The Evil Trick

Now that you understand the Real Repentance you need to do, here comes the incredible chiddush (new idea) that I had today speaking with her – if you haven’t already been blown away by Rabbi Arush’s teaching in Part 1: 

The real problem is not our sins. Hashem is prepared to forgive them quickly and easily.  

Our real problem is only that we throw up our hands and refuse to do our work, which is pray for Hashem’s help! For THAT there is no forgiveness! Hashem refuses to let go of our requirement to be a full part in perfecting ourselves!  

Let’s explain this in more depth: 

The Evil Inclination sells us this incredible lie, that our big problem is our sins. The Evil Inclination makes us feel sad, angry, and upset when we fail yet again. We might get angry at ourselves, or at someone else who we feel is really to blame. We might also turn the pain inwards, blaming ourselves, thinking that we are evil, that we will never be able to fix ourselves, we’ll never succeed to change for the better, etc. etc. We might also come up with that list of a million excuses of why we really aren’t to blame, in a desperate attempt to deal with those feelings of guilt and shame. 

However, the sins themselves simply cannot be the problem, because look at how Hashem is so merciful! Look at how prepared Hashem is to instantly let go of our sins! He does indeed accept and understand all of our reasons and excuses and explanations, and is ready and prepared to let go of all of it. Therefore, our sins just cannot be the real problem, since it is so easy for Hashem to wipe them all away. 

Really, the Evil Inclination is just tricking you, trying to distract you and fill you with negative emotions in order to neutralize you, and make sure that you don’t do the real thing that you DO need to do, for which there IS NO FORGIVENESS – and that is to do your work! To stand and pray, request forgiveness, and mostly ask Hashem to help you to do better! 

Because Hashem will not do your work for you. Hashem CANNOT do your work for you. This is the entire reason that you were put on this earth – to want to serve Hashem, to strive to serve Hashem, and pray to succeed to properly serve Hashem!  

But throwing in the towel and living with your sins without working on them? For giving up on yourself and your incredible potential? Hashem is more than happy to let go of your sins, but He is not willing to let go of YOU!  

It doesn’t matter who you are, and what your current level is now. Hashem does indeed understand all those reasons and excuses and mitigating circumstances, just like you think to yourself, “Hashem certainly must understand how hard it is for me,” but you can’t throw up your hands now and do nothing about it! Go, stand and speak to your Daddy, who is just waiting for you with open arms to come and ask Him for forgiveness, and ask for help! 

And as I wrote in my article Repentance Rehab, it’s so sweet, and so easy. Just a little time out of your day. No breast-beating, no beating yourself up, no blaming others, no sadness or despair. Just standing before your Creator, speaking in your own words, admitting to your mistakes and especially asking for help to fix them. And you walk away happy, because now you did your work. You did what matters, and you’re squeaky clean. Hashem takes it all off your shoulders, even what you didn’t manage to talk about.  

All that matters is your desire to improve, which is brought out through the prayers from your heart in your own words, every single day! All that matters is for you to work on yourself by connecting to G-d, realize that you cannot do it alone, and ask for help. 

Now, you’re free and clear to spend the rest of your day in the Heaven on Earth that is serving Hashem without harsh judgments, in a world of emuna, knowing that you are in Hashem’s good hands… 

*** 

Rachel Avrahami grew up in Los Angeles, CA, USA in a far-off valley where she was one of only a handful of Jews in a public high school of thousands. She found Hashem in the urban jungle of university. Rachel was privileged to read one of the first copies of The Garden of Emuna in English, and the rest, as they say, is history. She made Aliyah and immediately began working at Breslev Israel.  
 

 
Rachel is now the Editor of Breslev Israel's English website. She welcomes questions, comments, articles, and personal stories to her email: rachel.avrahami@breslev.co.il.