(1) One who repents because he does not have an opportunity (or the means) to repeat the transgression. But when he does find the opportunity, his evil inclination overpowers his understanding and he does not refrain from it. After he finishes the deed, he realizes the shamefulness of his act and regrets what he did. This person repented with his mouth but not with his heart, with his lips but not with his deeds, and he is guilty and deserving of the punishment of the Creator. Of such a person, it is written: "Will you steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely,... And come and stand before Me in this house, which is called by My Name, and say, 'We are saved'...? Has this house, which is called by My Name, become a cave of thieves in your eyes?..." (Yirmiya 7:9).
(2) One who repents in his heart and in deed. His understanding stands up to his evil inclination. He trains himself to discipline his inward being, and fight its lusts until he defeats it and restrains it from what is hateful to the Creator. But his inner being always desires to draw him to the opposite of the service of G-d, and longs to do transgressions. He exerts himself to restrain it. Sometimes he defeats it, sometimes it defeats him. This person is not complete in the way of repentance. It will not secure an atonement, until he renounces the sins completely, as written: "Therefore by this the guilt of Jacob will be atoned for, and this will be the full fruit of the removal of his sin: when he makes all the stones of the altars like chalkstones crushed to pieces, no Asherim or incense altars will remain standing" (Yeshaya 27:9).
(3) A man who has fulfilled all the conditions of repentance (as will be explained later), which means, has strengthened his intellect over his lusts, and habituated himself in making a personal accounting (see gate#8), fears his Creator, is in awe of Him, contemplates the greatness of his sin and error, recognizes the infinite greatness of the One who he rebelled against and He whose word he transgressed, places his sins always before his eyes, regrets them and prays for forgiveness on them all the days of his life, until his final end comes - to the Creator, this person is worthy of being spared.
אֲבָל חֶלְקֵי הַתְּשׁוּבָה הֵם שְׁלֹשָׁה.
- What are its parts
There are three kinds of repentance:
אֶחָד מֵהֶם הַשָּׁב מֵחֲמַת שֶׁלֹּא מָצָא דֶּרֶךְ לָעֲבֵרָה וּכְשֶׁהוּא מוֹצֵא גּוֹבֵר יִצְרוֹ עַל שִׂכְלוֹ וְלֹא יִמָּנַע מִמֶּנָּה וְכַאֲשֶׁר יַשְׁלִים עֲשׂוֹתָהּ יִרְאֶה גְּנוּת מַעֲשֵׂהוּ וְיִתְחָרֵט עַל מָה שֶׁעָבַר בָּהּ וְזֶה שָׁב בְּפִיהוּ לֹא בְּלִבּוֹ וּבִלְשׁוֹנוֹ לֹא בְּמַעֲשֵׂהוּ וְהוּא חַיָּב בְּעֹנֶשׁ הַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרַךְ וּבוֹ נֶאֱמַר (שם ז) הֲגָנֹב רָצֹחַ וְנָאֹף וְהִשָּׁבֵעַ לַשֶּׁקֶר וְגוֹ׳ הַמְעָרַת פָּרִיצִים וְגוֹ׳.
(1) One who repents because he does not have an opportunity (or the means) to repeat the transgression. But when he does find the opportunity, his evil inclination overpowers his understanding and he does not refrain from it. After he finishes the deed, he realizes the shamefulness of his act and regrets what he did. This person repented with his mouth but not with his heart, with his lips but not with his deeds, and he is guilty and deserving of the punishment of the Creator. Of such a person, it is written: "Will you steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely,... And come and stand before Me in this house, which is called by My Name, and say, 'We are saved'...? Has this house, which is called by My Name, become a cave of thieves in your eyes?..." (Yirmiya 7:9).
וְהַחֵלֶק הַשֵּׁנִי הַשָּׁב בְּלִבּוֹ וּבְאֵבָרָיו וְעוֹמֵד בְּשִׂכְלוֹ כְּנֶגֶד יִצְרוֹ וּמִתְנַהֵג לְהַכְרִיחַ נַפְשׁוֹ וּלְהִלָּחֵם עִם תַּאֲווֹתֶיהָ עַד שֶׁיְּנַצְּחֶנָּה וְיִמְנָעֶנָּה מִמָּה שֶׁיִּשְׂנָאֵהוּ הַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרַךְ אֶלָּא שֶׁנַּפְשׁוֹ רוֹצָה לְהַטּוֹתוֹ תָּמִיד אֶל הֶפֶךְ עֲבוֹדַת הַבּוֹרֵא וְשׁוֹאֶפֶת אֶל הָעֲבֵרָה וְהוּא מִשְׁתַּדֵּל לַחְסֹם אוֹתָהּ וּפַעַם תְּנַצְּחֵהוּ וּפַעַם יְנַצְּחֶנָּה וְזֶה אֵינוֹ שָׁלֵם בְּדֶרֶךְ הַתְּשׁוּבָה שֶׁמְּחַיֶּבֶת לוֹ הַכַּפָּרָה עַד שֶׁיָּסוּר מִן הָעֲבֵרוֹת לְגַמְרֵי כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (ישעיה כ ז) לָכֵן בְּזֹאת יְכֻפַּר עֲוֹן יַעֲקֹב וְזֶה כָּל פְּרִי הָסִר חַטָּאתוֹ וְגוֹ׳.
(2) One who repents in his heart and in deed. His understanding stands up to his evil inclination. He trains himself to discipline his inward being, and fight its lusts until he defeats it and restrains it from what is hateful to the Creator. But his inner being always desires to draw him to the opposite of the service of G-d, and longs to do transgressions. He exerts himself to restrain it. Sometimes he defeats it, sometimes it defeats him. This person is not complete in the way of repentance. It will not secure an atonement, until he renounces the sins completely, as written: "Therefore by this the guilt of Jacob will be atoned for, and this will be the full fruit of the removal of his sin: when he makes all the stones of the altars like chalkstones crushed to pieces, no Asherim or incense altars will remain standing" (Yeshaya 27:9).
וְהַחֵלֶק הַשְּׁלִישִׁי אָדָם שֶׁהִתְנַהֵג בְּכָל תְּנָאֵי הַתְּשׁוּבָה וְהִגְבִּיר שִׂכְלוֹ עַל תַּאֲוָתוֹ וְהִתְמִיד לַחְשֹׁב עִם נַפְשׁוֹ וְיָרֵא אֶת בּוֹרְאוֹ וּבוֹשׁ מִמֶּנּוּ וְהֵשִׁיב אֶל לִבּוֹ גֹּדֶל חֶטְאוֹ וַעֲוֹנוֹ וְהִכִּיר גְּדֻלַּת מִי שֶׁהִמְרָה אוֹתוֹ וְעָבַר עַל דְּבָרוֹ וְהִצִּיב עֲוֹנֹתָיו לְנֶגֶד עֵינָיו וּלְנִכְחוֹ תָּמִיד מִתְחָרֵט עֲלֵיהֶם וּמְבַקֵּשׁ הַמְּחִילָה בָּהֶם כָּל יְמֵי חַיָּיו עַד בּוֹא קִצּוֹ וְזֶה רָאוּי אֵצֶל הַבּוֹרֵא לְהִנָּצֵל:
(3) A man who has fulfilled all the conditions of repentance (as will be explained later), which means, has strengthened his intellect over his lusts, and habituated himself in making a personal accounting (see gate#8), fears his Creator, is in awe of Him, contemplates the greatness of his sin and error, recognizes the infinite greatness of the One who he rebelled against and He whose word he transgressed, places his sins always before his eyes, regrets them and prays for forgiveness on them all the days of his life, until his final end comes - to the Creator, this person is worthy of being spared.