Preparations for Rosh Hashanah ~ Teshuvah, a lot more than repentance ~ Nitzavim

(1) When all these things befall you—the blessing and the curse that I have set before you—and you review in heart amidst the various nations to which Ad-nai your God has banished you, (2) and you return to Ad-nai your God, and you and your children heed God’s command with all your heart and soul, just as I enjoin upon you this day, (3) then Ad-nai your God will return your captives and take you back in love, and will bring you back together again from all the peoples where Ad-nai your God has scattered you. (4) Even if your outcasts are at the ends of the world, from there Ad-nai your God will gather you, from there [God] will fetch you. (5) And Ad-nai your God will bring you to the land that your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it; and [God] will make you more prosperous and more numerous than your ancestors. (6) Then Ad-nai your God will open up your heart and the hearts of your offspring—to love Ad-nai your God with all your heart and soul, in order that you may live. (7) Ad-nai your God will inflict all those curses upon the enemies and foes who persecuted you. (8) You, however, will again heed Ad-nai and obey all the divine commandments that I enjoin upon you this day. (9) And Ad-nai your God will grant you abounding prosperity in all your undertakings, in your issue from the womb, the offspring of your cattle, and your produce from the soil. For Ad-nai will again delight in your well-being as in that of your ancestors, (10) since you will be heeding Ad-nai your God and keeping the divine commandments and laws that are recorded in this book of the Teaching—once you return to Ad-nai your God with all your heart and soul.

(2) Return, O Israel, to Ad-nai your God, for you have fallen because of your sin.

to the Lord your God One taught in the name of Rabbi Meir: Return, O Israel, while He is still ה', with the Divine Attribute of Mercy; otherwise, He is אֶלֹקֶיךָ with the Divine Attribute of Justice, before the defense becomes the prosecution. [from Pesikta d’Rav Kahana, p. 164a]

(10) ...Rabbi Eliezer said: Let the honor of your friend be as dear to you as your own; And be not easily provoked to anger; And repent one day before your death. ...

(9) Joab reported to the king the number of the people that had been recorded: in Israel there were 800,000 soldiers ready to draw the sword, and the men of Judah numbered 500,000. (10) But afterward David reproached himself^-f for having numbered the people. And David said to the LORD, “I have sinned grievously in what I have done. Please, O LORD, remit the guilt of Your servant, for I have acted foolishly.” (11) When David rose in the morning, the word of the LORD had come to the prophet Gad, David’s seer: (12) “Go and tell David, ‘Thus said the LORD: I hold three things over you; choose one of them, and I will bring it upon you.’” (13) Gad came to David and told him; he asked, “Shall a seven-year famine come upon you in the land, or shall you be in flight from your adversaries for three months while they pursue you, or shall there be three days of pestilence in your land? Now consider carefully what reply I shall take back to Him who sent me.” (14) David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Let us fall into the hands of the LORD, for His compassion is great; and let me not fall into the hands of men.” (15) The LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from morning until the set time;^-e and 70,000 of the people died, from Dan to Beer-sheba.

Let us fall into the hand of Ad-nai. I.e. Pestilence and not the sword nor famine because it [famine] is also controlled by the rich who have store houses of produce. Rabbi Alexandri said, David reasoned, "If I choose the sword then [the people of] Yisrael will say [about me], 'he is relying on his strength to save himself from death but others will die', and if I choose famine they will say, He is relying on his wealth [to save himself]. I will choose pestilence against which everyone is equal."

(1) For the leader. A psalm of David, (2) when Nathan the prophet came to him after he had come to Bathsheba. (3) Have mercy upon me, O God, as befits Your lovingkindness; in keeping with Your abundant compassion, blot out my transgressions. (4) Wash me thoroughly of my iniquity, and purify me of my sin; (5) for I recognize my transgressions, and am ever conscious of my sin. (6) Against You alone have I sinned, and done what is evil in Your sight; so You are just in Your sentence, and right in Your judgment. (7) Indeed I was born with iniquity; with sin my mother conceived me. (8) Indeed You desire truth about that which is hidden; teach me wisdom about secret things. (9) Purge me with hyssop till I am pure; wash me till I am whiter than snow. (10) Let me hear tidings of joy and gladness; let the bones You have crushed exult. (11) Hide Your face from my sins; blot out all my iniquities. (12) Fashion a pure heart for me, O God; create in me a steadfast spirit. (13) Do not cast me out of Your presence, or take Your holy spirit away from me. (14) Make me return to the happiness of Your help; let a vigorous spirit sustain me. (15) I will teach transgressors Your ways, that sinners may return to You. (16) Save me from bloodguilt, O God, God, my deliverer, that I may sing forth Your beneficence. (17) O Lord, open my lips, and let my mouth declare Your praise. (18) You do not want me to bring sacrifices; You do not desire burnt offerings; (19) True sacrifice to God is a contrite spirit; God, You will not despise a contrite and crushed heart. (20) May it please You to make Zion prosper; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. (21) Then You will want sacrifices offered in righteousness, burnt and whole offerings; then bulls will be offered on Your altar.

(6) Great, indeed, is teshuvah for it brings man closer to the Shekinah, even as it is said: "Return, O Israel, to Ad-nai your God" (Hosea, 14. 2); and it is further said: "Yet have you not returned unto Me, says Ad-nai" (Amos, 4.6); and it is yet again said: "If you would return, O Israel, says Ad-nai, yea, return to Me" (Jer. 4.1), as if saying: "If you would turn in repentance you would cleave to Me". Repentance brings near the far apart. But yesterday this sinner was hateful to God, scorned, ostracized and abominable, and today he is beloved, desirable, dear and a friend. Thou findest, moreover, that in the very language God employs to distance the sinners He employs to bring nigh unto Him the penitent whether the individual or the many, even as it is said: "And it shall come to pass that, instead of that which was said unto them, 'Ye are not My people', it shall be said unto them: 'Ye are the children of the living God'. And, again it is said of Jeconiah: "Write ye this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days, (Jer. 22.30) though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet upon My right hand yet would I pluck thee thence" (Ibid. – 24); but when he repented, being in exile, it is said of his son Zerubbabel: "In that day, saith the lord of hosts, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel, My servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith the Lord, and will make thee as a signet" (Haggai, 2.23).

(7) How superior is the degree of repentance! But yesterday was this sinner separated from the Lord God of Israel, even as it is said:" But your iniquities have separated between you and your God" (Is. 59.2); cries, but received no answer, even as it is said:" "Yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear" (Ibid. 1.15); does obey commandments, but they are thrown back in his face, even as it is said: "Who hath required this at your hand, to trample My courts"? (Ibid.–12), and, "Oh that there were even among you that would shut the doors, that ye might not kindle fire on Mine altar in vain!" (Mal. 1.10). But to-day he is connected with the Shekinah, even as it is said: "But ye that did cleave unto the Lord your God are alive every one of you this day" (Deut. 4.4); he cries and receives answer momentarily, even as it is said: "And it shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer" (Is. 65.24); he observes commandments, and they are received with pleasure and joy, even as it is said: "For God hath already accepted thy works" (Ecc. 9.7); moreover, his works are pleasurably anticipated, even as it is said: "Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in ancient years" (Mal. 3.4).

(8) A sin-offering, which atones for unwitting performance of transgressions punishable by karet, and a definite guilt-offering, which is brought for robbery and misuse of consecrated items, atone for those sins. Death and Yom Kippur atone for sins when accompanied by repentance. Repentance itself atones for minor transgressions, for both positive mitzvot and negative mitzvot. And repentance places punishment for severe transgressions in abeyance until Yom Kippur comes and completely atones for the transgression.

(9) With regard to one who says: I will sin and then I will repent, I will sin and I will repent, Heaven does not provide him the opportunity to repent, and he will remain a sinner all his days. With regard to one who says: I will sin and Yom Kippur will atone for my sins, Yom Kippur does not atone for his sins. Furthermore, for transgressions between a person and God, Yom Kippur atones; however, for transgressions between a person and another, Yom Kippur does not atone until he appeases the other person. Similarly, Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya taught that point from the verse: “From all your sins you shall be cleansed before the Lord” (Leviticus 16:30). For transgressions between a person and God, Yom Kippur atones; however, for transgressions between a person and another, Yom Kippur does not atone until he appeases the other person. In conclusion, Rabbi Akiva said: How fortunate are you, Israel; before Whom are you purified, and Who purifies you? It is your Father in Heaven, as it is stated: “And I will sprinkle purifying water upon you, and you shall be purified” (Ezekiel 36:25). And it says: “The ritual bath of Israel is God” (Jeremiah 17:13). Just as a ritual bath purifies the impure, so too, the Holy One, Blessed be He, purifies Israel.

(2) What is repentance? The sinner shall cease sinning, and remove sin from his thoughts, and wholeheartedly conclude not to revert back to it, even as it is said: "Let the wicked forsake his way" (Is. 55.7); so, too, shall he be remorseful on what was past, even as it is said: "Surely after that I was turned, I repented" (Jer. 31. 19). In addition thereto he should take to witness Him Who knoweth all secrets that forever he will not turn to repeat that sin again, according to what it is said: "Say unto Him.… neither will we call any more the work of our hands our gods" (Hos. 14.3–4). It is, moreover, essential that his confession shall be by spoken words of his lips, and all that which he concluded in his heart shall be formed in speech.

(3) He who confesses by speech but has not his heart's consent to abandon his erstwhile conduct, behold him, he is like one taking an immersion of purification and in his grasp is an impure creeping thing, when he knows the immersion to be of no value till he cast away the impure creeping thing. Even so it is advised to do, saying: "But who confesses and forsakes them shall shall obtain mercy" (Pro. 28. 13). In confessing to God, it is obligatory to name the sin, even as it is said: "Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them a god of gold" (Ex. 32.31).

(4) Among the ways of repentance are, for the penitent to continue to cry out in tearful supplication before the Name, and to bestow alms according to his means, and to distance himself exceedingly from the thing wherein he sinned, and to have his name changed, as if saying: "I am now another person, and not that person who perpetrated those misdeeds", to completely change his conduct for the good and straight path, and to exile himself from his place of residence, for exile atones iniquity, because it leads him to submissiveness and to be meek and humble-spirited.

(10) Now we will explain the principles of repentance. The first principle is regret: His heart should understand that leaving God is bad and bitter; and he should place into his heart that there is punishment, vengeance and repayment for iniquity, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 32:35), "To be My vengeance and repayment." And it is stated (Job 19:29), "Be in fear of the sword, for [your] fury is iniquity worthy of the sword." And he should regret his bad deeds and say in his heart, "What have I done? How did I not have fear of God in front of my eyes, and did not become afraid from the rebukes of iniquity and from the harsh judgments? For there are many aches [waiting] for the evildoer. I did not pity my body; and for a moment of pleasure, my eyes did not pity its being destroyed. I became like a man who robs and extorts, eats and is satiated; but who knows that after his eating and his drinking, the judge will grind his teeth with gravel - like the matter that is stated (Proverbs 20:17), 'but later his mouth will be filled with gravel.' And worse than this, I was cruel to the dear soul and I rendered it impure with the idols of my impulse. And what did it gain from all of its acquisitions, if they are bad in the eyes of its Master? And how did I trade a passing world for a world that exists for ever and ever? How have I become similar to animals? As I have gone after my impulse like a horse, like a mule that does not understand. And I have strayed from the way of the intellect. And behold the Creator blew a living soul into my nose - a wise heart and the benefit of intellect - in order to recognize Him and fear Him and to govern over the body and all of its actions, like it governs over the other animals that do not speak, because it is precious in His eyes. And though I was created like this, it has become the opposite of this in me. Why am I alive? It is like the matter that is stated (Proverbs 21:16), 'A man who strays from the path of the intellect will rest in the company of ghosts.' Moreover I have not [even] fulfilled the precept of the animal. Rather I have been lower than that. For the ox knows its master and the donkey the trough of its owner; whereas I have not known and not reflected. And I have sent my soul to be free from its master. So I have tasted my nectar, but forgotten my end. And I have stolen and extorted and trampled upon the indigent. I have not remembered the day of death, upon which nothing will remain before my soul besides my corpse and my dirt. And this matter that we have explained is that which Jeremiah, peace be upon him, had spoken, "No one regrets his wickedness and says, 'What have I done?'"

(11) The second principle is leaving the sin: That he should leave his evil ways and decide with all of his heart that he will not continue to return this way again. And if he did evil, he shall not do [it any] more, like the matter that is stated, (Ezekiel 33:11), "Return, return from your evil ways"; and [likewise] stated (Isaiah 55:17), "Let the wicked give up his ways." But know that [in the case of] one who sins by happenstance because he had a desire and his impulse overpowered him and attacked him, whereas his ideas and senses did not rescue him when he encountered it; so they were not quick to rebuke him in the sea of desire, to dry it up - hence the impulse dragged him into its nets and he fell into its snares at that particular time and instant, at the time that the spirit of the evil impulse kicked him down, but not because of his [own] desire and will to find his iniquity and to do like this afterwards: The beginning of the repentance of this man is regret; to place sorrow into his heart about his sin, to have his soul be afflicted and bitter like wormwood. Afterwards, he should increase the fear of sin in his heart every day, and put the dread of God into his heart at all times, until his heart becomes steady in the trust of God. As if the impulse comes across him again - like it does from time to time - and his desire become fanned like the first case, his heart will not be seduced by it and he will abandon its path. [This is] as it is stated (Proverbs 28:13), "but one who confesses and abandons [them] will find mercy" - it mentions "confesses" first, about the regret and the confession; and afterwards, "abandons." However [in the case of] one who is constantly positioned on the path that is not good, and the man who treads on his sins every day and repeats them in his foolishness; and who runs after it many times in his race, loves his evil all the time, places the trap of his iniquity in front of his face - meaning his desire and impulse - and his craving is his occupation; he does not prevent himself from doing anything that he wants to do: For such a man, the beginning of his repentance is to abandon his evil way and thoughts, and to agree, resolve and accept upon himself to not continue sinning. Afterwards, he should regret and return to God, as it is stated (Isaiah 55:7), "Let the wicked give up his ways, the sinful man his plans; let him turn back to the Lord, and He will pardon him." And the parable for this is about one who holds a sherets (an impure crawling animal) and comes to immerse and become pure. For he must first leave the sherets, and then immerse and become purified. But all the time that the sherets is in his hand, his impurity is still with him and the immersion is ineffective. And behold that leaving the thoughts of sin is [equivalent to] throwing out the sherets; and the regret of that which he sinned, the confession and the prayer are in place of the immersion. And when afflictions and aches come upon the evildoer for whom all of his plans are to continue with his crimes, he is first afflicted. And then he repents from the evil thoughts that he thought and cuts off the actions from his hands. And the parable for this is about a calf which they hit with a cow prod to direct his [work on the] furrows. So is one who is positioned on a path that is not good. He should take the chastisement first, to abandon the ways of death and to walk in a straight path - as it is written (Jeremiah 31:18), "I can hear Ephraim lamenting, 'You have chastised me, and I am chastised like a calf that has not been broken.'" And it is further stated after it (Jeremiah 31:19), "Now that I have turned back, I am filled with remorse." [This] means to say, "After you chastised me, and I was chastised and returned from my evil ways; I was filled with remorse afterwards and regretted what occurred with my iniquities." So behold that all of this matter that we have explained has been clarified for you.

(12) The third principle is grief: His conscience should darken as he thinks about the great evil of one who rebels against his Maker. He should magnify the grief in his heart, experience a storm in his thoughts and sigh with a bitter heart. For it is possible for him to regret all the sins that he did and find them to be bad in his eyes, yet not fill his measure in this. For even the loss of a dinar or an isar (a small coin) is difficult in the eyes of a man. However, if he lost [all of] his wealth in a bad way and was cleaned out of possessions, his soul would [actually] mourn and his sighing would be heavy. And likewise is his pain infinite and his grief daily for many and frequent troubles. And more than [about] these is it fitting to be distressed and constantly sigh for one who rebelled against God, may He be blessed, was destructive, performed disgusting acts in front of Him; and who did not remember his Maker who created him ex nihilo, did kindness with him, placed His hand upon him at every instant and guards his spirit at all times - how could he have the temerity to bring anger in front of Him? And how were the eyes of the sinner shut from seeing; from having his heart understand? And one who understands and has eyes opened will inscribe these words onto his heart, so that they will enter the chambers of his spirit.

The inner pain of repentance is a great theme for the poets of sorrow to strike upon their harps and for the artists of tragedy – to reveal thereby their talent.

It is several years now that I fight an internal battle, and a strong spirit pushes me to speak about Teshuvah and all of my thoughts are centered on it.

Teshuvah takes the largest portion of Torah and of life, upon it all of individual and communal hopes are built. It is a Mitzvah that on the one hand is the easiest, as one thought of Teshuvah is already considered Teshuva, but on the other hand it is the most difficult as it has not yet been fully actualized in life and in the world.

Sometimes, one needs to distance himself from thoughts of the holiness of Teshuva if they bring one towards sadness, because the principle of joy that is connected with holiness is greater than any other form of Teshuva.
Therefore, when thoughts of Fear come to a person and thoughts of Teshuva through sadness, one should remove his mind from them until his thoughts are set, and he will accept upon himself holiness and fear of Hashem in a joyful manner that is fitting for the straight of heart who serve Hashem in truth.

Rabbi Itzchak and Rabbi Yehuda were going from Usha to Lod. Rabbi Yehuda (Yitzchak) said: let's say some words of Torah and then go. Rabbi Yehuda (other versions Yitzchak) opened with the verse: " When a person opens a pit, or digs a pit etc" (Exodus 21:33). What is written after it? "the one responsible for the pit must pay etc". And if this is so in this case, to those who bring evil in the world through their transgressions all the more! I am astounded by this - they brought evil into the world, why is there teshuvah for them, as it is written "man or woman, when they do evil etc" (Numbers 5:6) "they shall confess the wrong and return etc" (Numbers 5:7)

Yet, obviously it helps the person, since one did teshuvah it is as if one did indeed do it. Because what one hurt above, one fixes, and through what? Teshuvah, as it is written "man or woman, when they do evil etc" (Numbers 5:6) "they shall confess the wrong and return etc" (Numbers 5:7) and teshuvah fixes all of it, fixes above and fixes below, fixes for the person and fixes for the whole world.

Rabbi Yitzchak (other versions Yehuda) said after him: "when you are in distress because all these things have befallen you and, in the end, return to Ad-nai etc" (Deuteronomy 4:30). "When you are in distress" - from here [we learn] that teshuvah is better than everything since judgment still rules in the world. Once judgment rules in the world, its force is strong, one who crosses it goes from this world, that, behold

since Judgment rules one cannot go until one pays. Once one paid, and did teshuvah, one fixed all worlds. Meaning, since it is written "and those things will find you at the end of the days" (Deuteronomy 4:30) and it is written "and you will return to Ad-nai your God etc" because "Ad-nai your God is a compassionate God etc" (Deuteronomy 4:31)

"In the end of days" why is it here? Rather, it is to include the Congregation of Israel that is in exile, and she finds herself with them in suffering, and does not abandon them ever. And in this manner, too, the Holy Blessed One - even though Judgment rules in the wold - wants Israel to return in Teshuvah, to do good for them in this world, and in the world that is coming, and nothing can stand against teshuvah.

Come and see: even the Congregation of Israel is called [as] Teshuvah. And if you say [teshuvah] is higher - it is not found everywhere. Rather, this is called teshuvah: when compassion returns to face the world, and teshuvah nurtures all its inhabitants. And when is teshuvah the highest? When [a person] gives up their soul (sacrifices themselves) for it, raising it in the moment of teshuvah, and therefore fixes everything above and below, and fixes oneself all the world.

One evil person in the world - how many other people are damaged by him! Oy to the evil person, and oy to that person's neighbors! Come and see, the prophet Yonah, since he did not want to do the mission of his Master, how many people were lost at sea because of him - until all turned against him and judged him with the judgment of the sea. And then they were all saved, and the Holy One of Blessing had pity on him after this, and saved many people in the world [Niniveh's people]. When? When he returned to his Master due to his suffering, as it is written "In my trouble I called Ad-nai, and He answered me" (Jonah 2:3) and also "In distress I called on Y-ah;
He answered me with Y-ah's expansions" (Ps. 118:5).

The faithful shepherd

This command is the mitzvah of teshuvah. And this is Binah. And due to our sins the Temple was destroyed, and the only thing left for us is the verbal confession, and this is Malchut. And what is Binah? Ben-Y-ah [son of Y-ah]. And this son is the vav obviously. And every person who returns in teshuvah is as if they returned the hey of the vav, and that person is Ben-Y-ah, and they completed in this Y-H-V-H, and this is Teshuvah - tashuv H [return the hey] obviously to the vav.

And this hey is obviously the verbal confession, and the secret of the word, "take with you words and return to Ad-nai, say to Him etc we will pay the bulls of our lips" (Hoshea 14:3). That obviously because the person who sins that person distances the hey from the vav, and separates YHV from H. And because of that the temple was destroyed and Israel was distanced from there, and was exiled among the peoples. And because of that whoever does teshuvah causes the Hey to return to the Vav, and redemption is dependent in this. And in this way all is dependent in teshuvah. As the olden ones said: "all the calculated ends have passed and the matter is only dependent on teshuvah [and good deeds] etc" (Sanhedrin 97b:14) - and this is the completion of the Name.

and regarding this [it is written]: "And I will do due to My name" (Ezekiel 20:14) and also "Because of Me, because of Me I will do" (Isaiah 48:11). And if they do not return I will set on them a king whose decrees will be harsher than Pharaoh's, and they will return against their will. And this is what is written "return to Ad-nai your God" - truly up to YHV"H.

And teshuvah is called life: "because from it there are results of life" (Prov. 4:23) - those [results] are Israel's souls.