Editing Teshuvah (section)

== Methods of Teshuvah Rectification ==
In mussar seforim starting from the Rishonim, like the Rokeach and Sefer Chassidim, there are many guidelines for how a baal teshuvah should conduct themselves to fully repent from their sin. Among these guidelines are many fasts and self-afflictions.

The Rokeach divides the types of teshuvah rectifications into four categories:

# Teshuvat HaBaah - When one has the opportunity to sin again in the same way but succeeds in overcoming it.
# Teshuvat HaGeder - Creating fences and distancing oneself with additional safeguards to avoid transgressing again.
# Teshuvat HaMishkal - Self-afflictions aimed at preventing oneself from pleasure, corresponding to the pleasure derived from the sin.
# Teshuvat HaKatuv - Self-afflictions aimed at preventing oneself from pleasure, corresponding to the suffering due as punishment for that sin (for example, as a substitute for karet).

The fasts mentioned among teshuvah rectifications are not part of the teshuvah itself, which is solely abandoning the sin, but come after and in addition to teshuvah. These fasts have two purposes:

# For atonement: Since there are severe transgressions, like those punishable by karet and death by beis din, that require suffering in addition to teshuvah for atonement - one takes on fasts, thereby drawing closer to Hashem, appeasing Him and requesting forgiveness before He brings suffering.
# To become beloved before Hashem: Even after sin atonement, one is not as pleasing and beloved before Hashem as before, and to appease Him one had to bring a korban olah, which the Gemara compares to a gift given by a servant to a king after being forgiven for his sin. Today, when we don't have korbanos, fasts take their place to please Hashem.

In recent generations, as bodies have weakened, the Alter Rebbe rules that one should not fast teshuvah fasts to avoid weakening the body and harming avodas Hashem. For this reason, one should redeem the fasts with tzedakah. The Rebbe repeatedly emphasizes this ruling of the Alter Rebbe, and in his Igros Kodesh writes to many people to avoid teshuvah fasts. However, sometimes he instructs to fast half-day fasts for teshuvah, but not the high number of fasts established by the Arizal.
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