אָמַר הַמְחַבֵּר מִפְּנֵי שֶׁקָּדַם מַאֲמָרֵנוּ בַּכְּנִיעָה וְהִיא שֹׁרֶשׁ הַתְּשׁוּבָה וְהַתְחָלָתָהּ רָאִיתִי (ס״א מן הראוי לי) לִסְמֹךְ לָהּ בֵּאוּר גְּדֵרֶיהָ וְאָפְנֵי הַשְׁלָמָתָהּ.

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.

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.

Through reason:

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).

Through scripture:

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).

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).

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.

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).

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).

It is now proper for us to clarify ten matters on the subject of repentance:

1. What is repentance?

2. What are its parts?

3. What are the prerequisites of repentance?

4. An explanation of its essential elements.

5. the conditions for each element.

6. which things stir a man to repent?

7. which things are detrimental to repentance?

8. is the penitent equal to the tzadik who never sinned?

9. if it is possible to repent of every sin or not?

10. strategy to be adopted by one for whom repentance is difficult

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.