Group None

- What is repentanceWith regard to what is repentance, I say that repentance means that a man makes himself fit to resume the service of the Creator after he went out of it and transgressed against it, and to restore what he lost in it. This could be due to:

* ignorance of G-d and of the matters of serving Him.

* his evil inclination had overpowered his understanding

* neglect of his duties towards G-d

* associating with bad company who entice him to sin,

or other similar reasons, as the wise man said: "My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent" (Mishlei 1:10), and "My son, fear the L-ord and the king; and meddle not with them that are given to change" (Mishlei 24:21).

The withdrawing out of the service of G-d occurs in two ways, whether one (1) abandons and ignores what the Creator commanded us to do, or (2) one does what He warned us not to do, with the intent to rebel against his Creator.

If his withdrawing out of the service consists only in abandoning what the Creator commanded to do (but not in doing what He warned against), then the repentance for his shortcomings will be to exert himself in the proper acts and to cling to the roots of repentance which I will clarify in this gate.

If his withdrawing consisted of doing what the Creator warned against, the way to make up his failing will be in guarding from returning to do any form of this act, to endeavor to do its opposite, and to cling to the roots and conditions of repentance which I will clarify in this gate with G-d's help.

An analogy of this with regard to natural matters. A man became sick due to poor diet, whether because he refrained from eating food which promotes good health or because he ate something damaging to him and so ruined his health.

When his illness is due to starving himself from proper food, the way to bring him back to good health is for him to eat a larger amount than normal of proper foods, compatible with his nature, until he returns to proper balance. After he returns to his original balance, he can reduce his diet to normal amounts.

If his illness was due to habitually eating food harmful to him (ex. too much spicy food), the way of his healing would be to abstain from this food or others similar, and to habitually eat foods of an opposite nature and composition (ex. non spicy), until he returns to his original state. When his health is restored and he reaches a balanced state, he can eat foods midway both types of nature and composition (mildly spicy), and the verse already compares moral iniquities to bad food as written: "But every one shall die for his own iniquity. He who eats the sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge" (Yirmiya 31:29).