Rav Yaakov Abuchatzeira
“Bnei Yisroel are attached to the Supernal sefiros so that even if they get disconnected due to sin, teshuva reattaches them back to their holy root.”
The Navi says (Yermiyah 2:3) “Yisroel are holy unto Hashem; they are the first fruits of His produce.” What the prophet means they are holy is that because they are reishis – the first of the fruits, since their kedushah is so great that it reaches the level of “the first fruits” –an allusion to the first letters of the supernal attributes called the sefiros. They are: Kaf from Kesser, Ches from Chochmah, Bais from Binah, Gimel from Gedulah, Gimel from Gevurah, Tav from Tiferes, Nun from Netzach, Hay from Hod, Yud from Yesod and Mem from Malchus.כח"ב גג"ת( נהי"ם) The numerical value of these letters added together is the same gematria as Yisroel ישראל (both equal 541).
(Because Bnei Yisroel are holy, they reach up to the reishis – the supernal sefiros and therefore the name “Yisroel” is equal to the same gematria as the roshei teyvos of the sefiros.)
Using this introduction, we can explain the pasuk Hosea 14:2, “Return and repent O’ Israel back to Hashem your G-d”. We can now explain that Yisroel can reach up to Hashem because they have a grasp on the rosh of the sefiros. This essential connection enables them to return through proper teshuvah even when their transgressions drove them far from their original lofty place. This is why Hosea the Navi says, “Shuva ad Hashem Elokecha - Do proper teshuvah that will connect you back up to Hashem, thereby reattaching yourselves to the Tree of Life which was your original state of connection.
This is hinted by the very first word of the Torah: Bereishis or B’--reishis. The world was created for the sake of Bnei Yisroel – the “resihis tevuoso”. They are the first fruits, forever attached to the supernal sefiros. This eternal link is always accessible through teshuvah.
(Ginzei haMelech Tikkun Teshuvah 7)
