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The Foundation of Return
By Our
Righteous Rabbi Yona Gerundi,
May the Remembrance of the Righteous be a Blessing
A Project of "The Mussar Room" of the
Diaspora Yeshiva
Introduction
One
should constantly learn this, especially on the eve of
Rosh Hashana and ten days of Repentance
The Al-mighty
sent us a message through His servants the prophets and through His
servant, the prophet
Ezekiel (Ezekiel 18:30, 31)
"Hashem the Al-mighty declares, "Return and repent
from all your sins and let not transgression be a stumbling block for you.
Throw off all the sins from yourselves which you have committed and create a new heart for yourselves and a new spirit, for
why should you die?"
For a man who
sinned intentionally or unintentionally and comes to find shelter beneath
the wings of the Divine Presence and to enter into the paths of return:
"I will educate and teach you the proper way in which you
shall go!" (Psalms 32:8).
On the day
that you want to return you should throw off all the sins which you have
committed and imagine that you are newly
born today, without merit or guilt. Today is a new start for all your
deeds. Today you should weigh all your actions, so that your path should
not turn from the proper way. This path will lead you to total return, for
you will imagine yourself as having thrown off the burden of intentional
sins and the power of the unintentional sins which you did. Your thoughts
will not confuse you, preventing you from returning by being ashamed of
your sins and thinking,
"How can
I have the audacity to return when I sinned and transgressed and did evil?
I did this and I did that! I sinned once, twice, countless times and how
can I stand before G-d? For like the shame of a thief caught red handed, I
am mortified to stand before Him. How can I tread in His courts and guard
His laws?"
You should not
think this! For the self defeating side of nature crouches like a stinging
insect at the opening of the heart and renews its attack every day,
scouting and scrutinizing for ways to make you stumble and to pull your
heart after bad counsel. Rather, you should realize the quality of the
blessed Creator, "His hand is outstretched to receive those who want
to return." Therefore, it is worthwhile to throw off your sins and
create for yourself a new heart.
And so on the
day of your purification, when your spirit offers you, as a servant to the
Creator, you should pour out your plea before Him and say,
"Please
Al-mighty, I have been sinning, I have been transgressing, I have been
breaking your laws in such and such a way (specify the sins) from the day I
came into this world until today. But now my heart has risen up and my
spirit has volunteered to return to You in truth, with a good and total
heart, with all my heart, all my soul and all my might. I will acknowledge
my sins and leave my bad ways and throw off all my sins and create for
myself a new heart and a new spirit, I will be diligent and careful in
fearing You. And You, my L-rd, who opens Your arms to he who returns and
helps those who want to purify themselves, open Your hand and accept me in
total return before You and help me to become strong in G-d fearingness. And help me against the Enemy who battles
me with cunning and desires that my soul cause my downfall. Do not let him
gain any power over me. Keep him far away from my two hundred and forty
eight limbs and cast him into the depths of the sea, and rebuke the Enemy
so that he will not be able to stand at my side to lead me astray. Make me
follow your laws and remove the heart of stone from within me, giving me a
heart of flesh. Please my G-d, hear you servant's prayer and plea. Accept
my returning and let no sin hold back my prayer and my returning. Let
advocates be before Your throne, to testify
on my behalf and recommend my prayer before Thee. And if by my great and
heavy sin I have no one to recommend me before You, then bring me up
yourself from below your Throne of Glory, accept my repentance, and do not
send me away empty handed from before you. For You are
the One who Hears Prayer." You should make this prayer your habit.
This is the
path you should follow and the thing you should do in order to accustom
yourself to avoid sin.
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