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The Joy of Repentance\Guilt-Free
Based on Tomer Devorah by the Holy Ramak
Authored and Published by the Salant Foundation
Distributed by Feldheim
A Child Confers Merit Upon a Parent
וַהֲרֵי אִם קַיִן שָׁב בִּתְשׁוּבָה וְנִתְקַן, הִנֵּה זְדוֹן אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן שֶׁבּוֹ הוֹלִיד אֶת קַיִן קִינָא דִמְסָאֲבוּתָא, הָיָה נֶחְשָׁב לוֹ זְכוּת, בְּסוֹד “בְּרָא מְזַכֶּה אַבָּא."
(19) Indeed, had Kayin returned in Teshuvah (Repentance) and been rectified, Adam HaRishon’s intentional transgression – through which Kayin was born as a “Nest of Impurity” – would have been transformed for him (Adam) into merit, through the Secret of the Talmudic dictum (Sanhedrin 104a): “A son confers merit upon the father.”
A Nest of Impurity
As we noted above (Day Thirty), Adam acted improperly by having relations with Chava before the onset of the holy Shabbos, which would have purged her of the Serpent’s defilement. As a result, the venom was passed on to her offspring. Kayin was more vulnerable to this toxicity since his soul threaded through Judgment on its descent to “this world.” As a result, he was born as a “Nest of Impurity.” Nevertheless, had he engaged in Teshuvah, Kayin would have attained a “double” rectification: 1) His own defilement would have been transformed to holiness, and 2) The sin of his father, Adam, would have been converted into a merit.
A Child Confers Merit Upon a Parent
The simple meaning of the tenet, “A child confers merit upon his father,” is that merit accrues to a person’s parents when he performs Mitzvos even if they are no longer in “this world.”
The Ramak reveals the secret of the teaching vis a vis the Mitzvah of Teshuvah Elyonah (Exalted Repentance): Not only does it sanctify the penitent, it also uplifts his father. What’s more, even if it was the father’s misdeed that caused the son’s flaw, Teshuvah Elyonah still rectifies both of them.
How sublime is the power of Teshuvah Elyonah! When a child engages in Teshuvah Elyonah in response to a flaw in his nature, it atones both for the misdeed of his parents that precipitated the flaw; as well as the child’s subsequent trespass, with the very flaw transmuting to goodness. Even more, just as the flaw itself is transformed, so is the very misdeed of the parent converted into a meritorious act!
Hence, Adam’s misdeed of having relations with Chava before the onset of Shabbos resulted in Kayin being born as a Nest of Impurity. Had Kayin heeded God’s advice and performed Teshuvah Elyonah, a series of wonders would have been precipitated based on the tenet, “A son confers merit upon his father.” 1) Kayin would have reversed his status in Heaven from a Nest of Impurity to an Entity of Holiness. 2) Adam’s indiscretion which caused the flaw in his son would have retroactively transformed the flaw to goodness. 3) Moreover, Adam’s misdeed itself would convert to a Mitzvah! Teshuvah Elyonah has the potency of holiness to facilitate these wonders, even without Adam contemplating on Teshuvah!
God Wants the Heart
We find, regarding the Tabernacle, that whoever awakened enthusiasm in his heart to know how to make the intricate craftsmanship of forming the sacred vessels, God would fill his heart with this knowledge! As Scripture states: “And Moshe called to Betzalel and to Ohaliav, and to every wise hearted man whom God gave wisdom in his heart, every person who uplifted his heart to come close to the craftsmanship to do it” (Shemos 36:2). As our Sages declare (based on Sanhedrin 106b), “The Holy One, Blessed Be He wants the heart”. This ideal applies to all types of goodness and holiness, such as Torah study, kindness, and the performance of the Commandments. Whoever awakens his heart to know a specific area of wisdom, the Holy One, Blessed Be He will fill his heart with that wisdom. (Based on the Chofetz Chaim, Toras HaBayis, Chapter 7)
So too, whoever uplifts his heart to know how to perform Teshuvah Elyonah, the Holy One will help him attain the holy wisdom of how to do so!
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