Let My People Know

"When a person sins, it is as if he pulls God down and forces Him, as well, to participate in the sin"

 

The sin is not only the disgrace of the sinner, it is also the disgrace of God. 

The divine soul is not only a part of the world, one of God's servants doing His will; it is an extension of God Himself. 

When a person sins, it is as if he pulls God down and forces Him, as well, to participate in the sin. 

The outrage, whether for the one causing shame or for the One being shamed, is the greatest possible. 

Even if one does not drag down the head of the king continuously but only from time to time, when his evil disposition overpowers him, once a day or once a month, that does not mitigate the disgrace. 

Because the outrage is so great, nothing can excuse, explain, or alleviate it. 

Here there is no greater or smaller measure and no insignificant or significant sin. 

Every sin–at any time, to any degree, and in every situation–cannot be mitigated. 

It is an unparalleled disgrace. 

–Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz
 
From Learning from the Tanya by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz