## Duties of the Heart, Seventh Treatise on Repentance, Introduction

###### Duties of the Heart, Seventh Treatise on Repentance, Introduction 1
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**בְּבֵאוּר אָפְנֵי חִיּוּב הַתְּשׁוּבָה וּגְבוּלֶיהָ וְהַדְּבָרִים הַתְּלוּיִם בָּהּ. וְזֶה פֶּתַח הַשַּׁעַר:**
אָמַר הַמְחַבֵּר מִפְּנֵי שֶׁקָּדַם מַאֲמָרֵנוּ בַּכְּנִיעָה וְהִיא שֹׁרֶשׁ הַתְּשׁוּבָה וְהַתְחָלָתָהּ רָאִיתִי (ס״א מן הראוי לי) לִסְמֹךְ לָהּ בֵּאוּר גְּדֵרֶיהָ וְאָפְנֵי הַשְׁלָמָתָהּ.

**Duties of the Heart, trans. Rabbi Yosef Sebag:**
Since our preceding discussion dealt with the subject of submission, which is the root and beginning of repentance, I deemed it fit to follow with a clarification of its essential parts and the ways to complete its fulfillment.


###### Duties of the Heart, Seventh Treatise on Repentance, Introduction 2
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וְאוֹמַר תְּחִלָּה בְּחִיּוּב הַתְּשׁוּבָה וְהַצֹּרֶךְ אֵלֶיהָ שֶׁכְּבָר נִתְבָּרֵר לָנוּ מִדֶּרֶךְ הַשֵּׂכֶל וּמִן הַכָּתוּב בַּתּוֹרָה כִּי הָאָדָם מְקַצֵּר מֵעֲשׂוֹת מָה שֶׁהוּא חַיָּב בּוֹ מֵחוֹבוֹת הַבּוֹרֵא.

**Duties of the Heart, trans. Rabbi Yosef Sebag:**
I will start with the obligation and necessity for repentance. For it is already clear to us through reason and scripture that a human being falls short in the fulfilment of his service to the Creator which he is under duty to perform.


###### Duties of the Heart, Seventh Treatise on Repentance, Introduction 3
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מִדֶּרֶךְ הַשֵּׂכֶל:

**Duties of the Heart, trans. Rabbi Yosef Sebag:**
Through reason:


###### Duties of the Heart, Seventh Treatise on Repentance, Introduction 4
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מָה שֶׁמָּצָאנוּ עַל הָאָדָם מֵהִתְחַלְּפוּת טְבָעָיו וְהֶבְדֵּל שָׁרְשֵׁי הַרְכָּבָתוֹ וְהִתְהַפְּכוּת מִדּוֹת נַפְשׁוֹ וְסִבּוֹת תְּנוּעָתוֹ וְהִתְחַיֵּב בָּזֶה הִתְחַלְּפוּת מַעֲשָׂיו כְּפִי הַחִלּוּף הַהוּא מֵהֶם הַנָּאֶה וְהַמְּגֻנֶּה וְהָעָוֶל וְהַצֶּדֶק וְהַטּוֹב וְהָרַע וְעַל זֶה יִצְטָרֵךְ לְקֶשֶׁר תּוֹרָה וּמָסֹרֶת הַנְהָגָה.

**Duties of the Heart, trans. Rabbi Yosef Sebag:**
By what we observe of man, his changing nature, his composition of different elements, his opposing natures, his changing moods and emotions, the changing of circumstances which motivate his behavior. All this inevitably causes changes in his actions according to the state he is in, such as from decent to indecent, wicked to righteous, good to evil. For this it was necessary for the torah to restrain him (from evil) and guide him (to good).


###### Duties of the Heart, Seventh Treatise on Repentance, Introduction 5
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אֲבָל מ״ש בַּתּוֹרָה בְּעִנְיָן הַזֶּה:

**Duties of the Heart, trans. Rabbi Yosef Sebag:**
Through scripture:


###### Duties of the Heart, Seventh Treatise on Repentance, Introduction 6
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מֵהֶם מָה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב (בראשית ח׳:כ״א) כִּי יֵצֶר לֵב הָאָדָם רַע מִנְּעֻרָיו וְנֶאֱמַר (שם ו) וְכָל יֵצֶר מַחְשְׁבֹת לִבּוֹ רַק רַע כָּל הַיּוֹם וְנֶאֱמַר (איוב יא) וְעַיִר פֶּרֶא אָדָם יִוָּלֵד וְנֶאֱמַר (שם כה) הֵן עַד יָרֵחַ וְלֹא יַאֲהִיל וְנֶאֱמַר (שם) כִּי אֱנוֹשׁ רִמָּה וְנֶאֱמַר (שם) וּמַה יִּזְכֶּה יְלוּד אִשָּׁה.

**Duties of the Heart, trans. Rabbi Yosef Sebag:**
Among them, what the verse says: *"for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth"* (Bereishis 8:21), and *"the L-ord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually"* (Bereishis 6:5), and *"a man is born as a wild donkey's colt"* (Iyov 11:12), and *"Behold, the moon has no brightness"*(Iyov 25:5) and *"how much less, man, who is a worm, and the son of man, who is but a maggot!"* (Iyov 25:6), and *"[How then can man be justified with G-d,] or how can he be clean that is born of a woman?"* (Iyov 25:4).


###### Duties of the Heart, Seventh Treatise on Repentance, Introduction 7
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וְכֵיוָן שֶׁהִתְבָּרֵר אָפְנֵי הַקִּצּוּר בְּמַעֲשֵׂי הָאָדָם הָיָה מֵחִנּוֹת הַבּוֹרֵא אוֹתוֹ שֶׁנָּתַן לוֹ יְכֹלֶת לְתַקֵּן טָעוּתוֹ וּלְהָשִׁיב אֲבֵדַת עֲבוֹדָתוֹ בַּתְּשׁוּבָה וְהֵעִיר אוֹתוֹ עָלֶיהָ בְּאַהֲבָתוֹ וּבְחֶמְלָתוֹ עָלָיו וְאַחַר כָּךְ נִחֵץ דְּבָרָהּ וְהִבְטִיחַ בָּהּ עַל יְדֵי עֲבָדָיו הַנְּבִיאִים וְהִרְחִיב אֲמַתְלָאוֹתֵינוּ בִּנְטוֹתֵנוּ מִדֶּרֶךְ עֲבוֹדָתוֹ וְיִעֵד אוֹתָנוּ לְקַבֵּל אוֹתָהּ מִמֶּנּוּ וְלִרְצוֹת בָּנוּ מְהֵרָה וְאִם אָרַךְ הַמְרוֹתֵנוּ אֶת דְּבָרוֹ וַהֲפָרָתֵנוּ אֶת בְּרִיתוֹ כְּמוֹ שֶׁבֵּאֵר (יחזקאל לג) בְּפָרָשַׁת וּבְשׁוּב רָשָׁע מֵרִשְׁעָתוֹ וְעָשָׂה מִשְׁפָּט וְגוֹ׳.

**Duties of the Heart, trans. Rabbi Yosef Sebag:**
Since we have clarified the reality that man's actions fall short, it was out of Divine grace to man that the Creator gave him the capability of rectifying his mistake and of returning the loss of his service through repentance. G-d encouraged the matter and promised (its effectiveness) through his servants, the prophets. And He expanded the possible excuses (vindications) for the man who went off the path of His service, and promised us that He would accept these excuses from us, and desire in us quickly, even if we rebelled against His word and broke His covenant for a long time as written: *"And when a wicked man repents of his wickedness and performs justice and righteousness, he shall live thereby..."* (Yechezkel 33:19).


###### Duties of the Heart, Seventh Treatise on Repentance, Introduction 8
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וּלְפִי שֶׁהָיוּ הַצַּדִּיקִים שְׁנֵי מִינִים הָאֶחָד הַנִּצָּלִים מִן הַחֵטְא וְהָעָוֶל וְהַשֵּׁנִי הַשָּׁבִים מִן הַחֵטְא וְהָיָה רֹב הֲמוֹן הַצַּדִּיקִים בַּעֲלֵי הַתְּשׁוּבָה הִתְחִיל הַמְּשׁוֹרֵר וְאָמַר (תהלים לב) אַשְׁרֵי נְשׂוּי פֶּשַׁע כְּסוּי חֲטָאָה ואח״כ זָכַר הַכַּת הַשֵּׁנִית הַנִּצֶּלֶת מִן הַחֵטְא.

**Duties of the Heart, trans. Rabbi Yosef Sebag:**
Since tzadikim (righteous people) fall into two categories: (1) those saved from sin and iniquity, (2) those who sinned but repented. Since the vast majority of tzadikim are of the penitent (second type), therefore the psalmist opened with *"How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered"* (Tehilim 32:1), and afterwards spoke of the first type.


###### Duties of the Heart, Seventh Treatise on Repentance, Introduction 9
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וְאִם הִיא קוֹדֶמֶת בְּמַעֲלָה מִפְּנֵי שֶׁכָּל שָׁב כְּבָר הָיָה צַדִּיק קֹדֶם שֶׁיֶּחֱטָא וְאֵין כָּל צַדִּיק שָׁב וְאָמַר עֲלֵיהֶם (שם) אַשְׁרֵי אָדָם לֹא יַחְשֹׁב ה׳ לוֹ עָוֹן וְגוֹ׳, וְזָכַר הַכַּת הַזֹּאת בָּאַחֲרוֹנָה מִפְּנֵי מִעוּט מְצִיאָתָהּ בְּכָל דּוֹר כמ״ש (שם קל) אִם עֲוֹנוֹת תִּשְׁמָר יָהּ אֲדֹנָי מִי יַעֲמֹד וְאָמַר (קהלת ז) כִּי אָדָם אֵין צַדִּיק בָּאָרֶץ וְגוֹ׳ וְנֶאֱמַר (מלכים א ח׳:מ״ו) כִּי אֵין אָדָם אֲשֶׁר לֹא יֶחֱטָא,

**Duties of the Heart, trans. Rabbi Yosef Sebag:**
And even though, those saved from ever sinning are on a higher level (than the penitent), since every penitent was a tzadik before he sinned, but not every tzadik was a penitent. And David said of them *"How blessed is the man to whom the L-ord does not count in him iniquity"* (Tehilim 32:2), and the reason he mentioned them second is because they are few to be found in every generation, as written: *"If You, L-ord, should mark iniquities, O L-ord, who could stand?"* (Tehilim 130:3), and *"For there is not a just man on earth who does good and sins not"*(Koheles 7:20), and *"for (there is) no man who does not sin"* (Melachim 8:46).


###### Duties of the Heart, Seventh Treatise on Repentance, Introduction 10
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וּבַעֲבוּר זֶה קָבְעוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ בִּפְתִיחַת תְּפִלָּתֵנוּ עִנְיַן הַתְּשׁוּבָה וְהַסְּלִיחָה בְּהָרוֹצֶה בִּתְשׁוּבָה וְהַמַּרְבֶּה לִסְלֹחַ.

**Duties of the Heart, trans. Rabbi Yosef Sebag:**
Because of this our Rabbis instituted in the beginning of our (Amida) prayers the matter of repentance and forgiveness in saying *"harotze biteshuva"* (who desires repentance), and *"hamarbe lisloach"* (who abundantly forgives).


###### Duties of the Heart, Seventh Treatise on Repentance, Introduction 11
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וְרָאוּי לָנוּ עַתָּה לְבָאֵר מִדִּבְרֵי הַתְּשׁוּבָה עֲשָׂרָה עִנְיָנִים.

**Duties of the Heart, trans. Rabbi Yosef Sebag:**
It is now proper for us to clarify ten matters on the subject of repentance:


###### Duties of the Heart, Seventh Treatise on Repentance, Introduction 12
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הָרִאשׁוֹן מָה הִיא הַתְּשׁוּבָה.

**Duties of the Heart, trans. Rabbi Yosef Sebag:**
1. What is repentance?


###### Duties of the Heart, Seventh Treatise on Repentance, Introduction 13
[Duties of the Heart, Seventh Treatise on Repentance, Introduction 13](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Duties%20of%20the%20Heart/s/Seventh%20Treatise%20on%20Repentance,_Introduction/r/13)

וְהַשֵּׁנִי לְכַמָּה חֲלָקִים תֵּחָלֵק.

**Duties of the Heart, trans. Rabbi Yosef Sebag:**
2. What are its parts?


###### Duties of the Heart, Seventh Treatise on Repentance, Introduction 14
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וְהַשְּׁלִישִׁי בַּמֶּה תִּהְיֶה הַתְּשׁוּבָה מִן הָאָדָם.

**Duties of the Heart, trans. Rabbi Yosef Sebag:**
3. What are the prerequisites of repentance?


###### Duties of the Heart, Seventh Treatise on Repentance, Introduction 15
[Duties of the Heart, Seventh Treatise on Repentance, Introduction 15](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Duties%20of%20the%20Heart/s/Seventh%20Treatise%20on%20Repentance,_Introduction/r/15)

וְהָרְבִיעִי בְּבֵאוּר גְּדֵרֶיהָ.

**Duties of the Heart, trans. Rabbi Yosef Sebag:**
4. An explanation of its essential elements.


###### Duties of the Heart, Seventh Treatise on Repentance, Introduction 16
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וְהַחֲמִישִׁי בִּתְנָאֵי כָּל אֶחָד מֵהֶם.

**Duties of the Heart, trans. Rabbi Yosef Sebag:**
5. the conditions for each element.


###### Duties of the Heart, Seventh Treatise on Repentance, Introduction 17
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וְהַשִּׁשִּׁי אֵיךְ אָפְנֵי הַהֶעָרָה לְאָדָם עַל הַתְּשׁוּבָה.

**Duties of the Heart, trans. Rabbi Yosef Sebag:**
6. which things stir a man to repent?


###### Duties of the Heart, Seventh Treatise on Repentance, Introduction 18
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וְהַשְּׁבִיעִי בְּבֵאוּר מַפְסִידֵי הַתְּשׁוּבָה.

**Duties of the Heart, trans. Rabbi Yosef Sebag:**
7. which things are detrimental to repentance?


###### Duties of the Heart, Seventh Treatise on Repentance, Introduction 19
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וְהַשְּׁמִינִי הֲיִשְׁתַּוֶּה בַּעַל הַתְּשׁוּבָה עִם הַצַּדִּיק הַנִּצָּל מִן הַחֵטְא אִם לֹא.

**Duties of the Heart, trans. Rabbi Yosef Sebag:**
8. is the penitent equal to the tzadik who never sinned?


###### Duties of the Heart, Seventh Treatise on Repentance, Introduction 20
[Duties of the Heart, Seventh Treatise on Repentance, Introduction 20](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Duties%20of%20the%20Heart/s/Seventh%20Treatise%20on%20Repentance,_Introduction/r/20)

וְהַתְּשִׁיעִי אִם יִתָּכֵן לַחוֹטֵא לָשׁוּב מִכָּל חֵטְא אִם לֹא.

**Duties of the Heart, trans. Rabbi Yosef Sebag:**
9. if it is possible to repent of every sin or not?


###### Duties of the Heart, Seventh Treatise on Repentance, Introduction 21
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וְהָעֲשִׂירִי מָה אָפְנֵי הַתַּחְבּוּלָה לְמִי שֶׁהַתְּשׁוּבָה מֵחֲטָאָיו קָשָׁה עָלָיו.

**Duties of the Heart, trans. Rabbi Yosef Sebag:**
10. strategy to be adopted by one for whom repentance is difficult


###### Duties of the Heart, Seventh Treatise on Repentance, Introduction 22
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וּבָזֶה נִשְׁלָמִים כָּל אָפְנֵי הַתְּשׁוּבָה וְחִיּוּבֶיהָ אֲשֶׁר בָּהֶם נְקַוֶּה מְחִילַת עֲוֹנֹתֵינוּ בעזה״י:

**Duties of the Heart, trans. Rabbi Yosef Sebag:**
In this, we will complete the various kinds of repentance and its obligations, by the fulfillment of which, with G-d's help, we hope to obtain forgiveness of our transgressions.