Hayom Yom 3 Tishrei - Teshuva comprises five letters which are five distinct paths

The daily Hayom Yom with Rabbi Yosef Katzman

מַתְחִילִין מִזְמוֹר לְדָוִד וְלֹא לְכוּ נְרַנְנָה

[In the Kabbalas Shabbos Service,] we begin with Mizmor LeDavid instead of Lechu Neranenah.

וְכֵן בְּכָל שַׁבָּת מוֹצָאֵי יוֹם טוֹב

This applies whenever a festival ends on Friday evening.

הפטורה: שׁוּבָה - יִכָּשְׁלוּ בָם. מִי אֵל כָּמוֹךָ - מִימֵי קֶדֶם

The haftarah [for Shabbos Teshuvah] begins with Shuvah… yikashlu vam and concludes with Mi E-l kamocha… mimei kedem.

בִּיחִידוּת הַצֶּמַח צֶדֶק אֵצֶל רַבֵּנוּ הַזָּקֵן ב' תֵצֵא בְּשִׁשִּׁי בֶּאֱלוּל תּקס"ד

During a yechidus of the Tzemach Tzedek with the Alter Rebbe, on Monday of Parshas Ki Seitzei, 6 Elul, 5564 (1804),

סִפֵּר לוֹ רַבֵּנוּ

the Alter Rebbe told him:

שַׁבָּת פָּרָשַׁת תָּבוֹא תּקכ"ח אָמַר מוֹרִי וְרַבִּי (הָרַב הַמַּגִּיד מִמּעֶזְרִיטְשׁ) — תּוֹרָה

“On Shabbos Parshas Ki Savo, 5528 (1768), my mentor and master (the Maggid of Mezritch) delivered a teaching

וְהַתְחָלָתָהּ וְשַׁבְתָּ עַד הוי' אֱלֹקֶיךָ

that opened with the verse, Veshavta ad HaShem Elokecha — ‘You shall return to Havayah (G‑d), Elokecha (your L‑rd).’

וּבִאֵר כִּי עֲבוֹדַת הַתְּשׁוּבָה צְרִיכָה לִהְיוֹת

“The Maggid [understood this verse as implying that ‘You shall return

עַד אֲשֶׁר הוי', שֶׁהוּא לְמַעְלָה מֵהָעוֹלָמוֹת

until Havayah is Elokecha,’ and] explained that one must bring one’s Divine service of teshuvah to the point that Havayah, [the aspect of Divinity] that transcends all worlds,

יִהְיֶה אֱלֹקֶיךָ, אֱלֹקִים בְּגִימַטְרִיָּא הַטֶּבַע, בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹקִים

becomes Elokecha (your L‑rd). [He went on to say that] the Divine Name Elokim (א-להים) has the numerical equivalent of the word hateva (הטבע), meaning ‘nature.’ This [link is exemplified] in the verse, ‘In the beginning, Elokim created...’” [I.e, the natural world came into being through the Name Elokim. Thus the term Elokecha (your L‑rd) refers to the Divine power within us that endows us with life-energy.]

כָּל הַחֶבְרַיָּא קַדִּישָׁא הָיוּ בְּהִתְעוֹרְרוּת גְּדוֹלָה מִתּוֹרָה הַהִיא

The entire holy brotherhood [of the Maggid’s disciples] was greatly aroused by this teaching.

הָרַב הַצַּדִּיק ר' מְשׁוּלָּם זוּסְיָא מֵאַנִיפּאָלִי אָמַר

However, one of the disciples, the tzaddik R. Meshullam Zusya of Hanipoli, declared

כִּי הוּא אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לְהַגִּיעַ לְמַעֲלַת תְּשׁוּבָה כָּזוֹ

that he could not reach such a level of teshuvah,

וְעַל כֵּן יְחַלֵּק אֶת הַתְּשׁוּבָה לַחֲלָקִים

and therefore divided it into its components.

כִּי תְּשׁוּבָה רָאשֵׁי תֵּיבוֹת

Teshuvah (תשובה), he pointed out, is an acronym for the following five verses:

ת, תָּמִים תִּהְיֶה עִם הוי' אֱלֹקֶיךָ

“Trust G‑d your L‑rd with simple faith.”

שׁ, שִׁוִּיתִי הוי' לְנֶגְדִּי תָמִיד.

“I have placed G‑d before me at all times.”

ו, וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ

“Love your neighbor as yourself.”

ב, בְּכָל דְּרָכֶיךָ דָעֵהוּ

“Know Him in all your ways.”

ה, הַצְנֵעַ לֶכֶת עִם ה' אֱלֹקֶיךָ

“Walk humbly with G‑d your L‑rd.”

כְּשֶׁסִּפֵּר לִי אַאַמוּ"ר אֶת הַנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל

[The Rebbe Rayatz added:] When my revered father [the Rebbe Rashab] told me the above,

סִיֵּם

he concluded:

תֵּיבַת תְּשׁוּבָה צְרוּפָה מֵחָמֵשׁ אוֹתִיּוֹת

“The word teshuvah comprises five letters,

אֲשֶׁר כָּל אוֹת הוּא דֶרֶךְ וְאוֹפֶן בַּעֲבוֹדַת הַתְּשׁוּבָה

each representing a distinct path and approach to the labor of teshuvah.

וּבִאֵר בַּאֲרִיכוּת חֲמִשָּׁה הָאוֹפַנִּים

” He explained these five approaches at length

וְכוּלָּם בָּאִים מִכֹּחַ אֶל הַפּוֹעַל עַל יְדֵי עֲבוֹדַת הַתְּפִלָּה

and then said: ‘All of them are actualized through the service of prayer.’”

Text and Translation courtesy of Sichos in English

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