Widen Your Tent / Intro. to Shaarei Yosher III (shiurim #5-6)

Beyond Meaningful Relationships - Relationshipful Meaning

The primary text we're studying in these shiurim is the Introduction to Rav Shimon Shkop's Shaarei Yosher. This is the last text in the Beyond Meaningful Relationshisps - Relationshipful Meaning.

Rav Shimon's introduction is also the basis of a sefer I wrote, Widen Your Tent. Chapter 1 of that book has the introduction we are discussing in full, along with my translation, and is available online here - https://www.aishdas.org/media/ShaareiYosher.pdf.

This sheet has sources raised when discussing sec 1.2 (the second paragraph in the original publishing of Shaarei Yosher). The material is also discussed in Widen Your Tent chapter chapter 5.

Interdependence

משנה אבות ה׳:י׳

(י) אַרְבַּע מִדּוֹת בָּאָדָם:

הָאוֹמֵר שֶׁלִּי שֶׁלִּי וְשֶׁלְּךָ שֶׁלָּךְ, זוֹ מִדָּה בֵינוֹנִית. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים, זוֹ מִדַּת סְדוֹם.
שֶׁלִּי שֶׁלְּךָ וְשֶׁלְּךָ שֶׁלִּי, עַם הָאָרֶץ.
שֶׁלִּי שֶׁלְּךָ וְשֶׁלְּךָ שֶׁלָּךְ, חָסִיד.
שֶׁלִּי שֶׁלִּי וְשֶׁלְּךָ שֶׁלִּי, רָשָׁע:

Pirkei Avot 5:10

(10) There are four types of character in human beings: One that says: “mine is mine, and yours is yours”: this is a commonplace type; and some say this is a sodom-type of character. [One that says:] “mine is yours and yours is mine”: is an unlearned person (am haaretz); [One that says:] “mine is yours and yours is yours” is a pious person. [One that says:] “mine is mine, and yours is mine” is a wicked person.

שולחן ערוך, יורה דעה רנ״א:ג׳

(ג) הנותן לבניו ובנותיו הגדולים שאינו חייב במזונותיהם כדי ללמד את הבנים תורה ולהנהיג הבנות בדרך ישרה וכן הנותן מתנות לאביו והם צריכים להם הרי זה בכלל צדקה ולא עוד אלא שצריך להקדימו לאחרים ואפילו אינו בנו ולא אביו אלא קרובו צריך להקדימו לכל אדם ואחיו מאביו קודם לאחיו מאמו ועניי ביתו קודמין לעניי עירו ועניי עירו קודמין לעניי עיר אחרת (כ"מ בסמ"ג וסמ"ק וטור) : הגה והקבועים בעיר קרויים עניי העיר והם קודמין לעניים אחרים הבאים לשם ממקומות אחרים (טור דלא כר"י בר ברוך) ויושבי ארץ ישראל קודמין ליושבי חוצה לארץ: הגה פרנסת עצמו קודמת לכל אדם ואינו חייב לתת צדקה עד שיהיה לו פרנסתו ואח"כ יקדים פרנסת אביו ואמו אם הם עניים והם קודמים לפרנסת בניו ואח"כ בניו והם קודמים לאחיו והם קודמין לשאר קרובים והקרובים קודמים לשכיניו ושכיניו לאנשי עירו ואנשי עירו לעיר אחרת והוא הדין אם היו שבוים וצריך לפדותן (הכל בטור):

Shulchan Arukh, Yoreh De'ah 251:3

(3) Helping one's grown up sons or daughters in need when he is not obliged to—in order to give his sons an opportunity of studying the Law, or to keep his daughters in the right path—and presenting gifts to one's father in need,—all this comes under the general head of Charity. In fact, such charity is to be preferred to other forms. Not only a father or child, but any relative should be given preference to a stranger; a brother of one's father, to a brother of one's mother; the poor of his own house to the poor of the city at large; the poor of his own city to the poor of other cities; and the poor that dwell in the Holy Land to those that dwell in other lands.

שמונה קבצים ז׳:קי״ב
רב אברהם יצחק הכהן קוק
יש שהוא שר שירת נפשו, ובנפשו הוא מוצא את הכל, את מלא הסיפוק הרוחני במילואו. ויש שהוא שר שירת האומה, יוצא הוא מתוך המעגל של נפשו הפרטית, שאינו מוצא אותה מרוחבת כראוי, ולא מיושבת ישוב אידיאלי, שואף למרומי עז, והוא מתדבק באהבה עדינה עם כללותה של כנסת ישראל, ועמה הוא שר את שיריה, מצר בצרותיה, ומשתעשע התקותיה, הוגה דעות עליונות וטהרות על עברה ועל עתידה, וחוקר באהבה ובחכמת לב את תוכן רוחה הפנימי. ויש אשר עוד תתרחב נפשו עד שיוצא ומתפשט מעל גבול ישראל, לשיר את שירת האדם, רוחו הולך ומתרחב בגאון כללות באדם והוד צלמו, שואף אל תעודתו הכללית ומצפה להשתלמותו העליונה, וממקור חיים זה הוא שואב את כללות הגיונותיו ומחקריו, שאיפותיו וחזיונותיו. ויש אשר עוד מזה למעלה ברוחב יתנשא, עד שמתאחד עם כל היקום כולו, עם כל בריות, ועם כל העולמים, ועם כולם אומר שירה, זה הוא העוסק בפרק שירה בכל יום שמובטח לו שהוא בן עולם הבא. ויש אשר עולה עם כל השירים הללו ביחד באגודה אחת, וכולם נותנים את קולותיהם, כולם יחד מנעימים את זמריהם, וזה לתוך זה נותן לשד וחיים, קול ששון וקול שמחה, קול צהלה וקול רנה, קול חדוה וקול קדושה. שירת הנפש, שירת האומה, שירת האדם, שירת העולם, כולן יחד מתמזגות בקרבו בכל עת ובכל שעה. והתמימות הזאת במילואה עולה היא להיות שירת קודש, שירת אל, שירת ישראל, בעוצם עזה ותפארתה, בעוצם אמתה וגדלה, ישראל שיר אל, שיר פשוט, שיר כפול, שיר משולש, שיר מרובע. שיר השירים אשר לשלמה - למלך שהשלום שלו.

[Ben Zion Bokser translation]
There is one who sings the song of his own life, and in himself he finds everything, his full spiritual satisfaction.

There is another who sings the song of his people. He leaves the circle of his own individual self, because he finds it without sufficient breadth, without an idealistic basis. He aspires towards the heights, and he attaches himself with a gentle love to the whole community of Israel. Together with her he sings her song. He feels grieved in her afflictions and delights in her hopes. He contemplates noble and pure thoughts about her past and her future, and probes with love and wisdom her inner spiritual essence.

There is another who reaches toward more distant realms, and he goes beyond the boundary of Israel to sing the song of humanity. His spirit extends to the wider vistas of the majesty of humanity generally, its noble essence. He aspires toward humanity's general goal and looks forward toward its higher perfection. From this source of life he draws the subjects of his meditation and study, his aspirations and his visions.

Then there is one who rises toward wider horizons, until he links himself with all existence, with all God’s creatures, with all worlds, and he sings his song with all of them. It is of one such as this that tradition has said that whoever sings a portion of the song each day is assured of having a share in the world to come.

And then there is one who rises with all these songs in one ensemble, and they all join their voices. Together they sing their songs with beauty, each one lends vitality and life to the other. They are sounds of joy and gladness, sounds of jubilation and celebration, sounds of ecstasy and holiness. The song of the self, the song of the people, the song of humanity, the song of the world all merge in him at all times, in every hour. And this full comprehensiveness rises to become the song of holiness, the song of God, the song of Israel, in its full strength and beauty, in it full authenticity and greatness. The name “Israel” stands for shir-Kel, the song of God. It is a simple song, a twofold song, a threefold song and a fourfold song. It is the Song of Songs of Solomon, shlomo, which means peace or wholeness. It is the song of the King whom is wholeness.

משנה אבות א׳:י״ב-י״ד

(יב) הִלֵּל וְשַׁמַּאי קִבְּלוּ מֵהֶם. הִלֵּל אוֹמֵר, הֱוֵי מִתַּלְמִידָיו שֶׁל אַהֲרֹן, אוֹהֵב שָׁלוֹם וְרוֹדֵף שָׁלוֹם, אוֹהֵב אֶת הַבְּרִיּוֹת וּמְקָרְבָן לַתּוֹרָה:

(יג) הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, נָגֵד שְׁמָא, אָבֵד שְׁמֵהּ. וּדְלֹא מוֹסִיף, יָסֵף. וּדְלֹא יָלֵיף, קְטָלָא חַיָּב. וּדְאִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בְּתָגָא, חָלֵף:

(יד) הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, אִם אֵין אֲנִי לִי, מִי לִי. וּכְשֶׁאֲנִי לְעַצְמִי, מָה אֲנִי. וְאִם לֹא עַכְשָׁיו, אֵימָתָי:

Pirkei Avot 1:12-14

(12) Hillel and Shammai received [the oral tradition] from them. Hillel used to say: be of the disciples of Aaron, loving peace and pursuing peace, loving mankind and drawing them close to the Torah.

(13) He [also] used to say: one who makes his name great causes his name to be destroyed; one who does not add [to his knowledge] causes [it] to cease; one who does not study [the Torah] deserves death; one who makes [unworthy] use of the crown [of learning] shall pass away.

(14) He [also] used to say: If I am not for myself, who is for me? But if I am for my own self [only], what am I? And if not now, when?

סוכה נ״ג א:ג׳

תַּנְיָא: אָמְרוּ עָלָיו עַל הִלֵּל הַזָּקֵן, כְּשֶׁהָיָה שָׂמֵחַ בְּשִׂמְחַת בֵּית הַשּׁוֹאֵבָה, אָמַר כֵּן: אִם אֲנִי כָּאן — הַכֹּל כָּאן, וְאִם אֵינִי כָּאן — מִי כָּאן.

Sukkah 53a:3

It is taught in the Tosefta: They said about Hillel the Elder that when he was rejoicing at the Celebration of the Place of the Drawing of the Water he said this: If I am here, everyone is here; and if I am not here, who is here?

תלמוד ירושלמי סוכה ה׳:ד׳:ב׳

הלכה: הַחֲסִידִים וְאַנְשֵׁי הַמַּעֲשֶׂה. יֵשׁ מֵהֶן שֶׁהָיוּ אוֹמְרִין. אַשְׁרַיִיךְ יַלְדּותִי שֶׁלֹּא בִײַשְׁתָּ אֶת זִקְנוּתִי. אֵילּוּ אַנְשֵׁי מַעֲשֶׂה. וְיֵשׁ מֵהֶן אוֹמְרִין. אַשְׁרַיִיךְ זִקְנוּתִי שֶׁכִּיפַּרְתְּ עַל יַלְדּוּתִי. אֵילּוּ בַעֲלֵי תְשׁוּבָה. אִילּוּ וָאֵילּוּ הָיוּ אוֹמְרִין. אַשְׁרֵי מִי שֶׁלֹּא חָטָא. וּמִי שֶׁחָטָא יִימָּחֵל לוֹ. הִלֵּל הַזָּקֵן כַּד הֲוֵי חֲמִי לָן עָֽבְרִין בְפַחַז הֲוָה אֲמַר לוֹן. דַּאֲנָן הָכָא מָן הָכָא. וּלְקִילּוּסָן הוּא צָרִיךְ. וְהָֽכְתִיב אֶ֤לֶף אַלְפִין֙ יְשַׁמְּשׁוּנֵּיהּ וְרִיבּוֹא ריבְווָן קָֽדָמ֣וֹהִי יְקוּמ֑וּן. כַּד הֲוָה חֲמִי לוֹן עָֽבְדִין בְּכוֹשֶׁר הֲוָה אֲמַר. דִּי לָא נָן הָכָא מָאן הָכָא. שֶׁאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לְפָנָיו כַּמָּה קִילּוּסִין חָבִיב הוּא קִילּוּסָן שֶׁלְיִשְׂרָאֵל יוֹתֵר מִכֹּל. מַה טַעַם. וּנְעִ֖ים זְמִר֥וֹת יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ י֜וֹשֵׁ֗ב תְּהִלּ֥וֹת יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

Jerusalem Talmud Sukkah 5:4:2

Hillel the Elder, if he saw them wantonly transgressing [at the Simchas Beis haSho'eivah] said to them, even though I am here, who is here? Does He need acclamations? Is it not written, thousands upon thousands serve Him, and myriads of myriads stand before Him? If he saw them acting correctly he was saying, "If I am not here who is here? Even though there are many acclaims before Him, the acclaim of Israel is beloved more than anything else. What is the reason? And the pleasantness of the songs of Israel; enthroned on the praises of Israel."

ספרא, ויקרא דבורא דנדבה, פרק ב י״ג

[יג] "לאמר" – אמור להם דברי כבושים "בשבילכם מדבר עמי", שכן מצאנו שכל ל"ח שנים שהיו ישראל כמנודין לא היה מדבר עם משה שנאמר (דברים ב:טז-יז) "ויהי כאשר תמו כל אנשי המלחמה למות...וידבר ה' אלי לֵאמֹר...".

דבר אחר: ...

Sifra, Vayikra Dibbura DeNedavah, Chapter 2 13

(13) "… and He spoke to him from the tent of meeting) lemor" ("saying") — "Say it" to them in humble terms (so that they accept it gladly), viz.: "For your sake does He speak with me." For we find that all of the thirty-eight years that Israel were out of grace (because of the sin of the spies) He did not speak with Moses, viz. (Devarim 2:16-17): "And it was, when all the men of war (those from the age of twenty) had finished dying from amidst the people that the L–rd spoke to me."

Another nuance: ...

רבנו בחיי, ויקרא כ״ו:ל״ז

(א) וכשלו איש באחיו. דרשו רז"ל בעון אחיו, מלמד שכל ישראל ערבים זה לזה. וכן אמר משה (דברים כט) כל איש ישראל, כל ישראל נתפסים בעון איש אחד. וכן אתה מוצא בעכן שהוא החוטא וכל ישראל נתפשים בחטאו, שנאמר (יהושע ז) חטא ישראל וגם גנבו וגם כחשו וגם שמו בכליהם, חטא היחיד תלאו על כל ישראל. ומזה אמרו בשיר השירים רבה (ו) אל גנת אגוז ירדתי, למה נמשלו ישראל לאגוז, מה אגוז אתה נוטל אחד מן הכרי כולם מדרדרין ומתגלגלין זה אחר זה, כך ישראל לקה אחד מהם כולם מרגישין שנאמר (במדבר טז) האיש אחד יחטא ועל כל העדה תקצוף.

Rabbeinu Bahya, Vayikra 26:37

(1) וכשלו איש באחיו, “they will stumble over one another, etc.” According to Sanhedrin 27 the Torah means that they will stumble each over the sins committed by the other, i.e. their reciprocal responsibility which they disregarded became their undoing. This is also what Moses had in mind in Deut. 29,9 when he described each Israelite as “standing upright” at that time, (i.e. not stumbling over his fellow’s sins). The example for this reciprocal responsibility was illustrated most powerfully when because of failure to admonish Achan who had taken money from the loot of Jericho declared sacred for the Temple, this sin became the cause of Israel losing its first campaign after the capture of Jericho. (compare Joshua chapter seven with special emphasis on verse 11) [Contrary to Moses who had asked G’d in connection with Korach why the sin of one man should cause G’d’s anger against a whole nation, in Achan’s case G’d spelled out that it did. Ed.] G’d tells Joshua that “Israel has sinned;” He did not tell him that “an Israelite had sinned.” The whole nation was held responsible for the sin of an individual. An accessory after the fact, i.e. someone who does not admonish the sinner has made himself his partner. Seeing that what Achan had done could not have been concealed completely, there had already been many accessories.
This incident prompted the sages in Shir Hashirim Rabbah 6,16 to comment that the use of the word "nut” in אל גנת האגוז ירדתי, “I went down to the nut-grove” (Song of Songs 6,11), describes that just as it is impossible to pluck one walnut without making the whole tree shake, so it is impossible for an individual to commit a sin without ripples of what he did affecting the entire Jewish people. This is what had bothered Moses in Numbers 16,22: “one man sinned and You are angry at the whole congregation!”

Introduction to Shaarei Yosher – an outline

Thesis: The purpose of creation and of giving us the Torah was
1. So that we of benefit to others
2. and our greatest desire is to benefit others
3. in imitation of the Creator
This is the mitzvah of “qedoshim tihyu ki Qadosh Ani”
1. “qedushah” means consecration to a higher calling, which to R Shimon means being of benefit to others
2. When the Sifra and the Ramban say the mitzvah is “perushim tihyu” they cannot be defining qedushah as perishus, since “ki Qadosh Ani” can’t be referring to Hashem separating Himself from something.
3. Rather, the mitzvah of becoming holy involved separation from other causes and goals
4. But people need self-care, rest and relaxation. We aren’t Him. As the Sifra concludes “Qedushasi lemaalah miqedushaskhem”.
  1. As long as we do this in the context of being more able to fulfil that higher calling, addressing personal needs can be holy. Whether physical needs, the need to have enjoyment…
  2. … or spiritual needs.
Antithesis: Hashem doesn’t want deprivation, self-love is built too deeply into the human
1. As Rabbi Aqiva says in the case of one canteen in the desert “chayekha qodmin”
2. It avoids the boshes lemeqablin (as the Ramchal and the Qabbalists say)
3. We wouldn’t have a preference for what we ourselves make. And we would create less.
4. Even though self-love grows into selfishness, the source of so many evils
5. And even though the preference for what we made ourselves pushes us to grab credit, and therefore is a drive against gratitude.
  1. And a lack of gratitude for what Hashem provides can lead to apostacy.
  2. “Yismach Moshe bematenas chelqo, ki eved ne’eman qarasa lo”
  3. Taking credit for what we learn in secular studies must be offset with the awareness of Divine Wisdom it brings
  4. Credit for what Torah we learn should be mitigated by the Torah honing our middos away from taking credit.
Synthesis: expanding the self
1. From body to body-and-soul to including spouse, family, friends, community, Jewish People, humanity, and the complete soul – all of creation.
2. Hillel: “Im ein ani li, mi li? Ukeshe’ani le’atzmi ma ani?” Narrow self vs. broader me-and-mine.
3. The measure of a soul is the scope of one’s “ani”.
4. Not getting one’s self-worth through the limelight (tzeni’us) but through being a critical part of a larger body or engine.
Sharing: “Not or oneself, but for one’s own”
1. Nachum ish Gamzu failed a poor person, and therefore didn’t see value in having limbs. How do we relate to that?
2. What we own was given to us for the greater ani.
3. Aseir te’aseir: A caretaker appointed for a small amount who does a good job is more likely to be charged with caring or more in the future.
A Life of Growth
1. Moshe broke the first luchos because a generation capable of the eigel shouldn’t have access to an unforgettable Torah
2. Moshe turned Torah into a process. The second Luchos were carved by a person holding a Torah that can only be absorbed by someone who “carved” themselves with yir’as Hashem (as in reishis chokhmah…) and Middos.
3. Moshe became wealthy by selling the bits carved of the luchos. And we make our income as a side-effect of working on ourselves.
4. (This ties together Matan Torah as a return to Eden, the Torah as Eitz Chayim, the Eigel as a second collapse to this world, and Hashem making having to work for a living part of the expulsion.)

Siyum

The threes: Torah, Avodah, Gemillus Chassadim -- through the eyes of the Maharal and the Gra
1. Three worlds -- this one, shamayim, the world we build in our minds
2. Three aspects of the soul -- nefesh, neshamah, ruach
3. Three categories of relationship: with others (in this world), with Hashem, with my own soul and personal development
4. Three crowns: Malkhus, Kehunah, Torah paralleling....
5. Three crowned keilim: shulchan, mizbeiach haqetores, aron
6. The fourth crown -- Keser Sheim Tov and the non-crown of the rising flames of the Menorah. Our relationship to ourselves as an area of work (aron) and as the means to getting any work done (menorah).
7. What is the parallel -- is Malkhus perfection in this world (Gra), or the means to bringing Shamayim down (Maharal)? Is Kehunah perfecting our relationship with Hashem (Gra) or the raising up this world (Maharal)?
8. Consequent debate on where kin'ah, ta'avah and the pursuit of kavod come from.
9. Is "the middle" about synthesis or dialectic? R Dessler's "battlefront" of free will.
10. Three uncrowned keilim – not discussed by Chazal, but do they parallel the three worlds?
Olam haYedidus: Rav Wolbe (two versions)
1. The world of Torah is a world of Yedidus – as Hillel tells the prospective geir
  1. Yedidus comes from knowing that Hashem created everything, and therefore everything has a role and a value.

1. 1. So our yedidus with Hashem is first, then areivus with Jews as fellow ovdei hashem, then our shalom with other people, followed by our responsibility or everything else.
  2. The focus on Yedidus stands in contrast to the role fear plays in psychological theories.
2. The Torah is practical about it, thus the focus on halakhah.
  1. But Chassidus and Mussar emerged to remind people what the practice is for.
3. Evil is rooted in cruelty – akhzariyus = akh + zariyus – literally: pure alienation.
  1. Personal alienation from eachother

1. 1. Wars: nation alienated from nation
  2. Alienation from G-d
  3. Alienation from self – which is why anger is like avodah zarah
2. We do not uproot bad middos, we channel them constructively. (R Wolbe modernizes “Someone born under the sign of Mars” should become a shocheit or mohel.)
3. The soul has a conscious, a subconscious, and a superconscious
  1. Note the same three aspects of the soul – deciding self / ego, a higher calling connected to shamayim and a lower calling to make sure physical needs are met for survival.
4. Mitzvos relate directly to building yedidus: Milah – Yedid mibeten; Shabbos “mah yedidus menuchaseikh”, tefillin as an os, etc…
Qunterus haChessed: Rav Dessler
1. The Will to Give vs the Will to Take
2. Business should be about providing value to the other
  1. “Greater is the one who enjoys the product of his own labor mmore than a yarei Shamayim. (Berakhos 8a)
3. Receiving with hakaras hatov isn’t taking…
4. Because the Will to Take is self-oriented, a drawing inward motion
  1. This is also why one is never satisfied: as soon as we have it, it’s not an external thing to draw in to me
5. Giving is the source of love, not the other way around
  1. When we invest in others, our self-love gets extended to them

1. 1. This is also the difference between love and lust
2. Aspiration is a focus on what I don’t have – so it is more a death than a life
  1. The only thing you can really fully possess anyway is intellectual
3. Two tools to build the Will to Give: imagination, and habituation in giving
4. One to reduce the Will to Take: stop the downward spiral yourself rather than pursue every desire.
5. Hakaras haTov and Giving is the whole reason why people share a world
6. The Will to Take is our biggest obstacle in perceiving Truth
  1. … and therefore to Avodas Hashem
Inroduction to Shaarei Yosher: see above

תְּשׁוּבָה דֶּרֶךְ קְצָרָה

מכתב מאליהו חלק א׳, דפים ל׳-ל״א

הרב אליהו אליעזר דסלר ^זצוק"ל

בְּעֵת נוֹרָאָה כָּזֹאת,¹ אֲשֶׁר לֹא נֵדַע מַה יֵלֵד יוֹם, אֵין פְּנַאי לַעֲסֹק בַּעֲבוֹדַת הָעֲלִיָּה בְּהַדְרָגָה כְּמוֹ בְּשָׁנִים כְּתִקּוּנָן, זְקוּקִים אָנוּ לַתְּשׁוּבָה דֶּרֶךְ קְצָרָה, בְּגֶדֶר “יֵשׁ קוֹנֶה עוֹלָמוֹ בְּשָׁעָה אַחַת”; הַיְנוּ רְפוּאָה כְּלָלִית לַחֲטָאִים בְּגֶדֶר ‘עֲזָרָה רִאשׁוֹנָה’.

עָלֵינוּ לְהִשְׁתַּדֵּל בִּמְיֻחָד בְּד׳ חֲלָקִים:

לִמּוּד הַתּוֹרָה – לְהַבְרִיחַ הַיֵּצֶר הָרַע.

לִמּוּד הַמּוֹסֵר – קְנִיַּת “מַבַּט הָאֱמֶת” [כְּמַאֲמָר הַכָּתוּב (מִשְׁלֵי טז:ו) “בְּחֶ֣סֶד וֶ֭אֱמֶת יְכֻפַּ֣ר עָוֺ֑ן”].

לְהִתְרַגֵּל בִּשְׁבִירַת הָרָצוֹן – כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתַב רַבֵּנוּ יוֹנָה (יְסוֹד הַתְּשׁוּבָה) בְּשֵׁם הָרַאַבַ״ד שֶׁחָשׁוּב כְּהַרְבֵּה תַּעֲנִיּוֹת בְּכָל יוֹם, עַיֵּין שָׁם; וּבָזֶה מְתַקֵּן סִבַּת הַחֵטְא – “כְּנֶגֶד מְשׁוּבָתָם תְּהֵא תְּשׁוּבָתָם”.²

לְהַרְבּוֹת בְּמַעֲשֵׂה הַחֶסֶד – בֵּין מַעֲשֵׂי חֶסֶד לִיחִידִים וּבֵין פְּעֻלּוֹת עֲבוּר כְּלַל יִשְׂרָאֵל; וְגַם חֶסֶד בַּלֵּב – נוֹשֵׂא בָּעֹל עִם חֲבֵרוֹ, וּתְפִלָּה עַל אֲחֵרִים.

בְּמַצָּב שֶׁאֵין בְּרֵרָה כְּמוֹ בְּמַצָּבֵנוּ, נִתַּן עַל יְדֵי מַעֲשֵׂי חֶסֶד לְתַקֵּן גַּם חֲטָאִים שֶׁבֵּין אָדָם לַחֲבֵרוֹ, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ (בֵּיצָה כט.) “גָּזַל וְאֵינוּ יוֹדֵעַ מִמִּי גָּזֵל יַעֲשֶׂה צָרְכֵי רַבִּים”.

¹ נֶאֱמַר בְּאַנְגְּלִיָּה בְּעֵת הַפְּצָצוֹת הַגֶּרְמָנִים.

² “בְּמִדַּת תְּשׁוּבָתָם כְּנֶגֶד מִדַּת מְשׁוּבָתָם.” – שערי תשובה, שער א׳

A Short Path to Teshuvah

Rabbi Eliyahu E. Dessler ^zt”l

In a frightening time like this one,¹ when we do not know what the day will bring, there isn’t opportunity to work at the avodah of spiritual ascent on the same level as in normal years, we have a calling to sake a fast-track to teshuvah, under the rubric of “there is one who can acquire their world [to come] in a single hour.” This is a something like general medicine, a kind of “first aid”

It is incumbent upon us in particular to attempt [working on] four areas:

Torah Study – to send away the yeitzer hara.

Mussar Study – acquiring a “view of the Truth” [as the verse says, “through chessed and Truth sin is atoned.” (Mishlei 16:6)]

Building a habit of breaking desire [i.e. of willpower]: as Rabbeinu Yonah wrote in the name of the Raavad, it is as important as having numerous fasts every day (see there). And through this one fixes the cause of sin – “according to their error [meshuvasam] should be their teshuvah”.²

Increasing one’s acts of chessed – whether chesed to individuals or acts for the Jewish Community. Also chessed of the heart – sharing the burden with one’s peer [i.e. empathy], and praying for others.

In such an uncertain situation as ours, it is by acts of chessed that we also repair sins bein adam lachaveiro. Like the [Gemara] says, “Someone who stole and doesn’t know from whom they stole, should perform things the community needs.” (Beitzah 29a)

¹ This talk was given in England during the Nazi Blitz on England.

² “The middah of their teshuvah corresponding to the middah in which they erred” – Shaarei Teshuvah sec. 1.