## Duties of the Heart, Seventh Treatise on Repentance

###### Duties of the Heart, Seventh Treatise on Repentance 3:1
[Duties of the Heart, Seventh Treatise on Repentance 3:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Duties%20of%20the%20Heart/s/Seventh%20Treatise%20on%20Repentance/r/3:1)

אֲבָל בַּמֶּה תִּהְיֶה הַתְּשׁוּבָה מֵהָאָדָם אוֹמַר בָּזֶה כִּי תִּתָּכֵן לוֹ אַחַר הַקְדָּמַת יְדִיעָתוֹ בְּשִׁבְעָה דְּבָרִים.

**Duties of the Heart, trans. Rabbi Yosef Sebag:**
*- What a man needs to know to repent*
What are the prerequisites of repentance? I say on this, to be effective, repentance must be preceded by first understanding seven things:


###### Duties of the Heart, Seventh Treatise on Repentance 3:2
[Duties of the Heart, Seventh Treatise on Repentance 3:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Duties%20of%20the%20Heart/s/Seventh%20Treatise%20on%20Repentance/r/3:2)

הָרִאשׁוֹן שֶׁיֵּדַע גְּנוּת מַעֲשֵׂהוּ יְדִיעָה בְּרוּרָה כִּי אִם לֹא יִתְבָּרֵר לוֹ זֶה וְיִהְיֶה מִסְתַּפֵּק אוֹ שׁוֹגֵג בִּלְתִּי מֵזִיד לֹא תִּתָּכֵן הַחֲרָטָה מִמֶּנּוּ עָלָיו וּבַקָּשַׁת הַמְּחִילָה בּוֹ כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (תהלים נא) כִּי פְשָׁעַי אֲנִי אֵדָע וְחַטָּאתִי נֶגְדִּי תָמִיד.

**Duties of the Heart, trans. Rabbi Yosef Sebag:**
(1) The penitent must understand clearly that he did a disgraceful act. Because, if this is not clear to him, and he is in doubt or ignorant of it, it is not possible for him to regret it and seek forgiveness for it, as written: *"For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me"* (Tehilim 51:5)


###### Duties of the Heart, Seventh Treatise on Repentance 3:3
[Duties of the Heart, Seventh Treatise on Repentance 3:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Duties%20of%20the%20Heart/s/Seventh%20Treatise%20on%20Repentance/r/3:3)

וְהַשֵּׁנִי שֶׁיֵּדַע בְּחִיּוּב רֹעַ מַעֲשֵׂהוּ וּגְנוּתוֹ כִּי אִם לֹא יִתְבָּרֵר אֶצְלוֹ כִּי מַעֲשֵׂהוּ רַע וּמִפְעָלוֹ אֵינוֹ טוֹב לֹא יִתְחָרֵט עָלָיו וְלֹא יְקַבֵּל תְּנָאֵי הַתְּשׁוּבָה מִמֶּנּוּ וְדִינוֹ בּוֹ כְּדִין הַשּׁוֹגֵג וַאֲמַתְלָאָתוֹ רְחָבָה כמ״ש (שם יט) שְׁגִיאוֹת מִי יָבִין וְגוֹ׳.

**Duties of the Heart, trans. Rabbi Yosef Sebag:**
(2) He must understand the gravity of his sin and its disgracefulness, since if it is not clear to him that his deed was evil, he will not regret it nor take on the conditions of repentance for it. He will imagine that his act is like unintentional and that he will easily be able to justify himself, as written: *"But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults"* (Tehilim 19:13).


###### Duties of the Heart, Seventh Treatise on Repentance 3:4
[Duties of the Heart, Seventh Treatise on Repentance 3:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Duties%20of%20the%20Heart/s/Seventh%20Treatise%20on%20Repentance/r/3:4)

וְהַשְּׁלִישִׁי שֶׁיֵּדַע בְּחִיּוּב הַגְּמוּל עַל מַעֲשֵׂהוּ כִּי אִם לֹא יֵדַע זֶה אֵין צֹרֶךְ מְבִיאוֹ אֶל הַחֲרָטָה עָלָיו וּכְשֶׁיִּתְבָּרֵר אֶצְלוֹ כִּי הוּא עָנוּשׁ עָלָיו יִתְחָרֵט אַחַר כָּךְ וִיבַקֵּשׁ הַמְּחִילָה כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (ירמיה לא) כִּי אַחֲרֵי שׁוּבִי נִחַמְתִּי וְגוֹ׳ וְאָמַר (תהלים קיט) סָמַר מִפַּחְדְּךָ בְשָׂרִי וְגוֹ׳.

**Duties of the Heart, trans. Rabbi Yosef Sebag:**
(3) That he realizes the punishment the act obligates. Because, if he does not know this, necessity does not bring him to regret it. But, if it is clear to him that he will be punished for it, he will regret it afterwards and seek forgiveness, as written: "*For after my return I have completely changed my mind, and after I had been brought to know myself (the punishments waiting for me) I smote upon my thigh*" (Yirmiyahu 31:18), and *"My flesh bristles from fright of You, and I dread Your judgments"* (Tehillim 119:120).


###### Duties of the Heart, Seventh Treatise on Repentance 3:5
[Duties of the Heart, Seventh Treatise on Repentance 3:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Duties%20of%20the%20Heart/s/Seventh%20Treatise%20on%20Repentance/r/3:5)

וְהָרְבִיעִי שֶׁיֵּדַע שֶׁהוּא שָׁמוּר עָלָיו וְנִכְתָּב בְּסֵפֶר עֲוֹנֹתָיו וְלֹא יַעֲבֹר עָלָיו הֶעְלֵם וְלֹא שִׁכְחָה וְלֹא הַנָּחָה כמ״ש (דברים לב) הֲלֹא הוּא כָּמֻס עִמָּדִי חָתֻם בְּאוֹצְרֹתָי וְאָמַר (איוב לז) בְּיַד כָּל אָדָם יַחְתּוֹם וְגוֹ׳, כִּי אִם יַחְשֹׁב כִּי הוּא מֻפְקָר וְאֵינֶנּוּ שָׁמוּר עָלָיו לֹא יִתְחָרֵט וְלֹא יְבַקֵּשׁ הַמְּחִילָה בּוֹ מִפְּנֵי אִחוּר עָנְשׁוֹ עָלָיו כמ״ש (קהלת ח) אֲשֶׁר אֵין נַעֲשָׂה פִתְגָם מַעֲשֵׂה הָרָעָה מְהֵרָה עַל כֵּן מָלֵא לֵב בְּנֵי הָאָדָם בָּהֶם לַעֲשׂוֹת רָע.

**Duties of the Heart, trans. Rabbi Yosef Sebag:**
(4) He must realize that his sin is pending [retribution] and inscribed in the book of his sins. It is not subject to being neglected, forgotten, or overlooked, as written: *"Is it not laid up in store with Me, sealed up among My treasuries?"* (Devarim 32:34), and *"By the hand of every man He seals so that every man should know His deed"* (Iyov 37:7). Because if one thinks that since he has not been punished for it until now, therefore the sin is discarded and not pending for him, then he will not regret it nor seek forgiveness for it, as written *"Because the sentence of an evil deed is not executed swiftly; therefore, the hearts of men are fully set in them to do evil"* (Koheles 8:11).


###### Duties of the Heart, Seventh Treatise on Repentance 3:6
[Duties of the Heart, Seventh Treatise on Repentance 3:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Duties%20of%20the%20Heart/s/Seventh%20Treatise%20on%20Repentance/r/3:6)

וְהַחֲמִישִׁי שֶׁיֵּדַע אֱמֶת כִּי הַתְּשׁוּבָה אֹפֶן רְפוּאַת מַדְוֵהוּ וְהַדֶּרֶךְ אֶל הָאֲרוּכָה מֵרֹעַ מַעֲשֵׂהוּ וּגְנוּת מִפְעָלוֹ וְשֶׁבָּהּ יְתַקֵּן טָעוּתוֹ וְיָשִׁיב אֲבֵדָתוֹ כִּי אִם לֹא יִתְבָּרֵר אֶצְלוֹ זֶה יִתְיָאֵשׁ מִכַּפָּרַת הַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרַךְ וּמֵרַחֲמָיו וְלֹא יְבַקֵּשׁ מִמֶּנּוּ הַמְּחִילָה עַל מָה שֶׁקָּדַם לוֹ מֵרֹעַ מִפְעָלוֹ כמ״ש (יחזקאל לג) אֲמַרְתֶּם לֵאמֹר כִּי פְשָׁעֵינוּ וְחַטֹּאתֵינוּ עָלֵינוּ וּבָם אֲנַחְנוּ נְמַקִּים וְאֵיךְ נִחְיֶה, וְהָיְתָה הַתְּשׁוּבָה עַל זֶה מֵהַבּוֹרֵא עַל יְדֵי נְבִיאוֹ חַי אָנִי נְאֻם ה׳ אֱלֹהִים אִם אֶחְפֹּץ בְּמוֹת הָרָשָׁע וְגוֹ׳.

**Duties of the Heart, trans. Rabbi Yosef Sebag:**
(5) He must be fully convinced that repentance is the remedy for his illness, and the road to recovery from his evil deed and disgraceful conduct, and through it he will correct his error and recover what he had lost. Because if this is not clear to him, he will despair from obtaining the Creator's atonement and mercies, and he will not seek forgiveness for past wickedness, as written *"So have you spoken, saying: For our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and because of them we are melting away, so how should we then live?"* (Yechezkel 33:10), and they were answered by the Creator through His prophet: *"Say to them: As I live, says the L-ord G-d, I do not wish for the death of the wicked, [but for the wicked to repent of his way so that he may live. Repent, repent of your evil ways, for why should you die, O house of Israel]"* (Yechezkel 33:11).


###### Duties of the Heart, Seventh Treatise on Repentance 3:7
[Duties of the Heart, Seventh Treatise on Repentance 3:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Duties%20of%20the%20Heart/s/Seventh%20Treatise%20on%20Repentance/r/3:7)

וְהַשִּׁשִּׁי שֶׁיַּחְשֹׁב עִם נַפְשׁוֹ בְּמָה שֶׁקָּדַם לַבּוֹרֵא עָלָיו מִן הַטּוֹבוֹת וּמָה שֶׁקָּדַם לוֹ מֵהַמְרוֹתוֹ תְּמוּרַת הַהוֹדָאָה עֲלֵיהֶן וְשֶׁיִּשְׁקֹל עָנְשֵׁי הָעֲבֵרָה עִם עֲרֵבוּתָהּ וַעֲרֵבוּת גְּמוּל הַצְּדָקָה עִם צַעֲרָהּ בעוה״ז ובעוה״ב כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זַ״ל הָוֵי מְחַשֵּׁב הֶפְסֵד מִצְוָה כְּנֶגֶד שְׂכָרָהּ וּשְׂכַר עֲבֵרָה כְּנֶגֶד הֶפְסֵדָהּ.

**Duties of the Heart, trans. Rabbi Yosef Sebag:**
(6) He must make a spiritual accounting (see Gate#8) with himself on the kindness the Creator already bestowed on him, and how he had rebelled against Him instead of being grateful for them. He should weigh the punishment of the sin in the next world against the pleasure (he got from the sin in this world), and the sweet bliss of the reward for good deeds he will get in the next world against the suffering he has [here] in doing them, as our sages taught: *"Consider the loss from doing a mitzvah against its reward and the gain from doing a sin against the loss it involves"* (Avos 2:1).


###### Duties of the Heart, Seventh Treatise on Repentance 3:8
[Duties of the Heart, Seventh Treatise on Repentance 3:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Duties%20of%20the%20Heart/s/Seventh%20Treatise%20on%20Repentance/r/3:8)

וְהַשְּׁבִיעִי חֹזֶק סִבְלוֹ לְהִמָּנַע מִן הָרַע אֲשֶׁר הִרְגִּיל בּוֹ וְהַסְכָּמָתוֹ לָסוּר מִמֶּנּוּ בְּלִבּוֹ וּבְמַצְפּוּנוֹ כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (יואל ב) וְקִרְעוּ לְבַבְכֶם וְאַל בִּגְדֵיכֶם.

**Duties of the Heart, trans. Rabbi Yosef Sebag:**
(7) He must strengthen himself greatly to be able to bear the suffering from refraining to do the evil he had been addicted to do, and firmly resolve inwardly and outwardly to renounce it, as written *"And tear your hearts, and not your garments"* (Yoel 2:13).


###### Duties of the Heart, Seventh Treatise on Repentance 3:9
[Duties of the Heart, Seventh Treatise on Repentance 3:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Duties%20of%20the%20Heart/s/Seventh%20Treatise%20on%20Repentance/r/3:9)

וּבְהִתְקַדֵּם בֵּרוּר אֵלּוּ הַשִּׁבְעָה דְּבָרִים בְּדַעַת הַחוֹטֵא תִּתָּכֵן מִמֶּנּוּ הַתְּשׁוּבָה מֵעֲוֹנֹתָיו:

**Duties of the Heart, trans. Rabbi Yosef Sebag:**
Only if these seven things are in the mind of the sinner, can repentance from his sins be effective.