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Thought for the Day: The Benefit of Yisurim After T'shuva

 Nothing stands in the way of t'shuva; nothing.  (Well except my own obstinacy...)  T'shuva can turn intentional sins into accidental sins or even into merits.  What does that mean?  Is this some kind of game?  Also, most sins need y'surim (suffering) to finish the job that t'shuva started.  Isn't that backwards?  Shouldn't the y'surim come if I don't do t'shuva in order to provide "encouragement"?

Sinning is fun.  It has to be, otherwise there would have been no reason for it's creation.  "Calculate the benefit of a sin versus it's loss" (Avos 2:1).  Sin has to bring some benefit (fun) in order for us to get the reward of choosing to not sin.  Even when I have done t'shuva on the sin, there is still the problem of the fun I had.  Depending on the type of sin, there could be a significant impact left on my neshama.  The process of cleansing my neshama is experienced as y'surim.

The Mabit says that we experience pleasure in this world through our health, our money, and nachas from our children.  When our love for HaShem is complete, then we are complete in those three areas.  The Mabit learns that from the first paragraph of sh'ma: "b'chol l'vavcha, b'chol nafshecha, u'v'chol m'odecha"; with all of your heart (the love for your children is engraved deeply into your heart), with all of your life (a completely healthy body), and with all of your resources (money).

Sinning is an action that demonstrates a lack in love for HaShem.  In order to remove the impact left on our neshamos, continues the Mabit, we must experience an amount of suffering that is equal to the fun we had.  That is why our suffering comes in those three areas: children, health, financial.  That is also why y'surim (the healling kind) come only after t'shuva and why it depends on the kind of sin that was done.  T'shuva from failure to fulfill positive commandments does not bring on y'surim; the t'shuva is enough to remove the impression on our n'shamos.  Transgressing a negative commandment, on the other hand (lots more fun!), leaves a deeper mark and takes more work to achieve an effective cleansing.

It comes out, then, that the best s'gula for health, parnassa, and nachas from the children is to not sin.  Simple, no?  Like all good s'gulos.

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