Daily Tanya Friday, 10th Teves: Chapter 7-The sin of Forbidden relations and its severity

(LY) 10^th Teves

3.      The sin of Zera Levatala and how to elevate the energy demoted to evil:

• Even simple repentance elevates: The one exception to the above lack of ability to elevate the energy demoted into evil through transgressing a prohibition unless one does Teshuvah Ila’ah, is by the transgression of Zera Levatala. Although the energy that is found in the seminal drops that were wasted become included within the three completely unclean Kelipos, this energy is able to be elevated from it with simple proper repentance, even if it is not on the level of Teshuvah Ila’ah.
• Concentration by bedtime Shema kills the body of the Kelipos: This simple repentance is to be coupled with a great concentration during the recital of the bedtime Shema, in order to affect the elevation of the energy of wasted seed from the side of evil. This idea is hinted to in the Talmud which states that one who reads the bedtime Shema is likened to one who holds a double-edged sword. Through reading the bedtime Shema one kills the bodies of the evil forces, which became garments for the energy found in the seminal drops. The energy then becomes elevated to holiness after their body is killed.
• Not mentioned in Torah: It is because of this ability to elevate back to holiness the energy that was entered into evil through the sin of Zera Levatala, that the sin of Zera Levatala is not mentioned in the Torah amongst the list of forbidden relations, even though that from one aspect it is even more severe than them, as we will now explain.
• Is more severe than forbidden relations in the amount of evil that it creates: The sin of Zera Levatala is more severe than the transgressions of forbidden relations with a woman, in terms of the amount of evil that it creates in both quality and quantity, as seed spilled in vain creates a greater amount of impurity and evil then do forbidden relations. As well, the strength of the evil created by spilling seed in vain is much greater than the strength of the evil created through forbidden relations.

4.      The sin of Forbidden relations and its severity:

• Forbidden relations become stuck forever: Nonetheless, from another aspect forbidden relations is more severe than the sin of spilling seed in vein, as during forbidden relations the energy that one enters into evil enters into such depth of evil that it is not able to be elevated from there with a regular form of repentance, unless one performs the higher repentance from great love, as explained above, which has the ability to transform sin to merit.
• Gloss: The reason the energy that is invested through forbidden relations cannot be elevated is because the energy becomes conceived within the Yesod of Nukva of Kelipa and is hence held captive by her. This is in contrast to one who wastes seed, in which there is no female partner of Kelipa, and it is just that the power and life force of Kelipa garb the energy found in the drops.
• Not mentioned in Torah: It is hence for this reason that the sin of spilling seed in vain is not recorded in the Torah in its list of forbidden relations, being that its evil is able to be elevated through regular repentance and is not bound and Assur to the Kelipos in a way that requires Teshuvah Ila’ah to elevate as is the case with all the other forbidden relations.
• No Tikkun for sin if a Mamzer was born: Based on this we can understand that which is stated by the sages that one who brings a Mamzer into the world through having relations with an Erva has committed a sin that is not rectifiable. The reason for this is because the energy that was invested into this sin and created the bastard child cannot be elevated to holiness even if he performs a great level of repentance, being that it has already entered into this physical world and invested itself within a body of flesh and blood.