The Baraita (Yoma, 86a) tells us that there are four categories of atonement, meaning that there are four categories of sins and each category possesses a different rectification process in order to completely rectify the sin.
If one transgresses a positive Torah commandment, for instance, not reciting Kiddush on Shabbat night or not reciting Keri’at Shema at its proper time, and he repents by feeling remorse for his iniquity, confessing it, and accepting upon himself completely not to repeat this sin, his sin is immediately forgiven, as the verse states, “Return wayward children, I shall heal your ailments.”
If one transgresses a negative Torah commandment, for instance, if one ate a fruit that requires checking for worms without checking it first and it turns out that it did contain worms, and repents, he is in a standby situation until Yom Kippur; Yom Kippur will atone for his sin completely, as the verse states, “For through this day will He atone for you from all of your sins.”
If one transgresses a Torah prohibition for which one is liable for Karet or capital punishment (for instance, not keeping Shabbat or the laws of family purity), after one has repented and Yom Kippur has passed he is still in a standby situation until suffering and hardships befall him at which point his sin will be completely forgiven, as the verse states, “I shall remember their iniquities with a staff and with afflictions their sins.”
The last category is one who desecrates the name of Hashem for which there is no atonement; only one’s death can serve as an atonement for this.
Nevertheless, several more distinctions still apply. For example, this that we have said that if one transgresses a positive Torah commandment (or a Rabbinic one for that matter, such as not reciting a blessing before eating) he is immediately forgiven after repenting, this is not always the case, for the Poskim write that if one repeatedly transgresses a positive commandment many times, the flaw caused by these many sins can be tantamount to a sin for which one is liable for Karet or capital punishment, and he will subsequently need Yom Kippur and suffering for his sin to be atoned for.
Additionally, this that we have said that the sin of desecrating the name of Hashem has no atonement besides for one’s day of death is also not so simple, for if one sanctifies the name of Hashem after transgressing the sin of desecrating it, he surely rectifies and offsets the great flaw which he has caused with his sin of the desecration of Hashem’s name. (In the Sefer Kaf Ha’Chaim on the laws of Rosh Chodesh, the author brings down the rectification process for desecrating Hashem’s name.)
We can clearly see that many individuals require suffering and hardships in order to atone for their sins and they seemingly have no hope; rather, they must wait to be punished from Heaven and only then will their sins be atoned for, as the verse states, “I shall remember their iniquities with a staff and with afflictions their sins.”
Indeed, in the Mussar works of the authentic Mekubalim we find many different rectification procedures for a vast array of sins, so that one’s sins may be completely forgiven. For instance, in the Sefer Reshit Chochma, the author, Rabbeinu Eliyahu di Vidash zt”l, is very stern regarding sinners and writes that for every sin, one must fast a certain amount of times or immerse himself in ice-water and the like. This was based on the knowledge that the Mekubalim had of the flaws one causes based on the specific sin one performs. However, as the generations progressed, people became weaker and we are no longer capable of fasting the prescribed amounts of fasts quoted in the works of the Mekubalim to rectify the sin; thus, one should not follow these rectification processes.
The great Rabbeinu Yosef Haim zt”l of Baghdad arose and authored his Sefer Leshon Chachamim which incorporates different rectification processes for many kinds of sins. He authored his work based on his knowledge of the repentance process which was second to none and he is much more lenient regarding the various rectification procedures. Nevertheless, even according to his words, a sinner must fast a prescribed amount of fasts for every specific sin; some sinners will indeed have to fast hundreds of times in order to atone for their sin, but not everyone can withstand this.
Even from the generation before us until our current generation, we can feel how much weakness has descended upon the world. Indeed, until approximately thirty years ago there were individuals who lived among us and fasted for several days consecutively while continuing to function normally, such as the saintly Hagaon Harav Reuven Sharabani zt”l and the saintly Hagaon Harav Yisrael Abuchatzera zt”l (the “Baba Sali”) who would fast from Motza’ei Shabbat directly until the next Shabbat night all the while never ceasing to learn Torah, and no harm would befall them. We most certainly would not be able to withstand such rigorous fasting.
Thus, Hagaon Harav Yitzchak Alfieh zt”l, one of the greatest Rabbis of Jerusalem , a pious and holy individual, and well-known miracle-worker, instituted the order of the “Ta’anit Dibbur” (lit. “Fast of Speech”) and publicized that whoever would not speak mundane words for an entire day and only speak words of Torah and prayer, this would be considered like several fasts and would be extremely beneficial for the atonement of one’s sins.
Therefore, it is proper for every person to use at least one day during this period to make a “Ta’anit Dibbur” for an entire day and dedicate that day completely to Torah learning and prayer, and he shall merit a great atonement for his sins.
Above all is the level of one who toils in Torah study, for the Torah protects one from enduring suffering. Not only that, but it also serves to atone for one’s sins. We have seen many times that when people approach Maran Rabbeinu Ovadia Yosef Shlit”a in order to seek advice for atoning for a particular sin, he suggests that they delve into the Torah learning associated with that sin. For instance, if one desecrated Shabbat, Maran Shlit”a would tell him to delve deeply into the laws of Shabbat and to take care to keep the laws of Shabbat, for by doing so, this would serve as a great rectification for his soul by correcting the sin he has done and it will also protect him from enduring suffering as well as graciously being accepted by Hashem.
