Day Forty-Eight
Teshuvah Elyonah of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai
We noted in the forward that Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai speaks of Teshuvah Elyonah in the Tikunei Zohar 6:22a. It states there as follows:
Woe to those people [of Israel] with whom the Holy One, May He be Blessed is imprisoned with them! And concerning Her it states (Brachos 5b): “A Prisoner cannot extricate Himself from the prison.” And Her redemption, which is awakened by Teshuvah Elyonah– [that is,] the Sefira of Binah is in their hands…. [As the verse states (Shemos 2:12):] “And he (Moshe Rabeinu) turned therein and therein,” looking to see if there is one who is aroused to do Teshuvah and destroy their prison, regarding him it is written (Yeshayahu 49:9): “Say to the imprisoned, ‘Flee!’ and to those in darkness, ‘Be revealed!’” “And he turned therein and therein, and he saw that there was no man”: rather “each man to his way they’ve turned” (cf. Ibid 53:6): to their own interests and their own endeavors; “…each man to his profit, from his corner” (Ibid 56:11): [That is,] the gains of “this world,” to inherit “this world.” And such ones are not from the aspect of those about whom it states (Shemos 18:21): “Men of valor, fearers of Elokim, men of truth, haters of profit.”
Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai reveals that the one and only way to liberate the Shechinah from the dungeon of our long and bitter exile is for Klal Yisrael to engage in Teshuvah Elyonah. By breaking out of our dark prison of impurity, we will merit to free the Shechinah from Her shackles and intolerable suffering.
The Power of Teshuvah Elyonah
Our Sages tell us (Gittin 55b) that the Beis HaMikdash was destroyed due to the sin of baseless hatred. Moreover, as long as we haven’t eradicated this insufferable transgression from our midst, it cannot be rebuilt! This is the reason for our bitter and protracted exile. If Teshuvah Elyonah is the key to releasing the Shechinah from its imprisonment, it follows that it has the power to rectify baseless hatred. The Mitzvah to “love your friend like yourself” pulsates throughout and is the culmination of Teshuvah Elyonah. As Rabbi Akivah states (Bereisheis Rabbah 24:7; Yerushalmi Nedarim 9:5; Sifra 2:12): “The Mitzvah of ‘And you shall love your fellow like yourself’ is the major principle of the Torah.”
May unconditional love for every person be awakened within us, whereby we will merit to experience the Complete Redemption quickly in our days, with the help of our merciful Father in Heaven. Amen!
May all Klal Yisrael at the end of days, join together with all Mankind and sing joyously to the Holy One, when performing Teshuvah Elyonah, causing the Light of Binah to illuminate upon the entire world (Based on the Chayey Adam 155:41).
״אז ימלא שחוק פינו״
