q&a: Forgiving vs. Fixing - Part II
Q. onionsoupmix asked, "Why can't G-d just change the nature of the child or some other transformation that does not involve an actual death?"
A. Hi! Thanks for the follow-up. The Tanya you are referring to is describing the different types of Klipah - un-holiness - in the world.
There is Klipah ‘lite’ which is permissible stuff that can be elevated to holiness by using it for a G-dly purpose. (I know you have studied this already but this is for those who have not.) The Rebbe then describes the ‘dark’ Klipah as stuff that is forbidden: non-kosher food, non-kosher relationships, etc. The un-holiness here cannot become good through good intentions. Marrying a non-Jew with holy intentions does not make it kosher. Eating pork “l’kovod Shabbos Kodesh” does not make it holy. However, Teshuva can.
When a person does Teshuva for a sin, he can redeem the energy which he invested in the sin – the energy that made evil stronger in himself and the world - and bring that energy back to holiness. If the Teshuva is intense and loving it can turn even the sin’s energy from the totally dark Klipah into light and goodness.
This is all quite beside the forgiveness that Teshuva always brings.
Now the Gemara (Talmud) says there are sins whose energy is so vile that Teshuva alone does not erase it. Only Yom Kippur will. Kippur means ‘cleanse’, not forgive.
Then there are sins which even Yom Kippur does not erase and for this purpose G-d invented death. Death means that evil cannot live forever.
So when man dies, his soul - everything good and holy about him - continues to live. This way we generally remember only the good.
Death terminates only the klipah that is attached to the person. Then, the Teshuva that he did while alive redeems the energy of even the vile Klipah.
Now we can understand the statement that the birth of a child through incest is a Klipah that WE cannot correct. Yet G-d, of course, can and does by inventing death. So the good news is that no damage caused by humans is permanently irreparable. This child lives a full life - nobody prays for him to die G-d forbid. And, as with all of us, his death erases the accumulated un-holiness including his illegitimacy. But the question still stands... why death? More to come...
A. Hi! Thanks for the follow-up. The Tanya you are referring to is describing the different types of Klipah - un-holiness - in the world.
There is Klipah ‘lite’ which is permissible stuff that can be elevated to holiness by using it for a G-dly purpose. (I know you have studied this already but this is for those who have not.) The Rebbe then describes the ‘dark’ Klipah as stuff that is forbidden: non-kosher food, non-kosher relationships, etc. The un-holiness here cannot become good through good intentions. Marrying a non-Jew with holy intentions does not make it kosher. Eating pork “l’kovod Shabbos Kodesh” does not make it holy. However, Teshuva can.
When a person does Teshuva for a sin, he can redeem the energy which he invested in the sin – the energy that made evil stronger in himself and the world - and bring that energy back to holiness. If the Teshuva is intense and loving it can turn even the sin’s energy from the totally dark Klipah into light and goodness.
This is all quite beside the forgiveness that Teshuva always brings.
Now the Gemara (Talmud) says there are sins whose energy is so vile that Teshuva alone does not erase it. Only Yom Kippur will. Kippur means ‘cleanse’, not forgive.
Then there are sins which even Yom Kippur does not erase and for this purpose G-d invented death. Death means that evil cannot live forever.
So when man dies, his soul - everything good and holy about him - continues to live. This way we generally remember only the good.
Death terminates only the klipah that is attached to the person. Then, the Teshuva that he did while alive redeems the energy of even the vile Klipah.
Now we can understand the statement that the birth of a child through incest is a Klipah that WE cannot correct. Yet G-d, of course, can and does by inventing death. So the good news is that no damage caused by humans is permanently irreparable. This child lives a full life - nobody prays for him to die G-d forbid. And, as with all of us, his death erases the accumulated un-holiness including his illegitimacy. But the question still stands... why death? More to come...
posted by Scruz | 9:28 AM
3 Comments:
i thought death is not bad thing? we see from here that death is bad cuz you did something wrong... but wat about ppl who are good and dont do bad stuff that die?
Dear Rabbi:
How do I post a question on a new subject? The only way I've found to post a question is to click on a comment that has already been made, on a previous subject. Thank you very much.
cbc
Now say I am the illegitimate child. I'm a little upset because my life might be cut short to purge my parents' sin. G-d willing I might serve Him in a way that can transform my being born into a blessing. Will that help my folks?
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