והב׳: לבטש ולהכניע הקליפה והסטרא אחרא The second element [in one’s preparation for a true and direct path to repentance] is to crush and subdue the kelipah and sitra achra, אשר כל חיותה היא רק בחינת גסות והגבהה whose entire being is simply grossness and arrogance; כמו שכתוב: אם תגביה כנשר וגו׳ as the verse […]

והאיך נשברה רוח הסטרא אחרא, כשהלב נשבר ונדכה וכו׳ How is the spirit of the sitra achra broken? When the heart is broken and contrite….14 והאיך נשבר הלב ונדכה And how is the heart to be broken and humbled? הנה מעט מזעיר הוא על ידי סיגופים ותעניות Only a very minor part of this can […]

להתבונן במה שפעל ועשה בחטאיו, בחינת גלות השכינה כנ״ל to contemplate how through his sins he has brought about the exile of the Divine Presence, as noted above, וגרם לעקור נשמתו ונפשו האלקית מחיי החיים ברוך הוא and caused his spirit and Divine soul to be uprooted from the Divine Source of all Life, והורידה […]

ולכן סידרו בקריאת שמע שעל המטה, לקבל עליו ד׳ מיתות בית דין וכו׳ For this reason it was ordained that in the course of Keriat Shema at the bedside33 one should accept the four executions of the court, and so on. This acceptance is recited even by those who have never committed capital sins, because […]

Two basic elements, as the Alter Rebbe made clear in the previous chapter, enable the lower level of repentance to be true and direct: (a) considering how one’s soul and its Source, the Shechinah, are to be pitied, and arousing Supreme compassion upon them; (b) making a thoughtful, soulful and accurate accounting of the extent […]

וכן ממש למטה בנפש האלקית שבאדם Just as there is a restoration of the hei Above, exactly so below in the Divine soul within man, שוב אין עונותיכם מבדילים no more do4 “your sins separate [you from G‑d].” וכמו שכתוב ונקה מנקה הוא לשבים Thus it is written, naming one of the Thirteen Attributes of […]

וזו היא תשובה שלימה This is perfect return – Teshuvah. והנה בחינת יחוד זה ותשובה זו היא בחינת תשובה עילאה, שלאחר תשובה תתאה This state of unity and this return are called teshuvah ila’ah, the higher level of repentance, that follows teshuvah tata’ah, the lower level of repentence. וכמו שכתוב בזוהר הקדוש ברעיא מהימנא פרשת […]

The Alter Rebbe explained at the conclusion of the previous chapter that through teshuvah ila’ah, the higher level of repentance, the soul is totally cleansed and purified. It then ascends and cleaves to G‑d with the same degree of unity that it enjoyed before it descended into the body. Furthermore, the Alter Rebbe quoted the […]

The Alter Rebbe explained at the conclusion of the previous chapter that through teshuvah ila’ah, the higher level of repentance, the soul is totally cleansed and purified. It then ascends and cleaves to G‑d with the same degree of unity that it enjoyed before it descended into the body. Furthermore, the Alter Rebbe quoted the […]

והנה עיקר האהבה היא אתדבקות רוחא ברוחא Ahavah, the love of G‑d, is primarily the cleaving of spirit to Spirit,3 כמו שכתוב: ישקני מנשיקות פיהו וגו’ כנודע as the verse expresses it,4 “He kisses me with the kisses of his mouth….” A physical kiss unites the inner breath or spirit of two individuals. Similarly, the […]