## Tanya, Part III; Iggeret HaTeshuvah

###### Tanya, Part III; Iggeret HaTeshuvah 10:1
[Tanya, Part III; Iggeret HaTeshuvah 10:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tanya/s/Part%20III%3B%20Iggeret%20HaTeshuvah/r/10:1)

**וְהִנֵּה,** תְּשׁוּבָה עִילָּאָה זוֹ, דְּאִתְדַּבְּקוּתָא דְרוּחָא בְּרוּחָא עַל־יְדֵי תּוֹרָה וּגְמִילוּת חֲסָדִים, הִיא בִּבְחִינַת הַמְשָׁכָה מִלְמַעְלָה לְמַטָּה, לִהְיוֹת דְּבַר ה׳ מַמָּשׁ בְּפִיו, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: ״וָאָשִׂים דְּבָרַי בְּפִיךָ״, ״וִימִינוֹ תְּחַבְּקֵנִי״ בִּגְמִילוּת חֲסָדִים, דְּ״חֶסֶד דְּרוֹעָא יְמִינָא וְכוּ׳״.

**Kehot Publication Society (English Translation):**
This superior form of *teshuvah*, the cleaving of spirit to spirit through intellectual study of Torah and physical performance of acts of kindness, is in a mode of a flow from Above—so that the word of G–d shall actually be in his mouth, as in “I place my words in your mouth,”¹ and “His right hand embraces me”² because of man’s acts of kindness since “kindness is the right arm….”³, Introduction.

footnotes:
¹ Isaiah 51:16.
² Song of Songs 2:6.
³ Tikkunei Zohar


###### Tanya, Part III; Iggeret HaTeshuvah 10:2
[Tanya, Part III; Iggeret HaTeshuvah 10:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tanya/s/Part%20III%3B%20Iggeret%20HaTeshuvah/r/10:2)

אֲבָל אָדָם הַתַּחְתּוֹן צָרִיךְ לֵילֵךְ מִמַּדְרֵגָה לְמַדְרֵגָה מִמַּטָּה לְמַעְלָה, הִיא בְּחִינַת תְּשׁוּבָה עִילָּאָה וְאִתְדַּבְּקוּת רוּחָא בְּרוּחָא, בְּכַוָּונַת הַלֵּב בִּתְפִלָּה, וּבִפְרָט בִּקְרִיאַת־שְׁמַע וּבִרְכוֹתֶיהָ, כְּדֵי לוֹמַר: ״וְאָהַבְתָּ וְגוֹ׳ בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל נַפְשְׁךָ וְגוֹ׳״, בֶּאֱמֶת לַאֲמִיתּוֹ: וְכֵן: ״וְהָיוּ הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וְגוֹ׳, וְדִבַּרְתָּ בָּם וְגוֹ׳״, לִהְיוֹת דְּבַר ה׳ בְּפִיו בֶּאֱמֶת, ״וְאֵין אֱמֶת וְכוּ׳״:

**Kehot Publication Society (English Translation):**
But the mortal man must move from stage to stage, ascending gradually until he attains this superior *teshuvah* and cleaving of spirit to spirit. He ascends through the heart’s devoted prayer, particularly during *Shema* and its blessings, that he might in perfect truth say, “You shall love…with all your heart and with all your soul….”⁴ Similarly, “These words shall be…you shall speak of them….”⁵ The word of G–d must truly be in his mouth, and “there is no truth….”⁶ 5b. Similarly, to perform all the *mitzvot*, for “He has sanctified us with His commandments.”

footnotes:
⁴ Deuteronomy 6:5.
⁵ Ibid. vs. 6-7,
⁶ “…but Torah.” Cf. Berachot


###### Tanya, Part III; Iggeret HaTeshuvah 10:3
[Tanya, Part III; Iggeret HaTeshuvah 10:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tanya/s/Part%20III%3B%20Iggeret%20HaTeshuvah/r/10:3)

וְכֵן לְקַיֵּים כָּל הַמִּצְוֹת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאוֹמְרִים: ״אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו״, כְּמוֹ: ״הֲרֵי אַתְּ מְקוּדֶּשֶׁת לִי״, הִיא בְּחִינַת קֹדֶשׁ הָעֶלְיוֹן, לְשׁוֹן פְּרִישׁוּת וְהַבְדָּלָה, שֶׁאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לְהִתְלַבֵּשׁ תּוֹךְ עָלְמִין, מִשּׁוּם דְּ״כוּלָּא קַמֵּיהּ כְּלָא חֲשִׁיב״, אֶלָּא בִּבְחִינַת סוֹבֵב כָּל עָלְמִין, הוּא רָצוֹן הָעֶלְיוֹן בָּרוּךְ־הוּא וְכוּ׳, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר בְּלִקּוּטֵי־אֲמָרִים פֶּרֶק מ״ו.

**Kehot Publication Society (English Translation):**
This sanctification is identical with “You are sanctified to me.”⁷ 5b; formula declaring betrothal. This is the highest degree of sacredness, an expression of separation and apartness, that cannot be contained within Creation since “all are considered as naught before Him.”⁸ I:11b. This sacredness attains to the state of encompassing all worlds, the will of the Supreme One, blessed is He…, as discussed in *Likkutei Amarim*, ch. 46.

footnotes:
⁷ Kiddushin
⁸ Zohar


###### Tanya, Part III; Iggeret HaTeshuvah 10:4
[Tanya, Part III; Iggeret HaTeshuvah 10:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tanya/s/Part%20III%3B%20Iggeret%20HaTeshuvah/r/10:4)

וְגַם אַחַר הַתְּפִלָּה אוֹמְרִים: ״אֵלֶיךָ ה׳ נַפְשִׁי אֶשָּׂא״, דְּהַיְינוּ, לְאִתְדַּבְּקָא רוּחָא בְּרוּחָא כָּל הַיּוֹם וְכוּ׳. וְכָל זֶה, עַל־יְדֵי הַהִתְבּוֹנְנוּת בִּגְדוּלַּת אֵין־סוֹף בָּרוּךְ־הוּא בְּהַעֲמָקַת הַדַּעַת, בִּ״שְׁתַּיִם לְפָנֶיהָ״ וּבִ״פְסוּקֵי דְזִמְרָה״, כַּנּוֹדָע.

**Kehot Publication Society (English Translation):**
After prayer⁹ (*Amidah*), the fulfillment of the *mitzvah* of prayer. again we say, “To You, O L–rd, I lift my soul,”¹⁰ that spirit cleave to spirit all through the day…. All this is brought about through meditation on the greatness of the Infinite, concentrating the mind deeply in the two blessings preceding *Shema* and in *Pesukei d’Zimra*,¹¹ we recount the exalted fervor of the angels, their reverence and love of G–d. These are introductions to *Shema* and the *Shemonah Esrei* (*Amidah*) following. as is known.¹², Part I, ch. 49.

footnotes:
⁹ I.e., the Shemonah Esrei
¹⁰ Psalms 25:1.
¹¹ The Verses of Praise drawn mainly from the Psalms, which expound on G–d’s greatness as Creator, the beauty and magnitude of His works. Then in the blessings before Shema
¹² See Likkutei Amarim


###### Tanya, Part III; Iggeret HaTeshuvah 10:5
[Tanya, Part III; Iggeret HaTeshuvah 10:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tanya/s/Part%20III%3B%20Iggeret%20HaTeshuvah/r/10:5)

וּמֵאַחַר שֶׁהַתְּפִלָּה הִיא בְּחִינַת תְּשׁוּבָה עִילָּאָה – צָרִיךְ לְהַקְדִּים לְפָנֶיהָ בְּחִינַת תְּשׁוּבָה תַּתָּאָה. וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ־זִכְרוֹנָם־לִבְרָכָה בַּמִּשְׁנָה: ״אֵין עוֹמְדִין לְהִתְפַּלֵּל אֶלָּא מִתּוֹךְ כּוֹבֶד רֹאשׁ״, וּפֵירֵשׁ רַשִׁ״י: ״הַכְנָעָה״, וְהִיא בְּחִינַת תְּשׁוּבָה תַּתָּאָה לְעוֹרֵר רַחֲמִים כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל, וְכִדְיָלִיף הָתָם בַּגְּמָרָא מִקְּרָא, דִּכְתִיב: וְהִיא מָרַת נָפֶשׁ.

**Kehot Publication Society (English Translation):**
Since the prayer is the state of *teshuvah ilaah*, the higher return, it must be preceded by *teshuvah tataah*, the lower return. This is what the Sages intended in the Mishnah,¹³ 30b. “One should not stand up to pray except from a state of awe.” Rashi explains, “Humility.” This is the state of *teshuvah tataah*, to arouse divine compassion, as noted above,¹⁴ and as the Talmud infers from the passage, “She was embittered.”¹⁵

footnotes:
¹³ Berachot
¹⁴ Ch. 7.
¹⁵ I Samuel 1:10.


###### Tanya, Part III; Iggeret HaTeshuvah 10:6
[Tanya, Part III; Iggeret HaTeshuvah 10:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tanya/s/Part%20III%3B%20Iggeret%20HaTeshuvah/r/10:6)

אָכֵן, בַּבָּרַיְיתָא שָׁם: ״תָּנוּ רַבָּנָן, אֵין עוֹמְדִין לְהִתְפַּלֵּל אֶלָּא מִתּוֹךְ שִׂמְחָה״. וְעַכְשָׁיו בְּדוֹר יָתוֹם הַזֶּה, שֶׁאֵין הַכֹּל יְכוֹלִין לַהֲפוֹךְ לִבָּם כְּרֶגַע מִן הַקָּצֶה, אֲזַי, עֵצָה הַיְּעוּצָה לְהַקְדִּים בְּחִינַת תְּשׁוּבָה תַּתָּאָה בְּתִיקּוּן חֲצוֹת כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל. וּמִי שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לוֹ בְּכָל לַיְלָה – עַל כָּל פָּנִים לֹא יִפְחוֹת מִפַּעַם אַחַת בַּשָּׁבוּעַ, לִפְנֵי יוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת, כַּנּוֹדָע לַיּוֹדְעִים, שֶׁהַשַּׁבָּת הִיא בְּחִינַת תְּשׁוּבָה עִילָּאָה, וְשַׁבָּ״ת – אוֹתִיּוֹת ״תָּשֵׁ״ב אֱנוֹשׁ״, כִּי בְּשַׁבָּת הִיא עֲלִיּוֹת הָעוֹלָמוֹת לִמְקוֹרָם כוּ׳, וּבִפְרָט תְּפִלּוֹת הַשַּׁבָּת, וְדַי לַמֵבִין.

**Kehot Publication Society (English Translation):**
At the same time we must note the Baraita¹⁶ 31a. there, “Our Sages taught, ‘One should not stand up to pray except from a state of joy.’” In our bereaved generation, when not all are capable of turning their hearts instantly from the extreme of humility to joy, it is advised that the time for *teshuvah tataah* be designated at *Tikkun Chatzot*, as noted above.¹⁴ Whoever cannot do this nightly should maintain an absolute minimum of once every week, before Shabbat. It is known to the knowledgeable that Shabbat is on the order of *teshuvah ilaah*, and the very letters of the word Shabbat17 22. spell *tashev*, as in, “You return man.”¹⁸ On Shabbat all the worlds ascend to their source…. The Shabbat prayer particularly is on the order *of teshuvah ilaah*. This will suffice for the intelligent.

footnotes:
¹⁶ Berachot
¹⁸ Psalms 90:3.


###### Tanya, Part III; Iggeret HaTeshuvah 10:7
[Tanya, Part III; Iggeret HaTeshuvah 10:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tanya/s/Part%20III%3B%20Iggeret%20HaTeshuvah/r/10:7)

(וּבָזֶה יוּבַן מַה שֶּׁכָּתוּב: ״שׁוּבָה אֵלַי כִּי גְאַלְתִּיךָ״, פֵּירוּשׁ, כִּי מֵאַחַר שֶׁ״מָּחִיתִי כָעָב פְּשָׁעֶיךָ״ הִיא הַעֲבָרַת הַסִּטְרָא אָחֳרָא, וּ״גְאַלְתִּיךָ״ מִן הַחִיצוֹנִים בְּהִתְעוֹרְרוּת רַחֲמִים עֶלְיוֹנִים, בְּאִתְעָרוּתָא דִלְתַתָּא בִּתְשׁוּבָה תַּתָּאָה כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל – אֲזַי – ״שׁוּבָה אֵלַי״ בִּתְשׁוּבָה עִילָּאָה):

**Kehot Publication Society (English Translation):**
(We can now understand the verse, “Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.”¹⁹ Since “I have wiped away your sins like a cloud”²⁰—removing the *sitra achara*, and “I have redeemed you” from evil through the arousal of the Supreme Compassion following the initiative taken by man below in his *teshuvah tataah*, as explained above—therefore, “Return to Me”—with *teshuvah ilaah*.)

footnotes:
¹⁹ Isaiah 44:22.
²⁰ First half of verse, ibid.