Hester Panim and Teshuva

     In Devorim, verse 32:20, Hashem again refers to the ’hiding of the countenance’ that we call Hester Panim.

     In Devorim 31:15 – 18, Hashem tells Moshe that after Moshe’s passing, the people will return to idolatry and forsake Hashem and His covenant.

     There it states, “I will hide my countenance from him.”  After suffering terribly, one will say, “Hashem is not in my midst, this is why all these troubles have come to me,” but then Hashem seems to double down upon him.  Only now the verse states that Hashem will definitely conceal His countenance from him!

     The Ramban explains that the initial thoughts of teshuva need to be worked out thoroughly.  It’s not so simple that one is sorry and suddenly all his problems vanish.  Rather, the concealment (Hester Panim) becomes harsher until he performs a proper repentance. (1)

Hashgacha Pratis

     The Ramchal (Da’as T’vunah, p. 143) explains that it’s not at all as it seems.  It would appear that he’s being punished even more severely, now that he’s starting to do teshuva.  We would think that he’s lost the hashgacha pratis (Hashem’s direct supervision).  It’s not so!

     In reality, this is the greatest hashgacha pratis!  The Hester Panim itself is the greatest hashgacha pratis… He thought that Hashem was not with him, but it’s not so… Hashem’s direct supervision is bringing about all that happens.

     In other words, when we suffer, we must realize that our hardships are coming directly from Hashem, and contemplate deeply how we must change for the better.

Kabalos

     Rav Menachem Malinowitz gives aitzos for making kabalos — commitments for the new year.  One: they should be easy to keep.  Two: they should be transformational.  Three: they should be something you should have been doing anyway!  His example is to say the brocha ‘asher yatzar’ once a day with proper intent. He explains how this example fits all three conditions.

     Rav Malinowitz makes a great distinction between two parts of teshuva:  To feel regret for our aveiros, and to make kabalos.  We say vidui many times — this is meant, with contemplation, to have charata (remorse) for all our aveiros.  However, a complete kabala on everything is not possible.  So we must realize that regret for the past is not the same as a complete kabala for the future. (Shabbos for Life, 486)

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1.This is reminiscent of Sefer Iyuv (Job).  Iyuv was stricken with terrible yesurim until he came to an understanding of Hashem’s ways.   In the end, he returned to a pleasant life.  Rav Moshe Eisemann writes that according to a Beraisa (Bava Basra 15b), this return to the pleasant life was actually a punishment; he did not accomplish a proper teshuva!