אגרת התשובה

However, all we have said refers to the culmination of the atonement and the “polishing” of the soul before G–d after repentance, as cited1Above, beg. ch. 2. from Zevachim, where the olah offering is described as a presentation after the intercessor’s successful plea…. But the beginning of the mitzvah of teshuvah and its fundament is the return to G–d in truth and with a complete heart. We must explain this fully and discuss it comprehensively.

Let us begin with the Zohar’s2Raaya Mehemna 122a. statement interpreting teshuvah according to sod,3Torah is interpreted on four planes, the first is peshat (simple meaning); the second is remez (allusion, hint); the third is drush (homily); and the fourth is sod (the esoteric, mystic interpretation). The simple, literal meaning of teshuvah has been expressed as the abandonment of sin, contrition. Now the sod approach will be presented. the mystical approach. “Teshuvah is tashuv hey, returning the hey;4This subject will be discussed shortly in the text, but the reader may wish some clarification at this point. The source of the creative power is the Infinite, called by Havaya, the Ineffable Name of G–d, consisting of four letters: yud, hey, vav, hey. These letters describe the descent of the Infinite into the corporeal world (among other interpretations). The yud, a “point,” symbolizes seminal wisdom, the flash of intellectual illumination, the first revelation, the start of the process. The first hey, in form having dimension, represents binah, i.e., understanding, comprehension, and development of the germ-thought into detailed ramification, expansion. Vav, in shape extending downward, represents the descent of the Light into lower worlds, those that appear to be “apart” from the Infinite. The final hey, again expansion and dimension, is the creative power exercised, manifest in the world created. Through sin, as will be discussed, there is a “dislocation” of the latter hey, a diversion of creative power, of vivifying force, into undesirable channels of evil. “Returning the hey,” both in the lower sense of repudiation of evil and in the superior sense of true unity with G–d (later discussed), are the two types of teshuvah, returning each hey to its respective state of unity. (The Zohar’s interpretation cited in the text is a division of the word teshuvah into two—tashuv hey, with the final letter considered an independent word.) the latter hey is teshuvah tataah, inferior teshuvah; the upper hey is teshuvah ilaah, superior teshuvah.” We must also note that the Zohar states several times that teshuvah is ineffective for violation of the covenant5Cf. Sanhedrin 99a. and for wasteful emission. This is rather surprising, for “Nothing can withstand teshuvah, even idolatry and immorality….”6Cf. Jerusalem Talmud, Peah 1:1. The Reishit Chochmah explains that the intention of the Zohar is that inferior teshuvah is ineffective, but superior teshuvah [is effective]….

To comprehend even a minute glimmer of this, let us see what the Scripture and our Sages say about excision and death by divine agency. A violator of an excision sin would actually die before his fiftieth7Moed Kattan 28a. year. In the case of death by divine agency he actually dies before sixty,6 like Chananiah ben Azur in Jeremiah.8Ch. 28. (Indeed, there were instances when the punishment of death by divine agency was meted out instantly, as with Er and Onan.) But in every generation there are so many guilty of excision and death who enjoy extended and pleasant days [and years]!

The key will be found in the passage, “For part of G–d is His people…”9Deuteronomy 32:9.—a part of the Name of Havaya, blessed is He, as it is written, “He breathed into his nostrils a soul of life,”10Genesis 2:7. and “He who blows, blows from within him….”11See Likkutei Amarim, Part I, ch. 2 (above). Though He has no bodily form…,12Cf. Maimonides, Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah 1; Liturgy, the Yigdal hymn. G–d forbid, the Torah does “speak in the language of men.”13Berachot 31b.

There is a vast difference in the case of mortal man between the breath issuing from his mouth while speaking and the breath of forceful blowing. When speaking there is embodied within the breath only the smallest amount of the speaker’s power and life-force, and even that is only of the superficial aspect of the soul that dwells within him. But when he blows with force, he blows from deep within himself. That breath embodies the internal power and life-force of the vivifying soul….

Precisely so in the analogy of Creation, allowing for the infinite differentiations involved, these two profoundly different states exist. All the hosts of heaven, even the spiritual beings like angels,14The “worlds” mentioned above describe states and existences at different removes from G–d, each accordingly less conscious of His presence and infinity. The last three (Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah (Creation, Formation, and Action)) parallel thought, speech, and deed respectively as manifestations of man’s soul. Thought is internal, united with the thinker; speech is intermittent and directed outward, to another; deed is farther from the performer, and his works exist independently of him. On each of these planes, or worlds, there are beings, for example, the soul before it inhabits a body and after the death of the body. Another example is what we commonly call “angels.” These are spiritual beings with spiritual dimensions, for instance, intellectual or emotional characteristics that define and bind them. (The threefold Holy Holy Holy in Isaiah 6:3 indicates different apprehensions of His abstract being. See also the blessing preceding the Morning Shema.) In terms of absolute comprehension of the Creator, they are superior to mortals. In terms of potential, of volition, man is the superior. They are bounded, foreordained. Man can choose—and grow. As the text will note, all beings, including the most exalted spiritual beings, are inferior in their source to man. were created ex nihilo. They derive their existence from the external aspect of the life-force issuing from the Infinite (En Sof) to vitalize creation. This external aspect of the life-giving power is called the “breath of His mouth,” as it were, in the verse “By the breath of His mouth all their hosts.”15Psalms 33:6. This is the creative power embodied in the Ten Utterances16Avot 5:1. “Speech” indicates the existence of some being besides the speaker, for speech is communication directed to another, reveals to another. (“Thought,” in contrast, is not revelatory and can exist in isolation; no other being is needed.) The “utterances” here, the Biblical “And the L–rd said, ‘Let there be…’ ” and all the Biblical declarations about creating through speech (e.g., Psalms 33:6, 9; 148:5, etc.)—convey this concept of the new existence of “another” being, the created universe apparently independent. The creative power acts through “speech.” Furthermore, speech is of necessity a limitation on thought. Although it reveals to the listener, one cannot, however, convey all his thought. On the pre-verbalizing level, one can think briefly and rapidly on ideas that can be articulated only at great length. “Letters” (a variant term for “speech”) are instruments, dimensioned, finite. Beings issuing from “speech” bear these speech characteristics—separateness rather than unity and limitation in their potential. (See On Learning Chassidus for a discussion of thought and speech in terms of the origin of man and other beings, and see also The Tzemach Tzedek and the Haskalah Movement, p. 114, note 8.) (that are instruments for this power and the extension of the power…as explained in Likkutei Amarim, Part II, ch. 11).In contrast, the soul of man derives initially from the internal of the life-force and flow issuing from the Infinite, as in the verse quoted above, “He breathed….” Subsequently it descended through ever more concealing planes, also through the letters in the Utterance, “Let us make man…”17Genesis 1:26. in order that the soul could eventually be invested in a body in this inferior, physical world.

The Scripture calls the angels “Elokim,” as in “For the L–rd your G–d is the G–d of G–ds (Elokim)…,”18Deuteronomy 10:17. and “Praise the G–d of G–ds (Elokim)…,”19Psalms 136:2. and “The sons of G–d (Elokim) came to present themselves….”20Job 1:6. They derive their nurture from the external of the life-force, which is merely the state of letters. Similarly the name Elokim is an external state compared to the Name of Havaya, blessed is He.

But the soul of man, deriving its being from the internal of the vivifying power is a part of the Name of Havaya, blessed is He. For that Name indicates the internal of the life-giving power, which far transcends the state of letters, or articulation.

To explain: there is a well-known statement of Elijah, “You are He who has brought forth ten “garments,” and we call them ten sefirot, through which to direct hidden21 Tikkunei Zohar speaks of the “concealed” and “revealed” worlds. The “concealed” are those united with Him, having no existence apart from Him. (An analogy is the fish of the sea, who cannot exist outside their element.) The “revealed” worlds appear to exist independently of the Creator. The yud and hey of G–d’s name indicate intellect, which is internal, united with the thinker, hence these letters are related to the “concealed” worlds. The vav and the latter hey are the extension of the process initiated in the first letter; they relate to “speech,” separateness, “revealed” worlds. worlds…. You are Wise, but not with a knowable attribute of wisdom. You understand, but not with a knowable attribute of understanding….” All the attributes, the ten sefirot, are included and represented in their source, the Ineffable Name.

The Ineffable Name is composed of four letters: yud, hey, vav, and hey. The yud, a simple point, symbolizes His wisdom,22See the Explanatory Notes to On Learning Chassidus for the Chabad exposition of the process of development of intellect and emotion. the state of concealment and obscurity, before it develops into a state of expansion and revelation in comprehension and understanding. (The “thorn” on the yud indicates the will of the Supreme One, blessed is He, far superior to the level of chochmah ilaah, the higher wisdom, as is known.)

When the “point” evolves into a state of expansion and revelation of comprehension and understanding in the concealed worlds, it is then contained and represented in the letter hey. The shape of the letter has dimension, expansion in breadth, which implies the breadth of explanation and understanding, and expansion in length, to indicate extension and flow downward into the concealed worlds.

In the next stage this extension and flow are drawn still lower into the revealed worlds. This may be compared to one who wishes to reveal his thoughts to another through his speech, for example. This stage of extension is contained and represented in the final letters vav and hey.

Vav, in shape a vertical line, indicates downward extension. Also, this flow downward is effected through the divine traits of benevolence and goodness and His other sacred traits, included in general terms in the six attributes in the verse, “Yours O G–d is the greatness…” until “Yours O G–d is the dominion…,”23I Chronicles 29:11. until, but not inclusive. His [seventh] attribute, malchut or dominion, is called the “Word of G–d,” as in the verse, “Wherever the word of the king holds sway.”24Ecclesiastes 8:4; see The Tzemach Tzedek and the Haskalah Movement, p. 110, note 3.

This attribute of dominion is contained and represented in the final hey of the Name of Havaya. The internal aspect and the source of speech is the breath that rises from the heart, then is molded by the five oral articulations25Sefer Yetzirah 2:3.—alef, chet, hey, and ayin from the throat, and so on. The hey implies this internal aspect of speech, for it is the pristine unvocalized breath, “a light letter without substance.”26Liturgy, the Akdamot hymn.

Though He has no corporeal form, G–d forbid, the Torah speaks in the language of men. The word of G–d, with its twenty-two letters, would separate into the five articulations, and thus were all beings created. (For a discussion of these letters, see Likkutei Amarim, Part II, ch. 11.)

Analogously, again considering the infinite separation between the two cases, these same four stages apply to the soul of man, i.e., the divine soul that “He blew from within Himself.” There is the initial state of hidden concept symbolized in the letter yud, with its potential of being revealed, thus understanding and conceiving of His true being and His greatness…each person according to his measure, according to the breadth of his intellect and understanding.

As man deepens his intelligence, as he broadens his mind and comprehension to contemplate His greatness, his now-developed understanding is indicated in the letter hey, that has breadth. The hey also has length to indicate downward extension, that from his understanding and contemplation of G–d’s majesty, he arouses love and fear and their ramifications in his mind and in the recesses of his heart.

In the following stage these emotions would actually become manifest in his heart. This leads to the true service of G–d, in Torah study and mitzvah observance, with voice and speech or with deed. This is the import of the letters vav hey….

Another meaning behind the four letters as applied to man: the contemplation endeavoring to understand and conceive of His true being derives also from Torah, for Torah proceeds from chochmah,27Zohar II:85a, 121a. represented by the yud of the Name of Havaya….