For the holy point of Israel’s holiness, which is still within [the wicked] even though they are complete villains, confuses them and instills within them thoughts of repentance and fear of the ultimate judgment. This is why they have no pleasure from their sins and lusts. Therefore, they desire and toil to achieve in their minds such an absolute disbelief, God forbid, that they no longer entertain any doubts that might point toward the truth. Yet to achieve this they must exert tremendous effort over the course of many, many years; may the Merciful One save us, may the Merciful One spare us! For the Judaism within them does not let them be and confuses them constantly.
Know, too, that there are some of them who when they finally achieve their desire—i.e., absolute disbelief, God forbid, without any doubt [that might point] toward the truth—they immediately leave the world, and then they see the truth.
דַּע, שֶׁיֵּשׁ רְשָׁעִים שֶׁעוֹבְדִים וִיגֵעִים כָּל יְמֵיהֶם כְּדֵי לַעֲקֹר עַצְמָן מֵהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ וּמִתּוֹרָתוֹ לְגַמְרֵי,
Know! there are wicked people who work and toil all their days in order to totally uproot themselves from God and His Torah.
כִּי הַנְּקֻדָּה הַקְּדוֹשָׁה שֶׁל קְדֻשַּׁת יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁיֵּשׁ עֲדַיִן בְּתוֹכָם, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהֵם רְשָׁעִים גְּמוּרִים, הִיא מְבַלְבֶּלֶת אוֹתָם, וּמְבִיאָה בָּהֶם הִרְהוּרֵי תְּשׁוּבָה וְיִרְאָה מֵאֵימַת הַדִּין הַגָּדוֹל, וּמֵחֲמַת זֶה אֵין לָהֶם תַּעֲנוּג מֵהָעֲבֵרוֹת וְהַתַּאֲווֹת שֶׁלָּהֶם, עַל כֵּן הֵם מִתְאַוִּים וִיגֵעִים כְּדֵי שֶׁיַּגִּיעוּ לִכְפִירָה גְּמוּרָה בְּדַעְתָּם, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, בְּאֹפֶן שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה לָהֶם עוֹד צַד סָפֵק לִנְטוֹת אֶל הָאֱמֶת. אֲבָל צְרִיכִים לָזֶה יְגִיעָה גְּדוֹלָה מְאֹד מְאֹד כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה שָׁנִים, רַחֲמָנָא לִצְלָן, רַחֲמָנָא לִשֵּׁזְבַן, כִּי הַיַּהֲדוּת שֶׁבָּהֶם אֵינָהּ מַנַּחַת אוֹתָם, וּמְבַלְבֶּלֶת אוֹתָם תָּמִיד:
For the holy point of Israel’s holiness, which is still within [the wicked] even though they are complete villains, confuses them and instills within them thoughts of repentance and fear of the ultimate judgment. This is why they have no pleasure from their sins and lusts. Therefore, they desire and toil to achieve in their minds such an absolute disbelief, God forbid, that they no longer entertain any doubts that might point toward the truth. Yet to achieve this they must exert tremendous effort over the course of many, many years; may the Merciful One save us, may the Merciful One spare us! For the Judaism within them does not let them be and confuses them constantly.
וְדַע, שֶׁיֵּשׁ מֵהֶם, כְּשֶׁמַּגִּיעִין וּבָאִין לְמַה שֶּׁהִתְאַוּוּ, דְּהַיְנוּ לִכְפִירָה גְּמוּרָה, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, בְּלִי שׁוּם סָפֵק, אֶל הָאֱמֶת, אֲזַי תֵּכֶף וּמִיָּד מֵתִים מִן הָעוֹלָם, וְאָז רוֹאִין הָאֱמֶת:
Know, too, that there are some of them who when they finally achieve their desire—i.e., absolute disbelief, God forbid, without any doubt [that might point] toward the truth—they immediately leave the world, and then they see the truth.