רק הוידוי ובקשת מחילה, כמו שכתוב בתורה: והתודו את חטאתם וגו׳

They cite only confessing [verbally] and requesting forgiveness; as the Torah prescribes, “They shall confess their sin….”

Why are confession and requesting forgiveness indeed part of repentance?

Every sin consists of a body and a soul. The actual misdeed itself is the “body” of the sin, and the bodily pleasure and ensuing desire with which it was committed are its “soul”. Repentance involves eliminating both these elements.

The “soul” of the sin is eradicated by the earnest regret of the individual, who is mortified and pained by his past. Inasmuch as pain is the opposite of pleasure, it negates the pleasure which had earlier aroused his desire to sin, and thereby obliterates the “soul” of the sin.

But the “body” of the sin also needs to be nullified. Simply refraining from further transgression lacks the action that would negate the sinful act itself, its “body”. This is accomplished through verbal confession, for “verbalization is also considered to be an action.”

At any rate, verbal confession is thus a component of repentance — while fasting is not.

ומה שכתוב ביואל: שובו עדי בכל לבבכם, ובצום ובבכי גו׳

As to what we find in the Book of Yoel, “Return to Me with all your hearts, and with fasting and weeping...,” which would seem to indicate that fasting is in fact part of return and repentance,

היינו לבטל הגזרה שנגזרה, למרק עון הדור על ידי יסורים בארבה

this was to nullify (Note inserted by the Rebbe: ‘…something which relates to the future, while repentance involves forsaking the past’) the heavenly decree that had been issued, to expunge the sin of the generation through the affliction of locusts; it was not part of the act of repentance.

וזהו הטעם בכל תעניות שמתענין על כל צרה שלא תבא על הצבור

This is the rationale for all fasts undertaken for any trouble threatening the community, their purpose being to avert the impending harsh edict,

וכמו שכתוב במגלת אסתר

as in the Book of Esther, where we find that the Queen asked that a fast be proclaimed in order to nullify Haman’s evil decree.

ומה שכתוב בספרי המוסר, ובראשם ספר הרוקח וספר חסידים, הרבה תעניות וסיגופים לעובר על כריתות ומיתות בית דין

Now the classic Mussar works, particularly the Rokeach and Sefer Chassidim, specify numerous fasts and mortifications for sins punishable by excision and execution;

וכן למוציא זרע לבטלה, שחייב מיתה בידי שמים, כמו שכתוב בתורה גבי ער ועונן

likewise numerous fasts are prescribed for the wasteful emission of semen — a sin punishable by death by divine agency, as the Torah recounts of Er and Onan,

chanoch adds: Up to this generation every one dies except for a few souls. Thus the idea of wasting seed is cleansed through death. If one does Teshuvah for this sin will they not die?

ודינן כחייבי כריתות לענין זה

and a sin whose retribution is identical in this respect to that of sins punishable by excision, and hence the numerous fasts prescribed.

All this might lead us to assume that the purpose of fasts is suffering — this being the manner through which atonement is brought to completion by those who are guilty of sins punishable by excision. But it has been previously stated that the suffering which completes atonement is specifically that which comes from Above, and not man made suffering incurred through fasting and the like. The Alter Rebbe answers this seeming contradiction by stating:

היינו: כדי לינצל מעונש יסורים של מעלה, חס ושלום

These above-prescribed fasts and mortifications are intended to avert the punishment of suffering at the hand of heaven, G‑d forbid. (Note of the Rebbe: “This too relates to the future, unlike repentance, which relates to the past.”)

This means that if, G‑d forbid, the punishment of suffering had been decreed upon an individual, he is able to exempt himself from it through these self-imposed fasts.

וגם כדי לזרז ולמהר גמר כפרת נפשו

Another reason [for these fasts] is to urge on and expedite the conclusion of his soul’s atonement.

וגם אולי אינו שב אל ה׳ בכל לבו ונפשו מאהבה, כי אם מיראה

Also, perhaps he is not returning to G‑d with all his heart and soul out of love, but only out of fear.

Such a penitent would not enjoy the Divine reaction that comes “as water reflects the countenance,” and would not be granted the completion of his atonement through suffering. Accordingly, he might undertake these fasts in order to secure this alone. Essentially, however, the suffering that brings about complete atonement (for those guilty of sins punishable by excision and death by Divine agency) is not meant to be self-inflicted, but rather — heaven forfend — imposed from Above.

Igeret HaTeshuva ,

Chapter 2

Repentance, as the Alter Rebbe explained in the opening chapter, is in no way synonymous with fasting for a sin that one has committed; repentance merely entails abandoning the sin for all time. This is so even with regard to transgressions — those punishable by excision or by execution — whose atonement becomes complete through suffering. Even in these instances the suffering is not intended to be self-inflicted through fasting, but is brought on from Above.

אך כל זה לענין כפרה ומחילת העון, שנמחל לו לגמרי מה שעבר על מצות המלך כשעשה תשובה שלמה

However, all this refers to atonement and forgiveness of the sin — [the offender] is pardoned completely for having violated the command of the King once he has repented fully.

Atonement and forgiveness thus do not require fasting. If the individual repents fully:

chanoch adds: if the atonement is out of love and includes awe.

ואין מזכירין לו דבר וחצי דבר ביום הדין, לענשו על זה חס ושלום בעולם הבא, ונפטר לגמרי מן הדין בעולם הבא

No charge nor semblance of an accusation is mentioned against him on the day of judgment so that he should be punished for his sin, G‑d forbid, in the World to Come; in his trial there he is completely exonerated.

אמנם שיהיה לרצון לפני ה׳, ומרוצה וחביב לפניו יתברך כקודם החטא, להיות נחת רוח לקונו מעבודתו, היה צריך להביא קרבן עולה

Nonetheless, in order that he should be acceptable before G‑d, as beloved of Him as before the sin, so that his Creator might derive delight from his service, — [in past times] he would bring an olah offering, in addition to his repentance,

אפילו על מצות עשה קלה שאין בה כרת ומיתת בית דין

even for [transgressing] an ordinary positive commandment that involves no excision or execution.

כמו שדרשו רז״ל בתורת כהנים על פסוק: ונרצה לו

In this spirit our Sages in Torat Kohanim interpret the verse, “It shall be acceptable for him,” — that the olah offering causes a person who violated a positive command to become acceptable to G‑d.

וכדאיתא בגמרא פרק קמא דזבחים, דעולה מכפרת על מצות עשה, והיא דורון לאחר שעשה תשובה ונמחל לו העונש

Thus too we find in the Talmud, in the first chapter of Zevachim, that the olah offering atones for [the violation of] positive commandments; it is a “gift” [that is offered] after one has repented and been pardoned his punishment.

וכאדם שסרח במלך ופייסו על ידי פרקליטין, ומחל לו

This is like the case of a man who displeased his king, appeased him through intercessors, and was forgiven by him;

אף על פי כן שולח דורון ומנחה לפניו, שיתרצה לו לראות פני המלך

still he will send a gift, so that the king might consent that he appear again before his sovereign.

The olah offering was similarly brought as a gift to G‑d after the offender had repented and had been granted a pardon, in order that he once again find favor in His eyes, and be beloved by Him as before the sin.

ולשון מכפרת, וכן מה שכתוב בתורה: ונרצה לו לכפר עליו

אין זו כפרת נפשו

does not refer to the soul’s atonement for the sin, for this is accomplished through repentance,

אלא לכפר לפני ה׳, להיות נחת רוח לקונו

but rather (so to speak) his restoration before G‑d, so that he will bring his Creator gratification; no vestige of the sin will remain, and the former offender will be beloved of G‑d as before,

כדאיתא שם בגמרא

as the Talmud teaches there — that once the person has been pardoned, then comes the gift of the olah offering,

וכמו שכתוב: תמים יהיה לרצון

and as the verse states: “It shall be perfect, so that it be acceptable.”)

ועכשיו שאין לנו קרבן להפיק רצון מה׳, התענית הוא במקום קרבן, כמו שכתוב בגמרא: שיהא מיעוט חלבי ודמי שנתמעט כאלו הקרבתי לפניך כו׳

Today, when we have no offerings to call forth G‑d’s pleasure, fasting replaces the offering. As the Talmud says, that the prayer of one who is fasting is: “May my loss of fat and blood brought about through fasting be regarded as though I had offered it to You [as a sacrifice on the altar].”

The purpose of fasting, then, is that one become acceptable to G‑d just as before the sin.

ולכן מצינו בכמה תנאים ואמוראים, שעל דבר קל היו מתענים תעניות הרבה מאד

This is why there are many cases of Talmudic Sages, who for some trivial fault undertook a great many fasts.

כמו רבי אלעזר בן עזריה, שהיה מתיר שתהא פרה יוצאה ברצועה שבין קרניה בשבת, וחכמים אוסרים, ופעם אחת יצאה כן פרתו של שכנתו, ולא מיחה בה, והושחרו שיניו מפני הצומות על שלא קיים דברי חביריו,

R. Elazar ben Azariah, for example, contended that a cow may go out wearing its strap between its horns on Shabbat, while his colleagues prohibited it. Once a neighbor’s cow went out with its strap and R. Elazar did not protest. Because he did not support his colleagues‘ view, he fasted so long that his teeth were blackened.

וכן רבי יהושע, שאמר: בושני מדבריכם בית שמאי, והושחרו שיניו מפני הצומות

So, too, R. Joshua once remarked: “I am ashamed of your words, Beit Shammai.” His teeth, too, turned black through fasting.

ורב הונא, פעם אחת נתהפכה לו רצועה של תפילין, והתענה מ׳ צומות

Likewise Rav Huna, because his tefillin strap once turned over, undertook forty fasts.

וכהנה רבות

Indeed, there are many such instances recorded about our Sages.

These fasts were not undertaken for the sake of repentance, nor as self-inflicted suffering in order to complete a process of atonement; these were not sins of the kind that required this. The sole purpose of these fasts was to restore the bonds of love between the former sinner and his Maker.

ועל יסוד זה

On this basis, that fasting substitutes for an offering, and as such has a place even when an individual does not need to undergo suffering in order to attain complete atonement,

לימד האריז״ל לתלמידיו על פי חכמת האמת מספר הצומות לכמה עונות וחטאים

the AriZal taught his disciples, according to the principles of the Kabbalah, the number of fasts to be undertaken for many transgressions,

אף שאין בהן כרת, ולא מיתה בידי שמים

even though they entail neither excision, nor death by divine agency — in which case suffering would be necessary.

כמו על הכעס, קנ״א תעניות וכו׳

Examples: for anger — 151 fasts;

ואפילו על איסור דרבנן, כמו סתם יינם, יתענה ע״ג תעניות וכו׳

even for transgressing a Rabbinic prohibition, such as drinking the wine of non-Jews — seventy-three fasts;

וכן על ביטול מצות עשה דרבנן, כמו תפלה, יתענה ס״א תעניות וכו׳

likewise for neglecting a positive Rabbinic enactment, such as prayer — sixty-one fasts.

Note on Prayer

The Rebbe notes that we cannot adduce from here that the Alter Rebbe is of the opinion that the obligation of prayer is of Rabbinic origin. (This would be consonant with the statement in his Shulchan Aruch, Hilchot Tefillah, Section 106; it is also implied in the beginning of ch. 38 of Tanya [Vol. II in this series, p. 514], and in Likkutei Torah, Parshat Balak 70c. However, in the famous letter of the Alter Rebbe that appears in Beit Rebbe, Part I, p. 20a, he states outright that prayer is of Torah origin. In Mishnat Yoel this whole issue is debated and explained. In any event, no proof can be derived from the above text.) For according to all opinions the specific times for prayer are of Rabbinic origin; when one neglects this aspect of prayer, then the AriZal prescribes sixty-one fasts.

ודרך כלל, סוד התענית היא סגולה נפלאה להתגלות רצון העליון ברוך הוא

As a general rule, the mystery of fasting is wondrously effective for the revelation of the Supreme Will,

כמו הקרבן, שנאמר בו: ריח ניחוח לה׳

similar to an offering, of which it is said, “An aroma pleasing to G‑d.”

וכמו שכתוב בישעיהו: הלזה תקרא צום ויום רצון לה׳

Thus in Isaiah we find, “Do you call this a fast and a day desirable to G‑d?!”

מכלל שהצום הנרצה הוא יום רצון

Obviously, an acceptable fast is a “desirable day.”.

Igeret HaTeshuva ,

beginning of Chapter 3

Though fasting is not at all necessary for attaining atonement, it was explained above that nevertheless it has a salutary effect as a substitute for the olah offering. In Temple times this sacrifice was offered (even) for transgressing a positive command, in order to make the former offender once again acceptable and beloved of G‑d. Accordingly, the AriZal derived from the Kabbalah the number of fasts to be undertaken for numerous transgressions, even those that are not subject to the punishment of excision or death by Divine decree.

והנה חכמי המוסר האחרונים נחלקו במי שחטא חטא אחד פעמים רבות׳

The latter Mussar sages — those who lived after the Ari — were divided in their opinions about one who repeated a sin many times.

דיש אומרים שצריך להתענות מספר הצומות לאותו חטא פעמים רבות, כפי המספר אשר חטא׳

Some contend that he must fast the number of fasts appropriate to that sin according to the number of transgressions.

כגון המוציא זרע לבטלה, שמספר הצומות המפורש בתיקוני תשובה מהאריז״ל הן פ״ד תעניות׳

For example, the number of fasts prescribed in the penances of the AriZal for wasteful emission of semen is eighty-four.

ואם חטא בזה עשר או עשרים פעמים, על דרך משל, צריך להתענות עשר או עשרים פעמים פ״ד׳

If someone commits this sin ten or twenty times, say, he must fast ten or twenty times eighty-four, and so on in all instances.

דומיא דקרבן חטאת, שחייב להביא על כל פעם ופעם׳

This is comparable to the chatat offering (Note of the Rebbe: “i.e., all the chatat offerings”) required for every instance of violation.

ויש מדמין ענין זה לקרבן עולה, הבאה על מצות עשה׳

Others compare these fasts to the olah offering brought for neglect of a positive command.

Note of the Rebbe: “As distinct from other olah offerings; see the various types of offerings in Maimonides‘ preface to his Commentary on the Mishnayot of Tractate Kodashim.”

דאפילו עבר על כמה מצוות עשה, מתכפר בעולה אחת, כדאיתא בגמרא, פרק קמא דזבחים׳

The violation of a number of positive commands is atoned for and the individual finds favor in G‑d’s eyes by one olah, as the Talmud explains in Tractate Zevachim, ch. 1.

והכרעה המקובלת בזה להתענות ג׳ פעמים כפי מספר הצומות דחטא זה, דהיינו רנ״ב צומות על הוצאות שכבת זרע לבטלה, וכן בשאר חטאים ועונות׳

The accepted decision in this dispute is to undertake three times the number of fasts prescribed for that particular sin, i.e., 252 fasts (three times eighty-four) for wasteful emission, and similarly for other sins oft repeated.

והטעם הוא על פי מה שכתוב בזוהר הקדוש, סוף פרשת נח: כיון דחב בר נש קמיה קודשא בריך הוא, זמנא חדא עביד רשימו כו׳׳

This is based on a teaching in the Zohar, at the end of Parshat Noach: “As soon as mortal man sins once against the Holy One, blessed be He, he makes an impression [Above; should he sin a second time, the impact of his sin is even greater];

זמנא תליתאה, אתפשט ההוא כתמא מסטרא דא לסטרא דא כו׳׳

the third time he commits the sin, the stain penetrates from one side through the other;...“

לכן צריך מספר הצומות גם כן ג׳ פעמים וכו׳

therefore the number of fasts ought also be three.

Igeret HaTeshuva ,

middle of Chapter 3

אבל כל זה באדם חזק ובריא, שאין ריבוי הצומות מזיק לו כלל לבריאות גופו, וכמו בדורות הראשונים

However, all this1 applies to the strong and robust, whose physical health would not be harmed at all by repeated fasts, as in the generations of yore.

אבל מי שריבוי הצומות מזיק לו, שאפשר שיבוא לידי חולי או מיחוש, חס ושלום, כמו בדורותינו אלה

But whoever would be affected by many fasts, and might thereby suffer illness or pain, G‑d forbid, as in contemporary generations,

אסור לו להרבות בתעניות, אפילו על כריתות ומיתות בית דין, ומכל שכן על מצוות עשה ומצוות לא תעשה שאין בהן כרת

is forbidden to undertake numerous fasts, even for sins punishable by excision or execution, and certainly not for [violation of] the positive and prohibitive commands that do not involve excision.

אלא כפי אשר ישער בנפשו שבודאי לא יזיק לו כלל

Instead [the measure of fasting is] the personal estimate of what will not harm him at all.

כי אפילו בדורות הראשונים, בימי תנאים ואמוראים, לא היו מתענין בכהאי גוונא אלא הבריאים, דמצו לצעורי נפשייהו

For even in those early generations, in the times of the Tannaim and Amoraim, only the robust who could mortify themselves fasted so frequently.

ודלא מצי לצעורי נפשיה ומתענה, נקרא חוטא בגמרא, פרק קמא דתענית

But whoever cannot fast yet does so, is called a “sinner” in Tractate Taanit, ch. 1.

ואפילו מתענה על עבירות שבידו, כדפירש רש״י שם

This applies even to one who fasts for specifically known sins, as Rashi explains there,

The very same author of the opinion that he who fasts frequently is considered “holy”, because (as Rashi explains) his sins are thereby expunged, goes on to state that he is considered a sinner if he cannot fast yet does so.

וכדאיתא בגמרא, פרק קמא דזבחים, שאין לך אדם מישראל שאינו מחויב עשה וכו׳

and it is written in Tractate Zevachim, ch. 1, that “there is no one of Israel who is not guilty of [transgressing] a positive commandment…,”

Thus, though there are always sins for which one should fast, one should do so only if this will in no way impair his health; otherwise, he is considered a sinner,

ומכל שכן מי שהוא בעל תורה, שחוטא ונענש בכפליים

especially if he is a student of Torah, in which case he is doubly punished,

כי מחמת חלישות התענית, לא יוכל לעסוק בה כראוי

for the weakness resulting from his fast prevents him from studying Torah properly.

אלא מה תקנתיה

What, then, is his remedy?

I.e., what is such a person to do in order to be beloved by his Creator as he was before his sin?

כדכתיב: וחטאך בצדקה פרוק

He should comply with the verse that says, “Redeem your sin with charity.”

וכמו שכתבו הפוסקים, ליתן בעד כל יום תענית של תשובה ערך ח״י גדולים פוליש

And, indeed, the codifiers of Torah law specified that one should donate the equivalent of eighteen [large Polish] coins called “gedolim Polish” for each day of repentance.

והעשיר יוסיף לפי עשרו וכו׳

The wealthy should add to this amount for the redemption of each fast-day according to his means,

כמו שכתב המגן אברהם, הלכות תענית

as stated in Magen Avraham in the Laws of Fasts.

Igeret HaTeshuva ,

end of Chapter 3

ומכל מקום, כל בעל נפש החפץ קרבת ה׳, לתקן נפשו, להשיבה אל ה׳ בתשובה מעולה מן המובחר, יחמיר על עצמו

Nevertheless, though it has just been stated that in contemporary generations when excessive fasting causes illness and pain, the fasts of penance should be substituted by charity, every man of spirit who desires to be close to G‑d, to amend his nefesh (his soul), to restore it to G‑d with the finest and most preferred repentance, should be stringent with himself.

Note of the Rebbe: “In this and all similar contexts, the term specifically used is nefesh [as distinct from the other four terms for the various levels of the soul] — possibly in view of the statement in the Zohar III (24b) and Sefer HaGilgulim, et al., that ’it is specifically the level of nefesh that sins.‘”

להשלים על כל פנים פעם אחת כל ימי חייו, מספר הצומות לכל עון ועון מעונות החמורים שחייבין עליהם מיתה על כל פנים, ואפילו בידי שמים בלבד

He should complete, at least once during his lifetime, the number of fasts for every grave sin incurring death at least, if only death by divine agency.

כגון להוצאות זרע לבטלה, פ״ד צומות פעם אחת בימי חייו

For example, for wasteful emission [he should undergo the series of] eight-four fasts once in his life.

ויכול לדחותן לימים הקצרים בחורף, ויתענה כעשר תעניות על דרך משל בחורף אחד או פחות

He may postpone the fasts until the short winter days and fast some ten days or less, for example, in one winter,

ויגמור מספר הפ״ד צומות בט׳ שנים או יותר, כפי כחו

and complete the series of eighty-four in nine or more years, according to his stamina.

וגם יכול לאכול מעט כג׳ שעות לפני נץ החמה, ואף על פי כן נחשב לתענית אם התנה כן

(Besides, he may also eat a little about three hours before sunrise, and this would still be considered a fast, if he so stipulated.)

ולתשלום רנ״ב צומות כנ״ל, יתענה עוד ד׳ פעמים פ״ד עד אחר חצות היום בלבד

דמיחשב גם כן תענית בירושלמי, וב׳ חצאי יום נחשבים לו ליום אחד לענין זה

this, too, the Talmud Yerushalmi3 considers a fast. In this context, moreover, two half-days are reckoned as one full day.

וכן לשאר עונות כיוצא בהן

This approach applies to other, similar sins as well,

Until now the Alter Rebbe addressed himself to those sins which at least incur death by divine agency. The Alter Rebbe now goes on to say that this approach also applies to sins which do not incur such a harsh penalty but are similarly grave — “similar sins” — such as those which are actually comparable to idolatry, murder, and so on, as mentioned in ch. 7 below. Concerning these sins as well, the Alter Rebbe is saying here, one should be stringent and undertake the required number of fasts at least once in his lifetime.

אשר כל לב יודע מרת נפשו וחפץ בהצדקה

for each heart knows its own anguish and desires its vindication.

And this vindication is enhanced by fasting.

אכן מספר הצומות העודפים על רנ״ב וכהאי גוונא

However, there still remain the fasts in excess of (for example) the 252, i.e., whatever number exceeds three times the prescribed number of fasts for any particular sin,

שהיה צריך להתענות, לחוש לדעת המחמירים להתענות מספר הצומות שעל כל חטא וחטא כפי מספר הפעמים שחטא כנ״ל

that one ought to fast in deference to the more stringent opinion insisting on the appropriate number of fasts for every violation committed, as noted above.

יפדה כולן בצדקה, ערך ח״י גדולים פוליש בעד כל יום

He may redeem them all by charity to the value of eighteen “gedolim Polish” for each fast-day.

וכן שאר כל תעניות שצריך להתענות על עבירות שאין בהן מיתה

So, too, [charity may redeem] all other fasts that he should have undergone for sins not entailing death,

ואפילו על ביטול מצות עשה דאורייתא ודרבנן

and even for neglecting a positive , whether Mitzvah explicit in the Torah or Rabbinically ordained,

ותלמוד תורה כנגד כולם

כפי המספר המפורש בתיקוני התשובה מהאר״י ורובם נזכרים במשנת חסידים במסכת התשובה

הכל אשר לכל יפדה בצדקה כנ״ל, אי לא מצי לצעורי נפשיה

All of these fasts, then, he may redeem as explained above, if he cannot mortify himself.

ואף שיעלה לסך מסויים, אין לחוש משום: אל יבזבז יותר מחומש

Though this might amount to a very considerable sum, he need not fear violating the injunction that “one should not extravagantly distribute more than one fifth [of one’s property to charity],”