Moreinu HaRav relates: A group of former chareidim who had fallen into the snares of the yetzer hara came to see me. One of them particularly touched my heart. Despite his external appearance—his wild mane of hair, earrings, and other accessories that signified his distance from Judaism—I sensed that deep inside, he longed to return to his roots. I could tell that he had already experienced enough of the emptiness that the yetzer has to offer in this world.
Since, Baruch Hashem, I never went through the path of leaving the faith, and someone who has not experienced such struggles cannot truly help him, I told him that I very much wanted to connect him with a certain young man. This young man had once been chareidi but had descended to the lowest depths before doing a complete Teshuva. I knew that someone like him would certainly be able to guide this young man on how to return properly and along the right path.
I began searching for the young man’s phone number when suddenly there was a knock on the door. I went to open it, and there he was—the very young man I had in mind! He had come unexpectedly, without prior coordination, for something else he needed.
I was so moved that I turned to the young man and said, “Look how much Hashem loves you! I wanted to arrange a meeting between you two, and Hashem brought him straight to my door to help you!”
The young man was overwhelmed with emotion and moved to tears. I explained the situation to the avreich, who took a brief look at the young man, then embraced him and exclaimed, “I know him well! He used to be my personal fitness trainer!”
Within just a few minutes, he helped him sort things out, set him on the path back to his father’s home, and cleared away the obstacles in his way!
The Sweetness of Torah – During the Days of Shovavim
One of the best and most effective tikkunim during the weeks of Shovavim Tat (Shemos, Va’era, Bo, Beshalach, Yisro, Mishpatim) is to cultivate the sweetness of Torah—thereby countering the sweetness of sin and the allure of forbidden desires.
As the holy Ohev Yisrael explains (Parashas Vayechi): “Our predecessors of earlier generations instituted fasting and repentance during the Shovavim period to rectify and atone the sin of blemishing the Foundation [of the holy covenant] (pegam hayesod). However, in our times, when the generations have weakened, and we cannot undertake the rigorous fasts and afflictions prescribed, anyone who fears Hashem in his heart must exert himself to repent for this grave sin, for it is great beyond bearing, etc., particularly through the study of the Oral Torah, delving deeply into halachah thoroughly and with clarity. In doing so, one gathers the sparks of goodness and holiness that were trapped, extracting them from the klippos (impure husks), as per the pasuk: He swallows wealth but vomits it up (Iyov 20:15). This is the essential means of rectification.” (See there for the full discussion.)
It is well known and widely cited how sweetly the Be’er Mayim Chaim zt”l interprets King David’s words, My sin is before me constantly (Tehillim 51:5). He writes (Parashas Toldos, and elsewhere):
“One should reflect on the intense desire, the fiery passion, and the great pleasure that gripped him when he sinned. As the burning passion and desire consumed him during the transgression, he should direct that fervor and longing toward serving Hashem —through Torah study, tefillah, and good deeds.
“Concerning this, it states (Berachos 34b), ‘In the place where penitents stand, even the perfectly righteous cannot stand,’ because a perfect tzaddik cannot fathom the intensity of longing, desire, and yearning that a sinner feels, which drives him to pursue their sin. The sinner alone knows how he strove for it, his heart burning within, the many thoughts he entertained, and the lengths he went to achieve the sin. During the act, his entire being—mind, senses, and emotions—was absorbed in the sin to such an extent that if someone had called his name, he would not have responded, nor would he have answered a question. He was utterly disconnected from reality. Therefore, he can know how to channel this intensity, fervor, and passion into mitzvos, serving Hashem with absolute fire, etc.
“Thus, David said, My sin is before me constantly, meaning he constantly kept the passion he felt during the sin to channel it into the same kind of devotion and energy toward serving Hashem.”
With these inspiring words, let us open the holy Gemara during these exalted days and draw from it sacred vitality for our hearts and souls. By overcoming the internal and external challenges and obstacles to our study, through toil and effort to understand the Torah according to our abilities, we will merit to taste and feel the profound sweetness of Torah. As Chazal teach: “According to the effort is the reward!”
וְהַעֲרֶב נָא, ה› אֱלֹקֵינוּ, אֶת דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָתְךָ בְּפִינוּ וּבְפִיּוֹת עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְנִהְיֶה אֲנַחְנוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵינוּ, )וְצֶאֱצָאֵי צֶאֱצָאֵינוּ( וְצֶאֱצָאֵי עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל, כֻּלָּנוּ יוֹדְעֵי שְׁמֶךָ, וְלוֹמְדֵי תוֹרָתְךָ לִשְׁמָהּ...
«Make pleasant ,Hashem our God ,the words of Your Torah in our mouths and the mouths of Your people ,Beis Yisrael ,and may we and our offspring ...be among those who study Your Torah for its own sake».
