Jacob Could Bring Everyone Back in Teshuvah

Rebbe Nachman explains in Torah 27 on the verse "And Jacob came whole to the city of Shechem," that the awakening of the aspect of "to serve Him with one accord (Shechem Echad)" (Zephaniah 3) is through peace, and peace is through the aspect of Jacob, which is the shining of the countenance.

This means that when Jacob arrived in Shechem, he arrived with a shining countenance (Ha'aras Panim). With such radiant faces, such an awakening occurred in the city that everyone wanted to perform teshuvah (repentance), to keep Shabbat, to discard their idols, to leave the desire for money, and to begin serving Hashem. Jacob our forefather already established techumin (Sabbath boundaries) for them, established a matbe'a (currency) for them, and established merchatzos (bathhouses) for them. Everything that Jacob told them to do was holy in their eyes, as Rebbe Nachman explains (in Torah 23): "When Jacob came to Shechem, faith was rectified, and this is the secret of 'he established a currency,' for he rectified the desire for money. And when the desire for money was rectified, the blemish of idolatry was rectified, and this is 'he established bathhouses for them,' as it is written, 'And the daughter of Pharaoh went down to wash,' and our Sages of blessed memory interpreted this as washing away the filth of her father's idols."

And thus the Ramban explains what pained Jacob when he said to Shimon and Levi, "You have troubled (sullied) me." For in truth, the people of Shechem were already prepared to perform true teshuvah (repentance). All the people of Shechem began to return in teshuvah; they saw Jacob and his sons as angels, as exalted people, and all of Shechem nullified themselves before them. It pained Jacob that since they had already accepted the techumin (Sabbath boundaries), and he had already established a currency for them—which means they had already partially left the desire for money—and if he established bathhouses for them, they had already partially washed themselves from idolatry, therefore "You have troubled me!" I wanted to bring everyone back in teshuvah, and you destroyed everything I wanted, for this was my entire hope.

The entire hope of the Geulah (Redemption) is to convert the whole world, to bring the entire world back in teshuvah (repentance). There is no greater shame than a person living in a generation and not bringing them back in teshuvah! Any generation that does not bring the world back in teshuvah is as if they themselves are causing them to sin. The greatest thing is to bring people back in teshuvah. The Rebbe wanted people to go throughout the entire land, from Dan to Be'er Sheva, from Metula to Eilat, and bring people back in teshuvah, as it is brought in the Holy Zohar: "Zaka'ah man d'achid b'yada d'chayava" (Fortunate is he who takes the hand of the sinner). The Holy Zohar says that for one who brings people back in teshuvah, no gate is closed before him; they open all the gates and all the paths for him, they open all the doors for him, and they hand him all the keys. When a person goes and brings others back in teshuvah, Hashem is honored by him; Hashem is honored by him in all worlds, in all the universes—"See what kind of person I have, a person who brings people back in teshuvah."

Truly, the greatest thing is to bring people back in teshuvah, but how do we do it? How do we merit this? Only if a person merits hadras panim (a majestic countenance) and has a shining face, a holy face, such that people only need to look at his face and from the face alone they will be awakened to teshuvah. As they tell of Rabbi Aaron the Great of Karlin, it is written on his tombstone that he brought eighty thousand people back in teshuvah. How did they return? Did he go and deliver lessons and lectures? Rather, they only saw his shining face, his majestic countenance, and they all returned in teshuvah.

And to merit this majestic countenance, this shining of the face, Rebbe Nachman says in Torah 27 that it is only through the study of the holy Gemara (Talmud), because it is impossible to bring people back in teshuvah if there is no sechel (intellect) and no da'as (knowledge). A person needs to have a great intellect, as the Rebbe says: "I wanted you to have such a great intellect that there hasn't been such an intellect for several generations." Let us not miss the Rebbe's desires; let us do what the Rebbe wants; let us do the Rebbe's will. The Rebbe does not want us to just wander around or dance for no reason. The moment a person studies Gemara and studies Poskim (Halakhic decisors), he will receive such light, he will have the "370 myriad lights" (sh'a rivo nehorin), and everyone will run after him. Everyone will throw away their heresy, all their questions will be answered; he will come with such light, with such a shining countenance, with such radiance—"A man's wisdom makes his face shine." People see such light, such happiness, such joy on the face, and then they return in teshuvah. What do people want? People want joy, that is what they want, and the moment they see that joy is found with one who studies Torah, with one who studies Poskim and whose face shines like the sun, everyone returns in teshuvah.

The essence of Torah study is to teach others, as it is written, "And put into our hearts... to learn and to teach"—this is the main thing. The moment a person knows Torah, he must teach it to others. The true Tzaddik never learns for himself; he only learns in order to teach Torah to others. The Torah that a person learns is measured by how much chesed (kindness) and how much mesirus nefesh (self-sacrifice) he is willing to do to teach others. After a person has studied 8 hours or 10 hours, he must show that he has the strength, the light, and the courage to bring others back in teshuvah; this is the main practical outcome of all the study. Every individual can bring thousands upon thousands back in teshuvah; a group of a hundred people can bring a thousand people back in teshuvah, and within a few years, all of the Jewish people will perform teshuvah. And if we begin to bring people back in teshuvah, then the nations of the world will also return in teshuvah. Our goal is to bring the whole world back in teshuvah, even the gentiles. This is what Hashem loves; Hashem is waiting for you to bring all of the Jewish people back in teshuvah, and all the nations of the world back in teshuvah—"And all children of flesh will call Your Name, to turn toward You all the wicked of the earth, all the inhabitants of the world will recognize and know..." Why do we say this? Why do we say these verses? We must bring close even those who are furthest away. That everyone should call upon the Name of Hashem—even the gentiles. But first, let us bring back the Jews. If we start with the Jews, we will be able to bring back the gentiles as well; everyone will perform teshuvah and draw close to the faith of Israel, to serve Him with one accord (Shechem Echad).