Hasidut untuk Hosea 14:2

And let us now explain the verses of the Haftarah: "Comfort, comfort My people..." etc. For according to the conclusion of the Talmud in Tractate Yoma, regarding the contradiction in the words of Reish Lakish — who said: "Great is repentance, for intentional sins become for him like merits," as it is said: "And when the wicked returns..." — by them he shall live. And a contradiction is raised from another statement of Reish Lakish: "Intentional sins become like unintentional sins," as it is said: "Return, O Israel... for you have stumbled in your iniquity." - that "iniquity" (avon) means an intentional sin, yet it calls it a "stumbling," which implies accident. And the Gemara answers: There is no contradiction — here [it speaks of one who repents] out of love, and here out of fear. And according to the conclusion of the Talmud, one who wishes to repent must ascend gradually — first, he should repent out of fear, so that the intentional sins become like mistakes; and afterward, he should ascend further, to the higher level — repentance out of love, and then those same intentional sins are transformed into merits. For it is not possible to rise to a higher level all at once, but only gradually.

But through this you can understand what they said, “The tzaddik rules [through] reverence for God (2 Sam. 23:3) … [I rule over humans, but] who rules over Me? The tzaddik, [for I make a decree but he annuls it]” (Moed Katan 16b). For at the hands of the wicked the world collapses and remains in contraction and judgment, God forbid; but at the hands of the tzaddikim the king’s anger is settled, as if it were possible. This can be compared to the child of a king, who when he enters into his father’s [presence] – even at the time of his anger – since the king’s will is to draw very close to his precious child, the characteristic of love is awakened within [the king] toward his child; and then that characteristic expands to all those who are in the king’s gate as well. So it is at the hands of the tzaddikim, who bring themselves closer – along with all things – to their Father in Heaven, giving [God] a restful spirit: [God’s] mind settles, as if it were possible, and the judgments that were awakened at the hands of the wicked are sweetened. And that is [the meaning of] “to collect from the wicked, who destroy [a world created] through ten statements” – for even though the Creation happened through ten statements for their benefit, in order that even there in their lowly place they should be able to hold onto [God’s] characteristics, and similarly [God’s] characteristics and divinity were contracted for them in order that they should recognize [God’s characteristics], as was stated above – and even still, on the contrary, on account of [all] this they distance themselves further. “And to give good reward to the tzaddikim, who sustain a world created through ten statements” – as we have stated above, by way of [the world] being created through ten statements, through contraction; for without this it would not have been possible, and understand this.