By: Rabbi Shlomo Ezagui King Solomon teaches, there is a season for everything. The season for each matter is the greatest and most opportune moment for that particular matter. These days, when G-ds infinite mercy is more radiant than other days of the year, it is the best time to perform the Mitzvah of Teshuvah. Both … Read more
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE GATE OF RETURN Derech Chayim The Way of Life Part 1 Shaar HaTeshuvah The Gate of Return By The Holy Rabbi Dov Ber of Lubavitch Free Translation by Shimon Markel Edited by Rabbi A. Markel Copyright © 2004 This book is a translation of Derech Chayim – The Way of Life, by … Read more
Behold, every day at the beginning of one’s morning prayers, each person says the words, “My G-d, the soul which you placed within me is pure”. Certainly, it is impossible to say this about the soul in the body, for “There is not a righteous person on earth”. How then, can we say about it, … Read more
The primary allegory to illustrate the matter of the upper Teshuvah, in which the arousal is from above down, and the lower Teshuvah, in which the arousal is from below up, is the spark which is drawn closer to the flame. When the spark is distant from the torch, its light slowly diminishes. However, the … Read more
Certainly, “G-d seeks all hearts”, and He is specifically very close to the brokenhearted, as previously mentioned. This refers to one who is distant who has come close to G-d. This is because certainly, without a shadow of a doubt, G-d dwells in the heart which is truly broken to a much greater degree than … Read more
The above explains the verse, “The foolish afflict themselves on account of their sinful ways”. These sinners are rebels, who have cast off the yoke of Heaven. If they have not repented for the fundamental problem [which is the casting off of the yoke], then they are still [considered to be] foolish in their sinful … Read more
From all of the above we can understand the statement, “The path of the wicked is like darkness, they know not on what they stumble”. “The path of the wicked [is like darkness]” is allegorical to one who is traveling in darkness and trips on a piece of wood or a stone without knowing over … Read more
We may now begin to understand the explanation of the verse which was mentioned earlier, “My tears have been my bread etc”. It was explained before, regarding the matter of the midnight prayer of Tikkun Chatzot, that it is the appropriate time for weeping, with tears, about one’s sin of casting off the yoke of … Read more
We must now understand the continuation of the verse, “He did not sit in the seat of scoffers, but his delight is in the Torah of the L-rd, and in His Torah he toils day and night”. Now, at first glance these are two complete opposites [i.e. the sitting of scoffers and the toil in … Read more
It must now be understood that both within the aspect of fear of sin and in the aspect of fear of G-d, there are two types of fears. The first comes because of the strength of a person’s service, and the toil of his soul during prayer, and during all other propitious times. In other … Read more