Teshuva

The distance between the earth and the first heaven, and between one heaven and the next is five hundred years walking distance (7,300,000 Mil, at the rate of forty Mil per day).

The four Chayot angels that are underneath Hashem's Throne - are in the shape of a lion, ox, eagle, and man. The distance from the feet of the Chayot till Hashem's Throne is much further, since the feet of the Chayot corresponds to the total distance of the earth till there.

The Vilna Gaon, zs'l, illustrates how far Kise HaKavod, the almight's Throne of Glory, is from us: Eight terms used to describe the ascent of our words to HaShem. These eight terms represent the seven reki'im (heavens) through which one must pass in order to reach the eighth, which is the Throne of Glory. Our Rabbis tells us that it takes five hundred years to reach the first rakia, five hundred years to traverse it, five hundred years to travel from the first to the second rakia, and so on; so that it takes seven thousand years to traverse the seven reki'im and reach the Throne of Glory. Rabbi Dessler, zs'l, explained the method of travelling to and through the reki'im. The years of travel are years of service to G-d, wasting no time and utilizing every second.

Hashem allows us to decide the quality of life we want to live. When one feels a desire for a certain person or food or anything, one should think, "Where is the source of desire, from where does it come?" When one feels love for a certain person or even an animal, one should think, "Where is the source of all love, from where does love come?" Inevitably one will arrive at the answer: from Hashem. In this way one is able to fulfill the dictate of the verse, "In all your ways you shall know Him. . .". (Proverbs 3:6)

In the Shema, we are all commanded to love Hashem with all our hearts, souls, and powers (Devarim 6:5). Such love is able to overcome all other loves – of others, of life, and of money (Rashi).

When one prays alone, the angels are required to elevate his/her prayer.

(a) One is permitted to pray in any language - because the idea of prayer is to plead for mercy, and must come from the heart (so it needs to be expressed in whichever language one feels comfortable expressing oneself.
(b) Rebbi Yochanan, zs'l, said - that if someone prays in Aramaic, the angels (who carry one's prayers before the Heavenly Throne) will not respond, because they are not conversant with Aramaic.
(c) Rav Yehudah , zs'l, extrapolates from Rebbi Yochanan's statement - that one should not make requests in Aramaic.
(d) It is better to pray with a Tzibbur (minimum 10 men) because HaShem never reject the prayers of a community.

TESHUVA
"The place where baalei teshuva stand in Heaven cannot be occupied even by the righteous" (Brachot 34b).

Four Steps of Teshuva
1. A person has to abandon his negative behaviors;
2. He then has to regret his past indiscretions;
3. Next, he must resolve to do better in the future;
4. Finally, he must orally express his wrongdoing to HaShem.

WHO is a truly regretful person whose return reaches HaShem’s throne? Someone who is tempted to commit the same sin again and manages to overcome the urge to do so (Yoma 86b).

Teshuva causes healing in the world;
Teshuva changes sinning to errors;
HaShem forgives the same sin performed (by Klal Yisrael as well as by an individual) three times, but not four;
Someone who causes the community to do good will not be tempted to sin, while one who causes the community to sin will not be given the opportunity to do Teshuva;
Someone who readily forgives those who have sinned against him will find that HaShem will give him the same treatment and all his sins will be forgiven;
Teshuva reaches HaShem's Throne;
Teshuva brings the redemption.