R. Judah cited here the verse: “A song of ascents. Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord” (Ps. CXXXI). ‘We have learnt’, he said, ‘that when God was about to create man, He consulted the Torah and she warned Him that he would sin before Him and provoke Him.
Therefore, before creating the world God created Repentance, saying to her: “I am about to create man, on condition that when they return to thee from their sins thou shalt be prepared to forgive their sins and make atonement for them”. Hence at all times Repentance is close at hand to men, and when they repent of their sins it returns to God and makes atonement for all, and judgement is suppressed and all is put right.
When is a man purified of his sin?’ R. Isaac said: ‘When he returns to the Most High King and prays from the depths of his heart, as it is written, “From the depths I cried unto thee”.’
R. Abba said: ‘There is a hidden place above, which is “the depth of the well”, whence issue streams and sources in all directions. This profound depth is called Repentance, and he who desires to repent and to be purified of his sin should call upon God from this depth.
We have learnt that when a man repented before his Master and brought his offering on the altar, and the priest made atonement for him and prayed for him, mercy was aroused and judgement mitigated and Repentance poured blessings on the issuing streams and all the lamps were blessed together, and the man was purified from his sin.’
(AFTER THE DOINGS OF THE LAND OF EGYPT IN WHICH YE DWELT SHALL YE NOT DO.) The Holy One, blessed be He, has produced ten holy crowns above wherewith He crowns and invests Himself, and He is they and they are He, being linked together like the flame and the coal. Corresponding to these are ten crowns beneath, which are not holy, and which cling to the uncleanness of the nails of a certain holy Crown called Wisdom, wherefore they are called “wisdoms”.
רִבִּי יְהוּדָה פָּתַח, (תהילים ק״ל:א׳) שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת מִמַּעֲמַקִּים קְרָאתִיךָ יְיָ'. תָּנֵינָן, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּבָרָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָלְמָא, בָּעָא לְמִבְרֵי בַּר נָשׁ, אַמְלִיךְ בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, אָמְרָה קַמֵּיהּ, תִּבְעֵי לְמִבְרֵי הַאי בַּר נָשׁ, זַמִּין הוּא לְמֶחֱטֵי קַמָּךְ, זַמִּין הוּא לְאַרְגָּזָא קַמָּךְ. אִי תַּעֲבִיד לֵיהּ כְּעוֹבָדוֹי, הָא עָלְמָא לָא יָכִיל לְמֵיקָם קַמָּךְ, כָּל שֶׁכֵּן הַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ. אָמַר לֵיהּ, וְכִי לְמַגָּנָא אִתְקָרִינָא, (שמות ל״ד:ו׳) אֵל רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם.
R. Judah cited here the verse: “A song of ascents. Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord” (Ps. CXXXI). ‘We have learnt’, he said, ‘that when God was about to create man, He consulted the Torah and she warned Him that he would sin before Him and provoke Him.
וְעַד לָא בָּרָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָלְמָא, בָּרָא תְּשׁוּבָה, אָמַר לָהּ לִתְשׁוּבָה, אֲנָא בָּעֵינָא לְמִבְרֵי בַּר נָשׁ בְּעָלְמָא, עַל מְנָת דְּכַד יְתוּבוּן לָךְ מֵחוֹבֵיהוֹן, דְּתֶהֱוִי זְמִינָא לְמִשְׁבַּק חוֹבֵיהוֹן, וּלְכַפְּרָא עָלַיְיהוּ. וּבְכָל שַׁעֲתָא וְשַׁעֲתָא תְּשׁוּבָה זְמִינָא לְגַבֵּי בְּנֵי נָשָׁא, וְכַד בְּנֵי נָשָׁא תַּיְיבִין מֵחוֹבַיְיהוּ, הַאי תְּשׁוּבָה תָּבַת לְגַבֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְכִפֵּר עַל כֹּלָּא, וְדִינִין אִתְכַּפְיָין, וּמִתְבַּסְּמָן כֻּלְּהוּ, וּבַר נָשׁ אִתְדָּכֵי מֵחוֹבֵיהּ.
Therefore, before creating the world God created Repentance, saying to her: “I am about to create man, on condition that when they return to thee from their sins thou shalt be prepared to forgive their sins and make atonement for them”. Hence at all times Repentance is close at hand to men, and when they repent of their sins it returns to God and makes atonement for all, and judgement is suppressed and all is put right.
אֵימָתַי אִתְדָּכֵי בַּר נָשׁ מֵחוֹבֵיהּ בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּעָאל בְּהַאי תְּשׁוּבָה כַּדְקָא חֲזֵי. רִבִּי יִצְחָק אָמַר, דְּתָב קָמֵי מַלְכָּא עִלָּאָה, וְצַלֵּי צְלוֹתָא מֵעוּמְקָא דְּלִבָּא, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב מִמַּעֲמַקִּים קְרָאתִיךָ יְיָ'.
When is a man purified of his sin?’ R. Isaac said: ‘When he returns to the Most High King and prays from the depths of his heart, as it is written, “From the depths I cried unto thee”.’
רִבִּי אַבָּא אָמַר, מִמַּעֲמַקִּים קְרָאתִיךָ יְיָ', אֲתַר גָּנִיז הוּא לְעֵילָּא, וְהוּא עַמִיקָא (שמות ס"ג ע"ב) דְּבֵירָא, וּמֵהַאי נָפְקִין נַחֲלִין וּמַבּוּעִין לְכָל עִיבָר, וְהַהוּא עֲמִיקָא דַּעֲמִיקְתָא אִקְרֵי תְּשׁוּבָה. וּמַאן דְּבָעֵי לְאָתָבָא וּלְאִתְדַכְּאָה מֵחוֹבוֹי, בְּהַאי עוּמְקָא אִצְטְרִיךְ לְמִקְרֵי לְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב מִמַּעֲמַקִּים קְרָאתִיךָ יְיָ'.
R. Abba said: ‘There is a hidden place above, which is “the depth of the well”, whence issue streams and sources in all directions. This profound depth is called Repentance, and he who desires to repent and to be purified of his sin should call upon God from this depth.
תָּאנָא, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּהֲוָה בַּר נָשׁ חָב קָמֵי מָארֵיהּ, וְקָרִיב קָרְבָּנֵיהּ עַל מַדְבְּחָא, וְכַהֲנָא מְכַפֵּר עָלֵיהּ, וּבָעֵי בָּעוּתֵיהּ עָלֵיהּ, מִתְעָרִין רַחֲמֵי, וְדִינִין מִתְבַּסְּמָן, וּתְשׁוּבָה אָרִיק בִּרְכָאן, בְּמַבּוּעִין דְּנַגְדִּין וְנָפְקִין, וּמִתְבָּרְכִין כֻּלְּהוּ בּוּצִינִין כַּחֲדָא, וּבַר נָשׁ אִתְדָּכֵי מֵחוֹבֵיהּ.
We have learnt that when a man repented before his Master and brought his offering on the altar, and the priest made atonement for him and prayed for him, mercy was aroused and judgement mitigated and Repentance poured blessings on the issuing streams and all the lamps were blessed together, and the man was purified from his sin.’
תָּא חֲזֵי, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, אַפִּיק עֶשֶׂר כִּתְרִין, עִטְרִין קַדִּישִׁין לְעֵילָּא, דְּאִתְעַטָּר בְּהוּ, וּמִתְלַבָּשׁ בְּהוּ, וְהוּא אִינּוּן, וְאִינּוּן הוּא, כְּשַׁלְהוֹבָא דַּאֲחִידָא בְּגוּמְרָא, וְלֵית תַּמָּן פִּרוּדָא. לָקֳבֵיל דְּנָא, אִית עֶשֶׂר כִּתְרִין דְּלָא קַדִּישִׁין לְתַתָּא, וְאִינּוּן אֲחִידָן בְּזוּהֲמָא דְּטוּפְרָא דְּחַד עִטְרָא קַדִּישָׁא, דְּאִקְרֵי חָכְמָה. וְעַל דָּא אִקְרוּן חָכְמוֹת.
(AFTER THE DOINGS OF THE LAND OF EGYPT IN WHICH YE DWELT SHALL YE NOT DO.) The Holy One, blessed be He, has produced ten holy crowns above wherewith He crowns and invests Himself, and He is they and they are He, being linked together like the flame and the coal. Corresponding to these are ten crowns beneath, which are not holy, and which cling to the uncleanness of the nails of a certain holy Crown called Wisdom, wherefore they are called “wisdoms”.