הלכות תשובה ו׳Repentance 6

Halacha 1א׳

פְּסוּקִים הַרְבֵּה יֵשׁ בַּתּוֹרָה וּבְדִבְרֵי נְבִיאִים שֶׁהֵן נִרְאִין כְּסוֹתְרִין עִקָּר זֶה וְנִכְשָׁלִין בָּהֶן רֹב הָאָדָם וְיַעֲלֶה עַל דַּעְתָּן מֵהֶן שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא הוּא גּוֹזֵר עַל הָאָדָם לַעֲשׂוֹת רָעָה אוֹ טוֹבָה וְשֶׁאֵין לִבּוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם מָסוּר לוֹ לְהַטּוֹתוֹ לְכָל אֲשֶׁר יִרְצֶה. וַהֲרֵי אֲנִי מְבָאֵר עִקָּר גָּדוֹל שֶׁמִּמֶּנּוּ תֵּדַע פֵּרוּשׁ כָּל אוֹתָן הַפְּסוּקִים. בִּזְמַן שֶׁאָדָם אֶחָד אוֹ אַנְשֵׁי מְדִינָה חוֹטְאִים וְעוֹשֶׂה הַחוֹטֵא חֵטְא שֶׁעוֹשֶׂה מִדַּעְתּוֹ וּבִרְצוֹנוֹ כְּמוֹ שֶׁהוֹדַעְנוּ רָאוּי לְהִפָּרַע מִמֶּנּוּ וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא יוֹדֵעַ אֵיךְ יִפָּרַע. יֵשׁ חֵטְא שֶׁהַדִּין נוֹתֵן שֶׁנִּפְרָעִים מִמֶּנּוּ עַל חֶטְאוֹ בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה בְּגוּפוֹ אוֹ בְּמָמוֹנוֹ אוֹ בְּבָנָיו הַקְּטַנִּים שֶׁבָּנָיו שֶׁל אָדָם הַקְּטַנִּים שֶׁאֵין בָּהֶם דַּעַת וְלֹא הִגִּיעוּ לִכְלַל מִצְווֹת כְּקִנְיָנוֹ הֵן וּכְתִיב (דברים כד טז) "אִישׁ בְּחֶטְאוֹ יָמוּת" עַד שֶׁיֵּעָשֶׂה אִישׁ. וְיֵשׁ חֵטְא שֶׁהַדִּין נוֹתֵן שֶׁנִּפְרָעִין מִמֶּנּוּ לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא וְאֵין לָעוֹבֵר עָלָיו שׁוּם נֵזֶק בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה. וְיֵשׁ חֵטְא שֶׁנִּפְרָעִין מִמֶּנּוּ בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה וְלָעוֹלָם הַבָּא:

There are many verses in the Torah and the words of the Prophets that appear to contradict this principle, and most people stumble on these ideas: that the Holy Blessed One decrees for a person to do evil or good, and that one’s heart is not turned over for one to incline it toward whatever one might want. But I will now clarify an important principle, from which you will know the explanation of all those verses: At the moment when a particular person [sins] or the citizens of a particular province sin, and the sinner commits the sin with awareness and intention, as we have explained – it is appropriate that they should be punished. The Holy Blessed One knows how to punish: There is a sin for which the judgment renders punishment for the sinner in This World physically or financially, or through the sinner’s minor children – since a person’s minor children who lack awareness and have not taken on any mitzvot are like one’s property, and it is written, Each man shall be put to death for his own sin (Deut. 24:16) – once he becomes a man. And there is a sin for which the judgment renders punishment for the sinner in the World to Come, but no damage will be done to the sinner in This World. And there is a sin for which the sinner is punished in This World and in the World to Come.

Halacha 2ב׳

בַּמֶּה דְּבָרִים אֲמוּרִים בִּזְמַן שֶׁלֹּא עָשָׂה תְּשׁוּבָה אֲבָל אִם עָשָׂה תְּשׁוּבָה הַתְּשׁוּבָה כִּתְרִיס לִפְנֵי הַפֻּרְעָנוּת. וּכְשֵׁם שֶׁהָאָדָם חוֹטֵא מִדַּעְתּוֹ וּבִרְצוֹנוֹ כָּךְ הוּא עוֹשֶׂה תְּשׁוּבָה מִדַּעְתּוֹ וּבִרְצוֹנוֹ:

When does this apply? When the sinner does not do teshuvah; but if the sinner does teshuvah – teshuvah is like a shield from calamity. And just as one sins by one’s own awareness and intention, so too one does teshuvah by one’s own awareness and intention.

Halacha 3ג׳

וְאֶפְשָׁר שֶׁיֶּחְטָא אָדָם חֵטְא גָּדוֹל אוֹ חֲטָאִים רַבִּים עַד שֶׁיִּתֵּן הַדִּין לִפְנֵי דַּיַן הָאֱמֶת שֶׁיְּהֵא הַפֵּרָעוֹן מִזֶּה הַחוֹטֵא עַל חֲטָאִים אֵלּוּ שֶׁעָשָׂה בִּרְצוֹנוֹ וּמִדַּעְתּוֹ שֶׁמּוֹנְעִין מִמֶּנּוּ הַתְּשׁוּבָה וְאֵין מַנִּיחִין לוֹ רְשׁוּת לָשׁוּב מֵרִשְׁעוֹ כְּדֵי שֶׁיָּמוּת וְיֹאבַד בְּחֶטְאוֹ שֶׁעָשָׂה. הוּא שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אָמַר עַל יְדֵי יְשַׁעְיָהוּ (ישעיה ו י) "הַשְׁמֵן לֵב הָעָם הַזֶּה" וְגוֹ'. וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (דה"ב לו טז) "וַיִּהְיוּ מַלְעִבִים בְּמַלְאֲכֵי הָאֱלֹהִים וּבוֹזִים דְּבָרָיו וּמִתַּעְתְּעִים בִּנְבִאָיו עַד עֲלוֹת חֲמַת ה' בְּעַמּוֹ עַד לְאֵין מַרְפֵּא". כְּלוֹמַר חָטְאוּ בִּרְצוֹנָם וְהִרְבּוּ לִפְשֹׁעַ עַד שֶׁנִּתְחַיְּבוּ לִמְנֹעַ מֵהֶן הַתְּשׁוּבָה שֶׁהִיא הַמַּרְפֵּא. לְפִיכָךְ כָּתוּב בַּתּוֹרָה (שמות ד כא) "וַאֲנִי (אֲחַזֵּק) [אַקְשֶׁה] אֶת לֵב פַּרְעֹה". לְפִי שֶׁחָטָא מֵעַצְמוֹ תְּחִלָּה וְהֵרֵעַ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל הַגָּרִים בְּאַרְצוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות א י) "הָבָה נִתְחַכְּמָה לוֹ". נָתַן הַדִּין לִמְנֹעַ הַתְּשׁוּבָה מִמֶּנּוּ עַד שֶׁנִּפְרַע מִמֶּנּוּ. לְפִיכָךְ חִזֵּק הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֶת לִבּוֹ. וְלָמָּה הָיָה שׁוֹלֵחַ לוֹ בְּיַד משֶׁה וְאוֹמֵר שְׁלַח וַעֲשֵׂה תְּשׁוּבָה וּכְבָר אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֵין אַתָּה מְשַׁלֵּחַ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות ט ל) "וְאַתָּה וַעֲבָדֶיךָ יָדַעְתִּי" וְגוֹ' (שמות ט טז) "וְאוּלָם בַּעֲבוּר זֹאת הֶעֱמַדְתִּיךָ". כְּדֵי לְהוֹדִיעַ לְבָאֵי הָעוֹלָם שֶׁבִּזְמַן שֶׁמּוֹנֵעַ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא הַתְּשׁוּבָה לַחוֹטֵא אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לָשׁוּב אֶלָּא יָמוּת בְּרִשְׁעוֹ שֶׁעָשָׂה בִּתְחִלָּה בִּרְצוֹנוֹ. וְכֵן סִיחוֹן לְפִי עֲוֹנוֹת שֶׁהָיוּ לוֹ נִתְחַיֵּב לְמָנְעוֹ מִן הַתְּשׁוּבָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים ב ל) "כִּי הִקְשָׁה ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶת רוּחוֹ וְאִמֵּץ אֶת לְבָבוֹ". וְכֵן הַכְּנַעֲנִים לְפִי תּוֹעֲבוֹתֵיהֶן מָנַע מֵהֶן הַתְּשׁוּבָה עַד שֶׁעָשׂוּ מִלְחָמָה עִם יִשְׂרָאֵל. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (יהושע יא כ) "כִּי מֵאֵת ה' הָיְתָה לְחַזֵּק אֶת לִבָּם לִקְרַאת הַמִּלְחָמָה עִם יִשְׂרָאֵל לְמַעַן הַחֲרִימָם". וְכֵן יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּימֵי אֵלִיָּהוּ לְפִי שֶׁהִרְבּוּ לִפְשֹׁעַ מָנַע מֵאוֹתָן הַמַּרְבִּים לִפְשֹׁעַ תְּשׁוּבָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (מלכים א יח לז) "וְאַתָּה הֲסִבֹּתָ אֶת לִבָּם אֲחֹרַנִּית" כְּלוֹמַר מָנַעְתָּ מֵהֶן הַתְּשׁוּבָה. נִמְצֵאתָ אוֹמֵר שֶׁלֹּא גָּזַר הָאֵל עַל פַּרְעֹה לְהָרַע לְיִשְׂרָאֵל. וְלֹא עַל סִיחוֹן לַחֲטֹא בְּאַרְצוֹ. וְלֹא עַל הַכְּנַעֲנִים לְהַתְעִיב. וְלֹא עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל לַעֲבֹד עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה. אֶלָּא כֻּלָּן חָטְאוּ מֵעַצְמָן וְכֻלָּן נִתְחַיְּבוּ לִמְנֹעַ מֵהֶן הַתְּשׁוּבָה:

But it is possible that a person would commit a grave sin or many sins so that judgment is rendered before the True Judge to punish this sinner on account of these sins committed through [the sinner’s] awareness and intention – such that teshuvah is prevented and we do not allow this person to return from their evil, so that they will die and be lost in the sins they committed. This is what the Holy Blessed One said through Isaiah: Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they, seeing with their eyes, and hearing with their ears, and understanding with their heart, do teshuvah, and receive healing (Isaiah 6:10). Similarly, They mocked the messengers of God, and despised God’s words, and scoffed at God’s prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against God’s people such that there was no remedy (2 Chronicles 36:16), meaning: they sinned intentionally and eagerly transgressed until they deserved to be denied teshuvah, which is the “remedy.” Therefore it is written in the Torah: I will harden Pharaoh’s heart (Ex. 14:4) – since he initially sinned of his own initiative and abused Israel, who were living in his land, as it says, Come, let us deal cleverly with them (Ex. 1:10), judgment was rendered to deny [Pharaoh] teshuvah until [God] punished him – therefore the Holy Blessed One hardened [Pharaoh’s] heart. So why did [God] send Moses with the message: “Release [the Israelites], and do teshuvah,” when the Holy Blessed One had already said [to Pharaoh], “You won’t release [the Israelites],” as it says, But as for you and your servants, I know that you do not yet fear the LORD God (Ex. 9:30), ‪But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth (Ex. 9:16)? In order to inform humanity that when the Holy Blessed One denies teshuvah to a sinner, [the sinner] can not repent – [rather] the sinner will die in the wickedness that [the sinner] initially committed intentionally. So it was for Sihon – because of his sins he deserved to be denied teshuvah, as it says, the Lord your God hardened his spirit and strengthened his heart (Deut. 2:30); and so it was for the Canaanites – because of their abominations, they were denied teshuvah to the point where they waged war against Israel, as it says, For it was the Lord’s doing to harden their hearts, so they would come against Israel in battle and be utterly destroyed (Joshua 11:20); and so it was with Israel in the days of Elijah – because they eagerly transgressed, those who eagerly transgressed were denied teshuvah, as it says, [Answer me, Lord, answer me, so that this people will know that You, LORD, are God,] for You turned their heart backward (1 Kings 18:37), that is, You denied them teshuvah. So you must conclude: God did not decree for Pharaoh to abuse Israel, nor for Sihon to sin in his land, nor for the Canaanites to commit abominations, nor for Israel to commit idolatry – rather, all of them sinned of their own initiative and all of them deserved to be denied teshuvah.

Halacha 4ד׳

וּכְעִנְיָן זֶה שׁוֹאֲלִין הַצַּדִּיקִים וְהַנְּבִיאִים בִּתְפִלָּתָם מֵאֵת ה' לְעָזְרָם עַל הָאֱמֶת. כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר דָּוִד (תהילים כז יא) "הוֹרֵנִי ה' דַּרְכֶּךָ". כְּלוֹמַר אַל יִמְנָעוּנִי חֲטָאַי דֶּרֶךְ הָאֱמֶת שֶׁמִּמֶּנָּה אֵדַע דַּרְכְּךָ וְיִחוּד שְׁמֶךָ. וְכֵן זֶה שֶׁאָמַר (תהילים נא יד) "וְרוּחַ נְדִיבָה תִסְמְכֵנִי" כְּלוֹמַר תַּנִּיחַ רוּחִי לַעֲשׂוֹת חֶפְצְךָ וְאַל יִגְרְמוּ לִי חֲטָאַי לְמָנְעֵנִי מִתְּשׁוּבָה אֶלָּא תִּהְיֶה הָרְשׁוּת בְּיָדִי עַד שֶׁאֶחֱזֹר וְאָבִין וְאֵדַע דֶּרֶךְ הָאֱמֶת. וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ זוֹ כָּל הַדּוֹמֶה לִפְסוּקִים אֵלּוּ:

In this manner the Righteous and Prophets ask in their prayers for God to help them along the True Path, as David said: Teach me, Lord, Your way, so I may walk in Your truth (Psalm 86:11), meaning, “Do not allow my sins to deny me the true path, through which I will know Your ways and the unity of Your name.” Similarly, [David] said: Uphold me with a willing spirit (Ps. 51:14), meaning, “Allow my spirit to do Your will, and may my sins not cause me to be denied teshuvah – instead, may I have free will until I repent and understand and know the True Path.” And [we can explain] all similar verses along these lines.

Halacha 5ה׳

וּמַהוּ זֶה שֶׁאָמַר דָּוִד (תהילים כה ח) "טוֹב וְיָשָׁר ה' עַל כֵּן יוֹרֶה חַטָּאִים בַּדָּרֶךְ" (תהילים כה ט) "יַדְרֵךְ עֲנָוִים" וְגוֹ'. זֶה שֶׁשָּׁלַח נְבִיאִים לָהֶם מוֹדִיעִים דַּרְכֵי ה' וּמַחְזִירִין אוֹתָן בִּתְשׁוּבָה. וְעוֹד שֶׁנָּתַן בָּהֶם כֹּחַ לִלְמֹד וּלְהָבִין. שֶׁמִּדָּה זוֹ בְּכָל אָדָם שֶׁכָּל זְמַן שֶׁהוּא נִמְשָׁךְ בְּדַרְכֵי הַחָכְמָה וְהַצֶּדֶק מִתְאַוֶּה לָהֶן וְרוֹדֵף אוֹתָם. וְהוּא מַה שֶּׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה בָּא לִטַּהֵר מְסַיְּעִין אוֹתוֹ כְּלוֹמַר יִמְצָא עַצְמוֹ נֶעֱזָר עַל הַדָּבָר. וַהֲלֹא כָּתוּב בַּתּוֹרָה (בראשית טו יג) "וַעֲבָדוּם וְעִנּוּ אֹתָם", הֲרֵי גָּזַר עַל הַמִּצְרִיִּים לַעֲשׂוֹת רַע. וּכְתִיב (דברים לא טז) "וְקָם הָעָם הַזֶּה וְזָנָה אַחֲרֵי אֱלֹהֵי נֵכַר הָאָרֶץ", הֲרֵי גָּזַר עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל לַעֲבֹד עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה. וְלָמָּה נִפְרַע מֵהֶן. לְפִי שֶׁלֹּא גָּזַר עַל אִישׁ פְּלוֹנִי הַיָּדוּעַ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה הוּא הַזּוֹנֶה אֶלָּא כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד מֵאוֹתָן הַזּוֹנִים לַעֲבֹד עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה אִלּוּ לֹא רָצָה לַעֲבֹד לֹא הָיָה עוֹבֵד. וְלֹא הוֹדִיעוֹ הַבּוֹרֵא אֶלָּא מִנְהָגוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם. הָא לְמָה זֶה דּוֹמֶה לְאוֹמֵר הָעָם הַזֶּה יִהְיֶה בָּהֶן צַדִּיקִים וּרְשָׁעִים. לֹא מִפְּנֵי זֶה יֹאמַר הָרָשָׁע כְּבָר נִגְזַר עָלָיו שֶׁיִּהְיֶה רָשָׁע מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוֹדִיעַ לְמשֶׁה שֶׁיִּהְיוּ רְשָׁעִים בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל. כָּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים טו יא) "כִּי לֹא יֶחְדַּל אֶבְיוֹן מִקֶּרֶב הָאָרֶץ". וְכֵן הַמִּצְרִיִּים כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד מֵאוֹתָן הַמְּצֵרִים וְהַמֵּרֵעִים לְיִשְׂרָאֵל אִלּוּ לֹא רָצָה לְהָרַע לָהֶם הָרְשׁוּת בְּיָדוֹ. שֶׁלֹּא גָּזַר עַל אִישׁ יָדוּעַ אֶלָּא הוֹדִיעוֹ שֶׁסּוֹף זַרְעוֹ עָתִיד לְהִשְׁתַּעְבֵּד בְּאֶרֶץ לֹא לָהֶם. וּכְבָר אָמַרְנוּ שֶׁאֵין כֹּחַ בָּאָדָם לֵידַע הֵיאַךְ יֵדַע הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא דְּבָרִים הָעֲתִידִין לִהְיוֹת:

So what is meant by this thing that David said: Good and upright is the Lord; therefore God instructs sinners in the way; God leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble God’s way (Psalm 25:8-9)? That God sends them Prophets who inform them of God’s ways and bring them back in teshuvah, and furthermore: that God has given them the power to learn and understand. Every person possesses this characteristic: so long as one is drawn down the paths of wisdom and justice, one will desire them and pursue them. And this is consistent with our Rabbis of Blessed Memory said: “One who comes to purify receives assistance,” meaning one will find oneself assisted in the matter. But is it not written in the Torah, And God said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be strangers in a land which is not theirs, and they will make them serve, and they will afflict them for four hundred years (Gen 15:13) – didn’t God decree for the Egyptians to do evil? And it is written, this people will rise, and play the harlot after the gods of the strangers of the land (Deut. 31:16) – God decreed for Israel to commit idolatry, so why should they be punished? Because God did not decree for this specific known person to be the idolater. Rather, each and every one of those idolaters, had he not wanted to commit [idolatry] – he would not have committed [idolatry]; but God merely described the way of the world. God might as well have said, “This nation will contain righteous people and wicked people.” A wicked person can not say that God decreed for him to be wicked just because God told Moses that there would be some wicked people in Israel. This is just like when it says, there will never cease to be poor in the land (Deut. 15:11). So it is with the Egyptians – each and every one of those Egyptians who abused Israel, had he wished not to abuse them, he possessed free will. God did not decree for any specific person [to enslave Israel], but merely informed [Abram] that in the end his ancestors would be enslaved in a land that was not theirs. And we have already said that a person does not have the power to know how the Holy Blessed One knows things that will be in the future.