Fundamentals of Teshuvah
Rabbi Aryeh Citron
Parshat Shoftim
Sponsored by Isaac Arber and Family in memory of Isaac’s mother, Zelda bas Menachem Mendel, whose Yahrtzeit is the 7th of Elul.
Fundamentals of Teshuvah
Many verses in the Torah portion of Shoftim relate to the judicial system, both directly[1] and indirectly.[2] The Torah portion discusses the entire process of this system; appointing judges[3] including a high court (Sanhedrin),[4] accepting testimony,[5] judging truthfully[6] and meting out punishment as necessary.[7]In ancient times, when a person was liable for punishment by the court system, they could not circumvent that punishment by repenting and doing teshuvah.[8] The reason for this is that the court is only able to judge based on what they see with their eyes[9] while teshuvah is something that takes place primarily in the heart.[10] In addition, the court punishes the perpetrator for the negative impact their sin had on society, something that is not necessarily repaired even by a sincere Teshuvah.[11]
The only exception to this rule is the ir hanidachat – the idolatrous city.[12] According to Maimonides,[13] if such a city repented they would not be judged as an idolatrous city but rather as individuals who had sinned.[14]
Nowadays, since we do not have a court with the power to administer these punishments, teshuvah can repair and atone for every sin.[15]
This article is based on “The Gateways of Repentance” by Rabbeinu Yonah.[16]
Many tzaddikim recommended that people study this inspiring book on a regular basis,[17] especially during the month of Elul.
Fundamentals of Teshuvah
There are 20 fundamentals of teshuvah (repentance) according to Rabbeinu Yonah.[18]
1) Regret
· One who sinned must take to heart how bitter a mistake he made by forsaking the eternal life which is beneficial for the body and soul and replacing it with a fleeting moment of inconsequential pleasure.
2) Abounding the Sin
· This is the essence of teshuvah. One who goes through all of the other motions of Teshuvah but doesn’t actually change his negative behavior is like one who immerses in a mikvah to purify himself while grasping a dead rodent which is the very source of his impurity.
3) Grief
· The more one realizes how harmful his sin was, the more he will distance himself from committing it in the future. In fact, one’s distress over one’s sins should be the only distress that is important to a person. All physical troubles should be insignificant by comparison.
4) Feeling Pain in the Limbs
· One needs to feel the pain of the sin in the very limbs that led to that sin, i.e., the heart that desired the sin should be filled with remorse, the eyes that gazed at the sin should be filled with tears, etc.
5) Worry
· Even after a wise person does teshuvah, he realizes that his teshuvah may be deficient relative to the depth of the sin and to the greatness of the Creator he sinned towards. He will also realize that since he has sinned once, his evil inclination will come back to entice him again. It may ambush him at a time he is least expecting it. He will therefore constantly work on strengthening and deepening his connection to the Almighty.
6) Shame
· One should take to heart that he should be embarrassed to sin in front of G-d who watches his every action at least as much as he is embarrassed to sin in front of his fellow-man. The more a person thinks about the greatness of G-d, the more he will feel this shame.
7) Humility
· One should recognize one’s own worthlessness for having sinned. Even after one repents, one should realize that his accomplishments are only possible with the help of the Almighty and that he is far from perfect. As a result, one should not seek recognition for his good deeds but should rather conceal them as much as possible. One should be careful to not lose his temper, but rather be forgiving and accepting of rebuke.
8) Simplicity in Action
· A true ba’al teshuvah (penitent) will talk softly and never respond forcefully. He will spurn handsome garments and adornments. All this will help him remain humble and distant from sin.
9) Breaking Physical Pleasures
· A person’s pleasure is the root of most of his actions. If one fixes his desire for pleasure and makes it subservient to his intellect, all of his actions will be improved. A ba’al teshuvah will therefore refrain from unnecessary pleasure even when it is permissible. This will strengthen his ability to overcome his desire for sin. G-d sees the forfeit of one’s pleasure as a sign of ones’ sincere remorse for his sins and accepts this sacrifice as one brought on the Altar of the Holy Temple.
10) To Replace the Negative with Positive
· One should use the limbs that sinned to do good deeds, e.g., if one spoke lashon haRa (gossip) he should increase in Torah study (in addition to asking the injured party for forgiveness). If one instigated fights, he should become a seeker of peace. One who hurt other people should increase in charitable acts.
11) Reckoning of One’s Actions
· One should take stock of all of his actions. It is proper to write down one’s sins as well as the deficiencies in one’s performance of mitzvot and then read this list daily. This will help him:
· Be aware of the actions for which he must repent.
· Remain humble.
· Be careful to distance himself from behaviors which may lead to a repetition of the sin.
12) Know the Appropriate Punishment for Every Sin
· One should study what punishment the Torah proscribes for every sin one committed. This will help one humble oneself and increase the level of remorse over his actions.
13) To Consider the “Minor” Sins as Significant Ones
· One should consider even “small” sins as if they are grave ones. There are four reasons for this:
· One should not consider the pettiness of the sin but rather the greatness of the One who warned against it (G-d).
· Continuous repetition of small sins adds up and is considered like a grave sin.
· By continuously sinning in a particular action, one is considered to be a flagrant sinner and “rebellious” against G-d.
· When the evil inclination succeeds in enticing one to sin in a minor way, he will eventually succeed in getting him to sin in major ways.
14) Confession
· One should confess both one’s own sins as well as the sins of one’s forefathers. One who continues sinning in the ways of his forefathers is punished for his own actions as well as for those of his ancestors.
15) Prayer
· One should pray to G-d to help him in his path towards teshuvah and to accept his teshuvah so that he be found desirable to G-d as he was before to his sin.
16) Fixing the Harm Caused
· One who sinned towards his fellow-man must right that wrong in addition to doing teshuvah towards G-d.
· If one stole something, the money (or object) must be returned.
· If one embarrassed someone, spoke lashon hara about someone, or otherwise caused another person pain, one must ask that person for forgiveness.
· These actions should be done even before confessing to G-d. One who fails to do this is responsible for the “hurt” his actions are still causing, and his teshuvah is not accepted by G-d.
17) Do Acts of Goodness and Kindness
· In addition to teshuvah, a penitent should increase his positive acts and help those who are seeking truth. This will atone for his sins and protect him from suffering.
18) Awareness of the Sin
· One should constantly be aware of one’s sins and never forget them until his last day.
19) Teshuvah in One’s Youth
· If at all possible, one should repent for one’s sins while young and strong. One who repents when he is still able to sin has done a more meaningful teshuvah than one who repents at the end of his life. The greatest sign of a successful teshuvah is if one is placed in the same situation that led to his first sin and he overcomes his desire and refrains from sinning.
20) To Inspire Others to Teshuvah
· A sincere ba’al teshuvah will put in his greatest efforts to help others reach their own teshuvah.
For more inspiration and information of teshuvah, please click here http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/911887/jewish/Teshuvah.htm for the Rambam’s Laws of Teshuvah
[1] See Deut, chapters 16, verses 18 19, and 20, chapter 17, verses 4, 5, 6, 7 11, 12, 13, chapter 19, verses 15, and 19, chapter 21, verses 4 - 9
[2] Ibid, 16, 21 and 22, chapter 17, verse 1 as explained by Sanhedrin 7b, Kli Yakar on 16, 21
[3] Deut 16, 18
[4] Ibid, 17, 8 – 11, see Sotah 7b
[5] Ibid 19, 15 - 21
[6] Ibid, 16, 19 and 20
[7] Ibid, 17, verses 5 - 7, 12 and 13, chapter 19, 12, and 13
[8] Makot 13b
[9] See Noda BiYehuda, Mahadura Kama, 35
[10] See Rambam, Laws of Teshuva, 2, 2, Tanya, chapter 29
[11] Likutei Sichot, 9, pgs. 111 - 114
[12] Ibid, 13, 13 - 19
[13] Laws of Avodah Zara, 4, 6
[14] Tzfanat Pane’ach on the Torah pg. 74 See Likutei Sichot 9, pgs. 106 - 114
[15] See Tosfot Ketubot 30b D”H Din
[16] Rabbeinu Yonah of Gerona passed away in the year 1263 and was the teacher of the Rashba and the Ramban. He was originally an opponent of the Rambam and was one of the instigators of the burning of the Rambam’s works. When the French authorities publicly burned 24 wagonloads of the Talmud, Rabbeinu Yonah felt that this was a punishment from Heaven for the burning of the Rambam’s works. Tradition has it that Rabbeinu Yonah wrote his classic work “The Gateways of Repentance” to atone for this error.
[17] Shem HaGedolim of the Chida
[18] Sha’ar Rishon