Chapter Eight - Flames

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Flames

Translated by Dr. Naftali Loewenthal
Published and copyrighted by Kehot Publication Society

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This chapter introduces the theme of teshuvah, as a further spiritual dimension, which in some sense transcends the mitzvot.

Ethics of the Fathers states: "One hour of teshuvah and good deeds in this world is better than the whole life of the World to Come." Why is teshuvah mentioned before Good Deeds?

The answer is that exalted as the mitzvot are, teshuvah reaches an even higher level. Through teshuvah, the mitzvot themselves achieve a greater spiritual effect, eliciting the "Great Kindness" of the Divine.

Hence "Moshiach will influence the completely righteous in teshuvah." The righteous are perfect in their observance of the mitzvot, but through the additional dimension of teshuvah they achieve far more. Through teshuvah, the negative realm itself is induced to recognize G-d, which brings about the exaltation of the Divine.

Thus the question concerning the passage from Ethics of the Fathers is answered. The new focus on the transformation of the negative carries through into the following chapters.

8.
THE POWER OF TESHUVAH

Now, the Sages said: "One hour of teshuvah and good deeds in this world is better than the whole life of the World to Come."1 Why is teshuvah mentioned before good deeds? Surely, since action is the main thing -- as explained above, that "the beginning is lodged in the end" -- why should teshuvah have to come first?

Supernal Great Kindness

Although one definitely elicits [energy] from the truth of the radiance of the Essence of Ein Sof by performing Torah and mitzvot, there has to be a powerful flow from the supernal great kindness of the Essence to reveal what is particularly hidden in the Essence, where "thought cannot grasp Him at all."

Hence the verse, "His kindness is so powerful for us"2:Â the kindness of His Essence overpowers far greater than the set amount that flows through the seder hishtalshelut of the kav and chut.3 This is so that it should be manifest below, vested [in Torah and mitzvot] so that "the truth of G-d is eternal"4 -- that the truth of the Essence of Havaya should be revealed in the terrestrial world as in the celestial world.

This tremendous force of great kindness is only manifest in the observance of Torah and mitzvot when it is preceded by teshuvah, which transforms the evil itself to good. This transcends Torah and mitzvot, for their purpose is merely to separate between good and evil.5 Hence our Sages say6 that baalei teshuvah are greater than the completely righteous, for those whose righteousness is defined by their observance of Torah and mitzvot cannot stand in the place where the baalei teshuvah stand.7 Thus, "Moshiach will influence the completely righteous in teshuvah"8 -- to raise them higher.9

Elevating G-d's Glory -- through Quelling the Negative

The reason [for the greater status of the baalei teshuvah] is as it says in the Zohar, that "when the sitra achra10 is quelled, the glory of G-d rises."11 [The Glory of G-d rises] despite the fact that the root of [the sitra achra] is only from the "rear" of the Name Elokim -- its 48 latter combinations.12 Thus the verse says "Praise G-d all nations," which expresses the nullification of total yesh from the yesh of kelipat nogah,13 manifest in the Seventy Princes,14 as in the future, when G-d "will turn towards the nations" [indicating their positive transformation].15

This, in essence, corresponds to teshuvah, for the evil itself will be transformed to good. Specifically then G-d will pour over us -- the Jewish people -- His essential "kindness," so that "the truth of G-d," meaning the truth of the inwardness of His essence manifested in Torah and mitzvot, becomes revealed below as it is above.

Thus "the truth of G-d" literally enters the world16: "the world" refers to the World to Come, i.e., when the truth of G-d will "come" into the terrestrial world,17 as the verse, "and it will be said on that day, behold this is our G-d -- actually."18

Thus "teshuvah" is stated before "good deeds," in this world, for [although] it is on account of the mitzvot -- the good deeds -- that one merits the reward of the life of the World to Come, but without teshuvah the good deeds do not have any effect, for they are simply vessels for the indwelling of His Divine Essence.19

SUMMARY

Having established that mitzvot are rooted in the most sublime source, and it is specifically they that enable one to attain spiritual oil and elicit G-d's Essence, the maamar now poses a question from a Mishna in Avot that states that there exists a further spiritual dimension, which in some sense transcends the mitzvot: "One hour of teshuvah and good deeds in this world is better than the whole life of the World to Come." Why is teshuvah mentioned before good deeds?

The maamar explains that for the radiance of G-d's Essence to flow into mitzvot, one must first perform teshuvah, which draws a tremendous force of great supernal kindness into the observance of Torah and mitzvot.

Hence Moshiach will influence the completely righteous in teshuvah. When the sitra achra is quelled through teshuvah, a greater radiance it is elicited than that which is elicited through Torah observance. For while Torah observance differentiates between good and evil, teshuvah actually transforms evil into good.

Thus, Praise G-d all nations: The fact that the nations praise G-d is a teshuvah of sorts. Their praise causes His Essential kindness to be mighty over us (Knesset Yisrael), i.e., so that the truth of His Essence will be revealed in this terrestrial world through our deeds. Hence teshuvah precedes good deeds.

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FOOTNOTES
1.	Avot 4:17.
2.	Psalms 117:2.
3.	See footnote 182.
4.	Psalms ibid. The word "eternal" can also mean "for the world."
5.	I.e., by performing Torah and mitzvot, one elevates physical creation to a G-dly stature, utilizing it for a G-dly purpose, thus separating "good -- whatever utilized for G-d's service, from evil -- that which cannot be made use of." Teshuvah that results out of a tremendous love for G-d however, actually transforms one's previous negative actions to good, for "inasmuch as his soul had been in a barren wilderness, and infinitely removed from the light of the Divine, his soul now thirsts for G-d even more than the souls of the righteous. Regarding such great love our Sages said: 'The baal teshuvah's premeditated sins become, in his case, like virtues," since he has thereby attained to this great love.'" (Tanya, ch. 7)
6.	Berachot 34b.
7.	TZADDIKIM and BAALEI TESHUVAH: The sinner who has repented excels over the perfectly righteous man, who had never sinned, because the baal teshuvah had tasted temptation and is therefore more vulnerable to further temptation. He must therefore exert greater resistance to sin than the person who has never sinned, and his reward is proportionate to his effort (Rambam, Hilchot Teshuvah 7:4). In Likkutei Torah, Balak 73a ff., Rabbi Schneur Zalman quotes two Talmudic sources, one Mishnaic and the other Amoraic, in support of the view that a baal teshuvah is on a higher level than the perfectly righteous. The Mishnaic source states: One hour of repentance and good deeds in this world is worth more than all the life of the world to come" (Avot 4:17). The later Talmudic source states: "In the place where baalei teshuvah stand, perfect tzaddikim cannot stand" (Berachot 34b). Applying these categories to the soul, Rabbi Schneur Zalman declares that in its pristine state in the heavenly abode, before descent to earth, the soul is in the category of tzaddik, but after its descent to earth it attains the higher level of baal teshuvah. Herein, Rabbi Schneur Zalman points out, is the "true explanation" of the soul's descent for the purpose of ascent. See also footnote 261.
8.	Zohar III:153b.
9.	In Chasidut, the concept of teshuvah and baal teshuvah is not limited to actual transgression by commission or omission, and repentance thereof. That is only one aspect of a broader perspective of teshuvah, and, indeed, the lowest aspect of it. The Hebrew term for this form of teshuvah would be charatah ("repentance," or "penitence"). Teshuvah, on the other hand, means "return" and is not necessarily connected with sin. It is rather the constant striving of the soul to return to its Source in G-d, which is described in the Zohar (I:217b) as the "striving of the soul to be absorbed into the Essence of the King." In light of this concept of teshuvah it is clear why this experience is available to the soul only in the terrestrial world even if it goes through life on earth without a blemish. For in the terrestrial world the Divine Light is obscured and concealed behind the physical and material shells of things, and by the very nature of the physical world in which we live. At the same time, the soul itself is inhibited by its confinement in a physical body. As a result, the soul's natural striving to merge with G-d is greatly intensified by the very obstacles in its way. It is, by way of example, like a stream whose flow is hampered by cataracts, where the pressure of the flow is greatly increased by the very barriers in its way, making it gush and rush forward with greater force when the barrier is overcome.
10.	SITRA ACHRA: Lit., "the other side," i.e. not the side of holiness; another term for evil in that it negates G-dliness. Anything that tends to separate from G-d belongs in the sitra achra, the root of evil. See also footnote 35.
11.	Zohar II:128b.
12.	The 5 letters of the Divine Name Elokim have 120 combinations. 72 of these are sacred, but the remaining 48 give sustenance to the negative realms. See Torah Or 109d. Although the negative realm is so low, it has great power to exalt G-d by being transformed.
13.	See footnote 35.
14.	Through which the 70 Nations of the world receive sustenance.
15.	Hence the nations are not proper yesh, which would be totally negative, but are in the category of nogah, which contains goodness. In the future, this goodness will be exposed as the nations will be positively transformed.
16.	See note 260.
17.	I.e., when Moshiach will come.
18.	Isaiah 25:9.
19.	And teshuvah is the actual divine Essence to fill the vessels of the mitzvot. So without teshuvah one lacks the most fundamental dimension.

Translated by Dr. Naftali Loewenthal More articles... |

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	"Flames" focuses on the multiple images of the lamp; the oil, the wick and the different hues of the flame, in order to express profound guidance in the divine service of every individual: Just as the oil fuses flame and wick, so does the performance of practical mitzvot keep the radiance of the soul kindled upon the body.


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