Teshuvah: Will is everything

Hi,

"The will to goodness is everything; all of the skills in the universe are only the means to completing it. The content of his will [to goodness] is imprinted upon his soul by the light that is affixed within, and as a result, the great flow of Divine inspiration is manifested upon him continually, and a will which is great in its holiness, beyond the trait embedded in other human beings, grows powerful within him…"

(Rav Avraham Yitzchak haKohen Kook, Orot haTeshuvah 9:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Does sinning hurt?

Hi,

"All sins cause the heart to grieve, for they demolish the unity of the individual person and the universe… Every ethical severing from that whole, whether from thoughts or deeds, individual traits or general balance, causes many small cuts which instigate great internal pain for all aspects of the soul…"

(Rav Avraham Yitzchak haKohen Kook, Orot haTeshuvah 8:3, 8:7)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The innate desire to return

Hi,

"Teshuvah always resides in the heart; it is stored in the heart even during the sin itself."

(Rav Avraham Yitzchak haKohen Kook, Orot haTeshuvah 6:2)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Descent which enables ascent

Hi,

"The path of all existence is founded upon teshuvah. Entities come into existence as a descent from the Divine realm to worldly realms – a form of descent and of terrible “death” – to which no descent in this universe, from level to level, from great talent and acquisition to lesser talent and acquisition, can compare. This is engineered on the higher calculation of justice, which gauged the justice of existence before anything was created…

"But this descent has the foundation for greater ascent stored within… as it is written, “Before mountains were birthed and earth and foundation were formed, You have been Gd for all eternity. You laid man low, and declared, ‘Return, sons of men!’”"

(Rav Avraham Yitzchak haKohen Kook, Orot haTeshuvah 11:4)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Transforming the fear via repentance

Hi,

"Each sin implants a unique element of fear into a person's spirit, and it does not depart other than via repentance. The fear itself changes into faith and courage, in proportion to the depth of the repentance."

(Rav Avraham Yitzchak haKohen Kook, Orot haTeshuvah 8:13)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Thoughts of Teshuvah: Calming but challenging

Hi,

"Teshuvah, by nature, gives a person a calm mind as well as a heavy mind.

"It comforts him, even with the first thought of teshuvah; a world's great and elevated joy exists within a single point of its great light.

"Along with this, though, it continually sets before his spirit his obligations to complete the task, which keep him from arrogance and place upon him a sweet light which enhances his life in a great and permanent way."

(Rav Avraham Yitzchak haKohen Kook, Orot haTeshuvah 7:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Teshuvah is rooted in the heart

Hi,

"Teshuvah always resides in the heart; even at the moment of sin, the impulse for teshuvah is hidden in the soul, radiating influence which will be revealed later, with the arrival of the regret that calls for teshuvah. Teshuvah resides in the depths of existential life, for it preceded the universe, and before sin arrives its teshuvah is already prepared.

"Therefore, nothing in this universe is as certain as teshuvah, and, ultimately, all will be repaired."

(Rav Avraham Yitzchak haKohen Kook, Orot haTeshuvah 6:2)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Sudden repentance and Gradual repentance, Part III

Hi,

[Third in a three-part series]

"The greatest repentance comes from experiencing the illuminating revelation of general goodness, of the Divine goodness which is present in all worlds, the light of the Life of the Universe. We imagine the soul of all, which emanates from above, glorious and holy, to the extent that we can grasp.

"We then perceive that the whole is truly good and just, and that the good and just in us comes when we are true to the whole. How could we be torn from the whole, crumbled away and different, separated, like insignificant dust?

"As a result of this revelation, which is truly recognition of Gd, repentance comes to the individual and the community."

(Rav Avraham Yitzchak haKohen Kook, Orot haTeshuvah 2)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Sudden repentance and Gradual repentance, Part II

Hi,

[continuing from yesterday]

"There is also gradual repentance, not a flash of lightning inside converting him from the depths of evil to the good, but rather a feeling that one needs to improvied his ways, the paths of his life, his desires, his thoughts. He walks this path and conquers, little by little, the ways of righteousness. He mends his traits, improves his deeds, and teaches himself how to improve to greater and greater extents, until he achieves a great level of purification and correction."

[to be continued]

(Rav Avraham Yitzchak haKohen Kook, Orot haTeshuvah 2)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Sudden repentance and Gradual repentance, Part I

Hi,

"In terms of its duration, repentance comes in two types: Sudden repentance, and Gradual repentance.

"Sudden repentance comes from a sort of spiritual lightning that enters the soul. At once one recognizes the bad and ugly nature of the sin, and he becomes a new person, already sensing within himself a complete change for the good. This comes about via the appearance of an internal splendor, some great spiritual revelation, the paths of which may be sought in the hidden depths."

[to be continued...]

(Rav Avraham Yitzchak haKohen Kook, Orot haTeshuvah 2)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The world is progressing toward repentance

Hi,

"The world does not remain static; it develops and evolves, and true, complete evolution must bring about total material and spiritual health. This will introduce the life of repentance."

(Rav Avraham Yitzchak haKohen Kook, Orot haTeshuvah 5:3)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The natural drive for teshuvah

Hi,

"It is the nature of the human spirit to walk a righteous path. When one strays from the path, falling into sin, then - if his soul is not entirely corrupted - this sense of righteousness pains his heart, he melts from the pain, and he is energized to return and mend that which he has made crooked until he feels that his sin has been wiped away."

(R' Avraham Yitzchak haKohen Kook, Orot haTeshuvah 1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The fundamental nature of Teshuvah

Hi,

"Teshuvah [repentance] occupies the greatest portion of Torah and Life, and upon it are founded all of the hopes of the individual and the community."

(Rav Avraham Yitzchak haKohen Kook, Introduction to Orot haTeshuvah)

Have a great day,
Mordechai