| The text of Tomer Devorah, written by Rabbi Moshe Cordovero (HaRamak). Teshuvah Elyonah ~ Exalted Repentance. Chapter Four, Binah (Divine Enlightenment). Presented in the original Hebrew text and accompanied with the English translation. The English text is annotated with the commentary of “Laughter Will Fill Our Mouths.”
Elevate!
The Ramak explains that the Merciful One’s address to Cain reveals the wonder of Teshuvah Elyonah (Exalted Repentance). Cain fell into a deep depression when his offering went unaccepted. The Merciful One consoled him, “Surely if you will make yourself good – Elevate!” The Ramak clarifies that God didn’t inform Cain that he should bring a new offering of a higher caliber. Rather, He advised him, “Transform your negative nature by ascending to your soul’s holy root.” The Merciful One was telling Cain, “By transforming yourself into an entity of holiness, you will retroactively rectify the rejected offering. A further one is unnecessary, for your newfound inner perfection will elevate the status of your past actions.” So too, absolutely anyone who engages in Teshuvah Elyonah (Exalted Repentance) will ascend to the holy root of his soul, where both his nature and his past actions will transform to goodness.
Tense Discrepancy Reconciled
The Ramak reconciles the tense discrepancy found in the verse, the Holy One said to Cain, “Surely if you will make yourself good,” i.e., future tense, and “Elevate,” i.e., present tense. Only by looking into the future of one’s life does Man have the perspective to improve himself, for he sees the rest of his days before him. Indeed, his future spans to eternity! Notwithstanding, his impetus to improve himself is to take action in the now, “Elevate!,” uplift yourself to your good root, stationed in Binah.
The Torah’s formula for growth is a combination of seeing how he can improve himself in the future, while initiating the process by elevating himself in the now! This “time balancing” perspective is the impetus of uplifting his very past: for the past, the future, and the present all converge at the intersect of Man’s true good. Thus, by viewing himself through the Creator’s instructions and guidance, a person merges with his own inherent, infinite goodness!
Like a Rocket Flight
“Elevate,” meaning, “Ascend to your holy root in Binah (Divine Enlightenment).” The “journey” to Binah is analogous to the two forces involved in a rocket’s flight: 1) The thrust of the rocket that overcomes the gravitational attraction of the takeoff planet; and 2) The gravitational force of the destination planet that pulls the rocket towards it, progressively strengthening as it draws nearer. The spiritual realm acts in a similar fashion. One force is the free-will choice of a person to overcome his nature by engaging in Teshuvah (Repentance): the mere contemplation to repent. This motivation to engage in Teshuvah comprises a spiritual function – the performance of a Mitzvah. The second force is the Splendor of Binah that radiates from the spiritual realm and elevates him to an infinitely higher plane of existence.
Understand that the second force, the power of Binah to pull the soul into its holy “gravitational field,” is beyond human comprehension. Imagine, a rocket hurling through space while attracted to the gravitational field of the destination planet. Its velocity accelerates to a blinding speed. How much more so is the power of Binah’s attraction upon the soul! The soul rises up to Binah in a flash, traveling over “light years of space” in a mere instant. Of course there is no concept of “space” in the spiritual realm. We refer to ‘light years of space” to make it comprehensible to the human mind.
The Shot of an Arrow
The concept of “Elevate!” can be likened to the shooting of an arrow. An arrow’s direction and distance depends on two factors: 1) The archer’s aim to hit object “x” located in place “y”, and 2) How hard the bowstring must be pulled back in order to propel the arrow to its intended target. So too, there are two factors relevant to Teshuvah Elyonah: 1) How far a person intends to separate himself from the darkness of this world, and 2) How high he strives to ascend to unite with his soul’s root in Binah.
Teshuvah Elyonah converts all of one’s past to goodness and light. Like a prize date palm with luscious fruits, firmly planted and lovingly nurtured, with deep and healthy roots from which it is simply impossible to produce a bitter yield. So too, by ascending to his holy root, firmly implanted in the nurturing “Expanses of the River,” a person produces total goodness – not only in the present and future, but in the past as well!
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