Halakha Yesaya 59:2: Chafetz Chaim, Mishneh Torah, Repentance, Sefer Chasidim & Shev Shmateta

And, in truth, not against Him (G–d forbid) is our plaint, but against ourselves; for it [the redemption] is not beyond His powers, viz. (Isaiah 59:1-2): "Behold, the L–rd's hand is not too short to save, and His ear is not too heavy to hear. But your sins have made a separation between you and your G–d, and your transgressions have hid [His] face from you, from hearing." And we find (viz. Sanhedrin 98a) that in the days of R. Yehoshua ben Levi he was told (viz. Tehillim 95:6) that the Messiah would come "today, if you hearkened to His voice" — even though the time of the exile decreed for Israel (one thousand years, corresponding to the one thousand year "day" of the Holy One Blessed be He, had not yet passed [viz. Chida, Petach Eiynayim, Sanhedrin, Ibid.]) In spite of this, the power of repentance would have annulled the decree. How much more so, more than eight hundred years after the end of that [one-thousand-year] "day", [should the Messiah come if we repented]! The fault is ours alone — that with our many sins we do not allow Him to repose His Shechinah in our midst.

How superior is the degree of repentance! But yesterday was this sinner separated from the Lord God of Israel, even as it is said:" But your iniquities have separated between you and your God" (Is. 59.2); cries, but received no answer, even as it is said:" "Yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear" (Ibid. 1.15); does obey commandments, but they are thrown back in his face, even as it is said: "Who hath required this at your hand, to trample My courts"? (Ibid.–12), and, "Oh that there were even among you that would shut the doors, that ye might not kindle fire on Mine altar in vain!" (Mal. 1.10). But to-day he is connected with the Shekinah, even as it is said: "But ye that did cleave unto the Lord your God are alive every one of you this day" (Deut. 4.4); he cries and receives answer momentarily, even as it is said: "And it shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer" (Is. 65.24); he observes commandments, and they are received with pleasure and joy, even as it is said: "For God hath already accepted thy works" (Ecc. 9.7); moreover, his works are pleasurably anticipated, even as it is said: "Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in ancient years" (Mal. 3.4).

He who speaks and is concerned only with his own words and does not consider God¹Lit “Searcher of kidneys.” Who knows his thoughts, his very coming and going Who counts his steps and before Whose glory and power his words are laid, as it is written, “Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? Saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth? Saith the Lord” (Jer. 23:23); this man is not on a good path. For the nature of man should be to think of his Creator continually and to place Him before himself, as it is written, “ I have set the Lord always before me” (Ps. 16:8). When a man sits in solitude, wherever he may be, let him empty his mind of all vain matters and think only of his Creator, of His holiness and wonders and of His favors which He does for us each day. But when a despised man concentrates on idle things or hears vain matters, even though he does not intend to speak, immediately he turns his thoughts to idleness²Shabbath 149a. with loss to himself for each and every good thought which (rightfully) should be thought of his Creator’s holiness and of His fear so pure. He should be in that good, pure and exalted station to worship God for love and desire of His commands. And this is the grand worship that the ministering angels and the hosts of heaven, who declaim His holiness, employ as it is said, “Holy, holy, holy” (Isa. 6:3). Therefore one needs to be careful and not multiply idle talk lest he forget the Lord who is always before him, as the seeing before the blind (so is He) with His presence and strength in all places. And this blind man is one who does not see except through his vain thoughts and does not remember the Lord and removes himself from the standard of truth and fear of Him. For it (fear of God) is not found in his heart because of the hardness of his heart, which is calloused and distant from God, in his mind are found only vain thoughts. Therefore he is not present in the Divine Mind, only through difficulty and force. As the blind person cannot perceive or apprehend the person who is before him if he does not touch him or hear his voice, so too an individual cannot learn and bind God in his heart permanently unless he forsake transgression. For transgressions divide and darken fear of the Lord and change one’s countenance³Midrash Rabbah, ed. Horeb. Genesis, Chapter LXXIII, p. 158a. and so he says, “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God” (Isa. 59:2).