Day 6

Sunday August 27, 2017

Elul 5, 5777

(English Translation follows)

2.4

מִדַּרְכֵי הַתְּשׁוּבָה לִהְיוֹת הַשָּׁב צוֹעֵק תָּמִיד לִפְנֵי ה’, בִּבְכִי וּבְתַחֲנוּנִים, וְעוֹשֶׂה צְדָקָה כְּפִי כּוֹחוֹ, וּמִתְרַחֵק הַרְבֵּה מִן הַדָּבָר שֶׁחָטָא בּוֹ.  וּמְשַׁנֶּה שְׁמוֹ, כְּלוֹמַר שֶׁאֲנִי אַחֵר וְאֵינִי אוֹתוֹ הָאִישׁ שֶׁעָשָׂה אוֹתָן הַמַּעֲשִׂים; וּמְשַׁנֶּה מַעֲשָׂיו כֻּלָּן לְטוֹבָה, וּלְדֶרֶךְ יְשָׁרָה.  וְגוֹלֶה מִמְּקוֹמוֹ–שֶׁגָּלוּת מְכַפֶּרֶת עָווֹן, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁגּוֹרֶמֶת לוֹ לְהִכָּנַע וְלִהְיוֹת עָנָו וּשְׁפַל רוּחַ.

The paths to teshuvah include the following. The Master of Teshuvah will perpetually cry out to God with tears and petitions. He will give as much to charity as he can afford. He will distance himself from the thing that brought him to sin. He will change his name, as if to say, “I am another person, I am not the person who behaved that way.” He will change his behavior, and put himself entirely on the good and correct path. He will exile himself from his home, for exile atones for sin, since it causes him to be lowly, humble, and of contrite spirit.

2.5

וּשְׁבָח גָּדוֹל לַשָּׁב שֶׁיִּתְוַדֶּה בָּרַבִּים וְיוֹדִיעַ פְּשָׁעָיו לָהֶם, וּמְגַלֶּה עֲבֵרוֹת שֶׁבֵּינוֹ לְבֵין חֲבֵרוֹ לַאֲחֵרִים, וְאוֹמֵר לָהֶם אָמְנָם חָטָאתִי לִפְלוֹנִי וְעָשִׂיתִי לוֹ כָּךְ וְכָּךְ, וַהֲרֵינִי הַיּוֹם שָׁב וְנִחַם.  וְכָל הַמִּתְגָּאֶה וְאֵינוּ מוֹדִיעַ, אֵלָא מְכַסֶּה פְּשָׁעָיו–אֵין תְּשׁוּבָתוֹ גְּמוּרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמָר “מְכַסֶּה פְשָׁעָיו, לֹא יַצְלִיחַ” (משלי כח,יג).

בַּמֶּה דְּבָרִים אֲמוּרִים, בַּעֲבֵרוֹת שֶׁבֵּין אָדָם לַחֲבֵרוֹ.  אֲבָל שֶׁבֵּינוֹ לְבֵין הַמָּקוֹם–אֵינוּ צָרִיךְ לְפַרְסַם עַצְמוֹ, וְעַזּוּת פָּנִים הִיא לוֹ אִם גִּלָּם:  אֵלָא שָׁב לִפְנֵי הָאֵל בָּרוּךְ הוּא, וּפוֹרֵט חֲטָאָיו לְפָנָיו, וּמִתְוַדֶּה עֲלֵיהֶן בִּפְנֵי רַבִּים סְתָם.  וְטוֹבָה הִיא לוֹ שֶׁלֹּא נִתְגַּלָּה עֲווֹנוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמָר “אַשְׁרֵי נְשׂוּי-פֶּשַׁע; כְּסוּי חֲטָאָה” (תהילים לב,א).

It is very praiseworthy to confess in public and let one’s sins be known to others, revealing one’s transgressions against other people, saying “I have sinned against this person, committing this act, and today I regret it.” Anyone who is arrogant and will not admit his sin, attempting to hide his transgression, does not perform complete teshuvah, as it is written (Proverbs 28:13), one who hides his transgressions will not succeed.

Under what type of circumstances does this apply? When dealing with transgressions between people.  Transgressions against God, however, should not be made public, and it would be brazen to do so. On the contrary, one must specify one’s sins against God only in private, and use generic language when confessing in public.  It is better for a person not to reveal his sins, as it is written (Psalms 32:1), praiseworthy is the one who bears his transgression, whose sin is hidden.

Translation from Maimonides on Teshuvah (5th Edition, 2017)

Day 4-5

Friday, August 25-Shabbos August 26, 2017

Elul 4-5, 5777

(English Translation follows)

2.1

אֵיזוֹ הִיא תְּשׁוּבָה גְּמוּרָה–זֶה שֶׁבָּא לְיָדוֹ דָּבָר שֶׁעָבַר בּוֹ, וְאפְשָׁר בְּיָדוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת, וּפֵרַשׁ וְלֹא עָשָׂה מִפְּנֵי הַתְּשׁוּבָה, לֹא מִיִּרְאָה וְלֹא מִכִּשְׁלוֹן כּוֹחַ.  כֵּיצַד:  הֲרֵי שֶׁבָּא עַל אִשָּׁה בַּעֲבֵרָה, וּלְאַחַר זְמָן נִתְיַחַד עִמָּהּ וְהוּא עוֹמֵד בְּאַהֲבָתוֹ בָּהּ וּבְכוֹחַ גּוּפוֹ, וּבַמְּדִינָה שֶׁעָבַר בָּהּ, וּפֵרַשׁ וְלֹא עָבַר–זֶה הוּא בַּעַל תְּשׁוּבָה גְּמוּרָה.  הוּא שֶׁשְּׁלֹמֹה אוֹמֵר “וּזְכֹר, אֶת-בּוֹרְאֶיךָ, בִּימֵי, בְּחוּרֹתֶיךָ עד אשר לא יבואו ימי הרעה והגיעו שנים אשר תאמר אין לי בהם חפץ” (קהלת יב,א).

וְאִם לֹא שָׁב אֵלָא בִּימֵי זִקְנוּתוֹ, וּבְעֵת שְׁאי אִפְשָׁר לוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת מַה שֶׁהָיָה עוֹשֶׂה–אַף עַל פִּי שְׁאֵינָהּ תְּשׁוּבָה מְעֻלָּה, מוֹעֶלֶת הִיא לוֹ וּבַעַל תְּשׁוּבָה הוּא.  אַפִלּוּ עָבַר כָּל יָמָיו, וְעָשָׂה תְּשׁוּבָה בְּיוֹם מִיתָתוֹ וּמֵת בִּתְשׁוּבָתוֹ–כָּל עֲווֹנוֹתָיו נִמְחָלִין:  שֶׁנֶּאֱמָר “עַד אֲשֶׁר לֹא-תֶחְשַׁךְ הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ והאור והירח והכוכבים ושבו העבים אחר הגשם” (קוהלת יב,ב), שְׁהוּא יוֹם הַמִּיתָה–מִכְּלָל שְׁאִם זָכַר בּוֹרְאוֹ וְשָׁב קֹדֶם שֶׁיָּמוּת, נִסְלַח לוֹ.

What is complete teshuvah? When a man finds the opportunity to sin, and he has the power to sin, yet he holds back and does not sin out of teshuvah. He does not refrain from sinning out of fear or out of weakness. For example, a man once had an inappropriate relationship with a particular woman and later finds himself alone with her again. He still desires her, and is physically able to act on this desire, and they are in the same place where they used to meet.  If he holds back and does not sin, he is a complete Master of Teshuvah. This is what Solomon said (Ecclesiastes 12:1), and remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the onset of the evil days, the arrival of those years when you will say, “I do not find pleasure in them.”

What if he does not repent until his old age, when he is no longer able to do what he used to do?  Even though this is not a high level of teshuvah, he is credited for his effort, and he is a Master of Teshuvah. Even if he sinned all his life, and did teshuvah on the day of his death, dying while in a state of teshuvah, all of his sins are forgiven, as the previously cited verse continues, before the sun darkens, and the light, and the moon, and the stars, and the clouds return after the rain, which is a reference to the day a person dies.  The meaning is that if a person remembers his Creator and repents before he dies, he is forgiven.

2.2

וּמַה הִיא הַתְּשׁוּבָה–הוּא שֶׁיַּעֲזֹב הַחוֹטֶא חֶטְאוֹ, וִיסִירֶנּוּ מִמַּחְשַׁבְתּוֹ וְיִגְמֹר בְּלִבּוֹ שֶׁלֹּא יַעֲשֵׂהוּ עוֹד, שֶׁנֶּאֱמָר “יַעֲזֹב רָשָׁע דַּרְכּוֹ, וְאִישׁ אָוֶן מַחְשְׁבֹתָיו” (ישעיהו נה,ז). 

וְכֵן יִתְנַחַם עַל שֶׁעָבַר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמָר “כִּי-אַחֲרֵי שׁוּבִי, נִחַמְתִּי, וְאַחֲרֵי הִוָּדְעִי, סָפַקְתִּי עַל-יָרֵךְ” (ירמיהו לא,יח); וְיָעִיד עָלָיו יוֹדֵעַ תַּעֲלוּמוֹת שֶׁלֹּא יָשׁוּב לְזֶה הַחֵטְא לְעוֹלָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמָר “וְלֹא-נֹאמַר עוֹד אֱלֹהֵינוּ, לְמַעֲשֵׂה יָדֵינוּ וגו׳” (הושע יד,ד).  וְצָרִיךְ לְהִתְוַדּוֹת בִּשְׂפָתָיו, וְלוֹמַר עִנְיָנוֹת אֵלּוּ שֶׁגָּמַר בְּלִבּוֹ.

What is teshuvah? Teshuvah is when a person abandons sin, banishes it from thought, and resolves in his heart never to commit this act again, as it is written (Isaiah 55:7), the wicked will abandon his way, and the sinner his thoughts.

He will also regret his past, as it is written (Jeremiah 31:18), for after I did teshuvah I felt regret, and after I gained knowledge, I slapped my thigh.  The One who Knows All Secrets will testify that he will not ever return to this sin, as it is written (Hosea 14:4), and we will no longer call the work of our hands ‘our god.’ The sinner must articulate the resolutions of his heart with an oral confession.

2.3

כָּל הַמִּתְוַדֶּה בִּדְבָרִים, וְלֹא גָמַר בְּלִבּוֹ לַעֲזֹב–הֲרֵי זֶה דּוֹמֶה לְטוֹבֵל וְשֶׁרֶץ בְּיָדוֹ, שְׁאֵין הַטְּבִילָה מוֹעֶלֶת, עַד שֶׁיַּשְׁלִיךְ הַשֶּׁרֶץ; וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר “וּמוֹדֶה וְעֹזֵב, יְרֻחָם” (משלי כח,יג).  וְצָרִיךְ לִפְרֹט אֶת הַחֵטְא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמָר “אָנָּא, חָטָא הָעָם הַזֶּה חֲטָאָה גְדֹלָה, וַיַּעֲשׂוּ לָהֶם אֱלֹהֵי זָהָב” (שמות לב,לא).

A person who confesses with words, but does not resolve in his heart to abandon the sin: behold, he is like one who immerses in a mikvah while holding a lizard in his hand. The immersion will have no effect until he releases the lizard! Similarly it is written (Proverbs 28:13),  and one who confesses and abandons [sin] will receive mercy. He must also detail the sin, as it is written (Exodus 32:31), please, the people sinned a great sin; they made for themselves a god of gold.

Photo: AP/Sebastian Scheiner

Translation from Maimonides on Teshuvah (5th Edition, 2017)

Day 3

Thursday, August 24, 2017

ב׳ אלול תשע׳׳ז

1.3

בִּזְמָן שְׁאֵין בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ קַיָּם, וְאֵין לָנוּ מִזְבַּח כַּפָּרָה—אֵין שָׁם אֵלָא תְּשׁוּבָה.  הַתְּשׁוּבָה מְכַפֶּרֶת עַל כָּל הָעֲבֵרוֹת:  אַפִלּוּ רָשָׁע כָּל יָמָיו, וְעָשָׂה תְּשׁוּבָה בָּאַחֲרוֹנָה—אֵין מַזְכִּירִין לוֹ שֵׁם רִשְׁעוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמָר “וְרִשְׁעַת הָרָשָׁע לֹא–יִכָּשֶׁל בָּהּ, בְּיוֹם שׁוּבוֹ מֵרִשְׁעוֹ” (יחזקאל לג,יב).  וְעַצְמוֹ שֶׁלְּיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים מְכַפֵּר לַשָּׁבִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמָר “כִּי–בַיּוֹם הַזֶּה יְכַפֵּר עֲלֵיכֶם” (ויקרא טז,ל).

Now that the Temple no longer exists, and there is no altar of atonement, only teshuvah remains.  Teshuvah atones for all sins.  Even a person who is wicked all his life, but repents at the very end, is never considered wicked, as it is written (Ezekiel 33:12), the wicked person will no longer stumble in his wickedness on the day he does teshuvah. The essence of Yom Kippur atones for those who repent, as it is written (Leviticus 16:30), for on that day, it will give you atonement.

1.4

אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהַתְּשׁוּבָה מְכַפֶּרֶת עַל הַכֹּל, וְעַצְמוֹ שֶׁלְּיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים מְכַפֵּר—יֵשׁ עֲבֵרוֹת שְׁהֶן מִתְכַּפְּרִין בְּשָׁעָתָן, וְיֵשׁ עֲבֵרוֹת שְׁאֵין מִתְכַּפְּרִין אֵלָא לְאַחַר זְמָן.  כֵּיצַד:  עָבַר אָדָם עַל מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה שְׁאֵין בָּהּ כָּרֵת, וְעָשָׂה תְּשׁוּבָה—אֵינוּ זָז מִשָּׁם עַד שֶׁמּוֹחֲלִין לוֹ מִיָּד, וּבְאֵלּוּ נֶאֱמָר “שׁוּבוּ בָּנִים שׁוֹבָבִים, אֶרְפָּה מְשׁוּבֹתֵיכֶם” (ירמיהו ג,כב).

עָבַר עַל מִצְוַת לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה שְׁאֵין בָּהּ כָּרֵת וְלֹא מִיתַת בֵּית דִּין, וְעָשָׂה תְּשׁוּבָה—תְּשׁוּבָה תּוֹלָה וְיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים מְכַפֵּר, וּבְאֵלּוּ נֶאֱמָר “כִּי–בַיּוֹם הַזֶּה יְכַפֵּר עֲלֵיכֶם לטהר אתכם מכל חטאתיכם לפני ה‘ תטהרו” (ויקרא טז,ל).

עָבַר עַל כְּרֵתוֹת וּמִיתוֹת בֵּית דִּין, וְעָשָׂה תְּשׁוּבָה—תְּשׁוּבָה וְיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים תּוֹלִין, וְיִסּוּרִין הַבָּאִין עָלָיו גּוֹמְרִין לוֹ הַכַּפָּרָה, וּלְעוֹלָם אֵין מִתְכַּפֵּר לוֹ כַּפָּרָה גְּמוּרָה, עַד שֶׁיָּבוֹאוּ עָלָיו יִסּוּרִין; וּבְאֵלּוּ נֶאֱמָר “וּפָקַדְתִּי בְשֵׁבֶט פִּשְׁעָם; וּבִנְגָעִים עֲו‍ֹנָם” (תהילים פט,לג).

בַּמֶּה דְּבָרִים אֲמוּרִים, בְּשֶׁלֹּא חִלַּל אֶת הַשֵּׁם בְּעֵת שֶׁעָבַר.  אֲבָל הַמְּחַלֵּל אֶת הַשֵּׁם—אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁעָשָׂה תְּשׁוּבָה וְהִגִּיעַ יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים וְהוּא עוֹמֵד בִּתְשׁוּבָתוֹ וּבָאוּ עָלָיו יִסּוּרִין, אֵינוּ מִתְכַּפֵּר לוֹ כַּפָּרָה גְּמוּרָה עַד שֶׁיָּמוּת, אֵלָא תְּשׁוּבָה וְיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים וְיִסּוּרִין שְׁלָשְׁתָּן תּוֹלִין וּמִיתָה מְכַפֶּרֶת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמָר “וְנִגְלָה בְאָזְנָי ה‘ צְבָאוֹת:  אִם–יְכֻפַּר הֶעָו‍ֹן הַזֶּה לָכֶם, עַד–תְּמֻתוּן” (ישעיהו כב,יד).

Even though teshuvah effects atonement for everything and the essence of Yom Kippur atones, there are certain sins that receive atonement immediately, and there are sins that only receive atonement after time passes.  How is this so?  If a person transgresses a positive commandment that does not carry the penalty of excision, and then he repents, he does not move from that spot before he is immediately forgiven.  Regarding these people it is written (Jeremiah 3:22), return, returning children, I will heal you in your return.

If a person transgresses a negative commandment that does not carry the penalty of excision or capital punishment at the hands of a human court, and then he does teshuvah, his teshuvah remains suspended until Yom Kippur provides atonement.  Regarding these people it is written (Leviticus 16:30), for on that day it will give you atonement, to purify you from all your sins, before God you will be purified.

If a person transgresses a commandment that carries the penalty of excision or capital punishment at the hands of a human court, and then he does teshuvah, then the teshuvah and Yom Kippur are suspended, and suffering comes to him to complete the atonement. He will never receive complete atonement until he endures suffering.  Regarding such people it is written (Psalms 89:33), I will remember their sins with the staff, and their transgressions with lashes.

Under what conditions does this apply? When the sin did not involve the desecration of the Divine Name.  If the sin did involve the desecration of the Divine Name, then even though a person did teshuvah, and went through Yom Kippur while he remained steadfast in his teshuvah, and he experienced suffering, he nevertheless will not receive complete atonement until he dies.  Rather, all three factors (teshuvah, Yom Kippur, and suffering) are suspended, and death provides atonement, as it is written (Isaiah 22:14), and it was revealed to my ears by the Lord of Hosts: you will not receive atonement for this sin until you die.

Translation from Maimonides on Teshuvah (5th Edition, 2017)

Image by John Fowler (http://www.flickr.com/photos/snowpeak/8267522254/) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons

Please click here for the latest news: The Jews of Sepharad lecture series, our new Global Maimonides Project, and other cool things.

‪Hopefully this event will be cancelled with the arrival of Moshiach, but just in case, I am really looking forward to hearing Rabbi Goldberg speak about the Kinot. ‬