If a person is worthy—i.e., he has circumcised the foreskin of his heart—he will truly feel the anguish caused by his sins. This is because as long as his heart is uncircumcised and sealed up, it is impossible for him to truly feel.
Only when he circumcises the foreskin of his heart, so that he has a hollow in his heart, can his heart then truly feel the magnitude of his anguish. He will truly feel sorrow and remorse. And then, due to the magnitude of the remorse, all the hearts of all the drops [of seed] drawn out of him will also feel. No matter to what place they were drawn, there, in that place they will feel; whether they are those [drops] drawn from him that became his human offspring, or those drawn from him to another place, God forbid. There, too, they have a heart and other limbs.
Consequently, when he circumcises his heart, and his heart feels the magnitude of his anguish so that he starts to truly feel sorrow and remorse, then all the hearts of the drops will feel it there. The truth will be made known to them; how they have been set in filthy places, in the nethermost abyss.
For, at first, they think they have it good, because they wreak havoc on the world. But afterwards, once their hearts are circumcised—as a result of the circumcision of their father’s heart—they take note of where they are and begin to lament and grieve. This creates a great commotion there, in their midst.
This is the meaning of (Deuteronomy 30:6), “The Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your seed”—when God circumcises his heart, the heart of his seed will also be circumcised. [Such is the case] wherever the seed was drawn: if to [conceive] a human being, then his children will of necessity also experience thoughts of repentance due to the circumcision of their father’s heart; and if it was drawn somewhere else, God forbid, then the hearts will be circumcised there and they will feel, as mentioned.
Now, the most propitious time for this is the month of Elul. For ELUL is an acrostic for “Et L’vavekha V’et L’vav (your heart and the heart of).” In other words, God should circumcise his heart and whatever heart is dependent upon him, no matter where they were drawn, as above. This refers to the hearts of the drops in whatever place they were drawn, whether they were drawn and from them were produced his human offspring, or even if they were drawn to another place, God forbid. For these, too, are his children and are dependent upon him.
Therefore, when a person dies, they walk behind the bier and lament over him. They behave exactly as his human children. But this that they march in the procession and lament over him is a great disgrace and humiliation for him. Heaven protect us! Heaven protect us from these punishments! As is known.
אִם יִזְכֶּה שֶׁיַּרְגִּישׁ בֶּאֱמֶת כְּאֵב חֲטָאָיו, הַיְנוּ כְּשֶׁיָּמוּל אֶת עָרְלַת לְבָבוֹ – כִּי כָּל זְמַן שֶׁלִּבּוֹ עָרֵל וְאָטוּם, אִי אֶפְשָׁר לוֹ לְהַרְגִּישׁ בֶּאֱמֶת,
If a person is worthy—i.e., he has circumcised the foreskin of his heart—he will truly feel the anguish caused by his sins. This is because as long as his heart is uncircumcised and sealed up, it is impossible for him to truly feel.
רַק כְּשֶׁיָּמוּל אֶת עָרְלַת לְבָבוֹ, וְיִהְיֶה לוֹ חָלָל בַּלֵּב, וַאֲזַי יַרְגִּישׁ לְבָבוֹ בֶּאֱמֶת גֹּדֶל כְּאֵבוֹ, וְיִצְטַעֵר וְיִתְחָרֵט בֶּאֱמֶת. וַאֲזַי מִגֹּדֶל הַחֲרָטָה, יַרְגִּישׁוּ גַּם כָּל הַלְּבָבוֹת שֶׁל כָּל הַטִּפּוֹת שֶׁנִּמְשְׁכוּ מִמֶּנּוּ, וּלְכָל מָקוֹם שֶׁנִּמְשְׁכוּ, יַרְגִּישׁוּ שָׁם בַּמָּקוֹם שֶׁהֵם, הֵן אוֹתָם שֶׁנִּמְשְׁכוּ מִמֶּנּוּ וְנִתְהַוּוּ מֵהֶם בָּנָיו מִמִּין בְּנֵי אָדָם, וְהֵן אוֹתָם שֶׁנִּמְשְׁכוּ מִמֶּנוּ לְמָקוֹם אַחֵר חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, וְגַם שָׁם יֵשׁ לָהֶם לֵב וּשְׁאָר אֵיבָרִים.
Only when he circumcises the foreskin of his heart, so that he has a hollow in his heart, can his heart then truly feel the magnitude of his anguish. He will truly feel sorrow and remorse. And then, due to the magnitude of the remorse, all the hearts of all the drops [of seed] drawn out of him will also feel. No matter to what place they were drawn, there, in that place they will feel; whether they are those [drops] drawn from him that became his human offspring, or those drawn from him to another place, God forbid. There, too, they have a heart and other limbs.
וַאֲזַי כְּשֶׁיָּמוּל אֶת לְבָבוֹ, וְיַרְגִּישׁ לְבָבוֹ גֹּדֶל כְּאֵבוֹ, וְיַתְחִיל לְהִצְטַעֵר וּלְהִתְחָרֵט בֶּאֱמֶת, אֲזַי יַרְגִּישׁוּ שָׁם כָּל הַלְּבָבוֹת שֶׁל הַטִּפּוֹת, וְיִתְוַדַּע לָהֶם הָאֱמֶת הַאֵיךְ הֵם מֻטָּלִים בִּמְקוֹם טִנּוֹפוֹת בִּשְׁאוֹל תַּחְתִּית.
Consequently, when he circumcises his heart, and his heart feels the magnitude of his anguish so that he starts to truly feel sorrow and remorse, then all the hearts of the drops will feel it there. The truth will be made known to them; how they have been set in filthy places, in the nethermost abyss.
כִּי מִתְּחִלָּה נִדְמֶה לָהֶם שֶׁטּוֹב לָהֶם, כִּי הֵן מַזִּיקֵי עָלְמָא. רַק אַחַר־כָּךְ, כְּשֶׁנִּמּוֹל לְבָבָם עַל־יְדֵי שֶׁנִּמּוֹל לְבַב אֲבִיהֶם, אֲזַי מַרְגִּישִׁין הֵיכָן הֵם, וּמַתְחִילִין לְקוֹנֵן וּלְהִצְטַעֵר, וְנַעֲשֶׂה שָׁם רַעַשׁ גָּדוֹל בֵּינֵיהֶם.
For, at first, they think they have it good, because they wreak havoc on the world. But afterwards, once their hearts are circumcised—as a result of the circumcision of their father’s heart—they take note of where they are and begin to lament and grieve. This creates a great commotion there, in their midst.
וְזֶהוּ (דברים ל׳:ו׳): וּמָל ה' אֶת לְבָבְךָ, וְאֶת לְבַב זַרְעֲךָ; הַיְנוּ כְּשֶׁיָּמוּל ה' אֶת לְבָבוֹ, יִמּוֹל גַּם לְבַב זַרְעוֹ. וּלְהֵיכָן שֶׁנִּמְשָׁךְ הַזֶּרַע, הֵן לְמִין בְּנֵי אָדָם, אֲזַי מְחֻיָּבִים בָּנָיו, שֶׁיַּרְגִּישׁוּ גַּם־כֵּן הִרְהוּר תְּשׁוּבָה עַל יְדֵי שֶׁנִּמּוֹל לְבַב אֲבִיהֶם. וְכֵן אִם נִמְשָׁךְ לְמָקוֹם אַחֵר חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, אֲזַי יִמּוֹלוּ שָׁם הַלְּבָבוֹת וְיַרְגִּישׁוּ כַּנַּ"ל:
This is the meaning of (Deuteronomy 30:6), “The Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your seed”—when God circumcises his heart, the heart of his seed will also be circumcised. [Such is the case] wherever the seed was drawn: if to [conceive] a human being, then his children will of necessity also experience thoughts of repentance due to the circumcision of their father’s heart; and if it was drawn somewhere else, God forbid, then the hearts will be circumcised there and they will feel, as mentioned.
וְהַזְּמַן הַמְּסֻגָּל לָזֶה הוּא חֹדֶשׁ אֱלוּל, כִּי אֱלוּל רָאשֵׁי־תֵּבוֹת: אֶת לְבָבְךָ וְאֶת לְבַב; הַיְנוּ שֶׁיָּמוּל ה' אֶת לְבָבוֹ וְאֶת לְבַב סְתָם, הַתָּלוּי בּוֹ, לְהֵיכָן שֶׁנִּמְשָׁךְ כַּנַּ"ל. הַיְנוּ הַלֵּב שֶׁל הַטִּפּוֹת לְאֵיזֶה מָקוֹם שֶׁנִּמְשְׁכוּ, אִם שֶׁנִּמְשְׁכוּ וְנִתְהַוּוּ מֵהֶם בָּנָיו מִין בְּנֵי אָדָם, וְהֵן שֶׁנִּמְשְׁכוּ, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, לְמָקוֹם אַחֵר, וְגַם הֵם בָּנָיו, וְהֵם תְּלוּיִים בּוֹ.
Now, the most propitious time for this is the month of Elul. For ELUL is an acrostic for “Et L’vavekha V’et L’vav (your heart and the heart of).” In other words, God should circumcise his heart and whatever heart is dependent upon him, no matter where they were drawn, as above. This refers to the hearts of the drops in whatever place they were drawn, whether they were drawn and from them were produced his human offspring, or even if they were drawn to another place, God forbid. For these, too, are his children and are dependent upon him.
וְעַל כֵּן כְּשֶׁנִּפְטָר הָאָדָם הֵם הוֹלְכִים אַחַר הַמִּטָּה וּמְקוֹנְנִים עָלָיו, כְּמוֹ בָּנָיו מַמָּשׁ מִמִּין אָדָם, אַךְ שֶׁזֶּה שֶׁהֵם הוֹלְכִים וּמְקוֹנְנִים אַחֲרָיו, הוּא לוֹ לְבִזָּיוֹן וּלְחֶרְפָּה גְּדוֹלָה, רַחֲמָנָא לִצְלָן רַחֲמָנָא לִצְלָן מֵעֳנָשִׁים הַלָּלוּ, כַּיָּדוּעַ:
Therefore, when a person dies, they walk behind the bier and lament over him. They behave exactly as his human children. But this that they march in the procession and lament over him is a great disgrace and humiliation for him. Heaven protect us! Heaven protect us from these punishments! As is known.