Combing for Sins
The Gemara (Kiddushin 81a) records a remarkable incident. Rabbi Akiva, the greatest Tannaitic sage, taunts the yetzer hara, whereby the evil inclination, the yetzer hara, then appears to him as a woman at the top of a tree. Rabbi Akiva begins to climb the tree but is ultimately saved when the Heavens intercede for him. How can such a fall be understood?
The guf (body) is all pleasure-seeking and retains enormous power over the soul, yet it must understand the necessity to dance with the everlasting soul (neshamah). The more the guf follows the neshamah to serve G-d, the more light of the Divine enters the body. Whereas if the body, which is a desire-seeking machine, gives into the physical, G-d's light is shunned from entering the body. A thriving guf-neshamah relationship has great ramifications when the soul will unite with the body in the resurrection of the dead, (techiyat hametim.) Since G-d wanted a physical body and spiritual soul to work in tandem, both are recognized for following in His ways.
The great gift given to the Jews is teshuvah, which, as the sin of the golden calf, chet haegal, confirmed, can wipe away all sins. Being clear of sin is the goal for both the guf and neshamah in anticipation of the final resurrection.
In order to dig deep and find one's faults, whether it be in the physical or spiritual, the Gemara (Eruvin 13b) advises a type of search called "yiphashphesh b'maasav." This language doesn’t just connote examination, but rather the type of search where you are combing for lice (phasphesh), a chametz-like search. This is the type of relentless examination that must be done to find one's latent weaknesses which surely includes the physical as exhibited by the Rabbi Akiva story.
Once you take on the bold step to admit your mistakes and address them, you are treated with mercy, as it says, "He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion” (Proverbs 28:13).
Yes, there will be a constant battle between the guf and neshamah (body and soul) where tzaddikim fall as well, but with an exhaustive search to redeem oneself, the guf can serve the neshamah, enabling a triumphant techiyat hameitim.