This first chapter of Shaar HaTeshuvah lays the groundwork for understanding what repentance truly means. We will explore the fundamental definition of teshuvah, recognizing it as the process of returning to Hashem's service after having strayed. The chapter outlines various reasons why one might depart from this path, from ignorance to the influence of the yetzer hara or negative company.
We will then delve into the two primary ways one can withdraw from Hashem's service: either by neglecting mitzvos or by actively transgressing prohibitions. The chapter explains how the path to teshuvah differs slightly depending on the nature of the transgression, using a powerful analogy of physical illness and recovery to illustrate these spiritual principles.
וְאוֹמַר בְּבֵאוּר מַהוּת הַתְּשׁוּבָה שֶׁטַּעַם הַתְּשׁוּבָה הוּא הַתְקָנַת הָאָדָם לַעֲבוֹדַת הַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרַךְ אַחַר יְצִיאָתוֹ מִמֶּנָּה וְחֶטְאוֹ בָּהּ וַהֲשָׁבַת מָה שֶׁאָבַד מִמֶּנָּה, אִם בַּעֲבוּר סִכְלוּתוֹ בֵּאלֹהִים וּבְעִנְיְנֵי עֲבוֹדָתוֹ.
I will explain the essence of teshuvah: the meaning of teshuvah is a person's preparation to return to the avodah of the blessed Creator after having departed from it and sinned against it, and to restore what was lost from it, whether due to his foolishness regarding Hashem and the matters of His service.
אוֹ שֶׁגָּבַר יִצְרוֹ עַל שִׂכְלוֹ.
Or because his yetzer hara overpowered his intellect.
אוֹ לְהִתְעַלְּמוּתוֹ מִמָּה שֶׁהוּא חַיָּב בּוֹ לֵאלֹהִים.
Or due to his neglect of what he owes to Hashem.
אוֹ בַּעֲבוּר הִתְחַבְּרוּתוֹ לַחֲבֵרִים רָעִים פִּתּוּהוּ וְחָטָא בַּעֲבוּרָם.
Or because of his association with bad friends who enticed him, and he sinned on their account.
וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר הֶחָכָם (משלי א) בְּנִי אִם יְפַתּוּךָ חַטָּאִים אַל תֹּבֵא וְאָמַר (שם כד) יְרָא אֶת ה׳ בְּנִי וָמֶלֶךְ עִם שׁוֹנִים אַל תִּתְעָרָב.
And similar reasons, as the wise man said (Mishlei 1:10), "My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent," and he also said (Mishlei 24:21), "My son, fear Hashem and the king; and do not associate with those who are given to change."
וְהַיְּצִיאָה מֵעֲבוֹדַת הַבּוֹרֵא עַל שְׁנֵי דְּרָכִים, אִם בַּעֲזִיבַת מָה שֶׁצִּוָּה הַבּוֹרֵא לַעֲשׂוֹתוֹ וְהִתְעַלְּמוּתוֹ מִמֶּנּוּ אוֹ בַּעֲשׂוֹת מָה שֶׁהִזְהִיר מֵעֲשׂוֹתוֹ וְכִוֵּן בּוֹ לְהַמְרוֹת אֶת בּוֹרְאוֹ.
Departing from the Creator's avodah occurs in two ways: either by abandoning what the Creator commanded us to do and neglecting it, or by doing what He warned us not to do, with the intention to rebel against one's Creator.
וְאִם תִּהְיֶה יְצִיאָתוֹ מִן הָעֲבוֹדָה בַּעֲזִיבַת מָה שֶׁצִּוָּה הַבּוֹרֵא לַעֲשׂוֹתוֹ בִּלְבַד אֹפֶן תְּשׁוּבָתוֹ מִקִּצּוּרוֹ יִהְיֶה בְּהִשְׁתַּדְּלוֹ בַּמַּעֲשֶׂה הַנָּכוֹן וְהִדָּבְקוֹ בְּגִדְרֵי הַתְּשׁוּבָה אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי עָתִיד לְבָאֲרָם בָּזֶה הַשַּׁעַר.
If his departure from avodah was only by abandoning what the Creator commanded to do, then the way of his teshuvah for his shortcoming will be by exerting himself in the proper actions and clinging to the roots of teshuvah, which I am going to explain in this gate.
וְאִם הָיְתָה בְּמָה שֶׁהִזְהִיר הַבּוֹרֵא מֵעֲשׂוֹתוֹ אֹפֶן הַשָּׂגַת קִצּוּרוֹ יִהְיֶה בְּהִשָּׁמְרוֹ מֵחֲזֹר אֶל כָּל מִין הַמַּעֲשֶׂה הַהוּא וְשֶׁיִּשְׁתַּדֵּל לַעֲשׂוֹת הֶפְכּוֹ עִם הִדָּבְקוֹ בְּגִדְרֵי הַתְּשׁוּבָה וּתְנָאֶיהָ אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי עָתִיד לְבָאֲרָם בַּשַּׁעַר הַזֶּה בְּעֶזְרַת הָאֵל יִתְבָּרַךְ.
And if it was by doing what the Creator warned against, the way to rectify his failing will be by guarding himself from returning to any form of that act, and by striving to do its opposite, along with clinging to the roots and conditions of teshuvah which I am going to explain in this gate, with the help of the blessed G-d.
וְהַדִּמְיוֹן בָּזֶה בָּעִנְיָנִים הַטְּבָעִים בְּאָדָם שֶׁחָלָה גּוּפוֹ מֵחֲמַת הַמָּזוֹן אִם מִפְּנֵי שֶׁנִּמְנַע מֵאֲכֹל מָה שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ הַתְמָדַת בְּרִיאוּתוֹ אוֹ מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאָכַל מָה שֶׁהִזִּיקוֹ וְהִפְסִיד בְּרִיאוּתוֹ.
The analogy for this in natural matters is a person whose body became ill due to food, either because he refrained from eating what would maintain his health, or because he ate something that harmed him and ruined his health.
וּכְשֶׁיִּהְיֶה חָלְיוֹ מִמִּעוּט הַמָּזוֹן אֲשֶׁר הִתְמִיד בּוֹ בְּרִיאוּתוֹ אֹפֶן חֲזָרָתוֹ אֶל הַנְּכוֹנָה יִהְיֶה בְּהַרְבּוֹתוֹ מִמִּינֵי הַמְּזוֹנוֹת הָרְאוּיִים לְטִבְעוֹ עַד שֶׁיָּשׁוּב אֶל הַגְּבוּל הַשָּׁוֶה וּכְשֶׁיַּחְזֹר אֶל עִנְיָנוֹ הָרִאשׁוֹן הַטִּבְעִי יִנְהַג בִּמְזוֹנוֹ הַמִּנְהָג הַשָּׁוֶה.
When his illness is due to a lack of the food that maintains his health, the way for him to return to a proper state will be by increasing the types of foods suitable for his nature until he returns to a balanced limit; and when he returns to his original natural state, he should maintain a balanced diet.
וְאִם יִהְיֶה חָלְיוֹ מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהִתְנַהֵג בְּמָה שֶׁהִזִּיקוֹ מֵהַמָּזוֹן אֹפֶן בְּרִיאוּתוֹ יִהְיֶה בְּהִשָּׁמְרוֹ מִן הַמָּזוֹן הַהוּא וְהַדּוֹמֶה לוֹ וּלְהִתְנַהֵג בְּמָה שֶׁהוּא הֶפֶךְ מִזְגּוֹ וְטִבְעוֹ עַד שֶׁיָּשׁוּב אֶל הָעִנְיָן הַשָּׁוֶה וְכַאֲשֶׁר יַבְרִיא גּוּפוֹ וְיַעֲמֹד עַל הַגְּבוּל הַשָּׁוֶה לוֹ יֹאכַל מִן הַמַּאֲכָלִים הַשָּׁוִים בֵּין שְׁנֵי הַמַּאֲכָלִים וְהָאֶמְצָעִיִּים בֵּין שְׁנֵי הַמְּזָגִים וּכְבָר דִּמָּה הַכָּתוּב הָעֲווֹנוֹת בַּמַּאֲכָל הָרַע כמ״ש (ירמיהו ל״א:ל׳) כִּי אִם אִישׁ בַּעֲוֹנוֹ יָמוּת כָּל הָאָדָם הָאֹכֵל הַבֹּסֶר תִּקְהֶינָה שִׁנָּיו:
And if his illness is because he habitually ate harmful food, the way to his healing will be by guarding himself from that food and similar ones, and by habitually eating what is opposite to its temperament and nature, until he returns to a balanced state. And when his body recovers and reaches its proper balance, he can eat foods that are midway between the two types of foods and intermediate between the two temperaments. The verse has already compared iniquities to bad food, as it is written (Yirmiyahu 31:29), "But every man shall die for his own iniquity; every person who eats the sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge."
Shaar HaTeshuvah Chapter One defines repentance as restoring oneself to Hashem's service after having deviated, whether due to ignorance, the yetzer hara, neglect, or bad company. It identifies two forms of deviation: abandoning positive mitzvos or actively transgressing prohibitions. For neglecting mitzvos, teshuvah involves increased effort in good deeds. For transgressing prohibitions, it requires abstaining from the forbidden act and actively pursuing its opposite. The chapter illustrates these concepts with an analogy of recovering from illness caused by either poor diet or consuming harmful foods, emphasizing that the path to healing depends on the cause of the sickness.
The Chovos HaLevavos teaches us a profound truth about teshuvah: it's not just about saying sorry, but about actively restoring our connection to Hashem. He gives us a powerful mashal of a person who gets sick. Sometimes, we get sick because we *didn't* eat what was good for us. Other times, we get sick because we *did* eat what was bad for us. The cure, the teshuvah, is different for each.
This means our avodah isn't one-size-fits-all. If we've been neglecting a mitzvah, like davening with kavanah or learning Torah regularly, our teshuvah is to *add* to that area, to exert ourselves in doing the good we've missed. We need to build up that spiritual muscle. But if we've stumbled into an aveirah, something Hashem warned us against, our teshuvah is not just to stop, but to actively *do the opposite* of that negative action, to create a new, positive habit in its place. It's about uprooting the bad and planting good.
This isn't just theory; it's a roadmap for real growth. It reminds us that Hashem wants us back, and He's given us the tools to get there. We don't just sit and regret; we get up and *do*. We become active partners in our own spiritual healing, guided by His Torah.
So, for today, think about one area where you feel a bit distant from Hashem. Is it something you've neglected, or something you've done? Choose one small, concrete action to either *add* a mitzvah or *do the opposite* of a negative habit, and start there.