The Work of Repentance

Rabbi Joel Fleekop

Saturday, September 4, 2010

In the traditional Machzor, or High Holiday prayer book, the singing of Kol Nidre on Yom Kippur is preceded by the declaration,

על דעת המקום, ועל דעת הקהל, בישיבה של מעלה

ובישיבה של מטה, אנו מתירין להתתפללים העברינים.

“With the approval of the Omnipresent, and with the approval of the congregation; in the convocation of the court above and in the convocation of the court below, we sanction prayer with the transgressors.”

This declaration originated in the medieval period, when congregations regularly excluded those considered transgressors from worship, welcoming these outsiders into the community only on Yom Kippur.

Today, we make no such judgments of those who seek to join our congregations. We open our doors widely to those who would enter. But the words of the machzor still retain meaning. Because in truth, when we gather in a few weeks for our Yom Kippur services, we will do so in the presence of transgressors: we will gather with our friends and our family.

Judaism teaches that we all transgress, that we all, to use a less antiseptic term -- sin. But Judaism offers a different notion of sin than exists in popular culture. In Judaism, sin isn’t a state, but an act. We aren’t sinners, but people who occasionally make poor choices. To sin, as implied by the Hebrew word, Avirah – is to cross a boundary, or as suggested by the word, Cheit – a term borrowed from the world of archery -- to miss the mark.

A modern definition is offered by the philosopher Israel Knox. Describing the Jewish notion of sin, the late NYU professor writes,

As we make our cheshbon hanefesh, the accounting of our souls, we confess our failure to span the gap between conscience and conduct, between the standards we profess and the actions we perform. . . This chasm, between believing and living, may or may not always be surmountable, but the refusal to try to span it is sin, and the will to bridge it, at least to narrow it, is atonement

Just as Judaism teaches that sin is an inevitable part of the human experience, it also teaches that atonement – or in Hebrew tshuvah – is obtainable to all. In Midrash Dvarim Rabbah, the rabbis teach that just as the sea is always available for physical cleaning, so to the gates of repentance are always open to those who seek to cleanse themselves spiritually. And in this week’s Torah portion, Moses reminds the Israelites of the promise of repentance. He asserts, “And you shall return and hearken to God’s voice . . .and then the Eternal thy God will turn thy captivity and have compassion upon thee and turn and gather thee.”

The first ten verses of Deuteronomy chapter 30, from which this quote is taken, uses a form of the word tshuvah – which literally means to turn or return -- a total of seven times. As the Italian scholar, Umberto Cassuto explains, the repetition of the word signals its importance.

As we prepare for the high holy days and perform our own cheshbon nefesh, our own accounting of the year past, we no doubt recognize the importance of repentance. But as we see that this year we have made many of the same mistakes as in previous years, we also recognize that tshuvah – that turning or changing is not easy.

In his great work, the Mishneh Torah, Maimonides list 24 things that keep us from achieving true repentance. These range from excusing one’s poor behavior by promising to repent in the future, to showing disrespect for teachers and the Torah. And, to justify every parent who has urged their teenage children to choose their friends carefully, Maimonides warns against keeping company with those who might influence you in evil ways.

The fourteenth century Spanish rabbi, Joseph Albo also categorizes the work of tshuavah as difficult. To aid us in this difficult task, he suggests a process, widely accepted today, to guide one toward true repentance. First, Albo teaches, one must correct their thoughts, by which he means, recognizing that a certain action or behavior is wrong and hurtful. Then they must correct their speech, which is understood as taking the time to apologize to those they have wronged. And finally, they must correct their behavior. In Sefer Ha-Ikkarim, Albo explains that this means a person “pledges never to repeat the wrong again and takes on deeds meant to rectify and damages done, intentionally or unintentionally.” Only by addressing our mind, our words, and our actions, Albo teaches, can we make true repentance.

Joseph Albo’s notion of a step by step approach is shared by Isaac Arama, a contemporary in pre-expulsion Spain. But Arama adds another level.

Commenting on this week’s Torah portion, Arama explains that the path to repentance is a series of actions, not just taken by us, but also taken by God – with human beings and God responding to one another – much like the metaphor of the shadow Zach shared with us earlier in his Torah introduction. For Arama, the human being must be the catalyst, must begin the move towards repentance, but once momentum is created, God will assist.

In his work, Akedat Yitzhak, Arama writes,“humans have to take the first step and arouse themselves from the depth of their lethargy and despair. Until they have aroused themselves to the best of their ability, they cannot hope for any encouragement, any redemptive sign from God. . . On the other hand, their first step in the right direction is immediately reciprocated by God.” For Arama, this pattern is repeated, so that through the combined human and divine efforts one is able to move toward true tshuvah.

As the advice of our sages as well as our own experience testifies, the work of tshuvah, of true repentance, is hard. Tshuvah is a difficult task – but also a great one. It is, as a Rabbi Mordechai Kaplan writes, “the reconstruction of our personalities in accordance with the highest ethical possibilities of human nature.”

Zach and Alex, amongst the gifts you will receive from the congregation this morning is a copy of Machzor Sharei Tshuvah, our communities high holy day prayer book. That you receive this gift on the occasion of your becoming Bar Mitzvah is not a coincidence. It is given to you today because as a Jewish adult, the responsibility for your actions and the obligation to better those actions each year and each day is now your own. May you engage in the work of tshuvah, and may your labor be an example to all of us – as together we strive to truly return to God, and truly return to our best selves.