Pearls from the Vilna Gaon – Teshuva, reprinted with the kind authorization of:
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***Pearls from the Vilna Gaon*** Teshuva translated by Rabbi Yosef Peretz |
Rabbi Eliyahu of Vilna, commonly known as the Gaon (literally “genius”) was probably the most influential Jewish leader in modern history. He never assumed any official position of leadership and spent his time in almost total isolation toiling day and night in torah study. He became the undisputed greatest torah scholar and kabbalist in modern history.
selected translations on Teshuva
Esther 2:15 – “12 Now when the turn of every maiden was come to go in to king Ahasuerus, after that it had been done to her according to the law for the women, twelve months–for so were the days of their anointing accomplished, to wit, six months with oil of myrrh (shemen mor), and six month with sweet odours (besamim), and with other ointments of the women (tamrukei nashim) — 13 when then the maiden came unto the king, whatsoever she desired was given her to go with her out of the house of the women unto the king’s house.”
These details are not necessary. It appears that it is hinting at the following:
One should throw overboard the extras for 6 months (food, speech, activities, etc., work on self discipline). Hence the “shemen mor” which is designed to remove hair, which is unnecessary to be a man. And afterwards 6 months to habituate himself in mitzvos positive and negative. This is the meaning of “besamim” which are positive mitzvos, and ‘tamrukei nashim’ which are negative mitzvos, that one should “marek” (clean up) oneself from doing averos, and thus to habituate all year. “and with this the maiden will come to the king” – which means if one does this all year, namely half in teshuva and in casting off the extra desires, and doing good deeds, and the other half with positive and negative mitzvos, afterwards he will be able to come to the King on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kipur to ask and his early misdeeds will not be announced at all…
Also, after death, immediately, he must journey from this world to olam haba (gan eden), and many bad accusers stand on the way. And one must also pass through gehinom, even for a completely righteous tzadik, but if he did as above, they guard him from being attacked.
And this is the meaning of “whatsoever she desired…”, which is olam haze until the house of the king which is olam haba (esther 2:12-13)
For all good a person receives in this world, he is diminished in olam haba. Therefore it is a great good for tzadikim that they are diminished in this world so that they receive full payment in olam haba. (esther 1:6)
Even though the 4 death penalties were abolished (after the 2nd temple destruction), nevertheless the din (judgment) was not abolished. Even though in this world they are abolished but in gehinom there are ‘deaths’ and punishments like these to those who transgress the will of G-d… And there the suffering is greater. (Ruth 1.16)
At first one should take on to do, and afterwards he will have siyata d’shmaya, afterwards he can heard and understand more (mishlei 1:6)
Those who are in the hand of their yetzer (evil inclinations) and are prisoners under his hand, and he has strengthened on them very much – will escape through mussar. And those who are in darkness, who never saw light and don’t recognize his enticements – through the torah, they will be revealed and they will recognize his enticements. (mishlei 1:2)
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