All is fair in Teshuva

But just to end with one horror, that in Yona of the Yoma, that is, so the topic of Masachet Sota is very much the carbon chatas. The Sifrei Machos bring that the Chidushei Aryeh said that we know that on the Mizbeach, there was what's called the Chuta Sikra. A lot more about this coming in a little less than 2 weeks. But there was a Chuta Sikra. And it really divided the upper part of the Mizbeach and the lower part of the Mizbeach. Every single carbon, when the zrika was done on the Mizbeach, the dam was put l'matah min Chuta Sikra. It was put on the lower part of the Mizbeach. As opposed to the carbon chatas, that was the only carbon where the dam was put l'ma'alah min Chuta Sikra. So the Chidushei Aryeh said, why? Why isn't it that the only carbon that the dam was put l'ma'alah min Chuta Sikra was the carbon chatas? So the Chidushei Aryeh said, because the carbon chatas was ba'al chet. Who brought a carbon chatas? The choteh. And when the choteh brought the carbon chatas, why was he bringing the carbon? He was coming to do teshuvah. So the Chidushei Aryeh said, we know Chazal say, "B'makom sheba'alei teshuvah omdin, ein tzaddikim gemurim mechalelim la'amud." The dam of the chatas represented the dam, the nefesh, the kishkes, the soul of the nefesh ha'chiyus. His nefesh, once he does teshuvah, is l'ma'alah from the nefesh of the tzaddik. And that was symbolized on the Mizbeach. Every person's carbon, his dam is l'matah min Chuta Sikra. But the dam of the choteh that now is doing teshuvah, because "B'makom sheba'alei teshuvah omdin," therefore his dam is also in a place where the tzaddik gamur's dam wasn't able to be. His dam was l'ma'alah. It was l'ma'alah min Chuta Sikra. The truth is, this hergesh that the Sifrei bring b'shem the Chidushei Aryeh is m'furash in a Rama. And this Rama is in a sefer called Toras Olam. One of the halachos that are unique to a carbon chatas in the world of kodshim is that dam chatas that goes on the beged of the kohen required that the beged be washed. It's a pasuk in the Torah, "V'chibeshi izam midama." The Torah says you have to be mechabes. You have to wash that beged. There's a whole perek in Masachet Zevachim called Perek Dam Chatas. It talks about this halacha of kippus. This special halacha that the dam of the chatas has a kedusha that if it touches your beged, this special dinim of how you have to go ahead, you can't just send it to the cleaners. There's a halacha in the Torah, mamash psukim in the Torah. Dovishat Stukim Omdin Bay. It's mamash m'furash. Zevulun Korech Bay Rav. Of how you go ahead and be mechabes. It was unique to the chatas. It wasn't true to anything else. Says the Rama, I'm reading from Toras Olam. This is chelek shlishi, perek chamishim ushloshim, perek 35. "Hatam bazek far om. B'makom sheba'alei teshuvah omdin, afilu tzaddikim gemurim einam omdin. Lakach nosan Hakadosh Baruch Hu kedusha b'dam chatas shebo l'chaper chet gadol yoser min shaar hakorbanos." IT'S A M'FURASH RAMA. THE RAMA SAID IN THE GEMARA, WHY dam chatas is to'en kippus as opposed to the dam of the other korbanos? The Chidushei Aryeh, the Chidushei Aryeh said it with regards to why the dam of the chatas was l'ma'alah min Chuta Sikra. But the Chidushei Aryeh was mechaven to a Rama. It's a m'furash Rama in Toras Olam that says mamash this hergesh, that the dam of the chatas, that's the nefesh ha'chiyus. And when he does teshuvah, when he brings his carbon, his nefesh has a kedusha that even the tzaddik gamur doesn't have. And it's for that reason you find special halachos regarding his dam. The Chidushei Aryeh said l'ma'alah min Chuta Sikra. The Rama said that his dam is going to require kippus. I think it's kedai, just mamash for a minute in Beis Medrash B'loi Chedesh to talk about this idea of "B'makom sheba'alei teshuvah omdin, ein tzaddikim gemurim mechalelim la'amud." The Rambam in Hilchos Teshuvah, this is in perek zain, halacha daled. So he brings this memra. He says, "A yedam ba'al teshuvah, a ba'al teshuvah shouldn't think shehu meruchak mim'alas hatzaddikim mipnei avonus vachata'os." A person does teshuvah, says, "Okay, so I did teshuvah. Now maybe I'm meruchak. Maybe I could davven to Hakadosh Baruch Hu with a straight face. But I'm meruchak mim'alas hatzaddikim. I have shiyachus now to m'alas hatzaddikim. I did this aveirah, I did that aveirah. I wasn't shul tachlis. I don't know where I was. I have no shiyachus. I'm very, very far removed from the m'alas hatzaddikim." Says the Rambam, "Ein hadavar kein." You should know that's not the way it is. Ela, [snorts] "Ohav some of that teshuvah is beloved. V'nechmad he ziz ulifnei Av Harachamim. U'ch'ilu lo chata me'olam." And as it relates to that aveirah that he did, it's not even there. It's as if it never happened. "V'lo yoi." Not just that, "Ela she's sorei'ach harbei." His charis so great. >> [snorts] >> "Sarei'ach ta'am ta'ama chet." Cuz he knows what an aveirah tastes like. "U'feirish mimenu." And yet he's being punished for kaveish yetzer harah. "Amru Chachamim, 'B'makom sheba'alei teshuvah omdin, ein tzaddikim gemurim mechalelim la'amud.'" "K'lo yoi." What does that mean? "Ma'alason gedolah mim'alas eilush lo chatu me'olam." The facing kaveish yetzer harah because they're being kaveish yetzer harah more than them. Says the Rambam, this klal of "B'makom sheba'alei teshuvah omdin bay, ein tzaddikim gemurim mechalelim la'amud." The message we once mentioned from Rav Reuven Margolies in his Sifrei. And he says it in a bunch of different places. He points out that really this psak of the Rambam is a little bit of a chedesh. The fact that the Rambam says, "B'makom sheba'alei teshuvah omdin, ein tzaddikim gemurim mechalelim la'amud bay" is a chedesh. You say it's a chedesh, it's a Chazal. Everybody knows it. What do you mean? Who doesn't know this? It's the biggest chizuk in the world. It's a tremendous chedesh. You know why it's a chedesh? Because the Mekor of this is the Gemara in Masachet Brachos, daf lamed daled, amud beis. If you take a look at the Gemara, the Gemara says as follows, "Amru Rav Chiya bar Avinami, amru Rav Yochanan, 'Kol hanvi'im kulam lo nisnav'u ela al ba'alei teshuvah.'" All the nevu'os that the nevi'im said about Olam Haba, they were talking about the Olam Haba of the ba'al teshuvah. "Aval tzaddikim gemurim, ayin lo ra'asah Elokim zulasecha." nevi'im never saw what the Olam [snorts] Haba of the tzaddik gamur is going to look like. They were able to comprehend on some level the Olam Haba of the ba'al teshuvah. And that was the nevu'os that they said. "Aval tzaddikim gemurim, ayin lo ra'asah Elokim zulasecha." Only you, Hakadosh Baruch Hu, knows what it looks like. There is no navi in the world that was ever given access to that. Who said this? Rav Chiya bar Avinami in the name of Rav Yochanan. Says the Gemara, "U'pliga Rav Avahu." This is not like something Rav Avahu said. "Amru Rav Avahu." Cuz Rav Avahu said, here it comes, "B'makom sheba'alei teshuvah omdin, tzaddikim gemurim einam omdin." But here's the bottom line. In this Gemara, this klal of "B'makom sheba'alei teshuvah omdin, tzaddikim gemurim einam omdin" is really a machlokes. It's a machlokes Rav Yochanan and Rav Avahu. Fake Rav Reuven Margolies in Klalei HaPsak. If you have a machlokes between Rav Yochanan and Rav Avahu, who do you pasken like? It's easy. Of course you pasken like Rav Yochanan. If you have A MACHLOKES AGAINST ANYBODY AND RAV YOCHANAN, RIGHT? Rav Shimon bar Levi we mentioned is an exception. Almost nobody against Rav Yochanan is the halacha going to be like Aval for sure Rav Avahu and Rav Yochanan, the halacha is like Rav Yochanan. Number one, because that's the way it is. And number two, if you're not convinced for whatever reason, Rav Avahu is a talmid of Rav Yochanan. And for sure if Rav Avahu is a talmid of Rav Yochanan, the halacha is going to be like the rebbe and not like the talmid. Again, this is Klalei HaPsak 101. But being that the halacha should be like Rav Yochanan, it's fake Rav Reuven Margolies. What's going on over here? "Kol hanvi'im kulam lo nisnav'u ela al ba'alei teshuvah. Aval tzaddikim gemurim, ayin lo ra'asah Elokim zulasecha." Not "B'makom sheba'alei teshuvah omdin." In fact, the Gemara says, "U'pliga Rav Avahu." The "Amru Rav Avahu, 'B'makom sheba'alei teshuvah omdin, tzaddikim gemurim einam omdin.'" And the message is it's a very, very shvere kasha. How could the Rambam pasken like Rav Avahu's memra? The Gemara says m'furash, he's arguing with Rav Yochanan. And Rav Yochanan and Rav Avahu, the halacha is like Rav Yochanan. So says Rav Reuven Margolies, "A davar nifla." If you want to look it up inside, again, he says it in a few places. One of the places where he says it about Reish Lakish is in his sefer Sha'arei Zohar. And this is in Masachet Brachos on this Gemara, daf lamed daled, amud beis. He says that the Chida in his sefer Ya'er Ozen, that's one of the Sifrei that he wrote on Klalei HaShas. So he says that whenever you have a Gemara, when the Gemara mentions something from an Amora, and then afterwards it says, "This statement that I just said from this Amora, it's pliga." It's at odds with a different Amora. The halacha is like that other Amora. Meaning, an Amora said something, Amora Aleph. And then after the Gemara brings what Amora Aleph says, "U'pliga d'Amora Beis." The halacha is like Amora Beis. "Azoy zogt the Chida." He says, "This is the way it works in Klalei HaPsak. And the svara behind it, the lamdus is that when the Gemara says 'U'pliga,' what the Gemara means to say is is that I'm telling you what the Amora said, but you should know it's at odds with not just what Yena Amora said. What is mekabel? What's a davar muskam? What everybody knows is the truth. That's what 'U'pliga' always misses." Says Rav Reuven Margolies, "It's a chiddush of Rav Fell." [laughter] It's true in our Gemara, it's a machlokes Rav Yochanan and Rav Avahu. "Aval amru Rav Yochanan, 'Kol hanvi'im kulam lo nisnav'u ela al ba'alei teshuvah. Aval tzaddikim gemurim, ayin lo ra'asah Elokim zulasecha.'" "U'PLIGA D'RAV AVAHU." WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO PLIGA THIS MEMRA OF IS AT ODDS with what everybody knows from Rav Avahu. And the "Amru 'B'makom sheba'alei teshuvah omdin, tzaddikim gemurim einam omdin.'" But here's the point. The point is, whenever the Gemara says "U'pliga," that means the halacha is like Yena Amora. "Azoy zogt the Chida." Says Rav Reuven Margolies, "According to that CHIDDUSH OF THE CHIDA, THE CHIDA'S CHIDDUSH. BUT ACCORDING TO THAT CHIDDUSH OF THE CHIDA, YOSHE AND THIS RAMBAM WOULD be a mekor to the chiddush of the Chida." "Divrei Picham Chachamim." Mamash beautiful. One of the other places where Rav Reuven Margolies talks about this is in his chibbur that he wrote called HaRambam v'HaZohar. This is something that we've quoted in the past where, you know, the Rambam never saw the Zohar, chiyara. But the Rambam, seemingly in many different places, says things that are surprising. And Rav Reuven Margolies says, "If you learn Zohar, you could be meyashev a lot of shvere Rambams." So in his HaRambam v'HaZohar, in Hilchos Teshuvah, perek zain, halacha daled, it's written, "Al zeh amar HaRambam." So he brings this Rambam. "Amru Chachamim, 'B'makom sheba'alei teshuvah omdin, ein tzaddikim >> [laughter] >> and on that piece he has a whole he says that really is a Why is it a this kasha? Cuz in the and based on he's stating that if you look in the Zohar Kodesh and he goes chapter and verse dark right? It was the minister just like it was the and in Zohar there's so many different places where the Zohar says this a kasha tzedikim gemurim I'll just mention three places. The first is in Zohar in Parshas Chayei Sarah. The Zohar Kodesh says as follows, in a marine the teshuvah The people that are masters of teshuvah meaning baalei teshuvah they're very very zaken. The Listen to this lashon. In one second in one day They could reach a kurbah that Baruch Hu madreigah a feel with tzedikim gemurim They could reach a point that even the tzedikim gemurim are not able to achieve. the tzedikim gemurim Another place is the [snorts] Zohar Kodesh in Parshas Mishpatim. The Zohar Kodesh says as the marine the sulkin the place that the baalei teshuvah ascend to a feel with tzedikim gemurim the makom tamon even the tzaddik not able to stand Who begin it's for that reason given the top of the teshuvah as soon as a person does teshuvah Baruch Hu Baruch Hu is looking for good khevrah and the baalei teshuvah's ON THE HIGHEST LEVEL SO, IF YOU WANT TO DO TESHUVAH and actually if the wants the teshuvah says the Zohar Think about it. The minute you do teshuvah you're going to be on a higher madreigah than the TZADDIK SO OF COURSE if you're going to do teshuvah the is going to be you a the marine the sulkin a feel with tzedikim gemurim the makom One other Zohar and that is in Parshas Vayikra the dort taninon as the baalei teshuvah yasvi in the place that the baalei teshuvah sit tzedikim gemurim yasvi bei The baalei teshuvah are not able to sit. Notice the nuance by the way, right? What does the say? makom baalei teshuvah oimdim tzedikim gemurim einam oimdim the place that the baalei teshuvah are able to stand the tzaddik not able to stand That was the lashon of the Zohar in Mishpatim. as the marine the sulkin a feel with tzedikim gemurim the makom What does the makom mean? To stand. Here the Zohar says in Vayikra as the baalei teshuvah yasvi tzedikim gemurim yasvi bei But the bottom line is says a rumor goes in Zohar Kodesh you find this in your seder in Zohar not as you know This is another that Rambam has Zohar that Rambam has Zohar the Rambam based on because clearly it's a between and and and on that baalei teshuvah tzedikim gemurim they're on a higher madreigah I am also looking at the Zohar But there are many Zohars we just mentioned three about the grace of madreigah of the baalei teshuvah and based on the Zohar oh then everything is going to stem very very well. But I just had one kasha one kasha right? Going through this piece where you have this memra of makom baalei teshuvah oimdim tzedikim gemurim einam oimdim and the Rambam brings it in his Yad Chazakah and asked a kasha that's mamash kasha and that is based on clearly we shouldn't pass in like this memra cuz it's and it's against and and based on clearly 101 if there's a between really anyone and on the is always like so he said two verses right? He said based on the we always pass in like or or it's a Zohar a Rambam has Zohar But it reminded me of something very very similar and that is the that we've spoken about a lot the >> [snorts] >> in Kedushin right? Of course one leads right into the other lamid aleph But the brings the between and it says as it says and said as as it says as it says as it says as it says as it says as it says as it says as it says as it as it says as it says as it as it says as it says as it says as it says as it says as it only if you act like a son you behave like a son But if you don't behave like a son you're not called bonim says no it doesn't matter if you do or you don't as it says as it says as it says as it says as it says Now, we know that the the teshuvah right? Not the the teshuvah that we spoke about for the last two weeks But the Rambam in the teshuvah can't get enough But the Rambam in the teshuvah says that as it relates to this over here between and and and we pass in like who? We pass in like Rab Meir and brings in avelus and that's why this is always quoted as bonim and that's why on the on the name of it and as it says as it says as it says as it SAYS BUT THE BOTTOM line is when it comes to this shailah of a who's from Baruch when he wants to feel close he wants to come to Does see him as A BEN OR DOES see him as something else? holds man as it says as it says as it says as it says as it says as it says as it but otherwise not but says as it says as it says as it says as it says as it says as No, we're always considered both clearly is and the is like THE ZOHAR BUT BY THIS THE SAID IN THE IT'S NOT THE WAY HERE we pass like Meir So, it's so interesting you have two and they're not the same but they're in the but right? They're both driving at same exact point they're giving to the that feels far removed from Baruch that even though based on clearly we should take on the stronger position but we don't makom baalei teshuvah oimdim tzedikim gemurim einam oimdim based on clearly we shouldn't pass in that way CUZ IT'S AGAINST AND we pass in like against and When it comes to and we shouldn't pass in that way because it's against and throughout we always pass in like AND AND BUT BOTH OF THESE PLACES IN BOTH of these places the is not we pass in baalei teshuvah oimdim tzedikim gemurim einam oimdim we pass in as it says as it says as it It's for different reasons But this is what comes out. Here's the kasha from tzaddik in the beginning of the safer it's in gimmel He says the says in Yoma page 102 the teshuvah should teshuvah so you got it that it's should but everybody knows the kasha one of the most famous kashas ever top 10 for sure the teshuvah should teshuvah every is should teshuvah Could you show me an THAT'S NOT SHOULD TESHUVAH? AS IT SAYS AS IT SAYS AS IT says as it says as it says as it says as it says as as it says as it says as it says as it says as it says as it says as it says as it the comes in the to be this kasha but says the says as it says as it says You know what the is? The is that if you find in Zohar and you find sometimes in Zohar the says that if you do this your teshuvah is not going to be Baruch or we're not going to try very hard not to allow you to be able to do teshuvah this you find these in them says tzaddik You want to know what the teshuvah is? the teshuvah should teshuvah that even when it says even when it says you can't do teshuvah teshuvah IS THAT IT'S SHOULD TESHUVAH THAT'S THE OF TESHUVAH AND THAT'S HOW MUCH I say to say and even though I heard the that teshuvah and and kept on telling him do teshuvah do teshuvah do teshuvah What do you mean you already heard the he can't do teshuvah because he understood the says and this comes from all the kodesh that teshuvah should teshuvah right? was a and and He wasn't allowed to really do teshuvah but the says in Sanhedrin that made him a he made him a TUNNEL THAT HE SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO TESHUVAH BECAUSE I SAY TO say and because when it comes to teshuvah the rules and the regulations don't apply the teshuvah the teshuvah should teshuvah If you look up in Shulchan Aruch you know what the rule book says? IT SAYS >> [laughter] >> AND AND THE IS LIKE AND AND NOW, WHEN it comes to teshuvah no way cuz the teshuvah should teshuvah teshuvah has a that that teshuvah is the most When it comes to teshuvah we pass in like and and You open up Aruch if between and and I don't know who we should pass in like Of course you're going to pass in like and and every single day of the week that's the way it's going to be BUT THEN TO AM I A TO BARUCH AM I CLOSE TO BARUCH? CAN I COME TO THE AND do teshuvah or am I am I to we pass in like and and and and you know why? Because the teshuvah should teshuvah When it comes to teshuvah the rules and the regulations don't apply This is the gift that keeps on giving and it is a gift it really is a gift teshuvah is a gift we spoke out yesterday or on base the is the the greatest gift in the world that is the most is the most the and like the Rambam that we just spoke out now the Parshas of the shouldn't even think okay I'll do teshuvah no problem so you know I'll get a ticket but I'll be sitting in the bleachers I better bring two binoculars if I'm going to want to see anything and a winter coat the answer is no because makom baalei teshuvah oimdim tzedikim gemurim einam oimdim and even though based on clearly it shouldn't be that way but when it comes to teshuvah when it comes to teshuvah clearly are completely irrelevant the is the that told us the teshuvah should teshuvah should teshuvah