Repentance

All of the commandments in the Torah: whether they be the positive commandments, or the negative commandments; if a person transgressed any of them, whether he did so intentionally, whether he did so unintentionally, when he repents and returns from his sin - he is obligated to confess before G-d, blessed be He, as it says (Numbers 5:6-7), When a man or a women does any of the sins of man...and he shall confess his sin that he committed... - this refers to a verbal confession. And confession, that is a positive commandment. How does he confess? He says, "Please G-d, I have sinned, I have erred, I have [willfully but unrebelliously] transgressed, I have done such-and-such [specific sins], I am regretful, and ashamed for my actions, and I will never again return to my old ways." This is the essence of the confession, and anyone who wants to lengthen [his confession], this is praiseworthy.And it is the same for those who are liable for sin [hattat] and guilt [asham] sacrifices: at the time when they bring sacrifices for their unintentional or intentional sins, [the sacrifices] do not atone for them until they repent [do teshuvah] and confess verbally [do vidui], as it says, he shall confess the matter in which he sinned (Leviticus 5:5). So too for those who are liable for capital punishment or lashes: their death or lashing does not atone for them until they repent [do teshuvah] and confess verbally [do vidui]. And also someone who has injured his fellow or damaged his property, even though he has repaid what he owes him, he has not atoned until he confesses and turns away from similar actions forever, as it says, From any of the sins of man (Numbers 5:6).

The scapegoat sent off [on Yom Kippur], since it is an atonement for all of Israel, the High Priest does the confession on it using language inclusive of all of Israel, as it says (Leviticus 16:21), And he shall confess on it all the sins of the people of Israel. The scapegoat sent off [on Yom Kippur] atones for all the sins in the Torah, the light ones and the heavy ones [see next law], whether transgressed intentionally or unintentionally, whether it is made known or not made known - all are atoned through the goat that is sent off. That is, if repentance is done [for them]. But if repentance wasn't done, the goat only atones for the light ones. What are "light ones" and what are "heavy ones"? The heavy ones are sins that have the obligation of death by court, or excision [by heaven]. And false or vain oaths, even though they do not have excision [karet], are of the heavy ones. And the rest of the negative commandments, and the positive commandments which do not have excision - those are the light ones.

When the Holy Temple does not exist and there is no altar of atonement, teshuvah is all that there is - teshuvah atones for all sins. Even a person who was wicked all his days and did teshuvah at the end, we do not mention any part of his wickedness, as it says, As for the wickedness of the wicked, he will not stumble on it in the day that he turns away from his wickedness (Ezekiel 33:12). And the day of Yom Kippur itself atones for those who do teshuvah, as it says, For that day will atone for you (Leviticus 16:30).

Even though teshuvah atones for all, and the day of Yom Kippur itself atones - there are some sins that can be atoned for in their time, and some sins which are only atoned after time has passed. What case is that? If a person violated a positive commandment for which the punishment is not karet and did teshuvah - before he can even move he is forgiven, and regarding such people it is said, Return, backsliding children; I will heal your backslidings (Jeremiah 3:22).If a person violated a negative commandment for which the punishment is neither karet nor capital punishment and did teshuvah – the teshuvah suspends it and Yom Kippur effects atonement; and regarding such people it is said, For that day will atone for you (Leviticus 16:30). If a person violated [a commandment for which the punishment is] karet or capital punishment and did teshuvah – the teshuvah and Yom Kippur suspend it and the suffering that falls upon him effects atonement. And no matter how much time passes, he does not receive full atonement until suffering falls upon him; and regarding such people it is said, Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with strokes (Psalms 89:33). What cases are we discussing? Cases in which he did not disgrace the name [of G-d] at the moment of violation. But someone who disgraces the name [of G-d], even if he does teshuvah, and Yom Kippur passes and he remains in his teshuvah, and suffering befalls him – he does not receive full atonement until he dies; the teshuvah, Yom Kippur, and the suffering all suspend and death atones, as it says, And the Lord of Hosts revealed Himself in my ears: Surely this iniquity shall not be atoned until you die (Isaiah 22:14).

What is complete teshuvah? When a person has the opportunity to commit the same sin, and he possess the ability to do it, but he separates and does not do it because of teshuvah and not out of fear or lack of strength. What is an example? A person who had illicit sex with a woman, and after some time he is alone with her, and he still loves her and possesses his physical power and is in the same country where he committed the sin, but he separates and does not sin – that person is a complete ba’al teshuvah, about whom [King] Solomon said, Remember your Creator in the days of your youth (Ecclesiastes 12:1). And if a person only does teshuvah in the days of old age, when it is not possible to do what he once did, even though this is not the highest teshuvah, it is effective and that person is a ba’al teshuvah. Even if a person sinned all his days and did teshuvah on the day of his death and died in his teshuvah, all his sins are forgiven, as it says, Before the sun is darkened, and the light of the moon and the stars, and the clouds return after the rain (Ecclesiastes 12:2), which is the day of death. This implies that if he remembers his Creator and does teshuvah before he dies, he is forgiven.

What is teshuvah? It is when a person abandons the sin that he sinned and removes it from his thoughts and commits in his heart that he will not do it again, as it says, The wicked should abandon his path etc. (Isaiah 55:7). And also that he regrets sinning, as it says, After I returned I regretted (Jeremiah 31:19). And the One Who Knows Hidden Things testifies about him that he will never return to this sin, as it says, And we will no longer call the work of our hands “god” etc. (Hosea 14:4). And he must confess verbally and say these things that he has committed in his heart.

Anyone who confesses verbally and does not commit in his heart to abandon [sin], this is like a person who immerses [in a purity pool] while holding an unclean creature in his hand, so that the bath is not effective until he sends away the unclean creature, and so it says, One who admits and abandons is given mercy (Proverbs 28:13). And he must specify the sin, as it says, This nation has sinned a great sin and made a golden god for themselves (Exodus 32:31).

Among the ways of teshuvah are for the penitent to constantly shout before G-d with crying and pleading; and to do tzedakah according to his ability; and to distance himself very far from the thing in which he sinned; and to change his name, meaning to say “I am someone else and I am not the same person who did those things;” and to change all of his actions for good and onto the straight path; and to go into exile, because exile atones for sins since it forces him to bow and to be humble and of low spirit.

It is very praiseworthy for the penitent to confess in public and disclose his sins to them, and reveal interpersonal sins to others and tell them: “I surely sinned against so-and-so and did such-and-such to him; but today, behold, I return and regret.” But anyone who is prideful and does not disclose, but rather hides his sins – his teshuvah is not complete, as it says, One who covers his transgressions shall not prosper (Proverbs 28:13). What situation are we talking about? Interpersonal sins. But with regard to sins between a person and the Omnipresent, one need not expose oneself; and it is arrogance if one reveals them. Instead, one should return before G-d, blessed is He, specify his sins before Him, and confess them in public only generally. And it is better for him that his sins are not revealed, as it says, Happy is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered (Psalms 32:1).

Even though teshuva and crying out are desirable all year, on the ten days between Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur, they are more desirable, and are immediately received, as it says: "Seek out G-d and you will find him. Call to him, and he will be close." This is talking about someone who is doing teshuva alone. But if someone if doing teshuva as part of a quorum, anytime that they do teshuva with a full heart, they are answered, as it says, [For what great nation is there, that has G-d so near to them,] as the Lord our G-d whenever we call to Him (Deuteronomy 4:7).

Yom Kippur is a time of teshuva for everyone, for the individual and for the public, and it is the end of [the time for that's year's] forgiveness and pardoning for Israel. Therefore, all must do teshuva and confess on Yom Kippur. The commandment of confession for Yom Kippur starts on the eve of the day, before one eats [in preparation for the fast], lest one choke during the meal before [one gets the chance to] confess. Even though one confesses before he eats, he confesses again during the evening prayer the night of Yom Kippur. And he confesses again during the morning prayer, and the Musaf prayer, and the afternoon prayer, and during the Ne'ilah prayer. How does one confess [during these times]? Privately, after one's prayer [i.e. the Shemoneh Esrei]. And the cantor, during his prayer in the fourth blessing.

The confession that is customarily [said] by all of Israel, "But we have sinned...", that is the essential confession. Those transgressions that are confessed on Yom Kippur, one must again confess them on the next Yom Kippure, even if he remains repentant, as it says, (Psalms 51:5) "For I know my transgressions; and my sin is ever before me."

Teshuva and Yom Kippur only atone for transgression between man and G-d, such as one who eats a forbidden food, or has a forbidden sexual relationship, etc. But transgressions between man and his fellow, such as hurting his fellow, or cursing his fellow, or stealing from him, etc, those are never forgiven until he gives his fellow what he owes him, and [his fellow] is appeased. Even if he returned the money he owed his [fellow], he must appease him and ask him to forgive him. Even if he only perturbed his fellow verbally, he must make amends and meet with him until he forgives him. If his fellow does not wish to forgive him, he should bring a line of three people who are friends with him and they will approach him and ask [forgiveness] from him. If he does not give in to them, he must bring people a second and third time. If he still does not give in, they should leave him alone, and that person who did not forgive – he is the sinner. But if it was his teacher, he must come and go even a thousand times until he forgives him.

It is forbidden for a person to be cruel and not make amends; instead, a person should get appeased easily and get angry slowly. And at the moment when the sinner asks for forgiveness – forgive with a whole heart and a desirous soul. And even if he pained him and sinned against him many times, he should not take revenge or hold a grudge -- that is the way of the Children of Israel and their correct hearts. But the nations of uncircumcised heart are not so, but are rather (Amos 1:11) "and he kept his wrath for ever." And similarly it is said about the Gibonites, who did not forgive Israel, (II Samuel 21:2) "the Gibonites are not of the children of Israel" [because they do not forgive, a sign of cruelty].

Someone who sins against his fellow, and the fellow dies before he can ask him for forgiveness, he should bring ten people and stand them by his grave and say in front of them, “I have sinned against the Lord, G-d of Israel and against this certain person because I did such-and-such to him.” And if he owed him money, he should give it to his heirs. If he does not know who the heirs are he should give it to the court and confess.

Each and every person has merits and sins. A person whose merits are greater than their sins is righteous; and a person whose sins are greater than their merits is wicked; half and half, in-between. And the same is true of a country, if the merits of all its citizens are greater than their sins, that nation is righteous, and if their sins are greater than their merits they are wicked; and also for the whole world.

Regarding a man whose sins are greater than his merits, is immediately dead in his wicked state, as it says on many of your sins (Jeremiah 30:14, Jeremiah 30:15, Hosea 9:7). And so too a country whose sins are greater [than its merits], it is immediately a desolation, as it says The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great (Genesis 18:20). And so too the whole world, if its sins were greater than its merits, it would immediately be a desolation. As the verse says And G-d saw the great wickedness of man (Genesis 6:5). And this evaluation is not according to the number of merits and sins, but according to their magnitude. There could be a merit which is equivalent to several sins, as it says, because in him there is found a good thing (I Kings 14:13); and there could be a sin which is equivalent to several merits, as it says, one sinner destroys much good (Ecclesiastes 9:18). But such calculations only take place in the mind of the Divine Intellect, He who knows how to evaluate merits against sins.

Anyone that regrets the mitzvot that he did, and hedges on his merits, and says in his heart "And what value is in them being done? I wish I had not done them." Lo! He loses all of them and they are not mentioned on his behalf ever again, as it says, "The righteousness of the righteous [man] will not save him on the day of his wickedness" (Ezekiel 33:12). This [verse] refers only to the regret of previous actions. And just as a person's merits and sins are weighed at the moment of his death, so too each and every year, every person on earth, has his sins weighed against his merits on the holiday of Rosh HaShanah. A person who is found to be righteous is sealed for life, and a person who is found to be wicked is sealed for death. And an in-between person, his is suspended until Yom Kippur. If he does teshuvah, he is sealed for life; and if not, he is sealed for death.

Even though the blowing of the shofar on Rosh HaShanah is a Biblical decree, it hints at something, i.e., “Wake up, sleepers, from your sleep! And slumberers, arise from your slumber! Search your ways and return in teshuvah and remember your Creator! Those who forget the Truth amidst the futility of the moment and are infatuated all their years with vanity and nothingness that will not help and will not save, examine your souls and improve your ways and your motivations! Let each of you abandon his wicked ways, and his thoughts which are no good." Therefore a person needs to see himself all year long as if he is half innocent and half guilty, and also [see] the whole world - half innocent and half guilty. If he sins one sin - he has tilted herself and the whole world to the side of guilt and caused its destruction. If he does one mitzvah - he has tilted herself and the whole world to the side of innocence and caused redemption and rescue, as it says, the righteous are the foundation of the world (Proverbs 10:25). This refers to a righteousness that has tilted the whole world to innocence and saved it. And for this reason the whole House of Israel has a custom to increase charity and good deeds, and to engage in mitzvot from Rosh HaShanah until Yom Kippur, more than the rest of the year. And everyone has the custom to wake up during the night on these ten days and to pray in the synagogue with words of pleading and words of surrender until daylight.

When a person weighs his sins against his merits, he should not calculate a sin sinned once, nor twice, but only [when sinned] thrice and on. If the sins done three times or more are found to be greater than his merits, then those sins [done once or twice] are added to it and he is judged on all of them. And if it turns out that his merits are equal to his sins that were transgressed from the third time onwards, all of his sins are forgiven one at a time, such that the third transgression is considered the first [to be up for forgiveness], since the [first] two were already forgiven. And so [too] the fourth, behold it is [now] the first [in line], since the third was forgiven. And so [on], until their end. To what does this refer? To an individual, as it says, Behold, all these things the Power does, twice, thrice, with a man (Job 33:29). But with the group, He suspends the first, second and third sin, as it says, For three transgressions, but for four I will not return it (Amos 2:6). And when it is calculated for them upon this way, it is calculated [only] from the fourth sin and onwards. [These] in-between people, if there was among the half of [their actions that were] sins [the sin] of not ever having put on tefillin (phylactaries), [that person] is judged according to his sin, but he has a share in the World to Come. And so [too], all of the evildoers whose sins are greater [than their merits], they are judged according to their sins, but they have a share in the World to Come; as all Jews have a share in the world to come, even though they have sinned, as it says, your people are all righteous, they will inherit the earth forever (Isaiah 60:21). This [use of the word,] earth, is a parable, which is to say, the land of the living, which is the World to Come. And so [too], the pious ones of the nations of the world, they have a share in the World to Come.

The following are the people who have no share in the World to Come, but are cut off and lost and judged for the magnitude of their wickedness and sins forever and ever: Sectarians; Heretics; Deniers of Torah; Deniers of Resurrection; [Deniers] of the coming of the Messiah; Apostates; those who lead the masses into sin; those who separate from the community; those who separate from the ways of the community; those who sin with a high hand in public like Jehoiakim; Collaborators [with the government]; those who bring fear upon the community but not for the sake of Heaven; Murderers; Gossipers; and those who reverse their circumcision.

There are five [types] who are called "sectrarians" (minnim): One who says that there is no god and no director of the world. One who says that there is a director, but there are two or more. One who says that there is one master but that he has a body and a being with a form. And similarly one who says that He is not the first alone and creator of all. And similarly one who worships a star or constellation, and similar things, in order to intercede between him and the Master of Worlds. Any one of these five is considered a "min" - sectarian.

There are three that are called "heretics" (apikorsin): One who says that there is no such thing as prophecy and there is no such thing as information that is passed from the Creator to the heart of man. And one who denies the prophecy of Moses, our teacher. And one who says that the Creator does not know man's actions. Any one of these is considered an "apikores" - heretic. Three are deniers of the Torah: One who say that the Torah is not from G-d, even one verse, even one letter, if he says that Moses said it on his own, that is denying the Torah. And similarly, one who denies the interpretation of the Torah, that is the Oral Torah, and denies its imparters, such as Tzaddok and Beothius. And one who says that the Creator switched this commandment for another one, and that the Torah has been voided, although it is from G-d, such as the Haggarites (Arabs). Any one of these is a denier of the Torah.

There are two that are Jewish apostates: One who rebels against a single mitzvah, and one who rebels against the entire Torah. Someone who rebels against a single mitzvah – this is a person who accustoms himself to do a certain sin intentionally and becomes notorious for it, even if it were one of the minor sins, such as wearing sha’atnez or shaving the corners [of one’s beard], so that it is as if, for him, that mitzvah has been erased from the world. Such a person has rebelled against that particular thing, meaning that he does it spitefully. Someone who rebels against the entire Torah – such as those who return to the religion of idolaters during a time of oppression, and cling to them and say: How does it benefit me to cling to Israel who are lowly and pursued? It is better for me to cling to those whose hands are forceful. Such a person has rebelled against the entire Torah.

Who are those who lead the masses into sin? Either someone who causes [the masses] to sin in a serious matter, such as Jeroboam and Tzadok and Boethius; or someone who causes [others] to sin in something minor, even to void a positive commandment; or someone who compels others to sin, like Menasheh who killed Israelites until they worshiped idolatry; or someone who misleads others and seduces them.

One who separates from the ways of the community – even though she has not committed sins but only broke away from the community of Israel and does not do mitzvot together with them, does not participate in their troubles, and does not fast on their fast days – but instead goes about her business like a member of the Nations of the Land, as if she was not one of them: she has no portion in the World to Come. One who sins with a high hand in public like Jehoiakim, whether he did minor or serious sins, has no portion in the World to Come; and such a person is called “Brazen in the Face of the Torah,” since he bared his forehead and raised his face [in arrogance], and had no shame before the words of Torah.

There are two Collaborators: one who hands his fellow over to Idolaters to kill him or injure him; and one who hands his fellow’s money over to Idolaters or to a bandit who is the same as an Idolater. Both of them have no portion in the World to Come.

One who brings anger upon the community not for the sake of Heaven, refers to a person who fiercely drives the community, who fear and revere him; but his intention is for his own honor, and none of his desire is for the sake of Heaven; like the kings of the Idolaters.

Each and every one of these twenty-four people that we have enumerated, even though they are Jewish, have no portion in the World to Come. Some of these sins are minor, nevertheless our Sages of Blessed Memory said that one who is accustomed to committing them has no portion in the World to Come, and it is worthwhile to distance oneself from them and be careful about them, and they are: someone who gives an [unflattering] nickname to his fellow; someone who calls his fellow by a nickname others have given him; someone who blanches his fellow’s face in public; someone who gains honor at his fellow’s expense; someone who dishonors Scholars; someone who dishonors his Rabbi; someone who dishonors the Festivals; and someone who defiles sacred property. What cases are we discussing, in which all of these people have no portion in the World to Come? When they die without doing teshuvah. But if one of them returned from his wickedness and died as a ba’al teshuvah, such a person belongs among those who have a share in the World to Come, since nothing stands up to teshuvah. Even if a person denied the essential teachings of Judaism all her days, but in the end repented – she has a portion in the World to Come, as it says, Peace, peace for him who is far off and for him who is near, says the LORD; and I will heal him (Isaiah 57:19). All the wicked and the apostates and those like them who returned in teshuvah, whether in public or privately – they are accepted, as it says, Return, you faithless children (Jeremiah 3:22); although he is still faithless, since he has repented privately but not publicly, his teshuvah is still accepted.

Twenty-four things delay teshuvah. Four of them are a great sin and anyone who does one of them, the Holy Blessed One does not assist that person in doing teshuvah because of the seriousness of her sin, and they are: (1) Someone who causes others to sin; and included in this sin is anyone who delays others from doing teshuvah. (2) Someone who turns his friend away from a good path to a bad one, like someone who persuades and tempts [toward idolatry]. (3) Someone who sees his child taking on bad habits and does not prevent him – since the child is in the parent’s control, if the parent would prevent him he would certainly stop, so the parent is considered causing him to sin. And included in this sin is anyone who has the ability to prevent someone else [from sinning], whether one person or many, and he leaves them to their mistake instead of preventing them. (4) Someone who says, “I will sin and I will repent,” and this includes a person who says, “I will sin and Yom Kippur will atone for me.”

Five of them are things that lock the path of teshuvah before those who commit them, and they are: (1) Someone who separates from the community – because at the time when they do teshuvah she will not be with them and will not merit to be included in the good deeds they do. (2) Someone who disputes the words of the Sages – because his dispute causes him to separate from them and he will therefore not know the path of teshuvah. (3) Someone who disparages the mitzvot – because they are debased in her eyes, she will not run after them and do them; and if she does not do them, with what will she merit teshuvah? (4) Someone who dishonors his Rabbis – this will cause him to be pushed away and driven out like Gehazi; and while he is driven out he will not find a teacher who can instruct him in the path of Truth. (5) One who hates reprimand – because this leaves her no path to teshuvah, since reprimand leads to teshuvah. When a person is told of her sins and shamed for them, she returns in teshuvah, as is written in the Torah: Remember, and forget not, how you provoked the LORD your G-d to anger (Deuteronomy 9:7); you have been rebellious (Deut. 9:7); Yet the LORD has not given you a heart to perceive (Deut. 29:3); You foolish and unwise people (Deut. 32:6). Similarly, Isaiah reprimanded Israel and said, Ah, sinful nation (Isaiah 1:4); The ox knows his owner (Is. 1:3); Because I know that you are obstinate (Is. 48:4). Also, G-d commanded him to reprimand sinners, as it says, Cry aloud, spare not, [lift up your voice like a shofar, and show my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins] (Is. 58:1). Similarly all the Prophets rebuked Israel until they returned in teshuvah; consequently each and every Jewish community must appoint a great Sage, elderly and fearful of Heaven from his youth, and beloved by them, who will reprimand the masses and bring them back in teshuvah. But a person who hates reprimand will not come to the reprimander and will not listen to his words, and therefore she will remain in her sins, which appear good to her.

Five of them are things from which a person can not return in complete teshuvah. This is because they are interpersonal sins for which the sinner does not know which person has been sinned against and thus can not make restitution, nor ask forgiveness, and they are: (1) Someone who curses the masses – he has not cursed a known person from whom he can ask atonement. (2) Someone who does business with a thief – since she does not know to whom the stolen property belongs, as the thief steals from many people and brings it to her, and she takes [the collected goods]. Furthermore, she supports the thief in his sin. (3) Someone who finds a lost object but does not announce it in order to return it to its owner. (4) Someone who embezzles the property of the poor, orphans, and widows. These unfortunate people are not well-known and famous, and wander from city to city where people will not recognize them, so [the sinner] will not know whose property she has taken such that she might return it. (5) Someone who accepts a bribe in order to skew a judgment – he can not know how far his skewed judgment has traveled, or the extent of its force in order to retract it, since the matter has a basis. Furthermore, he supports [the briber] and leads him into sin.

Five of them are things from which we would not expect a person to return from, since they seem small to most people – so that the sinner would not see it as a sin. They are: (1) Someone who partakes of a meal when there is not enough food for the hosts. This is quasi-theft, but [the sinner] imagines that it is not a sin and says: “I only ate what [the host] offered me.” (2) Someone who uses a poor person’s collateral, since a poor person’s collateral is usually only a hammer or a plow, and [the lender] will think: “They do not diminish [in value], so I haven’t stolen from him.” (3) Someone who looks at forbidden women will think that there is no problem, since he will say: “Did I have intercourse or draw close to her?” But he does not know that looking is a great sin, since it leads to actual sexual misconduct, as it says, do not go astray after your heart and your eyes (Numbers 15:39). (4) Someone who gains honor through her fellow’s disgrace will think that she has not sinned, since her fellow is not standing there and has been neither embarrassed nor ashamed; rather, she has simply contrasted her good deeds and wisdom to her fellow’s deeds or wisdom, so that it will be apparent from the comparison that she is honorable and her fellow is debased. (5) Someone who suspects innocent people will think that it is not a sin, because he will say: “What have I done? Is there anything there besides the suspicion that she might have done or not done something?” But he does not know that this is a sin, to consider a kosher person a sinner in his mind.

Five of them are things which the person who commits them drags with them perpetually, and they are all very bad character traits, and they are: (1) Slander. (2) Gossip. (3) Anger. (4) Someone who plots against their fellow. (5) Someone who makes friends with a wicked person, because he will learn from [the wicked person’s] ways and they will be inscribed in his heart. Thus [King] Solomon said, a companion of fools will suffer harm (Proverbs 13:20). And we have already explained in Laws of Character Traits the ways that all people should behave – all the more so a ba’al teshuvah.

All of these things, and anything like them, even though they delay teshuvah, they do not prevent teshuvah; if a person does teshuvah from these things, that person is a ba’al teshuvah and they have a portion in the World to Come.

Free will is granted to all people: If one wanted to turn oneself to a good path and to be righteous he has free will, and if one wanted to turn oneself to an evil path and be wicked he has free will, as it is written in the Torah, Behold, the man is become like one of us, to know good and evil (Genesis 3:22), that is, this species of human is unique in the world and there is no other species like it in this matter, that it of its own initiative and will and thought knows Good and Evil and will do whatever it pleases, and there is no one to prevent its hand from doing Good or Evil, and since that is so Lest he send his hand (Gen. 3:22).

Do not let this thing that the simpletons of the Nations of the World and most of the fools of Israel say cross your mind, that the Holy Blessed One decrees for a person to be righteous or wicked from the beginning of his creation. The matter is not so; rather, every person is capable of being righteous like Moses our Teacher or wicked like [King] Jeroboam, wise or foolish, compassionate or cruel, stingy or wasteful, and so on for all of the attributes. And there is no one that forces him or decrees for him, nor anyone who pulls him toward one of the two paths; rather, that person, of his own will and awareness, leans toward whichever path he wants, as Jeremiah said, Does not Good and Evil come out of the mouth of the Most High? (Lamentations 3:38). And since that is how it is, it seems that this sinner injures himself. Therefore it is appropriate for him to cry and wail over his sins and over what he did to his soul and how he caused evil to it, as is written afterward, How can a living man complain etc. (Lamentations 3:39). And he returns to say, since we have free will, and by our own awareness we did all of the evil, it is appropriate for us to return in teshuvah and abandon our wickedness, since we now have free will, as is written afterward, Let us search and try our ways, and return [to the Lord] (Lamentations 3:40).

And this is a major principle, and it is a pillar of the Torah and the Mitzvah, as it says, See, I have set before you this day life and good, and death and evil (Deuteronomy 30:15), and it is written, Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse (Deuteronomy 11:26), which is to say that you have free will, and whatever a person wants to do, of all the deeds of humanity, he can do, whether good or bad. And based on this concept it says, Oh that they had such a heart as this [always, to revere Me, and keep all My commandments] (Deuteronomy 5:26), which is to say that the Creator neither forces humans nor decrees for them to do Good or Evil; everything is turned over to them.

If G-d would decree for a person to be righteous or wicked, or if something existed in a person’s nature that would pull him to a certain path, or to a certain opinion, or to a certain characteristic, or to a certain action, like the stupid astrologers make up, how could G-d command us through the Prophets, “Do this and don’t do that,” “Improve your ways and do not follow your wickedness,” when from the beginning of his creation it was already decreed for him, or his nature pulls him toward something that he can not escape? And what place would there be for the entire Torah? And according to what justice and what law could G-d punish the wicked or reward the tzaddik, Will the Judge of all the earth not do justice (Genesis 18:25)? But do not wonder and ask, how is it that a person can do whatever he wants and all of his deeds are given over to him, and could a person do anything in the world against his Creator’s will and desire, when the verse says, Whatever the LORD desires, He has done in Heaven and on Earth (Psalm 135:6)? Know that everything is done according to G-d’s desire, even though our actions are given over to us. How is that? Just as the Creator desires that Fire and Air rise above while Water and Earth go down below and the wheel turns in a circle, and so too all of the other creations in the world follow their laws that G-d desired for them, so also G-d desired that a person should have free will and everything be given over to him, and that there should be no one to force or pull, but he of his own will and awareness – which G-d has given him – should do whatever a person can do. Therefore we judge a person according to his actions: if he did Good we do well by him, and if he did Evil we do poorly by him, as the Prophet said, This is from your own doing (Malakhi 1:9), they have chosen their own ways (Isaiah 66:3). And on this subject [King] Solomon said, Rejoice, young man, in your youth... but know that for all these things G-d will bring you to judgment (Ecclesiastes 11:9), which is to say: know that you have the power to act and in the future you will be called to judgment.

Lest you ask: Doesn’t the Holy Blessed One know everything that will happen before it happens, that this person will be righteous or wicked, or does G-d not know? If G-d knows that he will be righteous, it is impossible for him not to be righteous! And if you say that G-d knows he will be righteous and it is possible for him to be wicked, then G-d does not know the matter with clarity! Know that the answer to this question, The measure of it is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea (Job 11:9), and several great principles and lofty mountains depend on it, but you must know and understand this matter that I will say. We have already explained in the second chapter of Laws of the Foundations of Torah that the Holy Blessed One does not know based on separate knowledge, like humans who are distinct from their knowledge; rather, G-d (may G-d’s name be exalted) and G-d’s knowledge are one. And a person’s intellect is not able to comprehend this matter with clarity; just as a person lacks the power to comprehend and discover the Creator’s Truth, as it says, For a human shall not see Me and live (Exodus 33:20), a person lacks the power to comprehend and discover the Creator’s Knowledge, as the Prophet said, For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways (Isaiah 55:8). And since it is thus, we do not have the power to know how it is that the Holy Blessed One knows all the creations and all the actions. But know without a doubt that a person’s actions are in his hands, and the Holy Blessed One does not pull him or decree for him to do so. And this is not only known from acceptance of the religion, but through clear proofs from philosophy. And therefore it says in prophecy that a person is judged on his actions such as they are, whether Good or Evil, and this is the principle upon which all words of prophecy depend.

There are many verses in the Torah and the words of the Prophets that appear to contradict this principle, and most people stumble on these ideas: that the Holy Blessed One decrees for a person to do evil or good, and that one’s heart is not turned over for one to incline it toward whatever one might want. But I will now clarify an important principle, from which you will know the explanation of all those verses: At the moment when a particular person [sins] or the citizens of a particular province sin, and the sinner commits the sin with awareness and intention, as we have explained – it is appropriate that they should be punished. The Holy Blessed One knows how to punish: There is a sin for which the judgment renders punishment for the sinner in This World physically or financially, or through the sinner’s minor children – since a person’s minor children who lack awareness and have not taken on any mitzvot are like one’s property, and it is written, Each man shall be put to death for his own sin (Deut. 24:16) – once he becomes a man. And there is a sin for which the judgment renders punishment for the sinner in the World to Come, but no damage will be done to the sinner in This World. And there is a sin for which the sinner is punished in This World and in the World to Come.

When does this apply? When the sinner does not do teshuvah; but if the sinner does teshuvah – teshuvah is like a shield from calamity. And just as one sins by one’s own awareness and intention, so too one does teshuvah by one’s own awareness and intention.

But it is possible that a person would commit a grave sin or many sins so that judgment is rendered before the True Judge to punish this sinner on account of these sins committed through [the sinner’s] awareness and intention – such that teshuvah is prevented and we do not allow this person to return from their evil, so that they will die and be lost in the sins they committed. This is what the Holy Blessed One said through Isaiah: Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they, seeing with their eyes, and hearing with their ears, and understanding with their heart, do teshuvah, and receive healing (Isaiah 6:10). Similarly, They mocked the messengers of G-d, and despised G-d’s words, and scoffed at G-d’s prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against G-d’s people such that there was no remedy (2 Chronicles 36:16), meaning: they sinned intentionally and eagerly transgressed until they deserved to be denied teshuvah, which is the “remedy.” Therefore it is written in the Torah: I will harden Pharaoh’s heart (Ex. 14:4) – since he initially sinned of his own initiative and abused Israel, who were living in his land, as it says, Come, let us deal cleverly with them (Ex. 1:10), judgment was rendered to deny [Pharaoh] teshuvah until [G-d] punished him – therefore the Holy Blessed One hardened [Pharaoh’s] heart. So why did [G-d] send Moses with the message: “Release [the Israelites], and do teshuvah,” when the Holy Blessed One had already said [to Pharaoh], “You won’t release [the Israelites],” as it says, But as for you and your servants, I know that you do not yet fear the LORD G-d (Ex. 9:30), ‪But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth (Ex. 9:16)? In order to inform humanity that when the Holy Blessed One denies teshuvah to a sinner, [the sinner] can not repent – [rather] the sinner will die in the wickedness that [the sinner] initially committed intentionally. So it was for Sihon – because of his sins he deserved to be denied teshuvah, as it says, the Lord your G-d hardened his spirit and strengthened his heart (Deut. 2:30); and so it was for the Canaanites – because of their abominations, they were denied teshuvah to the point where they waged war against Israel, as it says, For it was the Lord’s doing to harden their hearts, so they would come against Israel in battle and be utterly destroyed (Joshua 11:20); and so it was with Israel in the days of Elijah – because they eagerly transgressed, those who eagerly transgressed were denied teshuvah, as it says, [Answer me, Lord, answer me, so that this people will know that You, LORD, are G-d,] for You turned their heart backward (1 Kings 18:37), that is, You denied them teshuvah. So you must conclude: G-d did not decree for Pharaoh to abuse Israel, nor for Sihon to sin in his land, nor for the Canaanites to commit abominations, nor for Israel to commit idolatry – rather, all of them sinned of their own initiative and all of them deserved to be denied teshuvah.

In this manner the Righteous and Prophets ask in their prayers for G-d to help them along the True Path, as David said: Teach me, Lord, Your way, so I may walk in Your truth (Psalm 86:11), meaning, “Do not allow my sins to deny me the true path, through which I will know Your ways and the unity of Your name.” Similarly, [David] said: Uphold me with a willing spirit (Ps. 51:14), meaning, “Allow my spirit to do Your will, and may my sins not cause me to be denied teshuvah – instead, may I have free will until I repent and understand and know the True Path.” And [we can explain] all similar verses along these lines.

So what is meant by this thing that David said: Good and upright is the Lord; therefore G-d instructs sinners in the way; G-d leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble G-d’s way (Psalm 25:8-9)? That G-d sends them Prophets who inform them of G-d’s ways and bring them back in teshuvah, and furthermore: that G-d has given them the power to learn and understand. Every person possesses this characteristic: so long as one is drawn down the paths of wisdom and justice, one will desire them and pursue them. And this is consistent with our Rabbis of Blessed Memory said: “One who comes to purify receives assistance,” meaning one will find oneself assisted in the matter. But is it not written in the Torah, And G-d said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be strangers in a land which is not theirs, and they will make them serve, and they will afflict them for four hundred years (Gen 15:13) – didn’t G-d decree for the Egyptians to do evil? And it is written, this people will rise, and play the harlot after the gods of the strangers of the land (Deut. 31:16) – G-d decreed for Israel to commit idolatry, so why should they be punished? Because G-d did not decree for this specific known person to be the idolater. Rather, each and every one of those idolaters, had he not wanted to commit [idolatry] – he would not have committed [idolatry]; but G-d merely described the way of the world. G-d might as well have said, “This nation will contain righteous people and wicked people.” A wicked person can not say that G-d decreed for him to be wicked just because G-d told Moses that there would be some wicked people in Israel. This is just like when it says, there will never cease to be poor in the land (Deut. 15:11). So it is with the Egyptians – each and every one of those Egyptians who abused Israel, had he wished not to abuse them, he possessed free will. G-d did not decree for any specific person [to enslave Israel], but merely informed [Abram] that in the end his ancestors would be enslaved in a land that was not theirs. And we have already said that a person does not have the power to know how the Holy Blessed One knows things that will be in the future.

Since free will is granted to all people, as we have explained, a person should strive to do teshuvah and confess his sins verbally and shakes his hands free of his sins, so that he will die as a ba’al teshuvah and merit the life of the World to Come.

A person should always view himself as if he is about to die, lest he die an untimely death and be established in his sins – therefore a person should do teshuvah from his sins immediately and not say, “When I grow old I will do teshuvah,” lest he die before he grows old. Thus Solomon said in his wisdom, Let your clothing be white in every moment (Ecclesiastes 9:8).

Do not say that there is only teshuvah for sins that have an action, such as fornication, robbery, and theft; rather, just as a person must do teshuvah for these, so too he must search out his bad character traits, and do teshuvah for anger, hatred, jealousy, laziness, pursuit of money and honor, gluttony, and so on. A person must return in teshuvah from all of these. And these sins are harder than those which have an action, because once a person is immersed in them it is difficult for him to break free from them. Thus the verse says, Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts (Isaiah 55:7).

Let a ba’al teshuvah not think that he is far from the level of the righteous because of the sins and transgressions he has committed – it is not so, but he is loved and cherished before the Creator as if he had never sinned. Furthermore, her reward is great, because he has tasted the flavor of sin and separated from it and conquered her temptation. Our Sages said: “In a place where ba’alei teshuvah stand, the completely righteous can not stand,” meaning that their level is greater than those who have never sinned – because they have done more to conquer their temptation.

All the prophets, all of them commanded [the nation] to repent, and Israel will only be redeemed through Teshuva. The Torah has already promised that, in the end, Israel will do Teshuva, and immediately they will be redeemed. As it is says: "And it shall come to pass, when all these things..."; "and shalt return unto the LORD thy G-d".

Great is repentance, for it draws one close to the Shechinah, as it is said: "Return, O Israel, to the LORD your G-d." [Hosea 14:2] And it says [further]: "You have not returned to Me, says the LORD." [Amos 4:6] And it says [further]: "If you will return, O Israel, says the LORD, return to ME." [Jeremiah 4:1] That is: if you return in repentance, you shall cleave to Me. Repentance draws close those who are distant; yesterday one may have been despised, repulsive, vulgar and abominable but today he may be beloved, precious, close and adored. Thus, you find that the same language with which the Holy One of Blessing distances sinners is also used to draw near the penitent - whether individually or collectively. As it says: "'Whereas I had called you "Not-My-People," you shall [now] be called "Children of the Living G-d." [Hosea 2:1] And it is said [similarly] of Yecheniya's wickedness: "Let this man be recorded as barren, a man who will never prosper in all his days...should Chenyiahu, son of Yehoyakim, King of Judah, be the signet on My right hand!?" Nevertheless, when he repented in exile, it was said about Zerubabbel, his son: "'On that day,' declares the LORD of Hosts, 'I will take you, Zerubabbel, son of Shealtiel, My servant,' declares the LORD, 'and don you as a signet ring.'"

How great is the value of teshuvah! Yesterday this person was separated from Adonai, the G-d of Israel, as it says, your iniquities have separated between you and your G-d (Isaiah 59:2); he cried out and was not answered, as it says, when you make many prayers, I will not hear (Is. 1:15); he did mitzvot and they were torn up in front of him, as it says, who has required this at your hand, to trample my courts? (Is. 1:12), O, that were one among you who would shut the doors that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, said the Lord of hosts, nor will I accept an offering from your hand (Malakhi 1:10). But today he has adhered to the Divine Presence, as it says, You who hold fast to the Lord your G-d (Deut. 4:4); he cries out and is answered immediately, as it says, And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer (Is. 65:24); and he does mitzvot which are not only accepted with pleasantness and joy, as it says, for G-d has already accepted your works (Ecclesiastes 9:7), but are even desired, as it says, Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant to the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in former years (Malakhi 3:4).

Ba’alei teshuvah – their way is to be exceedingly lowly and humble. If the wicked ones mock them for their earlier actions and say to them, “Yesterday you did such-and-such, yesterday you said such-and-such” – they do not feel it, but rather hear it and are happy in the knowledge that it is a credit to them. For so long as they are embarrassed and ashamed by their actions which happened in the past, their merit increases and their value rises. And it is a complete sin to say to a ba’al teshuvah, “Remember your initial actions!” or to mention them in front of her to embarrass her, or to mention things or subjects similar to them in order to reminder her – all of this is forbidden. And we are warned about this in the Torah with the general prohibition of verbal abuse, as it says, You shall not abuse one another (Leviticus 25:17).

The goodness which is in store for the righteous is the Life of the World to Come – Life which has no Death, Good which has no Evil. This is what is written in the Torah: that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days (Deut. 22:7), and from tradition we learned: that it may be well with you, in a world that is entirely good; that you may prolong your days, in a world that is entirely long; and that is the World to Come. The reward of the righteous is that they will earn this pleasantness and never be cut off or die; and the punishment of the wicked is that they will not merit this life, and will be cut off and die. And anyone who does not earn this life is the dead who will never live, but is cut off in his wickedness and lost like an animal; and this is the “cutting off” that is described in the Torah, as it says, that soul shall utterly be cut off (Numbers 15:31). From tradition we learned: cut off, in this World; utterly, in the World to Come, i.e., that soul which has separated from the body in this world will not earn the life of the World to Come, but will also be cut off from the World to Come.

The World to Come has no body or corporeality – only the souls of the righteous without bodies, like the Ministering Angels. Since there is no corporeality, there is no eating or drinking, and nothing of all the things that human bodies need in this world. Nothing that happens to bodies in this World happens there, such as: sitting and standing, sleep and death, sadness and joy, etc. Thus said the First Sages: “The World to Come has no eating or drinking or sex, just the righteous sitting with their crowns on their heads enjoying the glow of the Divine Presence” – let that prove to you that there is no body there, since there is no eating or drinking. And the fact that they said, “The righteous sitting” – this a form of riddle, meaning that the righteous are present there without expending and work or effort. And the fact that they said, “Their crowns on their heads,” meaning that the “knowledge” that they gained, through which they earned the Life of the World to come, is present with them – and it is a crown for them, as King Solomon said: the crown with which his mother crowned him (Song of Songs 3:11). Similarly, it says, everlasting joy shall be upon their head (Isaiah 51:11), but joy is not physical such that it could rest on someone’s head; so too, the “crown” that the Sages mentioned here is knowledge. And what about their statement, “Enjoying the glow of the Divine Presence?” It means that they know and grasp the Truth of the Holy Blessed One, which they can not know when they are in the dark, lowly body.

All souls that are mentioned in this matter are not the soul that requires the body, but rather the form of the soul, which is the knowledge that it attained from the Creator according to its strength and [the understanding of] the separate intellects and other creations [which] it has attained; and this is the form about which we explained in the fourth chapter of the Laws of the Foundations of the Torah - that is what is called, 'soul' in this matter. These lives - since there is no death with them, as death comes from the incidents of the body, and there is no body here - are called the bindings of life, as it says, the soul of my master shall be bound up with bindings of life (I Samuel 25:29). And this is the reward that has no higher reward than it, and the good that has no good after it; and it is the thing which all of the prophets desired.

And several names were given to it metaphorically: the mountain of the Lord; and His holy place; and the holy path; and the courtyards of the Lord; and the pleasantness of the Lord; and the tent of the Lord; and the chamber of the Lord; and the house of the Lord; and the gate of the Lord. And the Sages metaphorically called this good that is awaiting the righteous, a meal. And it is everywhere called the World to Come.

The punishment for which there is no greater punishment: that a soul should be cut off and not merit that Life, as it says, That soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him (Num. 15:31). This is the abandonment, which the Prophets called, by way of analogy: Pit of Destruction, Abandonment, Hearth, Leech, and all other terms of finality and destruction – because it is finality without restoration afterward, and that which is lost can never be regained.

Lest this good become light in your eyes and you should imagine that the only reward for [performing] the commandments and being complete in the ways of truth is to eat and drink good foods and to have intercourse with pleasant forms and to wear silk and embroidered clothes and to live in ivory tents and to use sliver and golden vessels and matters similar to these - as these silly and foolish Arabs, who wallow in licentiousness, imagine - [you should know that] the Sages and intelligent ones knew that all of these things were nonsense and empty and there is no point to them. And it is not a great good for us in this world; but because we have a body and a frame and all of these things are needs of the body, the soul only covets them for the needs of the body so that [the soul] can fulfill its will and rely upon its health. And when there is no body, all of these things are nullified. In this world, there is no way to grasp and to know the great good that will occur to the soul in the World to Come - as in this world, we only know good to the body and that is what we desire. But that good [of the World to Come] is very great and it has no measurement by the goods of this world, except by way of metaphor. But by way of truth, it is not correct to measure the good of the World to Come by [comparison to] the good of the body in eating and drinking in this world. But rather that good is incomparably great and it has no measurement or comparison. This is [the meaning of] what was said by David, How great is Your goodness, that you have envisioned for those who fear You, etc. (Pslams 31:20).

And how greatly did David yearn and desire for the Life of the World to Come, as it says, Were it not that I believed to see the good of the Lord in the land of the living (Psalms 27:13). And the Sages have already informed us that man does not have the power to grasp it clearly - and there is none that knows its greatness and beauty and might besides the Holy One, blessed be He, only - and that all of the goods that the prophets prophesied to Israel are only matters of the body that Israel will enjoy in the times of the Messiah, when sovereignty will return to Israel. But the good of the Life of the World to Come has no measurement and comparison; and the prophets did not envision it, so that they should not diminish it by that vision. This is [the meaning of] what was said by Yeshayahu, an eye has not seen, G-d - beside you - [what you] do for the one who awaits him (Isaiah 64:3). This is to say that the good that the eye of the prophet has not seen and that no one has seen besides G-d, G-d has made for the man that waits for it. The Sages said (Berakhot 34b), "All of the prophets only prophesied regarding the times of the Messiah, but regarding the World to Come, an eye has not seen, G-d - beside you."

The Sages did not call it “The World to Come” because it is not currently present, and this World will disappear, and then that World will come – this is not so! It is present and established, as it says, [Oh how great is your goodness], which you have laid up for those who fear you; which you have done [for those who trust in you, in the sight of the sons of men] (Psalm 31:20). They only called it “The World to Come” because it is the Life which comes to a person after the life of this World, where we exist in body and soul, and which comes to each person at first.

Once we know that the reward for the commandments and the goodness that we will merit if we keep to the way of G-d that is written in the Torah is the Life of the World to Come, as it says, that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days (Deut. 22:7); and the punishment with which the wicked, who have abandoned the ways of justice written in the Torah, will be punished is karet (excision), as it says, That soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him (Num. 15:31) – then how do we understand what is written all over the Torah: “If you listen – you will get this; and if you do not listen – that will happen to you,” and all of those things are in this world, such as satiation and famine or war and peace or dominion and lowliness, and inhabiting the land and exile, and successful action and its loss, and all of the other words of the covenant? All those things are true. But this is the correct order of things: the Holy Blessed One gave us this Torah, which is a Tree of Life; and anyone who does what is written in it and knows it with a full and correct understanding earns the Life of the World to Come. And according to the magnitude of her deeds and extent of her wisdom, so she earns. And we are promised in the Torah, that if we fulfill it with happiness and good will and review its wisdom at all times – that G-d will remove all the things that prevent us from fulfilling it, such as sickness, war, famine, etc. And G-d will give us all the good things that strengthen our hands to fulfill the Torah, such as sustenance, peace, and plenty of silver and gold, so that we will not need to engage in the needs of the body – but just sit available to learn with wisdom and to do the commandment, so that we earn the Life of the World to Come. And so [too] does He say in the Torah after He promised us the goods of this world, and it will be charity (tsedeka) for us, etc. (Deuteronomy 6:25). And so [too], He informed us in the Torah that if we intentionally abandon His Torah and we engage in wastes of time - as the matter is said, But Yeshurun became fat and kicked (Deuteronomy 32:15) - that the true Judge will remove the goods of this world from those that abandon [Him], since they are what strengthened their hands to kick; and bring all of the evils that prevent them from acquiring the Life of the World to Come, so that they perish in their evil. This is [the meaning of] what is written in the Torah, As a result of your not serving the Lord, etc. and you will serve your enemies which the Lord sent upon you (Deuteronomy 28:47-8). It comes out that the explanation of all those blessings and curses is according to the following: it is to say that if you served the Lord with happiness and observed His way, He will bequest you these blessings and distance the curses from you, so that you become available to gain wisdom from the Torah and be involved with it, so that you will merit the Life of the World to Come, and He will benefit you with the world that is completely good, and lengthen your days in the world that is completely long - it comes out that you will have merited both worlds; a good life in this world that brings one to the Life of the World to Come. And if he does not acquire wisdom and good deeds here, he will not have with what to merit [the Life of the World to Come], as it says, as there is no act or reckoning or knowledge or wisdom in the grave (Ecclesiastes 9:10). And if you abandon the Lord and err in food and drink and licentiousness and similar things, He brings all of these curses upon you and removes all of the blessings so that you end all of your days in confusion and fear, and your heart will not be available and your body will not be sound to do the commandments, so that you perish from the Life of the World to Come - and it comes out that you have lost both worlds. Since when a man is occupied in this world with sickness and war and famine, he does not engage in either wisdom or commandments, through which we merit the Life of the World to Come.

Because of this, all Israel, their Prophets and Sages, have desired the Messianic Age – so that they can have rest from regimes who do not allow them to engage in Torah and mitzvot properly; and then they will have calm and increased wisdom, so that they will earn the Life of the World to Come. For in those days wisdom and understanding will increase, as it says, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord (Isaiah 11:9), and it says, And they shall not (need to) teach; a man his brother, and a man his neighbor (Jeremiah 31:33), and it [also] says, and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh (Ezekiel 36:26). Because that king that will arise from the seed of David will be a greater sage than Shlomo and a great prophet - close to our teacher, Moshe. And hence he will teach all of the people and instruct them in the way of the Lord. And all of the nations will come to hear him, as it says, And it will be in the end of days that the mountain of the house of the Lord will be established at the top of the mountains (Isaiah 2:2). And the ultimate end of all the reward and the final Good which has no interruption or deficiency is the Life of the World to Come; but the Messianic Age is This World, following its own order, except that sovereignty returns to Israel. And the First Sages already said (Shabbat 63a) “There is no difference between This World and the Messianic Age, other than oppressive regimes."

A person should not say, “I will do the Torah’s commandments and engage in its wisdom so that I will receive all of the blessings written in it,” or “…so that I will earn the Life of the World to Come;” nor “I will avoid sins that the Torah warned against in order to avoid the curses that are written in the Torah,” or “…so I will not be cut off from the Life of the World to Come” – it is not appropriate to serve G-d in this way. For a person who serves G-d in this way serves through fear, which is not the attribute of the Prophets or the Sages. Only ignorant people, women, and children serve G-d in this way, for we teach them to serve G-d this way until their understanding deepens and they can serve through love.

The one who serves [G-d] out of love is involved in Torah study and in the commandments and goes in the paths of wisdom, not for the sake of something in the world and on account of fear from [resulting] evil, and not in order to acquire a good but rather, he does the truth on account of its being the truth - and in the end, the good will come because of it. And this virtue is a very great virtue and not every sage merits it. And it is the virtue of our father, Avraham, who the Holy One, blessed be He, called he who loved Him, since he only served [G-d] out of love. And it is the virtue that the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded us through Moshe, as it says, And you shall love the Lord, your G-d (Deuteronomy 6:5). And when a man loves the Lord with an appropriate love, automatically he does all of the commandments out of love.

What is the appropriate Love? It is that a person should love G-d with a great and very excessive love, until his souls is bound up in love of G-d and he focuses on it constantly as if he were lovesick and could not take his mind off of some woman, whether sitting, standing, even when he eats and drinks. Beyond this, love of G-d should be in their hearts constantly, as we were commanded: with all your heart and with all your soul (Deut. 6:5). Thus [King] Solomon said, as a metaphor, for I am lovesick (Song of Songs 2:5), for all of Song of Songs is a metaphor for this matter.

The First Sages said (Nedarim 62a), "Lest you will say, 'behold I will study Torah in order that I will become rich, in order that I will be called 'rabbi,' in order that I will receive reward in the World to Come,' [the verse comes to] teach [the opposite, when it] says (Deuteronomy 11:13), to love the Lord - everything that you do, you should only do out of love." And the sages also said (Avodah Zara 19a), "Greatly desire His commandments, not the reward of His commandments." And so would the greatest Sages especially command their most understanding and brightest students (Avot 1:3), "'Do not be like slaves, that serve their master, etc.,' but rather, because He is the Master, it is fitting to serve him." That is to say, "serve Him out of love.

Anyone who engages in Torah in order to receive a reward, or so that misfortune will not befall him, engages in Torah not for its own sake; but anyone who engages in it not from Fear and not from a desire to receive reward – she engages in it for its own sake. Our sages taught: A person should certainly engage in Torah even not for its own sake, since engagement not for its own sake leads to engagement for its own sake. Therefore when we teach children and women and generally ignorant people – we only teach them to serve out of Fear and in order to receive a reward. Once their understanding deepens and they gain additional wisdom, then we reveal this secret to them little by little and accustom them to this concept gently until they grasp and understand and serve G-d through Love.

It is a clearly known matter, that Love of the Holy Blessed One is not bound up in a person’s heart until she engages it constantly as is appropriate, and abandons everything else in the world but this, as G-d commanded and said: with all your heart and with all your soul (Deut. 6:5). Love will be according to understanding: if [understanding] is slight, [love] will be slight, and if [understanding] is great, [love] will be great. Therefore a person must set aside [time] for himself to understand and grasp the wisdom and understanding that his Creator provides him according to each person’s ability to understand and grasp, as we have explained in Laws of the Foundations of Torah.

(The first book has been completed and it is the Book of Knowledge.)