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Igeret Hateshuva
Chapter 10וְהִנֵּה תְּשׁוּבָה עִילָּאָה זוֹ דְּאִתְדַבְּקוּתָא דְּרוּחָא בְּרוּחָא עַל יְדֵי תּוֹרָה וּגְמִילוּת חֲסָדִים, הִיא בִּבְחִינַת הַמְשָׁכָה מִלְמַעְלָה לְמַטָּה,
This higher level of repentance, which constitutes fusing spirit with spirit through Torah study and acts of kindness, is characterized as a flow from above to below. When we embark on the higher level of repentance, which constitutes Torah study and acts of kindness, as we learned in the previous chapter, God is essentially initiating this connection from above. He has revealed Himself to us, sharing His will and wisdom, through the Torah and mitzvot, which encompass the acts of kindness that He enjoins us to perform. When we cling to these manifestations of His divine self below, we unite with His essence above.
לִהְיוֹת דְּבַר ה׳ מַמָּשׁ בְּפִיו, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: ״וָאָשִׂים דְּבָרַי בְּפִיךָ״ (ישעיה נא, טז).
When one studies Torah, the word of God is literally in his mouth, as it is written, "I placed My words in your mouth" (Isa. 51:16). The words of Torah are the "word of God." When a person utters words of Torah as they were written and transmitted to us, he becomes the fountain from which the word of God flows forth. He is not articulating his own will and wisdom, but rather he is only verbalizing the words spoken by God. Torah study becomes a vessel for drawing down the Divine Presence and serves as a channel for divine illumination.
״וִימִינוֹ תְּחַבְּקֵנִי״ (שיר השירים ב, ו) בִּגְמִילוּת חֲסָדִים, דְּחֶסֶד דְּרוֹעָא יְמִינָא וכו׳.
Likewise, "And His right arm embraces me" (Song. 2:6) when one performs acts of kindness, as "kindness corresponds to the right arm of God, so to speak... " (Tikkunei Zohar 17a). This statement from the Tikkunei Zohar, "Kindness [corresponds] to the right arm [of God]," is taken from its introduction, where it describes how the divine sefirot correspond to the limbs of the human body. Ḥesed, Kindness, corresponds to the right arm. God's divine kindness is manifest in this world through a variety of means. When a person engages in acts of kindness, he actually becomes the embodiment of God's arm – the vehicle He uses to bestow His kindness. While the person's body personifies God's right arm through the performance of kind acts, his soul merits being embraced by it, totally enveloped in divine kindness.
אֲבָל אָדָם הַתַּחְתּוֹן צָרִיךְ לֵילֵךְ מִמַּדְרֵגָה לְמַדְרֵגָה מִמַּטָּה לְמַעְלָה,
Nevertheless, man below must advance from level to level, from below to above, The author of the Tanya is introducing an additional aspect of higher-level repentance besides fusing with God through Torah study and acts of kindness, which constitutes a connection with God that is initiated from above. Here the individual is called upon to advance upward to forge that bond with God from below. While his efforts cannot recreate the divine flow from above, he is able to seek a renewed connection with God through yearning and prayer. This constitutes the human initiative to achieve higher-level repentance. The penitent takes the first step on his own from below, from within his particular life context. When he is ready to take that step, he needs to know that it cannot be done in a single dramatic leap. He must climb the spiritual ladder one rung at a time, one level after another, according to the order of advancement built into the fabric of the worlds. This progression is not merely a contingency plan in the unfortunate event that the inspiration does not come from above. On the contrary, God's original intention in creating man was for him to achieve this oneness through his own efforts, from within his personal life, and elevate himself above and beyond his mundane existence.
הִיא בְּחִינַת תְּשׁוּבָה עִילָּאָה וְאִתְדַּבְּקוּת רוּחָא בְּרוּחָא בְּכַוָּונַת הַלֵּב בַּתְּפִלָּה,
by attaining the higher level of repentance and fusing spirit with spirit through heartfelt prayer, Prayer is the most powerful tool that a person living in this lowly, material world can employ to attain the sublime unification of his spirit with that of God. This is actually the whole purpose of prayer. It is the expression of one's authentic desire and intent to ascend from whatever low place in which he finds himself. In contrast to Torah and mitzvot, prayer is initiated from below. It is the feeling of deficiency and the sense of distance from God that fuel his internal engine and drive a person to take that upward climb.
וּבִפְרָט בִּקְרִיאַת שְׁמַע וּבִרְכוֹתֶיהָ,
particularly while reciting the Shema and its blessings, As discussed in previous chapters, the way to pray with heartfelt intent is through intellectual contemplation of God's infinite unity against the backdrop of one's own forlorn state. This contemplation engenders an emotional experience, bringing a person to love and fear God, and continually fuels and sustains it. The optimal time for this contemplation is while reciting the daily Shema and its blessings. This is the juncture of prayer meant for soulful contemplation and service of the heart, providing the opportunity to truly internalize one's desire to cleave to God and express one's love for Him.
כְּדֵי לוֹמַר ״וְאָהַבְתָּ וגו׳ בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל נַפְשְׁךָ״ וגו׳ בֶּאֱמֶת לַאֲמִיתּוֹ.
in order to be able to say, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul... " with true sincerity. Proper preparation and contemplation while reciting the blessings preceding the Shema, as well as the first verse of the Shema, enable the individual to truly mean what he says when he recites the next verse, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart.... " He will not merely mouth the words but fill them with intention and feeling.
וְכֵן ״וְהָיוּ הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וגו׳ וְדִבַּרְתָּ בָּם״ וגו׳ לִהְיוֹת דְּבַר ה׳ בְּפִיו בֶּאֱמֶת,
Also, when he says the next words, which refer to Torah study, "These matters that I command you today shall be upon your heart. You shall inculcate them in your children and you shall speak of them...," the word of God should be in his mouth in truth, A person must engage in deep contemplation while reciting the next section of the Shema as well. If he invests sufficient presence of mind and focus when reciting the words "These matters that I command you today...," which refer to Torah study, then he will begin to feel that it is not his own words that he utters. He will sense that the word of God Himself is being spoken through his lips.
וְאֵין אֱמֶת וכו׳.
and truth means nothing other than Torah.... The author of the Tanya cited this phrase in the first section of the Tanya, Likkutei Amarim,
וְכֵן לְקַיֵּים כָּל הַמִּצְוֹת,
Likewise he should perform all the commandments, The same applies to the performance of the mitzvot. A person should feel in a deep, authentic way that the act he is now performing is forging an innermost connection with God, who in essence performs this mitzva together with him. Then, when fulfilling a commandment, he is able to soar upward and connect with the Divine inherent in the mitzvot. The emphasis here is on a person elevating himself from below toward God through the performance of the mitzvot with sincere intent, in contrast to the previous chapter, where the discussion of mitzvot focused on cleaving to God once He lowered Himself to become enclothed within the act of the mitzva.
כְּמוֹ שֶׁאוֹמְרִים ״אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו״, כְּמוֹ ״הֲרֵי אַתְּ מְקוּדֶּשֶׁת לִי״,
as expressed in the words of the blessing that we say prior to performing a mitzva, "who sanctified us with His commandments," in which the term for sanctified, kideshanu, is used in the same sense as in the formula for betrothal: "You are hereby sanctified [ mekudeshet ] to me." The wording of a blessing recited before the performance of a mitzva reflects the inner purpose behind all mitzvot: to solidify an intimate commitment to God. When the groom declares to his bride, "You are hereby sanctified to me," he is effectively designating her as exclusively his, precluding her from having a relationship with any other man. In the same way, God sanctifies the Jew with His commandments, demonstrating that the Jew belongs to Him, singling him out from the rest of creation.
הִיא בְּחִינַת קֹדֶשׁ הָעֶלְיוֹן, לְשׁוֹן פְּרִישׁוּת וְהַבְדָּלָה שֶׁאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לְהִתְלַבֵּשׁ תּוֹךְ עָלְמִין,
This sanctity refers to supernal holiness and connotes separation and division that cannot be embodied within the worlds, This holiness reserved for one who performs a mitzva is most supernal and lofty. Etymologically, the word for holy, kadosh, means separate. Holiness, therefore, always refers to something apart, that defies definition. The term "supernal holiness" employed here refers to a dimension that transcends everything, even the other levels of holiness. It is totally incomparable to any physical or even spiritual reality. This is because the sanctity of the mitzvot is unified with the holiness of God Himself, which cannot be embodied or manifest within the confines of the created worlds.
מִשּׁוּם דְּכוּלָּא קַמֵּיהּ כְּלָא חֲשִׁיב.
since everything before Him is considered nothingness. For the world to be able to enclothe God and His holiness, it must be a fitting garment. A garment simultaneously conceals and reveals. It covers that which one does not want to reveal, but it is also an expression of the wearer's nature and personality. Yet relative to God's supernal holiness, the world has no independent reality, and it is certainly not substantive enough to conceal or reveal anything of the divine essence. Only a refraction of that supernal holiness, distilled to the nth degree, can be manifest within the confines of the worlds. If God were to unleash even a slightly greater degree of revelation from the supernal holiness itself, the worlds would cease to exist.
אֶלָּא בִּבְחִינַת סוֹבֵב כָּל עָלְמִין
Rather, the supernal holiness transcends and encompasses all worlds While this supernal holiness cannot be enclothed within the confines of the worlds, it can interact with them from the vantage point of "encompassing all worlds." This dimension transcends everything, surrounding the worlds like an unreachable horizon, perceptible only as an undifferentiated realm that lies beyond all the minutiae and levels that constitute the worlds. In more relatable terms, this transcendent realm can be compared to the background of a portrait that depicts the entire array of worlds. While the background is not an actual part of the picture, the picture, with all its subtle shades of detail, exists only within it. It may also be compared to underlying cognitive or emotional assumptions, which do not qualify as actual thoughts or emotions but rather comprise the unseen infrastructure of consciousness that makes those thought processes possible. Just as underlying assumptions inform and influence thoughts or emotions, the encompassing realm interacts with the worlds by infusing them with holiness from above.
הוּא רָצוֹן הָעֶלְיוֹן בָּרוּךְ הוּא וכו׳, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר בְּלִקּוּטֵי אֲמָרִים פֶּרֶק מ״ו.
and is also referred to as God's supernal will, as explained in Likkutei Amarim , chapter 46. "God's supernal will" refers to the higher will that corresponds to the sefira of Keter. Within the anatomy of the human soul, hasidic thought identifies two distinct levels of will. The lower will follows the thought processes of the intellect (and sometimes even the emotions). The intellect assesses which path or step would be ideal to take, and this manifests in a person's will as the next choice he will make. By contrast, the higher will precedes the intellect, residing above it, as it were, like a crown on one's head. It is not the product of the intellect but rather its source, steering the direction of the mind's contemplation. A mitzva is an expression of God's higher will, which transcends the infrastructure of all worlds, piercing our reality from above. Since a mitzva is the embodiment of God's will, man can unite with the supernal will in the deepest sense the moment he fulfills the mitzva. Mitzvot, then, are the vehicle through which man bursts through the entire system of worlds to attain a true connection and unification with supernal holiness. His performance of the mitzva endows his very own being with that holiness and ushers him into a private audience with God. All this is encapsulated by the words recited before one performs a mitzva: "Blessed is He who sanctified us with His commandments."
וְגַם אַחַר הַתְּפִלָּה אוֹמְרִים ״אֵלֶיךָ ה׳ נַפְשִׁי אֶשָּׂא״ (תהלים כה, א), דְּהַיְינוּ לְאִתְדַּבְּקָא רוּחָא בְּרוּחָא כָּל הַיּוֹם וכו׳.
Also, after praying the Amida, we say, "To You, Lord, I lift up my soul" (Ps. 25:1), in order to fuse spirit with spirit the entire day.... After the Amida, the Nefilat Apayim prayer is recited, when one descends from the heights of the silent prayer and reengages with the affairs of this world. According to Sephardic custom, as well as that of Chabad hasidim, the Nefilat Apayim prayer begins with Psalms 25 and the words "To You, Lord, I lift up my soul." This verse expresses the sentiments of one who has experienced a fall and desires to elevate himself and lift his soul up to God. Nefilat apayim literally means "fall on the face." When this prayer is uttered, the head of the devotee collapses on his arm as he desperately seeks a connection to God, yearning to fuse his spirit with the divine spirit even after he has descended the heights he achieved during prayer. The self-sacrifice implicit in this act empowers him to retain this sense of connection for the rest of his day, not just during the sublime moments of prayer and its preparation.
וְכָל זֶה עַל יְדֵי הַהִתְבּוֹנְנוּת בִּגְדוּלַּת אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא בְּהַעֲמָקַת הַדַּעַת
All this is achieved through reflection on the greatness of Ein Sof , blessed be He, with deep concentration Anyone can achieve everything described above – vivid and authentic oneness with the Divine through prayer, Torah study, and mitzvot – by practicing deep contemplation. In so doing, one can scale the limits of his mind to make way for fresh, heartfelt emotions, that of sincere love and fear of God, to burgeon forth into his being.
בִּשְׁתַּיִם לְפָנֶיהָ
during the two blessings recited before the Shema The author of the Tanya advises that a person deeply focus his mind particularly when he recites the two blessings that precede the Shema. When he reaches the epic moment of "Hear, Israel... the Lord is one," he will be able to truly internalize the powerful words he is saying. Reciting these blessings with heartfelt meaning and intention will also prime his emotions so that when he reaches the words "You shall love the Lord your God," he will be filled with a palpable feeling of love for God. The first blessing that precedes the Shema, Yotzer Or, tells of God's greatness as it is manifest in both the physical and metaphysical world, through such phenomena as the sun and moon, as well as the angels and seraphim. All extol and coronate God throughout the cosmos. The second blessing is Ahavat Olam, which expresses the unique relationship between God and the Jewish people that is characterized by His great love for us and His giving us the Torah.
וּבִפְסוּקֵי דְּזִמְרָה, כַּנּוֹדָע.
and Pesukei deZimra , as is known. Pesukei deZimra is formulated of passages that are said prior to the blessings of the Shema, and they too constitute a preparation for the Shema. These psalms sing of God's greatness as it is revealed in this world, in human history, and in the human soul. By reciting these verses with mindfulness, one gradually begins to resonate with their content. When a person prays, he does not harness only the intellectual faculties that he uses for Torah study, but he also reaches into the depth of his soul's senses. He infuses the entirety of his soul into his prayer, including his intellect, his emotions, and even his body. A person's whole self is meant to step into prayer.
וּמֵאַחַר שֶׁהַתְּפִלָּה הִיא בְּחִינַת תְּשׁוּבָה עִילָּאָה,
Since prayer is a form of the higher level of repentance, When a person engages in the type of prayer discussed above, when he merits merging every iota of his physical and spiritual being with the Divine as it manifests in his world, even in light of his former place of sin, then his prayer constitutes the higher level of repentance. This level of repentance, this union with God, fills all the deficiencies of one's life and repairs all his flaws. This is achieved through prayer because the higher level of repentance is not about analyzing the particulars of one's sins or the pangs of suffering that sin leaves in its wake, which constitutes the lower level of repentance. Rather, it is an all-encompassing holistic ascent into the Divine to unify with it. Therefore, it is intimately connected with prayer, whose sole purpose is to forge and maintain a bond with God.
צָרִיךְ לְהַקְדִּים לְפָנֶיהָ בְּחִינַת תְּשׁוּבָה תַּתָּאָה.
it must be preceded by the lower level of repentance. Higher-level repentance cannot be achieved immediately in a single bound. A person must advance from one level to the next, climbing progressively higher, lifting himself again and again above his current condition, as explained in the last chapter. It follows that just as the lower form of repentance is a prerequisite for its higher form, it is also the crucial gateway to authentic prayer that leads to that sublime connection with God.
וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ ז״ל בַּמִּשְׁנָה (ברכות ה, א): ״אֵין עוֹמְדִין לְהִתְפַּלֵּל אֶלָּא מִתּוֹךְ כּוֹבֶד רֹאשׁ״, וּפֵירֵשׁ רש״י הַכְנָעָה,
This is the meaning of our Rabbis' statement in the Mishna "One may stand and begin to pray only from a serious state of mind" (Berakhot 5:1), which Rashi explains to mean submission. While the essence of prayer is to elevate oneself, one must first profoundly humble himself. Rashi's explanation emphasizes that the serious state of mind demanded by the Mishna does not merely entail avoiding levity. Rather, it entails submission and breaking of ego.
וְהִיא בְּחִינַת תְּשׁוּבָה תַּתָּאָה לְעוֹרֵר רַחֲמִים כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל,
This submissive stance represents the lower level of repentance, where one evokes divine compassion, as stated above (chaps. 7–8), As described in the previous chapters, the way to achieve lower-level repentance is to evoke compassion on the fallen state of the divine soul and to crush and subdue the haughtiness of the animal soul.
וְכִדְיָלֵיף הָתָם בַּגְּמָרָא (ברכות ל, ב) מִקְּרָא דִּכְתִיב: ״וְהִיא מָרַת נָפֶשׁ״ (שמואל א׳ א, י).
and as we find that the Talmud there (Berakhot 30b) derived this halakha from the verse that is written with regard to Ḥanna's prayer, "She was embittered and prayed to the Lord" (I Sam. 1:10). One of the numerous halakhot of prayer derived by the Sages from the biblical account of Ḥanna's prayer is the proper way to begin praying. The verse "She was embittered and prayed to the Lord" teaches that one must tap into the bitterness in his heart before proceeding to pray. This bitterness arises from the breaking of his autonomous sense of self and coming to recognize that he is a lowly, flawed creature in desperate need of God's compassion. As long as the heart remains impure, impervious to any soulful whisperings within that beckon him to heed his desire for closeness with God, his prayers, whether recited from the prayer book or uttered spontaneously, will never reach the level of connection inherent in the higher level of repentance.
אָכֵן בַּבָּרַיְיתָא שָׁם: ״תָּנוּ רַבָּנָן אֵין עוֹמְדִין לְהִתְפַּלֵּל אֶלָּא מִתּוֹךְ שִׂמְחָה״ (ברכות לא, א).
Yet it also states in the baraita there, "The Sages taught: One may stand and begin to pray only from joy" (Berakhot 31a). Since prayer has the potential to bring a person to higher-level repentance, and higher-level repentance is not attained through lowliness and bitterness but rather through the blissful union with the Divine and exaltation of the self, then ostensibly the necessary preparation for prayer would be one of joy, as reflected in the baraita quoted here. The author of the Tanya here is clarifying that there is no contradiction between the mishnaic statement that prescribes prayer that emanates from submission and bitterness and this baraita, which teaches that one must commence prayer with joy. He is pointing out that each one represents a distinct stage. In the first stage, a person should allow the feelings of bitterness engendered by his sense of lowliness and distance from anything sacred to arise within him. The second stage is the joy that emerges from the first stage with the realization that nevertheless he does merit achieving a connection with the Divine. This constitutes the ideal sequence to approaching God in prayer. Although it may be an elegant solution to the textual conundrum, it is not so simple to apply to the landscape of human emotion. Once a person is shrouded in bitterness, it is exceedingly difficult to shift into joy. A human being cannot instantaneously change moods from one pole to another unless he is blessed with a soul that is both exceptionally sensitive and solidly stalwart. Only then can it withstand the jolting transition between these two states. This is the problem that the author of the Tanya goes on to address.
וְעַכְשָׁיו בְּדוֹר יָתוֹם הַזֶּה שֶׁאֵין הַכֹּל יְכוֹלִין לַהֲפוֹךְ לִבָּם כְּרֶגַע מִן הַקָּצֶה,
Nowadays, in this orphaned generation, in which not everyone is able to transform their heart instantaneously from one extreme of submission and bitterness to the other extreme of joy, There have been past generations of Jews blessed with resilient souls capable of responding to circumstances, whether within or without, instantaneously, of switching from one state to another in an instant, leaving no remnant of the previous state of mind. When a person's soul is robust, and not scarred or worn down, it can transition smoothly and seamlessly from sadness to joy, like a properly functioning machine that responds perfectly and immediately when prompted to operate. It does not need hours to process, recover, and forget the first mode while attempting to move into the second. A hasidic master once remarked that one can learn how to serve God by observing an infant. One moment he is crying, and the next moment he is already laughing. The robustness and wholeness of his soul is his secret to the smooth interchange between one profound experience and the next. The souls in this orphaned generation lack this inner fortitude. Their responses are slow and encumbered. It is too difficult to change one's emotional state in tandem with the mind as it moves from one subject of contemplation to the next.
אֲזַי עֵצָה הַיְּעוּצָה לְהַקְדִּים בְּחִינַת תְּשׁוּבָה תַּתָּאָה בְּתִיקּוּן חֲצוֹת, כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל.
the recommended counsel is to practice the lower level of repentance earlier, during Tikkun Ḥatzot , as stated above (chap. 7). It is very difficult to foster one emotion first thing in the morning upon rising, only to immediately hoist oneself into the opposite mood. The author of the Tanya recommends that instead one separate the two over a longer period. As explained above in chapter 7, midnight is the opportune time to feel the bitterness of a broken heart over the exile of the Divine Presence, which includes one's own personal troubles and inner exile. According to the Kabbala, the service of the day actually begins at midnight of the night before. In that case, the bitterness experienced then is considered a prelude to the morning prayers, yet leaves enough time to make a smooth transition from the state of bitterness to the joy of prayer.
וּמִי שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לוֹ בְּכָל לַיְלָה,
One who is not able to recite Tikkun Ḥatzot every night It is not realistic to expect everyone to recite Tikkun Ḥatzot and to cultivate a mood of bitterness and submission over one's situation every night. It is not a simple matter to organize one's routine around the midnight ritual, especially for someone who has to function the next day.
עַל כָּל פָּנִים לֹא יִפְחוֹת מִפַּעַם אַחַת בְּשָׁבוּעַ לִפְנֵי יוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת, כַּנּוֹדָע לַיּוֹדְעִים שֶׁהַשַּׁבָּת הִיא בְּחִינַת תְּשׁוּבָה עִילָּאָה,
should nevertheless do so at least once a week on the night before the Sabbath, as it is known to the initiated into the mysteries of the Torah that the Sabbath is the higher level of repentance. The Sabbath, like prayer, is an aspect of the higher level of repentance, as the author of the Tanya will go on to expound. Therefore, before each Sabbath a person should make sure to perform the lower level of repentance. To this day, many pious people are accustomed to staying awake all of Thursday night to prepare themselves spiritually for the Sabbath.
וְשַׁבָּ״ת אוֹתִיּוֹת ״תָּשֵׁ״ב אֱנוֹשׁ״ (תהלים צ, ג), כִּי בַּשַּׁבָּת הִיא עֲלִיּוֹת הָעוֹלָמוֹת לִמְקוֹרָם כו׳,
Hence, the letters of the word for Sabbath, shin-bet-tav , are the same as the letters of the word for return, tav-shin-bet , as found in the verse "Return, you mortals" (Ps. 90:3), since on the Sabbath the worlds ascend to their source and so on, The Sabbath is not just a day of rest but also a day of return and repentance. Kabbala teaches that the spiritual worlds ascend and return to their source on the Sabbath. During the six weekdays, there is a flow of sustenance from above to below: God speaks from on high, and with His utterances He creates and sustains the worlds. On the Sabbath He rests, meaning that His creative speech is quieted. Under the veil of that stillness, the creations ascend and return to their original source in the Divine. This parallels higher-level repentance, in which the soul is restored to its original source and is reunified with the Divine. When the worlds ascend so that the divine force is readily manifest within them, the turbulence of body and soul, the struggle between the physical and the spiritual, automatically comes to a halt. The Sabbath soothes the constant strife that characterizes daily existence. The primordial divine light that encompasses everything, past, present and future, above and below, is revealed. Its illumination resolves all problems, bringing about the ultimate healing and harmony in which heaven and earth, spirit and matter, no longer conflict. This is the essence of the Sabbath. It is a sublime, blissful state of repentance and restoration without pain and bitterness – a day of higher-level repentance.
וּבִפְרָט תְּפִלּוֹת הַשַּׁבָּת, וְדַי לַמֵּבִין
particularly during the Sabbath prayers, and this is sufficient elaboration for one who understands esoteric wisdom. Even when a person prays during the week, he can attain the higher level of repentance. Since the day of Sabbath itself inspires a higher-level repentance, the combination of praying on the Sabbath certainly constitutes the ultimate expression and quintessence of higher-level repentance. In that case, it must be prefaced by the lower level of repentance. This can be achieved during Tikkun Ḥatzot on Thursday night, which engenders the necessary bitterness and submission of a broken heart.
(וּבָזֶה יוּבָן מַה שֶּׁכָּתוּב: ״שׁוּבָה אֵלַי כִּי גְאַלְתִּיךָ״ [ישעיה מד, כב],
(Now we can understand the verse "I have wiped away your transgressions like a thick cloud, and your sins like a cloud; return to Me, for I have redeemed you" [Isa. 44:22]. If God has already "wiped away your transgressions" and "redeemed you," what more is expected through the words "return to Me"?
פֵּירוּשׁ כִּי מֵאַחַר שֶׁ״מָחִיתִי כָעָב פְּשָׁעֶיךָ״ הִיא הַעֲבָרַת הַסִּטְרָא אָחֳרָא וּגְאַלְתִּיךְ מִן הַחִיצוֹנִים בְּהִתְעוֹרְרוּת רַחֲמִים עֶלְיוֹנִים בְּאִתְעֲרוּתָא דִּלְתַתָּא בִּתְשׁוּבָה תַּתָּאָה כנ״ל, אֲזַי שׁוּבָה אֵלַי בִּתְשׁוּבָה עִילָּאָה).
It means: Since I already "wiped away your transgressions like a thick cloud," referring to dispelling the sitra aḥara , and also "I redeemed you" from the external forces of impurity through evoking supernal compassion stirred by an awakening from below in attaining the lower level of repentance, as stated above, then "return to Me" through the higher level of repentance.) "Return to Me" is the call to take the next step, that which is only possible after all the sins and impurity have been wiped away. After undergoing the process of lower-level repentance, God turns to the penitent and beckons him to complete his repentance at the higher level: "Return to Me," unto God Himself. This chapter discusses the higher level of repentance as it is expressed and actualized through prayer, a service of the soul that ascends from below to above. A person accomplishes this through deep contemplation and concentration while reciting the