Elul: The Secret of the Power of Ba'alei Teshuvah and the Return of the Imma Ila'ah

Lesson No. 536 | Wednesday, Parashat Shoftim, 1 Elul 5767 - General Lesson

An in-depth article based on the teachings of the Zohar and Likutey Moharan, explaining why returning in teshuvah (repentance) is called by this name. The Rav explains how the awakening of one person's heart affects six hundred thousand souls, and how ba'alei teshuvah ascend to the highest levels and bring mercy and joy to all the worlds.

The holy Zohar (page 15b) says that all obligations are interconnected. The moment a person awakens in teshuvah (repentance), he awakens the entire world to teshuvah (repentance). And who awakens them? Specifically the ba'alei teshuvah. Rabbi Yehuda asks there: Why is it called "teshuvah"? Why is it not called charatah (regret) or vidui (confession)? The answer is that we must return the "Imma Ila'ah" (Supernal Mother).

The Secret of Teshuvah: Returning the Mother to the Children

Since the destruction of the Holy Temple, the "Imma Ila'ah" departed; she disappeared from us, in the aspect of:

"You shall surely send away the mother" (Deuteronomy 22:6).

The mother departed, and now we need to bring her back. In order to bring the mother back, Hashem, blessed be He, needs to throw us into such low places, so that we will cry out with such screams, that through these screams the Imma Ila'ah will return. Then Abba and Imma will "dwell as one, emerge as one," and the Netzach, Hod, and Yesod of Imma will be enclothed within Zeir Anpin, and the verse "and the mother is sitting upon the fledglings" will be fulfilled in us.

The fledglings, which are the aspect of Zeir Anpin and Malchut, were left without the Imma Ila'ah. Only the ba'alei teshuvah can bring back the Imma Ila'ah, so that the Nukva will unite with Zeir Anpin face to face. Therefore it is called "teshuvah" (return) – because we return the mother to the children, in the aspect of:

"The mother of the children is joyful, Halleluyah" (Psalms 113:9).

When a person returns in teshuvah (repentance), everything that was closed returns to its place, everyone returns one by one, and everyone is blessed, each and every one. This is the secret of teshuvah (repentance) – to return the mother to the children.

The Awakening of the Hearts: Six Hundred Thousand Souls

Rabbi Yitzchak says that when the world connects, it all connects as one, because Hashem, blessed be He, wants to return the entire world in teshuvah (repentance). This is what our Rebbe says in Likutey Moharan (Torah 141): If a person does teshuvah (repentance) in truth and truly regrets, then the entire world awakens in teshuvah (repentance).

Every person has six hundred thousand souls depending on the root of his soul. Regarding this it is said:

"And Hashem your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring" (Deuteronomy 30:6).

What is "your offspring"? These are all the six hundred thousand souls that belong to that same soul. As long as a person does not do true teshuvah (repentance), is not shaken by his sins, and his heart is uncircumcised and sealed, it is impossible for him to truly feel. But when he circumcises the foreskin of his heart, he will have a void in his heart from the magnitude of his pain, and he will truly sorrow and regret – from the magnitude of the regret, all the hearts will feel it.

When a person's heart awakens, all the hearts of the six hundred thousand souls that are from the root of his soul awaken as well. And since everyone is included in the entire Jewish people, the entire Jewish people awakens in teshuvah (repentance). When he circumcises his heart and feels the magnitude of his pain, he will begin to truly sorrow and regret, and then the truth will become known to everyone. They will see Hashem eye to eye and ask themselves: Why did we leave Hashem? Why did we follow the stubbornness of our evil heart and cast ourselves into a place of filth, in the lowest depths of the abyss?

For Your Loving-kindness is Great Above the Heavens

Regarding the ba'alei teshuvah it is said:

"For Your loving-kindness is great above the heavens" (Psalms 108:5).

There is a verse that says "For Your loving-kindness is great unto the heavens" (Psalms 57:11) – this refers to the regular tzaddikim, who are located below the heavens. But "above the heavens" refers to the ba'alei teshuvah, who ascend above the heavens, all the way to the Imma Ila'ah.

When people connect below, they raise "mayin nukvin" (feminine waters) to the Malchut, and the Malchut raises them to Imma, and a unification of Abba and Imma is made. Then Hashem, blessed be He, returns the mother to the children.

Simple Mercy and Joy in All the Worlds

When Abba and Imma dwell as one, the light of "Atika Kadisha" (the Holy Ancient One) is revealed. Just as in every wedding where the light of Atika Kadisha is revealed, so too the illumination of Arich Anpin returns to illuminate Zeir Anpin, and Imma illuminates within him. Then there is joy in all the worlds, because the Da'at (Knowledge) of Imma is the world of joy. Everyone is in perfection, and there are blessings and simple mercy in all the worlds.

Then it is fulfilled in us:

"He will again have mercy upon us; He will suppress our iniquities; and You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea" (Micah 7:19).

Zeir Anpin bestows mercy upon the entire Jewish people. All this is accomplished through the ba'alei teshuvah who ascend to the sefirah of Binah, and through this the Holy Temple will be built speedily in our days in the blink of an eye, Amen.

Part 3 of 3 — Lesson No. 536

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