the penitent and the tzadik If the penitent is equal to the tzadik (righteous person). On this I say: (1) sometimes a penitent is equal after repentance to the tzadik who never sinned, (2) sometimes he is greater than the tzadik, and (3) sometimes the tzadik is greater than him even though he repented.
The explanation of the first case: That the lacking was in a positive commandment which does not carry the punishment of Karet (spiritual excision), such as tzitzit, lulav, sukka, or the like. When the person repents on them in his heart and in speech, and exerts himself to fulfill them, and does not repeat his neglect to do them, the Creator will forgive him, and he will be equal to the tzadik who never sinned in them. On such a penitent, it is said: "one who repents from a sin is as if he never sinned", and our sages said of them: (Yoma 86a) "one who transgressed a positive commandment which does not incur Karet (spiritual excision) and repented - he is forgiven right away, as written: 'return to Me and I will return to you' (Malachi 3:7)".
For the second case, where the penitent becomes greater than the tzadik, the explanation is that the penitent committed a minor sin of the negative commandments, such as one which does not carry the punishment of Karet, and afterwards fully repents with all the conditions of repentance. He places his sin before him and opposite his face, and always beseeches for forgiveness of it. He feels full of shame before the Creator, his heart penetrated by the fear of the punishment, his spirit is broken. He always submits and humbles himself before G-d, and the sin becomes a cause for his submission and for his endeavoring to fulfill his debts to the Creator. He does not become haughty in the least for his good deeds and they do not amount to much in his eyes. He does not glorify himself in it and guards from stumbling for the rest of his life - such a sinner, is the one who is greater than the tzadik who never sinned this sin or others like it. For the tzadik is not assured that his heart will not become proud and haughty for his deeds. It was said that "sometimes a sin is more useful to the penitent than all the righteous deeds of the tzadik, and sometimes a good deed damages the tzadik more than all the sins of the penitent". This applies when the tzadik turns his heart away from submission and grows pride, flattery (hypocrisy), and love of praise.
One of the righteous would say to his students: "if you were completely without any sins, I would be afraid for you, on what is worse than sin", they said, "what is worse than sin?" He answered, "pride and flattery". Regarding a penitent like this, our Sages said: "In the place where the penitent stands, the perfectly righteous cannot stand" (Berachos 34b).
For the third case, (where the tzadik is greater than the penitent), this is where the penitent transgressed big sins of the negative commandments which carry the punishment of death by Beit Din or Karet from the heavenly court, such as Chilul H-shem, false oaths, or others like these of the severe sins. The person afterwards repented from his evil path, and fulfilled all the conditions and requirements of repentance. In this case, forgiveness will not be granted until he receives suffering in this world with what he will be able to bear and so be cleansed of his sins. On this kind of penitent our sages said (Yoma 86a): "If he has committed a sin punishable by Karet or death through Beit Din, and repented, suffering cleans him and death completes the atonement, as written 'I shall punish their transgression with a rod, and their iniquity with afflictions' (Tehilim 89:33)", and "certainly this iniquity shall not be atoned for you until you die"(Yeshaya 22:14). Without any doubt, the Tzadik who never transgressed these types of sins is greater than the penitent in them.
אֲבָל אִם יִשְׁתַּוֶּה הַשָּׁב עִם הַצַּדִּיק אוֹמַר כִּי יֵשׁ מִן הַשָּׁבִים שֶׁיִּשְׁתַּוֶּה אַחַר הַתְּשׁוּבָה עִם הַצַּדִּיק אֲשֶׁר לֹא חָטָא וּמֵהֶם מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ יִתְרוֹן עַל הַצַּדִּיק וּמֵהֶם מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לַצַּדִּיק יִתְרוֹן עָלָיו אע״פ שֶׁשָּׁב.
the penitent and the tzadik
If the penitent is equal to the tzadik (righteous person). On this I say: (1) sometimes a penitent is equal after repentance to the tzadik who never sinned, (2) sometimes he is greater than the tzadik, and (3) sometimes the tzadik is greater than him even though he repented.
וּבֵאוּר הַחֵלֶק הָרִאשׁוֹן הוּא שֶׁיִּהְיֶה הַחוֹטֵא בְּקִצּוּרוֹ בְּמִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה שֶׁאֵין בָּהּ כָּרֵת כְּצִיצִית וּכְלוּלָב וּכְסֻכָּה וְהַדּוֹמֶה לָזֶה. וְכַאֲשֶׁר יָשׁוּב הַמְקַצֵּר בָּהֶם בְּלִבּוֹ וּבִלְשׁוֹנוֹ וְיִשְׁתַּדֵּל לַעֲשׂוֹת אוֹתָם וְלֹא יִשְׁנֶה קִצּוּרוֹ בָּהֶם יִמְחֹל לוֹ הַבּוֹרֵא וְיִשְׁתַּוֶּה עִם הַצַּדִּיק אֲשֶׁר לֹא קִצֵּר בָּהֶם, וּבִכְמוֹ זֶה נֶאֱמַר הַשָּׁב מִן הַחֵטְא כְּמִי שֶׁלֹּא חָטָא וְאָמְרוּ רז״ל עָבַר עַל מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה שֶׁאֵין בָּהּ כָּרֵת וְעָשָׂה תְּשׁוּבָה אֵינוֹ זָז מִמְּקוֹמוֹ עַד שֶׁמּוֹחֲלִין לוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (מלאכי ג) שׁוּבוּ אֵלַי וְאָשׁוּבָה אֲלֵיכֶם.
The explanation of the first case: That the lacking was in a positive commandment which does not carry the punishment of Karet (spiritual excision), such as tzitzit, lulav, sukka, or the like. When the person repents on them in his heart and in speech, and exerts himself to fulfill them, and does not repeat his neglect to do them, the Creator will forgive him, and he will be equal to the tzadik who never sinned in them. On such a penitent, it is said: "one who repents from a sin is as if he never sinned", and our sages said of them: (Yoma 86a) "one who transgressed a positive commandment which does not incur Karet (spiritual excision) and repented - he is forgiven right away, as written: 'return to Me and I will return to you' (Malachi 3:7)".
וְהַחֵלֶק הַשֵּׁנִי וְהוּא שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ בּוֹ יִתְרוֹן הַשָּׁב עַל הַצַּדִּיק, בֵּאוּר זֶה שֶׁיִּהְיֶה הַשָּׁב חָטָא חֵטְא קָטָן בְּמִצְוַת לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁאֵין בָּהּ כָּרֵת ואח״כ שָׁב מִמֶּנָּה תְּשׁוּבָה שְׁלֵמָה בְּכָל תְּנָאֶיהָ וְשָׂם עֲוֹנוֹ לְעֻמָּתוֹ וְנֹכַח פָּנָיו וּמְבַקֵּשׁ תָּמִיד הַמְּחִילָה עָלָיו וְנִכְלָם מִבָּשְׁתּוֹ (ס״א מבקשתו) מֵהַבּוֹרֵא וְנִכְנַס בְּלִבּוֹ הַמּוֹרָא מֵעָנְשׁוֹ וְנִשְׁבְּרָה נַפְשׁוֹ וְהוּא נִכְנָע וְשָׁפֵל לִפְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים תָּמִיד וְהָיָה חֶטְאוֹ סִבָּה לִכְנִיעָתוֹ וְהִשְׁתַּדְּלוּתוֹ לִפְרֹעַ חוֹבוֹת הַבּוֹרֵא, לֹא יִתְגָּאֶה בִּמְאוּמָה מִמַּעֲשֵׂהוּ הַטּוֹב וְלֹא יִרְבֶּה בְּעֵינָיו וְלֹא יִתְפָּאֵר בּוֹ וְיִשָּׁמֵר בִּשְׁאֵרִית יָמָיו מִן הַמִּכְשׁוֹל, חוֹטֵא זֶה הוּא שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ יִתְרוֹן עַל הַצַּדִּיק שֶׁלֹּא חָטָא הַחֵטְא הַהוּא וְהַדּוֹמֶה לוֹ, כִּי הַצַּדִּיק אֵין בְּטוּחִים בּוֹ שֶׁלֹּא יִתְגָּאֶה וְיִגְבַּהּ לִבּוֹ וְיָרוּם בְּמַעֲשֵׂהוּ וּכְבָר נֶאֱמַר כִּי יֵשׁ חֵטְא שֶׁמּוֹעִיל לַשָּׁב יוֹתֵר מִכָּל צִדְקוֹת הַצַּדִּיק וְיֵשׁ צְדָקָה שֶׁמַּזֶּקֶת לַצַּדִּיק יוֹתֵר מִכָּל חַטֹּאות הַשָּׁב כְּשֶׁיַּפְנֶה לִבּוֹ מִן הַכְּנִיעָה וְדָבֵק בַּגֵּאוּת וּבַחֹנֶף וְאַהֲבַת הַשֶּׁבַח.
For the second case, where the penitent becomes greater than the tzadik, the explanation is that the penitent committed a minor sin of the negative commandments, such as one which does not carry the punishment of Karet, and afterwards fully repents with all the conditions of repentance. He places his sin before him and opposite his face, and always beseeches for forgiveness of it. He feels full of shame before the Creator, his heart penetrated by the fear of the punishment, his spirit is broken. He always submits and humbles himself before G-d, and the sin becomes a cause for his submission and for his endeavoring to fulfill his debts to the Creator. He does not become haughty in the least for his good deeds and they do not amount to much in his eyes. He does not glorify himself in it and guards from stumbling for the rest of his life - such a sinner, is the one who is greater than the tzadik who never sinned this sin or others like it. For the tzadik is not assured that his heart will not become proud and haughty for his deeds. It was said that "sometimes a sin is more useful to the penitent than all the righteous deeds of the tzadik, and sometimes a good deed damages the tzadik more than all the sins of the penitent". This applies when the tzadik turns his heart away from submission and grows pride, flattery (hypocrisy), and love of praise.
כמ״ש אֶחָד מִן הַצַּדִּיקִים לְתַלְמִידָיו אִלּוּ לֹא הָיָה לָכֶם עָוֹן הָיִיתִי מְפַחֵד עֲלֵיכֶם מִמָּה שֶׁהוּא גָּדוֹל מִן הֶעָוֹן אָמְרוּ לוֹ וּמַהוּ גָּדוֹל מִן הֶעָוֹן אָמַר לָהֶם הַגֵּאוּת וְהַחֹנֶף וּבְשָׁב כָּזֶה ארז״ל בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁבַּעֲלֵי תְּשׁוּבָה עוֹמְדִים אֵין צַדִּיקִים גְּמוּרִים יְכוֹלִים לַעֲמֹד.
One of the righteous would say to his students: "if you were completely without any sins, I would be afraid for you, on what is worse than sin", they said, "what is worse than sin?" He answered, "pride and flattery". Regarding a penitent like this, our Sages said: "In the place where the penitent stands, the perfectly righteous cannot stand" (Berachos 34b).
וְהַחֵלֶק הַשְּׁלִישִׁי שֶׁיִּהְיֶה הַשָּׁב עוֹבֵר עֲבֵרוֹת גְּדוֹלוֹת מִמִּצְוֹת לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהּ מִיתָה בִּידֵי אָדָם וְכָרֵת בִּידֵי שָׁמַיִם כְּחִלּוּל הַשֵּׁם (ס״א כחלול שבת) וּשְׁבוּעַת שֶׁקֶר וְהַדּוֹמֶה לָהֶם מִן הַגְּדוֹלוֹת וְאַחַר כָּךְ שָׁב מִטָּעוּתוֹ בָּהֶם וְהִשְׁלִים תְּנָאֵי הַתְּשׁוּבָה וּגְדָרֶיהָ כִּי הַמְּחִילָה לֹא תִּתָּכֵן לוֹ עַד שֶׁיְּנֻסֶּה בעוה״ז מִמָּה שֶׁיּוּכַל לְסָבְלוֹ וְיִנָּקֶה מֵעֲוֹנֹתָיו וּבוֹ אָמְרוּ רז״ל עָבַר עַל מִצְוַת לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהּ כָּרֵת וּמִיתַת ב״ד וְעָשָׂה תְּשׁוּבָה יִסּוּרִין מְמָרְקִין וּמִיתָה מְכַפֶּרֶת שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים פט) וּפָקַדְתִּי בְשֵׁבֶט פִּשְׁעָם וּבִנְגָעִים עֲוֹנָם וּכְתִיב (ישעיהו כ״ב:י״ד) אִם יְכֻפַּר הֶעָוֹן הַזֶּה לָכֶם עַד תְּמֻתוּן וְהַצַּדִּיק שֶׁלֹּא עָבַר אֵלּוּ הָעֲבֵרוֹת יֵשׁ לוֹ יִתְרוֹן עַל הַשָּׁב מֵהֶם בְּלִי סָפֵק:
For the third case, (where the tzadik is greater than the penitent), this is where the penitent transgressed big sins of the negative commandments which carry the punishment of death by Beit Din or Karet from the heavenly court, such as Chilul H-shem, false oaths, or others like these of the severe sins. The person afterwards repented from his evil path, and fulfilled all the conditions and requirements of repentance. In this case, forgiveness will not be granted until he receives suffering in this world with what he will be able to bear and so be cleansed of his sins. On this kind of penitent our sages said (Yoma 86a): "If he has committed a sin punishable by Karet or death through Beit Din, and repented, suffering cleans him and death completes the atonement, as written 'I shall punish their transgression with a rod, and their iniquity with afflictions' (Tehilim 89:33)", and "certainly this iniquity shall not be atoned for you until you die"(Yeshaya 22:14). Without any doubt, the Tzadik who never transgressed these types of sins is greater than the penitent in them.