| |
Sparks of Repentance
Translation and commentary by Eliezer Shore from Sefer
Baal Shem Tov on the Torah
Speak unto the children of Israel: When a man or woman shall
commit any sin that men commit, to commit a trespass against G-d, and that soul
is guilty. Then they shall confess their sin which they have done; and he shall
make restitution for his guilt in full...
(Num. 5:6)
I heard from my Master that the pleasure of sin derives from
the sparks of the Primordial Kings that fell during the Shattering [of the
Vessels] into the Kelipat Noga.
The Zohar and Lurianic writings discuss the cataclysmic event at
the early stages of the Creation called the "Shattering of the Vessels", or the
"Death of the Eight Kings", based upon the verse "These are the kings that
reigned in the land of Edom, before there ruled any king over the children of
Israel" (Gen. 36:31).
Simply put, according to this teaching, the vessels of the lower eight
sefirot (from daat to malchut) were unable to properly receive
the light emanating from the Ein Sof, and the eight shattered and fell
into the Kelipat Noga, a realm of Creation that stands between the pure
and the impure. (See Sefer HaTanya for a full discussion of this level of
Creation and our relationship to it.)  | | " When a person regrets his sins, he uplifts this spark to the Supernal World...." | | |
These are the sparks of holiness that are enclothed in and
enliven all elements of Creation. They are the spiritual root of all physical
pleasure, including the pleasure derived from sin. It is the role of human
beings to uplift these sparks to their supernal root. This is done through the
path of Torah and mitzvot, and, in the case of sin, through the act of
repentance, as this teaching of the Baal Shem Tov explains.
It is through this very spark that a person comes to repent.
For when a person regrets his sins, he uplifts this spark to the Supernal World,
as it is written: "...who bears iniquity...."
(Ex. 34:7)
That is, a person who repents literally bears, or lifts up, the
sin that he committed and returns the spark of holiness to its source.
[Tzafnah Paneach, Teruma 3, p. 90b;
The second paragraph in this translation is from Tzivot
HaRivash, p. 19b] | | " There are sparks of holiness within all things in the world...." | | |
It is a great principle that there are sparks of holiness
within all things in the world. Nothing is devoid of these sparks. They are
within wood and stones, and even within every human action. Even the sins that a
person commits contain sparks of the Shattering. But what are these sparks? They
are the [thoughts of] repentance. For when a person repents of his sin, he lifts
up the sparks that were in it to the Supernal World. Thus it is written: "...who
bears sin...." That is, he bears and raises the sin Above. And this is the meaning
of the verse "Is my sin too great to bear?"
(Gen. 4:13)
- that is, to elevate to the Supernal World.
[Tzivot HaRivash, p.19b]
The Arizal taught that until a person repents, the good that
he does empowers the side of evil, G-d forbid. However, by simple refraining
from sin one prevents this. Afterward, when possible, he can rectify more
through verbal confession, feelings of regret, and even mortification.
In general, the Baal Shem Tov rejected the use of
self-affliction, such as fasting, privation and other forms of self-denial, in
the repentance process. However, various Chasidic tzadikim in later
generations reaffirmed their usefulness, in measure, in the repentance process.
Thus, it is written: "He that covers his transgressions
shall not prosper; but one who confesses and forsakes them shall obtain mercy"
(Proverbs 28:13). The word "shall obtain mercy" [in Hebrew, "yerucham"]
is related to the phrase "one who loves [in Hebrew, 'd'rachim']
the Rabbis" . (Shabbat 23b)
This means that by confessing and abandoning one's sins, one
attains a love of G-d. One's deeds will be accepted, and he will find grace.
Afterward, however, he can do whatever he wants in penitence.
I saw this written in the name of the Baal Shem Tov.
[Zichron Zot, Bo]
"Whoever fulfills one commandment properly, it is as if he
fulfilled the 248 positive mitzvot, for there is no mitzvah that does not
contain all 248." (Zohar,
Raya Mehemna 145a)
According to the conclusions of the Rishonim, it is
proper for a person to know the mystery of G-d's unity, because whenever a
person grasps a portion of unity, he grasps all of it. I also heard this from my
Master, Understand this! | | " When you fulfill one mitzvah properly...you become attached to G-d and grasp through this commandment a part of His unity...." | | |
Now, since the Torah and the mitzvot emanated from G-d's
essence, which is true unity, when you fulfill one mitzvah properly and with
love, you become attached to G-d and grasp through this commandment a part of
His unity. Therefore, you grasp all of it, as though you fulfilled all the
mitzvot, for they reflect the totality of His unity, a complete persona, as it
were.
[Toldot Yaakov Yosef, p. 55b]
"After I returned, I regretted, and after I was informed, I
smote on my thigh..." (Jeremiah
31:18)
Meaning to say, if I returned [to G-d's ways], I was
comforted for G-d certainly accepts the remorse of the penitent, and His right
hand is outstretched to receive them. "And after I was informed..." means that
after I knew this "I had doubts". I feel doubt as to whether my teshuva
was accepted.
This is because the Hebrew word for "smite" used here, "sofak",
is homonymous with the word for "doubt", "safek".
"...On my thigh" means that I saw that I still had "sins of
the thigh", that is, I had fallen into impurity.
Sins of improper seminal emission (i.e. from the male organ
close to the thigh), that cause spiritual impurity.
[Migdal David, comments]
The Baal Shem Tov once came to a certain town where the
people showed him great honor. "You should know," he told them, "when you honor
someone, Heaven scrutinizes his deeds to see if he deserves it. It would seem,
then, that you cause him evil by honoring him. However, if G-d gives him wisdom,
he will repent and examine his deeds as soon as he is honored. So, actually, you
help him by honoring him, since you cause him to repent.
As the Midrash says: "When judgment is passed below, there is no
judgment Above. And when there is no judgment below, judgment is passed Above" ( Devarim
Rabba 5:5) See also Likutei Moharan I:15.
[Rachamei Ha' Av 32]
Reprinted with permission from BaalShemTov.com
Visitor Comments: 1
Anonymous, 5/29/2008
wonderful article, keep up the good work!
|
|
|
|
