Halachot and Customs
How can one do complete teshuvah for a nocturnal emission?
Question
Hello, honored Rabbi.
How can one do complete teshuvah for a nocturnal emission, and is its punishment like that of wasted seed?
Answer
Shalom and blessings
A nocturnal emission that comes without any evil thoughts during the previous day, and with proper guarding of the eyes, contains no sin. A nocturnal emission that results from improper thoughts and sights does involve sin, and the teshuvah is to guard one’s eyes properly and to devote the mind to Torah study.
Here are the words of the author of the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch, siman 151
Seif 5
One who, heaven forbid, sees a nocturnal emission should, when he wakes from his sleep, wash his hands and say with a broken heart:
Master of the universe, I did this unwillingly, only through evil thoughts and bad meditations. Therefore may it be Your will, Hashem, my God and God of my fathers, to erase in Your abundant mercy this sin, and save me from evil thoughts and the like forever and ever, amen, may it be so.
Seif 6
One who wishes to guard himself from this sin should guard his mouth from vulgar speech, from lies, from gossip, from evil speech, and from mockery, and likewise guard his ears from hearing such things. He should also be careful to fulfill his vows and not increase in worry. He should also be careful about evil thoughts. And before going to sleep he should occupy himself with Torah, or recite the first four chapters of Tehillim, and he should be careful not to sleep alone in a room.
Seif 7
Rectifications for one who has stumbled in this sin are written in the book Yesod Yosef, which collected and gathered from sacred and earlier books, and I will write here some of them briefly. He should strive to serve as a sandak for children being circumcised on his lap, and especially to be a sandak for poor people. He should increase charity to the poor, keep Shabbat according to halacha and delight in it, and light many candles. He should honor and love Torah scholars, pray with intention and with tears, choose the trait of humility, and when he hears himself being insulted he should remain silent and forgive. When he performs a mitzvah, he should do it with strength and alacrity until he becomes warmed by it, especially in performing the mitzvot for Pesach. He should raise his children in Torah study and guide them in fear of Heaven. He should raise an orphan in his home and conduct himself with him as with his own son. He should engage in the mitzvah of bringing a bride to her wedding. He should be called to the Torah at least once each month and recite the blessings aloud. He should also look into the Torah and read softly along with the reader. He should be among the first ten in the synagogue. He should rise at midnight to recite Tikkun Chatzot with tears. And if he is unable to rise at midnight, he should recite Tikkun Chatzot afterward. He should love peace and pursue peace.
Success,
Benjamin Shmueli
