Sin: Illness of the Soul?

Hello,
"It is sometimes found with physical illness, that an illness lightens and most of the affliction heals, but the body is not cleansed of it other than by drinking bitter potions and suffering the pain of withdrawal from desirable foods.

"So, too, the soul may be ill from a great transgression, and even though most of the illness will be healed and the multiplicity of aspects of punishment will leave once one repents and HaShem retreats from His wrath, still, the soul will not be cleansed of the illness and her sin will not be fully forgiven until the sinner has suffered…"

(Rabbeinu Yonah, Shaarei Teshuvah 4:1)

 שנראה בנחמת ירושלים,
Mordechai

Respond!

Hi,

"If you hear people gossiping or speaking disgustingly or mocking Torah and mitzvot, and you know that they are stubborn and won't listen and so you just put your hand over your mouth, you will be punished for not responding to their foolishness."

(Rabbeinu Yonah, Shaarei Teshuvah 3:197)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The Letz, Part III

Hi,

"[The category of Letz also includes:] One who verbally mocks deeds or things, not because he personally scorns them but because this is the way of people who are happy for no reason, and it is a joking practice. Sometimes wine and intoxication causes this."

(Rabbeinu Yonah, Shaarei Teshuvah III 177*)

חג אורים שמח,
Mordechai

The Letz, Part II

Hi,

"One who perpetually mocks things and activities… is brought to this bad trait by being wise in his own eyes… And this trait so rules over him that he mocks the views of others. This is a hopeless trait."

(Rabbeinu Yonah, Shaarei Teshuvah III #176)

חג אורים שמח,
Mordechai

The Letz, Part I

Hi,

"Without any personal gain in the matter, a letz causes great harm to people by denigrating them before others' eyes. This is what makes zadon worse than theft or banditry, which is done to increase one's wealth. Such a person is also arrogant, for one who is humble and recognizes his own deficiencies and blemishes and does not mock other people."

(Rabbeinu Yonah, Shaarei Teshuvah III 174)

חג אורים שמח,
Mordechai

Repentance: Don't delay

Hi,

"Examine the evil which befalls one who delays repentance; were he not to delay, but rather repent… then when sin would next come to hand, he would control his nature and remember drinking the bitter cup [of regret], and he would drink it no longer."

(Rabbeinu Yonah, Shaarei Teshuvah 1:4)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Harsh words for a penitence procrastinator

Hi,

"The only people who delay repentance are ignorant people, who are asleep and do not take things to heart, who have neither the intelligence nor the understanding to hasten to flee for their lives."

(Rabbeinu Yonah, Shaarei Teshuvah 1:3)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Teshuvah: Don't Delay!

Hi,

"Know that when one who has sinned delays repenting, his punishment becomes heavier by the day. He knows that there is anger upon him and that he has an opportunity to escape - meaning teshuvah - and he remains rebellious in his wickedness when he could escape the devastation."

(Rabbeinu Yonah, Shaarei Teshuvah 1:2)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Teshuvah is always accepted

Hi,


"Teshuvah is accepted even if one who has sinned returns only as a result of his troubles, and certainly if he returns out of awe of HaShem and love of HaShem, as it is written, 'When you are in trouble and all of these events befall you, in the end, and you return to HaShem your Gd and you listen to His voice.'"

(Rabbeinu Yonah, Shaarei Teshuvah 1:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The kindness of giving someone another chance

Hi,


"Among the ways Gd has benefited His creations is the way He prepared a path for them to ascend from the deficiency of their deeds and to flee from the trap of their errors, to save their lives from destruction and to remove His anger from upon them.

"In His kindness and righteousness He has taught and instructed them to return to Him when they sin against Him, for He knows their nature."

(Rabbeinu Yonah, Shaarei Teshuvah 1:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The opportunity to repent

Hi,

"Among the kindnesses which Gd has performed with His creations is that He has prepared for them a path by which to climb up from the ditch of their deeds and to flee from the trap of their sins, to save themselves from destruction and to remove His wrath from them.

"He instructed them and warned them to return to Him, in His goodness and justness, when they sin, for He knows human nature...

"Even if people err and rebel and betray Gd, He does not close the doors of repentance to them, as it is written, 'Return to the One against whom You have deepened your rebellion (Isaiah 31:6),' and 'Return, errant children; I will heal your wandering ways (Jeremiah 3:22).'"

(Rabbeinu Yonah, Gates of Repentance 1:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Insincere repentance

Hi,

"We have been instructed regarding repentance in several places in the Torah.

"It has been shown that repentance is accepted even if it is the result of a person's troubles, all the more so if one repents as a result of awe of Gd and love of Him."

(Rabbeinu Yonah of Gerondi, Shaarei Teshuvah [Gates of Repentance], Section I)

Have a great day,
Mordechai