon his way, and the man of iniquity his thoughts, and let him return to G-d" [Isaiah 55:7]. And this is the essential teshuvah: to return in one's thought from wherever one is — to holy thoughts. And even if one has gone astray in his thought however he has gone astray — even so, one must believe that in every way he disconnects himself in his thought from bad to good — it is precious in the eyes of G-d. For "He knows our formation, etc." [Psalms 103:14]. And the essential yetzer hara is the thoughts — as explained in the inner teachings.

The matter of what is explained in the holy Zohar — that for the blemish of the bris, teshuvah is not effective. And yet it is explained in the sacred books that even for this teshuvah is effective. But the essential repair is: to cast aside one's own understanding entirely and to strengthen oneself in complete faith, etc.

The essential of all blemishes and sins, G-d protect us, derives from the aspect of theft [gezail] — that is, from the fact that a person presses the moment [dochek es hasha'ah]. Which is the aspect of theft — as explained in the inner teachings. For the yetzer hara is only present for its hour. And if a person stands firm in the trial for a small amount of time — then afterwards the yetzer hara is automatically nullified and departs from him. And therefore the essential repair of teshuvah is drawn through the great Tzaddikim who press the moment not at all — even in their prayer. And they pray only with compassion and supplication. Also these Tzaddikim do not use their powerful staff [mateh az] — except for the sake of subduing the evil within the congregation [edah]. And through this Israel merits teshuvah. Also because the essential distancing from teshuvah is through people who obstruct [mone'im]. For people are sometimes very great obstructors — more than the yetzer hara itself. That is, through their controversy and their mockery and the like — as explained in the inner teachings. And therefore through the truly righteous Tzaddikim who draw their Torah innovations in completeness of all the repairs — through this they receive power to punish the obstructors or at least to silence them. Through this the awakening of teshuvah is drawn in the world.

There is one who has blemished and sinned so greatly — until he is in the aspect of one who has robbed the multitude [gazal es harabbim]. Whose blemishes affect all of Israel, G-d forbid. And then his entire repair is to engage in the needs of the multitude [tzorchei rabbim] — as our Sages of blessed memory said: "One who robbed the multitude — let him do from it the needs of the multitude." And the essential needs of the multitude are to cause them to merit the eternal purpose. And the essential [means] is to strive to have a share in drawing the Torah innovations of the truly righteous Tzaddikim — through which all the repairs are drawn in completeness. Through which the essential drawing of the repair of teshuvah for all of Israel comes — as above. And one must strive greatly that they spread in the world — whether through supporting with money those who engage in this, whether in person, whether through other aspects. For every single person can merit to have a share in this. And through this he will cause the multitude to merit — in the aspect of the needs of the multitude. And this is the essential repair for all his blemishes — which are the aspect of one who robbed the multitude as above.

What is brought in the holy Zohar — that for the blemish of the bris, teshuvah is not effective — but even so, through complete faith in the sages, even this sin can be repaired through the power of the holy Torah, which draws sweetening from the aspect of the supernal wisdom [chochmah ila'ah].

The matter of what is explained in the holy Zohar — that for the blemish of the bris, teshuvah is not effective. And yet it is explained in the sacred books that even for this teshuvah is effective. But the essential repair is: to cast aside one's own understanding entirely and to strengthen oneself in complete faith, etc.