Today is Shabbat Shuva, the Shabbat for Returning to G-d. Of beginning anew with our Beloved. Returning to G-d is teshuvah. We keep hearing this in religious gatherings: Repent, repent, repent, teshuvah, teshuvah, teshuvah.

But how? Teshuvah is a good thing! It brings us ever closer to HaShem and produces ever greater joy.

So why are so many people afraid of it? How can we attain the benefits of teshuvah without disgracing ourselves or beating our chests is self-humiliation?

We read the following from Rebbe Nachman's Masterpiece, Likutey Moharan, Book 1, lesson 6:1, 3.

[Read the Text]

The word teshuvah in Hebrew may be read as tashuv hey, or, literally, “returning the letter Hey.” What does this teach us? The second Hey of the Four Letter Sacred Name, the Tetragrammeton, refers to Malchut according to our mystical traditions, and Malchut is the Shechinah because it the realm of HaShem's Manifest Presence within the creation. We are further taught that Shechinah is both the Gate to Devekut and destination itself for those who enter: This is our Atonement: Our "At One Ment, with our Beloved.

Consider that the Tree of Life or Adam Kadmon dipiction of reality places within each of us a 'Malchut' or kingdom over which to rule. In other words, we are commanded to run our own lives - whether the Globalist Nanny States like it or not! Your Malchut is the world of your experience and YOU are responsible for the decisions you make! No one else, YOU. No one, not even the Global dictatorship, can force you to do ANYTHING. The costs for refusing them may be high, but it remains your decision. You alone decide whether to stand or fall before your enemies. Whether or not to take their Mark. Psalm 82:8 affirms that this is always OUR choice. We can arise as the Children of the Most High and rule our kingdoms, or we can relinguish our divine rights and duties and die like one of the foolish mortals, unaware of who we actually are.

A psalm of Asaph.

God presides in the great assembly.
He judges among the gods.

“How long will you judge unjustly,
and show partiality to the wicked?” Selah.

“Defend the weak, the poor, and the fatherless.
Maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.

Rescue the weak and needy.
Deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”

They don’t know, neither do they understand.
They walk back and forth in darkness.
All the foundations of the earth are tottering.

I said, “You are gods,
[ie because] all of you are Children of the Most High.

Despite this, you shall die like mortals,
and fall like one of their rulers.”

Arise, ye gods and judge the earth,
for you will inherit all of the nations.

As the prince or princess of your realm, you choose to bend the knee to G-d your Father and King as a loyal Son or Daughter, or you choose to rebel against Him. As the song says, 'you may serve Devil, or you may serve the Lord, but you're gonna have to serve somebody.

So here's the big question to ask yourself: Will you maximize the Honor of G-d or will you seek your own honor?

Seeking the Royal Honor elevates you and everything in your Malkut, your sphere of influence. But when we seek our own honor, we experience opposition and so many attacks. Why? As our Rebbe explains, it's because we are embracing an honor or kavod that we do not deserve. On the other hand, the honor of HaShem transcends everyone and everything and those who honor Him in all their ways, receive divine honors from Him.

As the Scripture says:

"And wealth and honor are from before You [O G-d], and You rule over all, and in Your hand is strength and might, and it is in Your hand to magnify and to strengthen all (I Chronicles 29:12).

It is only when we seek the kavod or honor of HaShem through teshuvah that we understand what true honor is! And only through this do we achieve transcendent bliss and joy and the ability to tell our enemies that no, we will NOT submit to your tyranny! We will serve HaShem, our King (Joshua 24:15).

"When you look outside, what do you see? The market, wagons, horses, people running in all directions?
Fifty years from now the market will be completely different, with different horses and wagons, different merchandise, and different people. I won't be here and you won't be here.
So let me ask you now: How come you are so busy and preoccupied that you don't even have time to look up at the sky? -- Kochvey Ohr

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Be the Blessing you were created to be
And
Don't let the perfect defeat the good

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