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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal align=right dir=RTL style='text-align:left;direction:rtl;unicode-bidi:embed'><span dir=LTR>The sefer Berogez Racheim Tizkor is avail for free download at - <a href="http://hebrewbooks.org/53838">http://hebrewbooks.org/53838</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=right dir=RTL style='text-align:left;direction:rtl;unicode-bidi:embed'><span dir=LTR><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=right dir=RTL style='text-align:left;direction:rtl;unicode-bidi:embed'><span dir=LTR>review of sefer - <a href="http://seforim.blogspot.ca/2015/09/review-of-dovid-bashevkins-sefer.html">http://seforim.blogspot.ca/2015/09/review-of-dovid-bashevkins-sefer.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=right dir=RTL style='text-align:left;direction:rtl;unicode-bidi:embed'><span dir=LTR><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=right dir=RTL style='text-align:left;direction:rtl;unicode-bidi:embed'><span dir=LTR>Review of Dovid Bashevkin's Sefer Berogez Racheim Tizkor By Rabbi Yitzchok Oratz<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'>Rabbi Yitzchok Oratz, a musmach of Beth Medrash Govoha, is the Rabbi and Director of the Monmouth Torah Links community in Marlboro, NJ.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'>God knows the nature of every generation, Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin has written a Sefer uniquely appropriate for the nature of ours[1]. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'>Take a trip to your local Jewish bookseller during this time period, and you will find numerous seforim, old[2] and new[3], on the themes of sin and repentance. Although they certainly vary in style and quality, a common denominator among many is the heavy reliance on Rambam's Hilchos Teshuva and Sha'arey Teshuva of Rabbeinu Yonah of Gerondi[4]. And this is to be expected. Timeless classics, these works of the great Rishonim are unmatched in their systematic and detailed discussion of sin and punishment, free will[5] and repentance, and are a prerequisite study for any serious discussion of Teshuva. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'>But therein lays the dilemma. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'>For although Rabbeinu Yonah maps out the exalted levels of Teshuva that one should certainly strive for, they seem not to be for the faint of heart. Is our generation really up to the task of embracing the sorrow, suffering, and worry, the humbling and lowering oneself[6], without allowing for the concomitant sense of despair[7] and despondence[8]? <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'>And how many of us can honestly stand before the Creator, and proclaim that we will "never return" to our negative actions, to the extent that God Himself will testify that this is the case[9]? If confession without sincere commitment to change is worthless[10], does repeating last year’s failed commitments not require choosing between giving up and fooling ourselves?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'>This is where B’Rogez Rachem Tizkor comes in. Based heavily on the thought of Izbica in general, and Reb Tzadok ha-Kohen of Lublin in particular, it discusses the value of spiritual struggle, the interplay between determinism and free will, the redemptive potential of sin, and the status of those who have not yet arisen from their fall. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'>Overall, the sefer is a good introduction to R' Tzadok for those who are not familiar with his thought, and offers many insightful and fascinating comments even for those who are. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'>My main critiques are that some of the discussion of the more controversial statements of Izbica required more elaboration[14], the lack thereof leads to a seeming conflating of two similar, yet far from identical, concepts, and more contrasting and supporting texts (both from within Izbica and R’ Tzadok’s thought and without) would have made for a stronger case and deeper understanding.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'>My hope is to fill in these gaps in some small measure. Hopefully it will further enlighten those whose appetite was whet by this fine work. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>