Today’s learning is dedicated to the refuah sheleima of Simcha Nosson ben Zissel.

Attribute # 3 – He Removes Iniquity – ועבר על פשע

This is a great Attribute, for Hashem’s forgiveness is not granted by means of any intermediary. He Himself forgives the sin, as is written, “Forgiveness is with You…” (Tehillim 130:4).

What does this forgiveness entail? Hashem cleanses the [sinner from his] sin, as it is written, “Hashem shall wash the filth of the daughters of Tzion…” (Yeshayahu 4:4), and “I shall sprinkle on you pure waters…” (Yechezkel 36:25). This is the Attribute of “He removes iniquity” – Hashem sends cleansing waters to go and wash away the sin.

Man must do exactly the same. He should not say, “Why should I fix what is someone else’s fault or damage?” Do not say that! For when a person sins, Hashem Himself, not through an intermediary, fixes his crookedness and washes the filth of his sin.

With this in mind, a person should be ashamed to sin again, since the King Himself washes the filth from his soiled garments.   —   Rabbi Moshe Cordovero, Tomer Devorah

In the previous post we discussed how every sin creates a destructive angel. Hashem continues to sustain this angel until the sinner repents. However, Rabbi Cordovero teaches that this still requires a cleansing process, one that can only be performed by Hashem Himself.

As the Rambam explains, there are four stages to repentance: ceasing to sin, regretting the sin, confession to Hashem, and resolving not to sin again. While these actions grant forgiveness, they do not remove the destructive angel. Only Hashem can do that. As the verse states, “Forgiveness is with You.”

After repentance, Hashem Himself removes the destructive angel and cleanses the sinner from any stains, thereby restoring purity. (The Talmud states, “Great is repentance, for it turns willful transgressions into merits.”)

Rabbi Riachi offers an analogy of a child who creates a mess around the house. His mother warned him countless times, but the child couldn’t resist. After the dust had settled, the child regretted his actions. He apologized to his mother, promising never to make a mess again. Of course, his mother forgave him, but nonetheless the mess was still there. Now only she could clean it up and restore order.  

Similarly, Rebbe Nachman teaches, “The sins one commits are engraved on his bones. Each sin corresponds to a certain combination of letters. When a person commits a particular sin, an evil combination is inscribed on his bones corresponding to the letters of the Torah prohibition he has transgressed…” Rebbe Nachman concludes that after teshuvah, “the letters inscribed on his bones are released, and what was damaged can be completely restored.”

While many of these concepts are beyond our comprehension, we can see that every action leaves an impression. Only Hashem has the power to restore what was previously whole.

As quoted previously, Rebbe Nachman teaches that when we try to correct our mistakes, or improve our character traits, this acts as an “awakening from below” which then triggers an “awakening from above” in the form of heavenly mercy. Similarly, Rabbi Riachi explains, “When a person sets his heart on cleansing his sins and repenting in sincere teshuvah, confessing them before Hashem with tearful contrition, his tears awaken the ’pure waters’ in heaven, which descend to wash the stains left behind by the sin.”

The Talmud tells the story of Elazar ben Dordaya who succumbed to his every desire. He went to great lengths to satisfy all his physical temptations. One day, someone told him that even if he were to do teshuvah, he would never be forgiven for his sins.

Elazar ben Dordaya felt tremendous regret, he felt broken. He called out to the hills and mountains, the heaven and earth, the sun and moon, and the stars and constellations, begging them to beseech mercy on his behalf. But he was met with rejection, they all denied his request. “Then it all depends on me,” he concluded. He cried bitterly until he passed away.

Immediately, a voice from heaven declared, “Rabbi Elazar ben Dordaya is invited to the life of the World to Come.” Upon hearing this, Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi proclaimed, “Some earn their portion in the World to Come only after many years, while others earn it in just one moment.” He then added, “Not only are sinners accepted in their teshuvah, they are even called ‘Rabbi’.”  

As Rebbe Nachman teaches, “When a person confesses his sins, Hashem loves him benevolently and removes His anger from him.” Elazar ben Dordaya’s heartfelt tears was the “awakening from below” that initiated the flow of mercy from above, cleansing him of his transgressions.

When we return to Hashem in repentance, He mercifully repairs the damage and sends “pure waters” to wash our sins away.  

In closing, Rabbi Riachi writes, “When a person repairs the damage caused by others [by cleaning a mess they made, rebuilding what they have broken, sewing the garment they tore, etc.], he emulates Hashem’s Attribute of “He removes iniquity,” bringing the same degree of mercy upon himself and upon the entire Jewish nation.”  

TO BE CONTINUED…

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