162 —מעמד בעל תשובה ומושג המרכבה בתניא

Shalom u'Vrachah! [Before Menachem Av 5704]

In Sefer Emes L'Yaakov—on Aggados HaShas—by the Rav from Lissa, regarding our Sages (Yoma 86a) "Great is teshuvah for it reaches up to the Throne of Glory," and Rabbi Yochanan says "up to, but not including" (so is the version in Ein Yaakov and Yalkut), he writes: For an individual who sins, even if he later does teshuvah out of great love—like the teshuvah of David HaMelech—even so, he is considered like one with a blemish who has been healed, and it is no longer possible for the Shechinah to rest upon him so that he would be called a Throne of Glory. Only for a community does teshuvah help in this regard; proof being that Israel are called 'Heichal Hashem' even though they served idolatry many times. Such is the content of Rav Yaakov of Lissa's words regarding our matter. And since the author of Chavos Daas is among the great recent poskim, these words are painful to hear. I saw that Chavos Daas on Shabbos (56a) says: "Anyone who says David sinned is mistaken, as it says...and Hashem was with him... Could sin have come to his hand while the Shechinah was with him?" This can be refuted: The Gemara's proof is from the implication of the verse that Hashem was always with him, so there was never a moment when he sinned. Especially since Admor HaZaken in Tanya ch. 46 wrote that the Avos were on the level of Merkabah etc., and so it is for every Jewish soul at the time of engaging in Torah and mitzvos etc.—and he does not distinguish between a Baal Teshuvah and a complete tzaddik. There in ch. 47 it is evident this applies to every person. How can these two opinions be reconciled?

Rabbi A.A. HaKohen Yales, Philadelphia

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Response.

To understand Admor HaZaken's view on this, we must first explain the difference between the level of "the Avos are indeed the Merkabah" (Bereishis Rabbah ch. 47) and that which applies to any other person engaged in Torah and mitzvos—which certainly are not equal. The distinction is clarified in Tanya ch. 23: The Avos were truly a Merkabah because all their limbs were holy and separated from worldly matters; all their days they never ceased even for an instant from binding their minds etc. In ch. 39: Service on the level of Merkabah means nullifying oneself and being absorbed into His light with everything one has through fulfilling Torah and mitzvos—just as it was said about the Avos—and this was their service all their days. Thus, their advantage lies in two points: (a) Their service was constant throughout their lives without interruption; (b) Their service involved all their limbs and everything they had. Only by fulfilling both conditions did our Sages say they were truly Merkabah.

Nevertheless, Tanya chs. 23 and 46 state that every Jewish soul can attain Merkabah status—this comes from one's individual soul power invested in performing a particular mitzvah (see there ch. 37), specifically at the time one fulfills that mitzvah. Therefore, this isn't truly Merkabah in its ultimate sense because it's only: (a) through a particular faculty; (b) temporary and passing afterward. As written in ch. 34: "Therefore... let him take to heart that since my intellect is small and my soul's root cannot contain being truly Merkabah... I will make Him a dwelling place... through Torah study as much as I am able... through giving tzedakah..." So it's explicit—even when learning Torah or giving tzedakah one isn't truly on Merkabah level; it's as above.

However, since everyone can turn away from evil and do good by fulfilling Torah and mitzvos with thought, speech, action, with all one's possessions at any time (Tanya ch. 14), it follows that even when not engaged in Torah/mitzvos (in permissible ways), one still has potential at any moment to reawaken oneself and attach one's soul to Hashem through Torah/mitzvos—so perhaps relative to his own level this too is called Merkabah—as stated at end of ch. 13 regarding love.

This clarifies what Tanya says in ch. 23—that every Jewish soul can be on Merkabah level—and how this doesn't contradict what’s written in ch. 34.

Additionally, we learn from ch. 23 that obviously it doesn't exclude someone who sinned once during his life but later did teshuvah; otherwise none would remain included! It must be that such a Baal Teshuvah too counts among "every soul." Even though Admor HaZaken emphasizes elsewhere that true Merkabah requires lifelong constancy without interruption—even if we say as above that at this moment he actually attains Merkabah status which doesn't contradict what may happen later if at any time he can reawaken himself (potentially)—still, someone who sinned had no ability at time of sinning to reawaken himself because then "a spirit of folly entered him," becoming then a vehicle for evil itself within three impure kelipos.

Even if afterward he did teshuvah—the fact remains there was an interruption—the moment he sinned.

To avoid contradiction within Tanya itself we must say—as per principle (Rosh Hashanah 16b) "A person is judged only according to his deeds at that moment"—that if now his state is such that he will never again interrupt being on Merkabah level (actually or potentially), nor remains any trace whatsoever from previous sins because he already did proper teshuvah—then now this person places upon himself true Merkabah status.

When Tanya says about Avos "all their days they never ceased etc."—it describes their sanctity and greatness: all their days were spent as true Merkavahs—but not to require that someone who ever interrupted loses hope forever!

Similarly we must interpret Tanya’s statement (ch.12) about beinoni—that he never transgressed ever nor was called wicked even for an instant—and in ch.14 writes everyone can be beinoni at any time—to avoid contradiction between chapters we must say as above: meaning his current state is such that he hasn’t transgressed nor remains any trace nor will transgress again etc., unlike what Rabbi Cohen wrote in "HaTamim" issue eight.

Accordingly we maintain also our Sages’ rule (Rambam Hilchos Teshuvah end ch.3; see also Yerushalmi Pe’ah end ch.1): Nothing stands before teshuvah.

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All this does not contradict what’s written in Emes L’Yaakov—that someone who sinned even once—even after proper teshuvah—it’s impossible for Shechinah to rest upon him so as to be called Throne of Glory—for there it explains Rabbi Yochanan’s statement “up to but not including,” following his view elsewhere (Berachos 34b) that complete tzaddikim are greater than Baalei Teshuvah—but our halachic ruling follows those who hold Baalei Teshuvah are greater—as Rambam writes (Teshuvah ch.7 halachah 4), Tanya ch.7; see also Iggeres HaTeshuva end ch.8.

See Yoma there where Rami Bar Chama holds regarding teshuvah out of love—the sin’s name isn’t applied anymore; it’s uprooted entirely—thus disagreeing with Rabbi Yochanan.

You cannot say—for Rami Bar Chama—that this only applies communally while Rabbi Yochanan agrees—for while regarding Shechinah resting or being called Throne of Glory there’s an advantage for communities (“Who dwells among them amidst their impurity” [Yoma 56a]) even when impure—but uprooting sin depends on strength/quality of teshuvah itself; thus what difference does it make whether individual or community?

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The concept of service on Merkabah level is explained widely in Chassidus—for example besides those cited above: Torah Or maamar “The Avos Are Indeed The Merkavah,” maamar “Vayetzeig Es HaMakelos” from year 5659 [1899], maamar “Kol Machlokes” from year 5671 [1911], maamar “Ata Hu” from year 5700 [1940], etc.

Summary

This letter explains how every Jew—including a Baal Teshuvah—can attain aspects of spiritual attachment described as 'Merkabah' according to Tanya, despite past failings, provided sincere teshuvah erases all trace of sin; true constancy like the Avos remains unique but hope always exists through return.