Origin: Confusing “Repentance” with “Teshuva”

“A Tzaddik needs to do Teshuva?! – That’s ludicrous! Why would a Tzaddik need to do Teshuva if he never ever does or even thinks of anything wrong?”

Well, now that we know that Teshuva means to return to Hashem, not (only) to fix problems, we can understand this.

Our Neshama becomes distant from Hashem on two levels:

Just coming down to the world, without doing anything, already makes the Neshama “far” by stopping to feel that Hashem is the only reality. This, however, is caused by Hashem Himself for a reason.

Already in the world, the body and the Nefesh Habehamis (the “animal soul”) through their choices, can make matters worse and cause the Neshama to become even more distant, losing the closeness that can be achieved even in this world, through the fulfillment of mitzvos.

Corresponding to these two levels, Teshuva also has two levels:

Restoring the Nashama to “mint condition,” to the state that it was given to us in. Our deeds are corrected and we no longer make it more distant than it already is.

Bringing it even closer to Hashem by creating a deeper connection and improving its standing beyond the way it came here.

[Obviously the second level of Teshuva is something that can only be done if the first, “lower” level has been completed.]

This is the kind of Teshuva Tzaddikim do.

Comments

[Interested Reader]

In reading this, my question is, would a Tzaddik be required to participate in a mitzvah of the parah adumah? If so, I too would wonder would it be necessary for Teshuva.

My troubles are having a clear description of a Tzaddik in the Torah era. It’s been easy for people to declare those in post temple to simplify say, they because they are. But, if say Elijah was a Tzaddik, his duties to take down his enemies wouldn’t technically be seen as “righteous” by modern standards. And yet, for G-d it was extremely necessary. Would a solider be a Tzaddik and then need to return, then be cleaned and reset for the next defense or troubles.

This sole reason is why I feel the draft is redundant of those studying beyond the body. For those in constant study and prayer, the battle is already being fought. And for every evil destroyed, would the soul need to simply be replenished? Could the return simply be to leave for a battle and return for rest?