How does Teshuvah work after HaShem says no?

(1) Of David. The LORD is my light and my help; whom should I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life, whom should I dread? (2) When evil men assail me to devour my flesh^-—it is they, my foes and my enemies, who stumble and fall. (3) Should an army besiege me, my heart would have no fear; should war beset me, still would I be confident. (4) One thing I ask of the LORD, only that do I seek: to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD, to frequent^-b His temple. (5) He will shelter me in His pavilion on an evil day, grant me the protection of His tent, raise me high upon a rock. (6) Now is my head high over my enemies round about; I sacrifice in His tent with shouts of joy, singing and chanting a hymn to the LORD. (7) Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud; have mercy on me, answer me. (8) In Your behalf^-b my heart says: “Seek My face!” O LORD, I seek Your face. (9) Do not hide Your face from me; do not thrust aside Your servant in anger; You have ever been my help. Do not forsake me, do not abandon me, O God, my deliverer. (10) Though my father and mother abandon me, the LORD will take me in. (11) Show me Your way, O LORD, and lead me on a level path because of my watchful foes. (12) Do not subject me to the will of my foes, for false witnesses and unjust accusers have appeared against me. (13) Had I not the assurance that I would enjoy the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living… (14) Look to the LORD; be strong and of good courage! O look to the LORD!

And we now come to our topic which is that David is still within the challenge of the matter of Batsheva that continues through the provocation of the enemies that are close to him who say to him one who cohabits with another man’s wife, how shall he die? And they anger him in his study hall as our sages teach. And behold it is known that before the matter of Batsheva, David asked from God to build the Temple in his days and God did not agree and after some time the matter of Batsheva occurred.

And the intent of this psalm is that there are two enemies of a person one is the enemy of the soul the evil inclination and all of the powers of impurity that cause one to err in their ways and everyone of them is a battle ready to fight and cause additional misdeeds day by day to lose the soul. And the second type are the enemies of the body, those that wish to destroy like the way of kings will plan to fight man versus man and kingdom versus kingdom. For David there is a third type and this is the enemy that’s around him like Doeg and Achitophel and those like them who embarrass him and anger him.

And David said of the first two types he is not paint because as long as God is with him he is not afraid not from the troubles of the soul nor from the troubles of the body, however with regard to the third he says Ki Mi Yitein and for Hashem to grant his initial request that which he asked to build the Temple in his days so that he could separate from said individuals and sit in the House of God all of his days. In the evening he would go to his home and every morning he would return to guard the House of God each day all the days of his life and then his enemies would see and would be embarrassed by the fact that God had chosen him to build His house and to be a regular therein and then he would have relief from his being provoked, and not on his own worries was he concerned rather that in one moment when he heard the evil of their words he would get angry and judge them and perhaps it would not be appropriate in the eyes of God and will cause sin.

The Gemara relates that the tanna who recited mishnayot and baraitot in the study hall taught a baraita before Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak: Anyone who humiliates another in public, it is as though he were spilling blood. Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said to him: You have spoken well, as we see that after the humiliated person blushes, the red leaves his face and pallor comes in its place, which is tantamount to spilling his blood. Abaye said to Rav Dimi: In the West, i.e., Eretz Yisrael, with regard to what mitzva are they particularly vigilant? Rav Dimi said to him: They are vigilant in refraining from humiliating others

as Rava interpreted: What is the meaning of that which is written: “And when I limped they rejoiced and gathered…they tore and did not cease [damu]” (Psalms 35:15)? The term “damu” can also be understood as a reference to blood. Concerning the fasting he undertook to atone for his sin with Bathsheba (see II Samuel, chapters 11–12), David said before the Holy One, Blessed be He: Master of the Universe, it is revealed and known before You that if my tormenters were to tear my flesh, my blood [dami] would not flow to the ground, due to excessive fasting. And moreover, they torment me to the extent that even at the time when they are engaged in the public study of the halakhot of leprous sores and tents in which there is a corpse, i.e., halakhic matters that have no connection to my sin, they say to me: David, one who engages in intercourse with a married woman, his death is effected with what form of execution? And I say to them: One who engages in intercourse with a married woman before witnesses and with forewarning, his death is by strangulation, but he still has a share in the World-to-Come. But one who humiliates another in public has no share in the World-to-Come. The transgression of you, who humiliate me, is more severe than my transgression.

and based on all this, my one request from God these days is to build the temple and Hashem has not allowed me, and now this I ask in order to distance from people, which is to dwell in the house of God all the days of my life. And it doesn’t say shevet rather shivty to hint that it was for him alone as a dwelling in the courtyard as the sages teach because there is no dwelling in the courtyard except for the kingdom of the house of David alone and through this I will be able to be constantly there which is not the case if I were another king like Saul and those like him that are not from the tribe of Judah like me and all of the kingship of the house of David. And I will not have to deal with any matters of any other people only to envision the pleasantness of God [...]

That which I ask for is for right now, for the building of the Temple in order to lift up my head over my enemies around me who are Doeg, Achitophel, and Shimi Ben Geira and those like them my enemies around me in the study hall to pester me with their mouths for what they will recognize in the future after my passing that I am good in the eyes of God I want them to recognize now when they see the Temple built through my hands for this is only in that God is with me and the Divine Presence dwells in my handiwork in a high way my head will be upon them and they will not return to bother and chase me anymore and will not suspect for they will hear that for this great and important intent for them and theirs, I say this that the Temple will be built through my hands for then I will bow and offer in its tent my offerings and my subjugation and that which I will sing will not be over that which affects me rather for God for whose will this is done, for from the beginning of creation of the world God desired to have a dwelling in the lower realm to do his will and this is the song for God as to say that all of the intent of this matter is only so that I can be alone envisioning the Pleasantness of God and my enemies around me will be subjugated those who chase me and defame God and they won’t sin any longer.

he said behold until here I asked to build the Temple in my days and to lift up my head above my adversaries around me and quiet their provoking embarrassment of God, but when I see that my request will not be fulfilled I ask in a different direction and on this I beseech you and say my voice calls out to fulfill my request please answer me. And the explanation of his request which is ‘don’t hide your face from me’ will be explained with G-d’s help.

and before he reveals his request which is Al Taster Panecha Mimeni he professes it and says Amar Libi, which is to say that the way of people used to say that a person doesn’t need the fullness of their abilities as long as their heart is full with God and they don’t need more because in this everything will be for him and he won’t lack ability for the one who fears the word of God Will not depend on this alone rather will also request the face of God with him and that God should not be hidden from before him and then this he will trust that no mistakes will occur. And this is Lecha Amar Libi, which is to say that that which affects your service my heart says to my spirit and my lives that they are not needed except to request your face because once the face of the heart is with God no sin will occur in any instance but I say I don’t say this is enough but I want your face God that your face should be with me so that I will not air and that’s what it means when it says Et Panecha HaShem Avakesh.

and this is my request, Al Taster Panecha Mimeni, do not hide your face from being with me always so that I will not air. And my main request is this, Al Tat B’Af, At the time when your servants anger which is the time when I am angry with the adversaries around me mentioned above and I may Bring them down and kill them and perhaps come upon the blood inappropriately and send to God who has hit in his face and if it would be there until here You were my help when I fled and from Saul that not only did you not hide your face but also assisted me I fear no don’t abandon me perhaps if you veer from me even a little will come to be a greater turning away, and even leaving me completely, which would happen if my anger got the better of me [...]

behold until hear the countenance of God will be with him when he says the countenance of God I request and afterwords he asked a second request which is that after the countenance of God will be with him God should not hide his face from him even a little so that his anger does not overtake him for perhaps from this it will come to further moving away and even losing completely as was stated perhaps in the time when he is angry about his adversaries around him will pester him [...] he says I ask a third request which is to show me the ways of God this is mentioned to do good with those that have not done good rather the opposite they sinned to you [...] therefore I ask from you show Me Your Way, God that I should do this as well to do good to those who have done evil to me, which is the vast way connected to the word Derech, and further grant me, Unicheini B’Orach Mishor, even in the narrow way that’s called Orech and Mishor is to act above the letter of the law as it states, ‘to do the right and the good’ which is above the letter of the law, and those who do this are called Yesharim [...]

We have written that there are three things that were asked one after the other in stages as a persistent pauper, the first being Et Panecha HaShem Avakesh, that HaShem’s countenance should be with him. Second, that after His countenance is with him, the countenance should not turn away for any reason, and so he says, Al Taster Panecha Mimeni Al Tat B’Af Avdecha, that [HaShem] shouldn’t turn from him in the time of his anger for perhaps his anger will take him off the path. Third, that [HaShem] should be with him to show him and to guide him on the pious path, Lifnim MiShuras HaDin, above the letter of the law, and for this he says, Horeini HaShem Darkecha U’Ncheini B’Orach Mishor. On these three the Divine Spirit responded to him: On the first - Kavei El HaShem, that [HaShem] will be with you which is more than what you asked in saying Et Panecha HaShem Avakesh; And on the second - Chazak V’Yaameitz Libecha, saying that which you asked […] to this I say to you don’t put it all on HaShem rather be strong so as not to get angry and through this, V’Yaameitz Libecha, [HaShem] will strengthen you so that you will not get angry for one who comes to be purified HaShem assists him; and on the third - to operate with piety, it says, V’Kavei El HaShem, this will also be done for you.