L’shem Yichud Kudsha Brichu u’Schinteih. [1]

Ribbono Shel Olam, You Who Heals the Broken-Hearted, [2] please give us the strength to contend with our teacher who is eino holech b’derech tovah (“not walking on a good path”), because, as our sages teach, we are not permitted to learn from them until they make teshuvah (“repentance/return”). [3] 

And as we grapple with their harm, may we not push ourselves too quickly. Grant us the strength to take the time we need to process. Along the way, may we encounter no obstacles in front of us, and no internal taskmaster driving us forward. [4] 

While our teacher has taught us much, they have also failed us and harmed us, as it is written asher nasi yecheta (“When a leader sins,” Lev 4:22)— not if but when. [5] Since causing harm is the nature of being human, we are judged instead by how we make amends. So give our teacher the strength to be among those leaders who hold themselves accountable and make teshuvah. [6]

Oh God, you have made us imperfect beings, capable of harm. Indeed, in your unknowable wisdom, you have placed in each of us two constantly-battling forces: the drive to be of service to others and the drive to use others in service of ourselves; the nefesh elokus (“Godly soul”) which is a helek eloka mi-ma’al (“a piece of God above”), and the nefesh beheima (“animal soul”). [7]

Our teacher —perhaps even the very teacher who introduced us to these teachings!—has let their nefesh beheima overpower their nefesh elokus. They have reminded us that they are not a tzadik gamor (“completely righteous person”) but rather only You, God, are gamor (Complete). 

And yet, like the story of Acher and Rabbi Akiva, [8] may we be able to remember that although this wayward teacher was its conduit, the life-giving Torah they shared does not belong to any one person. May we remember that both the broken and the full tablets were placed in the ark together. [9] 

And from that knowledge, grant us the holy vision to sort through their teachings and distinguish the holy seeds from the klippot (“shells”), collecting and cherishing that which is pure, and discarding that which is impure. May we find the wisdom to discern for ourselves what to learn from our teacher or their teachings going forward. And if we discover that we cannot learn from them anymore, let us learn how we will not make the mistakes they have made. 

Oh God, grant our teacher the courage and empathy to make teshuvah, whenever possible, and return to holech b’derech tovah (“walk the good path”), and grant our injured community the ability to walk together toward healing.

Amen.

Endnotes:

[1] “For the sake of the Unification of The Transcendent Divine with the Indwelling Divine”. 

[2] Psalm 146:3.

[3] See Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 246:8. Also see Chagigah 15b: “if the Rabbi resembles an angel in purity, seek Torah from their mouth. But if they don't, do not seek Torah from their mouth.”

[4] See וְהָסֵר שָׂטָן מִלְּפָנֵינוּ וּמֵאַחֲרֵינו from Hashkiveinu prayer. Thank you to Rabbi Jacob Chatinover for this suggestion.

[5] See Sforno on Lev 4:22– amnam zeh davar matzui she’yecheta (“It is indeed certain that they will sin.”).

[6] See Rashi on Lev 4:22: “asher is from the language of ashrei (“happy”). Happy is the generation whose leader takes care to bring an atonement sacrifice”.

[7] This a creative mapping of the Yetzer tov (good inclination) and the Yetzer ha’ra (evil inclination) onto the two souls of people explicated in Likkutei Amarim Tanya. See Tanya Chap 1-2, where it draws on Isaiah 57:16, neshemOT ani asiti (“I made souls in the dual conjugation).

[8] See Chagigah 15a.

[9] See Bava Batra 14b.