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I have posted RSRH's essay titled Jewish Joyfulness that appears in
Volume VIII of his Collected Writings at
<a href="http://www.stevens.edu/golem/llevine/rsrh/jewish_joyfulness.pdf" eudora="autourl">
http://www.stevens.edu/golem/llevine/rsrh/jewish_joyfulness.pdf</a>
Note the sentence, "<font size=3>The Jew needs no intermediary
between himself and his God." YL</font> <br><br>
In this essay he writes:<br><br>
<font size=3>The Jew knows only one cause for bitterness, one enemy of
his serene joyfulness-it is the awareness of sin, of guilt, of having
forfeited his life's purity. And even here, too, the incomparable majesty
of Divine teachings comes to the rescue. Even the seasoned sinner will
not be deprived of life's serenity forever. Judaism knows not only death
but also redemption from sin. The seasoned sinner must earnestly declare
his willingness to free himself from the shackles of sin once he has
tasted the bitter cup of iniquity-and then God will be near to him, will
meet him halfway, will help him overcome the antagonist within him. And
God will be ready at any moment to take back the sinner in a warm embrace
and grant him renewed happiness in life, cleansed of all the dreadful
wrongs of his past. <br><br>
The Jew needs no intermediary between himself and his God. His
transformation and return to God occur in the seclusion of his own heart.
Within his own heart there may be shadows of darkness, yet his own heart
will once again radiate with the beams of daylight. Even if he had lost
his God on his own volition, he will find his God once again on his own
initiative, and at every moment, at every turn he can find Him
(Isaiah 55,6): </font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3> "Seek
God for He desires to be found; call Him for He is so close. Let the
sinner change his ways and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him
return to our God; and God will show him mercy, He never tires to
forgive." God has spoken -
the</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>Jew hears it, and he turns
back and stands upon the most glorious heights in unexpected joy!
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