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ShareYou're invited to silently reflect on one of the following questions before we begin studying sources.
1) Think of a moment when you wanted someone to apologize to you. What did you hope that they would do or say? You could also think about a time when you received an apology that met your needs. What did they do or say that fulfilled your needs?
2) Recall a time when you apologized to someone. What did you feel during and after your apology?
3) What does teshuvah mean to you?
Etymology of Teshuvah
Questions to consider: What are the similarities and differences between each of these meanings? How might they be understood as metaphors? How do they affect your understanding of the word teshuvah?
As a verb, the root shin-vav-vet (ש-ו-ב) can mean:
- To go back
- To come back
- To come again
- To go again
- To return to God
- To repent
- Again
- Furthermore
- To turn away
- To turn back
- To return
- To respond
- Repentance
- Return
- Revolution
חטאת אשם ומיתה ויום הכפורים [כולן] אין מכפרין אלא עם התשובה שנאמר (ויקרא כב) אך בעשור וגו' אם שב מתכפר לו ואם לאו אין מתכפר לו
ר"א אומר (שמות לד) ונקה מנקה הוא לשבים ואין מנקה [לשאין] שבים
רבי יהודה אומר מיתה ויום הכפורים מכפרין עם התשובה [תשובה מכפרת עם המיתה] ויום המיתה הרי הוא כתשובה.
A sin sacrificial offering, a guilt sacrificial offering, death, and Yom Kippur -- none of them effect atonement except when accompanied with teshuvah(repentance), as it is said in Lev. 23:27, "But on the tenth day, etc." If he shav(repents), he atones himself, and if not, he does not effect atonement on himself.
Rabbi Eliezer quotes Ex. 34:7: "and He cleanses" -- that is to say, God cleanses those who shavim(repents), and God does not cleanse those who do not shavim(repent).
Rabbi Yehuda says, death and Yom Kippur atones with teshuvah(repentance), teshuvah(repentance) atones with death, and the day of death -- behold, it is like repentance.
וּמַה הִיא הַתְּשׁוּבָה? הוּא שֶׁיַּעֲזֹב הַחוֹטֵא חֶטְאוֹ וִיסִירוֹ מִמַּחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ וְיִגְמֹר בְּלִבּוֹ שֶׁלֹּא יַעֲשֵׂהוּ עוֹד שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה נה ז) "יַעֲזֹב רָשָׁע דַּרְכּוֹ" וְגוֹ'. וְכֵן יִתְנַחֵם עַל שֶׁעָבַר שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ירמיה לא יט) "כִּי אַחֲרֵי שׁוּבִי נִחַמְתִּי".
וְיָעִיד עָלָיו יוֹדֵעַ תַּעֲלוּמוֹת שֶׁלֹּא יָשׁוּב לְזֶה הַחֵטְא לְעוֹלָם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (הושע יד ד) "וְלֹא נֹאמַר עוֹד אֱלֹקֵינוּ לְמַעֲשֵׂה יָדֵינוּ" וְגוֹ'.
וְצָרִיךְ לְהִתְוַדּוֹת בִּשְׂפָתָיו וְלוֹמַר עִנְיָנוֹת אֵלּוּ שֶׁגָּמַר בְּלִבּוֹ:
What constitutes Teshuvah? That a sinner should abandon his sins and remove them from his thoughts, resolving in his heart, never to commit them again as Isaiah 55:7 states "May the wicked abandon his ways...." Similarly, he must regret the past as Jeremiah 31:18 states: "After I shuv(returned), I regretted."
[He must reach the level where] He who knows the hidden will testify concerning him that he will never shuv (return) to this sin again as Hoshea 14:4 states: "We will no longer say to the work of our hands: `You are our gods.'"
He must verbally confess and state these matters which he resolved in his heart.
The Hebrew root [shuv]שׁוּב mean to return or turn around -- as in teshuvah: repentance, return, turning our lives around, re-aligning ourselves with our highest values and with our Source. Returning to something we've maybe left behind or strayed from or forgotten. Literally re / turning -- turning again. In modern Hebrew, a teshuvah can also be an answer, as in a halakhic answer to a deep Jewish question.
הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, יָפָה שָׁעָה אַחַת בִּתְשׁוּבָה וּמַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, מִכָּל חַיֵּי הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא. וְיָפָה שָׁעָה אַחַת שֶׁל קוֹרַת רוּחַ בָּעוֹלָם הַבָּא, מִכָּל חַיֵּי הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה:
He would say: One hour of repentance and good deeds in this world is better than all the time in the world to come. And one hour of pleasure in the world to come is better than all the time in this world.
