R E T U R N - T E S H U V A H
The Hebrew word for
repentance, Teshuvah has three different related meanings. First, it denotes
"return," a going back to G-d. Second, it can mean "turning about" or "turning to," adopting another orientation or
direction in life. Third, Teshuvah signifies "response."
Remoteness from G-d is not a matter of physical distance, but a spiritual problem of
relationship. The person who is not going along the right path is not farther away from G-d but is, rather, a person whose soul is oriented toward and relating with other objects. The starting point of repentance is precisely this fulcrum point upon which a
person turns himself about, and confronts
their desire to approach G-d; this is the moment of conversion, the crucial moment of repentance.
If you are flying to Chicago, you leave your home and fly to Chicago. After you complete your stay, you use your return ticket to get on a plane to go back home. Returning means going back to somewhere you've been, somewhere familiar.
Teshuvah means we return to the path God set for us when we were born, the path that our souls know as homeward bound, the path of goodness, of becoming a better person.
There are "two Torahs": the first, is the spiritual Torah, "Torat D'Atziluth" (Torah of Divine Emanations) written by the "finger of God" in Exodus 31:18; the second, a less-spiritual Torah, "Torat D'Beriah" (Torah of Re-Forming) known as the "Old Testament," written in Exodus 34:1-28 by "the hand of Moses" rather than the "finger of God."
The primary commandment of the spiritual Torah, "Torat D'Atziluth," was to actively listen to God's Voice, and not to perform rituals and sacrifices, those were added only after the sin of the golden calf . The second, less spiritual Torah,"Torat D'Beriah," was a means by which the Children of Israel could be made worthy to receive (once again) the more spiritual Torah, "Torat D'Atziluth."
God spoke to the prophet Jeremiah, "When I [first] brought your ancestors out of the land of Egypt, I said nothing to them, gave them no orders, about rituals and sacrifice. These were my orders: Listen to my voice, then I will be your God and you shall be my people." (Jeremiah 7:22)
The Prophet Jeremiah refers to the first Torah, "Torat D'Atziluth" when he says, "When I brought your ancestors out of the land of Egypt, I said nothing to them, gave them no orders, about rituals and sacrifice. These were my orders: Listen to my voice, then I will be your God and you shall be my people." (Jeremiah 7:22)
We should see more clearly that it is by literally listening to God's voice, that "He will be our God and we will be his people." Man's "conversations with God," draws on people that listening to the voice of God and actually responding to it. This is a living reality that is to be actively pursued.
There are many different types of teshuvah as they are many different types of mistakes. Some are very grave and may have taken a person's entire life off course. Here we are speaking about the errors of everyday life that often cause us to feel badly about ourselves and impair our relationship with others and with God.
Often we know at the time that what we are doing is wrong, but we convince ourselves that somehow at the moment it is right.
Everyone makes such mistakes. We all know when we stray, rationalize, bend the truth, avoid the effort, and ignore what is really important and meaningful in our lives. Often we know at the time that what we are doing is wrong, but we are caught up, and distracted, or we convince ourselves that somehow at the moment it is right.
God understands that. Everyone who has children doesn't expect them to be perfect. You know that as they grow they will make mistakes. Even when you tell them not to do something that will harm them, they do it any way.
How do you want them to feel when they err? Weighed down by guilt for life? Terrible about themselves? Of course not. You want them to recognize that they've made a mistake, be sorry, make amends if need be, learn from it so it doesn't get repeated, and to go on.
Guilt is not a Jewish idea because guilt is paralyzing and self-absorbing. The Jewish view is to use mistakes to grow forward.
God is our Father in Heaven. He doesn't want us to be weighed down by negativity and self-loathing when we make mistakes. When we make the wrong choices in life, they should be seen as opportunities for growth, not chains and shackles to weigh us down forever.
Maimonides sets out the steps for teshuvah. When we make a mistake, we are to go through the process step-by-step. The result is forgiveness and growth.
Step 1: Stop.
Stop whatever destructive action you are engaged in. If, for example, you are losing your temper with others, stop.
Step 2: Regret.
You should indeed feel regret for your error. It's wrong to lose your temper as you are likely to hurt others in doing so. You should be sorry for the
harm you caused.
Step 3: Verbalize.
Explain your regret out loud to God. This doesn't have to be done at synagogue, and it doesn't have to be in Hebrew. Talk to God in at least an audible whisper, not just in your head; of course, God knows already, but you need to hear it. Tell Him that you are sorry for whatever you did wrong. If your actions harmed other people then you have to make amends. After
losing your temper, you must go to your friend and ask his forgiveness.
The completion of these steps is called "teshuvah gamurah," or "complete return." It occurs when God puts you in the same position as when you originally made the mistake and you do not repeat the mistake.
Use the example of losing your temper with a friend, it would be sometime later, when the touchy subject comes up again. If you hold your tongue and do not let yourself get pulled into an argument, you will have achieved complete teshuvah.
Once you have completed teshuvah, God accepts your return, and in the videotape of your life, those mistakes are edited out. When God reviews your year of thoughts and deeds, He simply doesn't see those mistakes.
It is out of God's love for us that he gives us such a method of getting back on track. Put the guilt, shame, embarrassment, and negativity behind you. Let them go, and return.
"Man's self-destructive tendency (yetzer hara) overpowers him daily and threatens to kill him. Were it not for G-d's help, man would not survive." (Talmud - Kiddushin 30)
The conventional translation of teshuvah as "repentance" restricts its conception to one shared by Western society as a whole. A comparison of the meaning of these two terms reflects a radical contrast that sheds light on many aspects of our relationship with G-d.
Repentance implies a reversal of one's conduct - a recognition of past shortcomings, and a firm resolution to change in the future. The two are interrelated; the awareness of our weaknesses impels us to re-orient. The concept of teshuvah as "return" emphasizes the fundamental spiritual potential of every person. This teaches that within each of us resides a Divine soul, a spark of G-d.
This infinite G-dly potential represents the core of our souls, our genuine "I". From this perspective, sin and evil are superficial elements that can never affect our fundamental nature.
Teshuvah means rediscovering our true selves, establishing contact with this G-dly inner potential and making it the dominant influence in our lives. Seen in this light, our motivation to do teshuvah is not an awareness of our inadequacies, but rather a sensitivity to this infinite potential within our souls.
For in essence, teshuvah is an expression of a man's innermost spiritual core, the yechidah within his soul. (This is what gives teshuvah the power to correct any blemishes which the manifest faculties of the soul may have sustained.)
And by means of the avodah (spiritual service) of teshuvah one elicits the advent of the Redemption, which in essence is the manifestation of the Divine yechidah(the soul's contact with The Divine) - the manifestation of that sublime level of Divine light which transcends the graduated self-screening process by which it normally allows itself to be minimally perceived in this lowly world.
Likkutei Sichos, Vol. IV, p. 1071
Marx said that "religion is the opiate of the masses." But Marx was talking about the religion that says: "Resist not evil, turn the other cheek."
Judaism, on the other hand, teaches people to stand up and take responsibility for the world. If anything, secularism is the opiate because it breeds inactivity.
The source of the effectiveness of Teshuvah is G-d. More-or-less the same idea as "The Quality of Mercy is not strained; it droppeth as the gentle rain from Heaven upon the place beneath." (Shakespeare)
All you have to do is take the responsibility and make an effort. God will take care of the rest.
Doing "Teshuvah" is not easy. But, like many other worthwhile processes, a person need only start the job. Once that is done, "somehow" The Infinite gets involved and helps the person, so that the person is able to surmount the difficulty.
The diamond cannot be polished without friction, nor the man perfected without trials. --Chinese Proverb
This Web site and my links are my interpretations, as cited, compiled, and edited by myself. They are not to be misconstrued as representative of any particular group, denomination, doctrine, or dogma ... other than my own.
I have used various sources, including Adin Steinsaltz book, The Thirteen Petalled Rose; and The Zohar, translated by Harry Sperling and Maurice Simon; The Bahir, Translation and Commentary by Aryeh Kaplan; B.S. Ashlag (1906-1991)also known as The Rabash; The Ari; Rabbi Zalman Schacter-Shalomi; The Master Plan - The Baal Shem Tov's Unique Conception of Divine Providence; and many Web sites, too numerous to mention.
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Where Do We Go From Here? ... My Other Angel Links ... |
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Alicia's Web site is my personal interpretation as redacted, cited, compiled, and edited by myself. They are not to be misconstrued as representative of any particular religious organizations, denomination, doctrine, or dogma ... other than my own. I have cited various sources: Adin Steinsaltz book - The Thirteen Petalled Rose, The Zohar - translated by Harry Sperling and Maurice Simon, The Bahir translation and commentary by Aryeh Kaplan, B.S. Ashlag (1906-1991)also known as The Rabash, The Ari- Rabbi Isaac Luria; and Rabbi Zalman Schacter-Shalomi; The Master Plan - The Baal Shem Tov's Unique Conception of Divine Providence. |
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