Question:

In all due respect to the customs of "Shovavim" (6 straight weeks beginning with the Torah reading of Shmot - mid-January), it seems to me that the Kabbalists have gone overboard with all of their "tikunim" [rectification prayers]. It is known that learning Torah is the ultimate "tikun," without exaggerated fasts, immersions in mikvahs, and all-night prayers.

Answer: 

With all due respect to your comment, while the study of Torah is indeed a powerful "tikun," Rabbi Leon Levi, and many great masters of Kabbalah, state that it is not enough, by itself, to cleanse the stains of sexual transgression.  For this very reason, the intense, focused penitence of the weeks of "Shovavim" has become a part of the Jewish year. Indeed, we mentioned that the Rebbe of Tzanz emphasized the supreme value of Torah learning in overcoming one's evil inclination. He urged his students to learn 18 pages of Gemara every day during the weeks of "Shovavim" in order to rectify the (spiritual and physical) damage done to the 18 vertebrae of the spine by the "sins of one's youth." Nevertheless, he also led his congregation in fasting and heartfelt bouts of penitence and prayer. Lest, a student of Torah think lightly of these matters, he writes:

"Many are those who succumb to this well-known sin and don't themselves know they sinned and that their doings are abhorred before G-d. And this is the greatest sorrow, for not only does this person not engage in penitence and feel remorse over his evil deeds, rather, he praises himself in his heart, thinking that he is complete in his service of G-d, without any failing, and he dresses up in a splendid fashion and parades his good deeds before all onlookers. Many dear sons of Zion, who, through the mightiness of their Torah learning, were equipped to become guardians of their generation, failed precisely because of this sin, and yet they do not even let it enter their minds that thy sinned at all, and thus they do not at all practice the words of King David, ‘And my sins are always before me.'

"Everyone who is more saintly than his companion must exert more care not to fall prey to this sin. For when empty-headed people transgress, they do not steal anything from the realm of holiness. And even if they fall completely into the captivity of the husks (klipot) of the realm of impurity, the forces of impurity do not benefit from them to any meaningful measure, due to the fact that these people are immersed in their earthly lusts and lack real holiness, so the Sitra Achra (realm of impurity) cannot draw any holy energy from them.

"However, when a married man who dedicates himself to Torah study, or a yeshiva student who labors over the Torah and fills himself with learning, nevertheless succumb to disgraceful thoughts and evil fantasies, and ends up by sinning, behold, he takes all of the Torah that he has learned and transfers it to the realm of impurity, and his punishment continues even after the fires of Gehinom have died. It would have been better for him and his soul never to have entered the sanctuary of holiness to meditate over the letters of the holy Torah. For by doing so, he gives his portion over to foreign powers and gives his strength to strangers. This is referred to in the Talmud when it states that Torah scholars need to be guarded (Berachot 54A). For those people who are empty and lacking in Torah and mitzvoth, and have long wallowed in impurity, they fall into the category of ‘a prohibition does not fall on an existing prohibition.'

"While we must always remind ourselves that the main reason for the Redemption's delay is not caused by the sins of the people who eat nevilot and traifot  (abominable and non kosher foods), or who satiate their appetites on Yom Kippur. The delay is caused by our sins, by the transgressions of those who are devoted to Torah and the service of G-d, and who squander sparks of holiness to the realm of impurity. It is like they entered the Holy of Holies in the Beit HaMikdash (Holy Temple) and extracted the holy vessels, and handed them over to Nebuchadnezzar and to the wicked Titus. And it is possible that their transgression is even worse then handing over the holy vessels, for these are only vessels of holiness, while he hands over the holiness itself into the captivity of the klipot.  To restore these sparks to the realm of holiness, a great effort is required, and a person must shed rivers of tears. It is over this that the Shechinah (Divine Presence) weeps and cries out, ‘I have been cast off into hands which offer no escape.'" (Halichot Chaim, Chapter on "Shovavim," Pgs. 55-56).

In summary, while Torah learning is certainly a powerful cleanser, when it comes to such a serious transgression, what's the problem with adding a few sleepless nights and some deep, heartfelt tears? 

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