Geula Through Teshuva

My translation of the Mahsof Halavan on Nitzavim (written by Ribbi Yaakov Abuhatzeira, the grandfather of the Baba Sali):

Or else, "Atem Nitzavim" could be hinting to the idea that at that moment, all the souls of Israel of all the future generations were all standing there, as Raza"l proved from the verse "but with him that standeth here with us this day before the LORD our God, and also with him that is not here with us this day". And Moshe Rabbeinu, alav hashalom, saw the length of this final exile that it is especially long, and he had great pain over the Shechina, Whose pain in the exile is boundless. And Moshe Rabbeinu, alav hashalom, knew Its pain more than the rest of the world, since he is Ba'alah DeMatronita [YY - don't ask me to explain this concept], and he is exceedingly angry over the news of the length of Its pain in the exile.

And he said that the length of the exile is dependent upon the Children of Israel - they are the ones who caused the length of the exile with their sins. This is because HKB"H only decreed 1000 years of exile, as it says: "He hath made me desolate and faint all the day," and 1 day of HKB"H is 1000 years, and anything added to those 1000 years is because of the sins of Israel.

And behold, due to the sins of all the days of the length of the exile, at every midnight when the Shechina screams out and complains about Its pain in exile, all the worlds shake, cry, and scream out with It. And the forefathers, foremothers, tribes, Moshe Rabbeinu alav hashalom, all his generation, and all the Children of Israel of that world - all are pleading and crying before HKB"H at that moment for the pain of the Shechina - until when will It continue to be pained?

And this is what Moshe Rabbeinu, alav hashalom, said to the souls who are destined to be in the final generation who see the length of the exile as being too long, but they do not pay attention why the exile is so long. They really believe that Mashiah will come and hope for his salvation every day, but they are not aroused to do complete Teshuva through which he will come. Rather, they say with their mouths, "For we hope for Your salvation the whole day," but the main idea is missing from them - which is Teshuva.

And it is possible that this is what the prophet [Hoshe'a], alav hashalom, intended when he said "And My people are in suspense about returning to Me; and though they call them upwards, none at all will lift himself up." At first glance, ואל על יקראהו "And though they call them upwards" is not understandable. However, according to what we just said, it comes out nicely. He is saying, "And My people are in suspense" - that is, their eyes are in suspense and hoping: when will I redeem them from exile and return them to their land as originally? And they said with their mouths, "For we hope for Your salvation the whole day," but what is in their mouths isn't correct since Redemption is dependent upon Teshuva, as it says "Return, ye backsliding children, I will heal your backslidings," for they are not redeemed without Teshuva.

And that is what is meant by "And My people are in suspense about returning to Me" - as we said that they are hoping that I will return them to their place, but they throw the burden upon Me when they say that this salvation is dependent upon Hashem, Who will have mercy upon us and redeem us from the exile. And that is ואל על יקראהו "And though they call them upwards" - ואל על are 2 words. This means that sometimes, they say אל - to Hashem are our eyes suspended that He will redeem us from this exile. This is the meaning of the word ואל. And sometimes, they say על - the burden of this exile is upon Hashem, like "Cast thy burden upon the LORD". However, this is not the truth as the main idea is that we do Teshuva.

And this idea of Teshuva, upon which Redemption is dependent, we don't find avenues to do it and we don't agree to do it. And that is the idea of "none at all will lift himself up" - meaning that we don't agree together to do the uplifting with which we will be redeemed, which is Teshuva, as we said. And that is the meaning of "none at all will lift himself up" - to do Teshuva.

And that is what Moshe Rabbeinu, alav hashalom, said here in the verse "Atem Nitzavim": אתם נצבים היום with the Kollel = [695 =] בגלות איה רחל. Moshe Rabbeinu, alav hashalom, is telling the souls of the last generation that are at the end of the exile, "You should know that the Shechina has great pain during the length of the boundless exile, and the forefathers, foremothers, tribes, elders, princes, prophets, the pious, and the righteous cry and plead before HKB"H and say, 'Where is the Shechina which traveled away and was expelled from Its place? It is in great pain!'" And that is the idea of "your heads, your tribes, your elders, and your officers" - in the exile, they scream out and ask, "Where is Rahel [i.e. the Shechina] Who traveled away from Her place? It is in great pain!"

And this matter is dependent upon you - you, the children of the exile, through whose sins the exile is lengthened. And this is the idea of the verse כל איש ישראל "even all the men of Israel." The word כל is the gematria of הגולה with the Kollel [=50]. And the idea that Israel is considered the man of the exile - in other words, this is why you, Israel, are children of the exile: I say that you should awaken yourselves and know that the pain that Shechina is enduring is because of you, so you should repent with complete Teshuva in order that the written verse will be fulfilled, "Zion shall be redeemed with justice, and they that return of her with righteousness."