This details how the mitzvot effect a bond between man and G-d. The Alter Rebbe will now go on to explain why this bond is eternal.
In the upper spheres, this union between the soul and G-d is eternal, for G-d, blessed be He, and His will transcend time, and thus, the union with G-d and His will also transcends time and is eternal.
וְיִחוּד זֶה לְמַעְלָה – הוּא נִצְחִי לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד, כִּי הוּא יִתְבָּרֵךְ וּרְצוֹנוֹ לְמַעְלָה מֵהַזְּמַן.
So, too, even in this world, His revealed will, as expressed in His Word—the Torah—is also eternal,
וְכֵן, גִּילּוּי רְצוֹנוֹ שֶׁבְּדִבּוּרוֹ, שֶׁהִיא הַתּוֹרָה, הוּא נִצְחִי,
as it is written: “But the Word of our G-d shall stand forever”;); and “His words live and endure (eternally)”;); and “He will never alter or exchange His law.”;)
וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: "וּדְבַר אֱלֹהֵינוּ יָקוּם לְעוֹלָם", "וּדְבָרָיו חָיִים וְקַיָּימִים כוּ'", "וְלֹא יַחֲלִיף וְלֹא יָמִיר דָּתוֹ לְעוֹלָמִים כוּ'".
Since the revelation of G-d’s will as expressed in the Torah is beyond time, the union of the soul with G-d that Torah and mitzvot effect is likewise eternal.
Here below, however, this union is within the limits of time, for in this world, the soul is under the dominion of time, and the soul is united with G-d only while it is engaged in Torah study or in the performance of a mitzvah.
אֶלָּא שֶׁלְּמַטָּה, הוּא תַּחַת הַזְּמַן וּבְאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה לְבַדָּהּ שֶׁעוֹסֵק בָּהּ בַּתּוֹרָה אוֹ בְּמִצְוָה,
For if he engages afterward in anything else, he becomes separated, here below, from this supernal union (—that is, if he occupies himself with absolutely unnecessary matters that are in no way useful in the service of G-d).
כִּי אַחַר כָּךְ, אִם עוֹסֵק בְּדָבָר אַחֵר – נִפְרָד מֵהַיִּחוּד הָעֶלְיוֹן לְמַטָּה, [וְהַיְינוּ, כְּשֶׁעוֹסֵק בִּדְבָרִים בְּטֵלִים לְגַמְרֵי, שֶׁאֵין בָּהֶם צוֹרֶךְ כְּלָל לַעֲבוֹדַת ה'.]
Nevertheless, when he repents and resumes his service of G-d through Torah study or prayer and he asks forgiveness of G-d for not having studied Torah at the time of his occupation in vain matters when he could have done so, G-d forgives him.
וְאַף־עַל־פִּי־כֵן, כְּשֶׁחוֹזֵר וְשָׁב לַעֲבוֹדַת ה' אַחַר כָּךְ, לְתוֹרָה וְלִתְפִלָּה, וּמְבַקֵּשׁ מְחִילָה מֵה' עַל שֶׁהָיָה אֶפְשָׁר לוֹ לַעֲסוֹק אָז בַּתּוֹרָה וְלֹא עָסַק, ה' יִסְלַח לוֹ,
As our Sages have said, “If one neglected to perform a positive precept and repented, he is pardoned forthwith”;)and is thus reunited, even here below, with G-d and His will.
כְּמַאֲמַר רַבּוֹתֵינוּ־זִכְרוֹנָם־לִבְרָכָה: "עָבַר עַל מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה וְשָׁב לֹא זָז מִשָּׁם עַד שֶׁמּוֹחֲלִין לוֹ".
For this reason, i.e., because such a request for forgiveness is immediately effective in reuniting the soul to G-d so that it will not be parted from Him even momentarily, the Sages ordained that the blessing beginning “Forgive us…,” in which we beg forgiveness for the sin of neglecting the study of the Torah, be recited as often as three times daily, since no one escapes this sin even a single day.
וְלָזֶה, תִּקְּנוּ בִּרְכַּת "סְלַח לָנוּ" שָׁלֹשׁ פְּעָמִים בְּכָל יוֹם – עַל עֲוֹן בִּיטּוּל תּוֹרָה, שֶׁאֵין אָדָם נִיצּוֹל מִמֶּנּוּ בְּכָל יוֹם;
This [blessing] is like the daily burnt-offering sacrificed in the Holy Temple that atoned for neglect of the positive precepts.
וּכְמוֹ הַתָּמִיד – שֶׁהָיָה מְכַפֵּר עַל מִצְוַֹת עֲשֵׂה.
Yet it may be argued: Since this sin is repeated constantly, begging forgiveness for it is similar to saying, “I will sin and repent, sin and repent.” Our Sages have said;) that in such a case, G-d does not grant the sinner the opportunity to repent; why, then, should the request beginning “Forgive us…” be effective in the case of neglecting Torah study? The Alter Rebbe now differentiates between the two cases.
This is not the same as saying, “I will sin and repent, sin and repent,” unless at the very time when one commits the sin, he relies on subsequent repentance and sins because of it, as explained elsewhere.;)
וְאֵין זֶה "אֶחֱטָא וְאָשׁוּב", אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן, שֶׁבִּשְׁעַת הַחֵטְא מַמָּשׁ, הוּא סוֹמֵךְ עַל הַתְּשׁוּבָה וּלְכָךְ חוֹטֵא, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר:
Since he perverted the idea of repentance by using it as an excuse for sinning, he is not given the opportunity to practice it. However, in our case of the oft-repeated sin of neglecting to study Torah, the offender does not rely on teshuvah at the time of his sin, and he is therefore granted the opportunity to ask for forgiveness thrice daily in the blessing of “Forgive us.”
Footnotes
11.
Isaiah 40:8.
12.
Liturgy, Blessings of the Shema (Siddur Tehillat Hashem, p. 48; Annotated Edition, p. 44).
13.
From the hymn Yigdal, based on the Thirteen Principles of Faith formulated by Rambam.
14.
Yoma 86a.
15.
Ibid. 85b.
16.
See Iggeret Hateshuvah, ch. 11.